Airbnb. Wow. What a concept and a money-saver! I seriously can’t stress enough how much I love Airbnb. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s basically a way for locals to rent out their homes/apartments/yurts/etc. on a short-term basis. You can book just a private room, a shared space, or an entire place for yourself. We love to recommend Airbnb for our programs for weekend trips. It’s the perfect way to find a place to stay for a weekend getaway.

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Here’s what Airbnb has done for me over the past 5 years:

• Saved me thousands of dollars (no, I’m not exaggerating! more on that later)
• Introduced me to some really cool people
• Given me a glimpse of what local life is really like
• Made my trips smoother

*Valid for new users only

Without further ado, here are 17 reasons why we LOVE Airbnb:

1. It’s affordable.
   Because you can search and filter by your budget, Airbnb makes finding an affordable place to stay easy. Also, it’s not like a hostel because I always feel really crammed in those. You can have the advantage of staying in an affordable place without feeling like a sardine. 
2. The connections.
   You get to meet locals and other travels in a much more comfortable way. Seriously, I can’t describe the number of interesting and helpful conversations we had with locals when we stayed at their homes.
3. It helps out the locals.
   Another added bonus is that the money is going straight to the local economy so you’re helping individuals and families just like you! Rather than contributing to a giant, insatiable hotel firm.
4. Cozy, comfortable insight to the culture > Characterless hotel.
   Staying at a local residence rather than a hotel really does help you feel at home in the country. You’re not just a passing-by tourist who scratches the surface by staying in a room with a bed and questionable sheets. Staying at a local’s place gives you a cozy, at-home feel that’s hard to find elsewhere. Plus, the people around you, the neighborhoods you walk through — they’re all real. Not some calculated real estate.
5. You can save money by eating in.
   You can save money by eating some meals at home. ‘Nuff said. Don’t get me wrong, I am ALL for trying delicious local foods. But every single meal can add up and it’s nice to have some food at home a night or two.
6. Refer & get credit.
   Airbnb has a super cool referral program, so you can get credit when your friends sign up using your link. If you want $20 off your first trip (new users only), use our referral link to sign up!
7. Live like a local.
   When you stay in an Airbnb, you’ll likely stay on a street among other locals. You won’t be staying in a hotel surrounded by other hotels filled with tourists. This actually helps you see what the daily life is like for people in that city!
8. It’s safe.
   I love that Airbnb does the work to make sure everything is as safe as possible. They run background checks and ensure that the places and hosts are legitimate.
9. You can read reviews.
   One of my favorite parts of Airbnb is the reviews. If a place has 4 out of 5 stars, but the last 3 reviews are 1 star, I might reconsider booking there. And the same goes in reverse. A place may have had some bad reviews a year ago, but then fixed things! I love being able to see recent reviews before I book somewhere.
10. Search based on your needs.
    It’s really nice being able to filter the search by price, but even better to search by number of rooms, bathrooms, and other accommodations.
11. Get the best recommendations.
    Many Airbnb hosts will leave you a sweet list of their top recommendations. I remember when we stayed in Rome, Italy, our host had a whole list of local places to eat. The gelato place he recommended was the bomb!
12. Using Airbnb is easy.
    I have traveled with some lovely people who are not super tech-savyy (love you M & D!). I love that once I showed them how it works, they were able to book their own places with Airbnb totally without my aid.
13. Get discounts for longer stays.
    Our friends Dani and Pablo (aka the Adventurous Figs) traveled around the world — for a whole year! They stayed about a week or longer in each city, really getting a full experience. And when you book for a longer period, you can get a discount on your total stay.
14. Sharing the trip is super convenient.
    After you complete the booking, it’s way cool that you can email your itinerary to a travel buddy or friend. I usually send our itinerary to my parents so they know where I’ll be in case of emergency.
15. It’s easy to split the cost.
    If you’re traveling with others, Airbnb gives you an option to split the cost right after you book. Plus it sends invoices via email to your travel pals, so you don’t need to worry about hounding your friends for money!
16. You can message your host directly.
    It’s so nice being able to message your host directly. If your flight is delayed or you end up coming earlier than expected, you can rearrange things with your host.
17. If there are issues, reach out.
    In December 2019, my family and I spent a week in Paris. I loved it. We loved the Christmas markets, museums, fresh French baguettes, and everything about it! Minus the fact that France was having a full-blown, all-out, country-wide transportation strike. This meant that all the trains, metros, and other public transportation methods were out of commission. SO not fun when you’re traveling with two toddlers. We had planned to spend 2 days in Normandy but because of the strike, we weren’t able to get there. When I reached out to Airbnb, they were so helpful! Not only did we get a refund, but they even sent us a gift for all the headache.

​How do I get started?

So now that you have all our reasons for using it, here are the basic steps to starting: 

1. Create an account. Go to Airbnb.com (using our link gets you up to $55 credit!)
   1. You can sign in with Facebook, Google, or email account
   2. Be sure to ​verify your government ID, add personal info and a picture, and let your personality come through! 
2. Once all your information is confirmed, search for a city and click Homes (our example is “Anywhere”).
3. Add more filters to find listings that match your dates and number of guests.
   
4. Next, filter the home type and price. If things are looking expensive, a great way to go is by booking a private room rather than an entire place. These private rooms usually have a lock (check the listing) and it’s also a great way to meet more people staying in the place.
   

5. Additionally, you can also filter by other factors such as number of beds/bathrooms. Like the other filter choices, these are optional. 

6. Your results will show as a list. One helpful way to find results is to click the map icon at the bottom right. This shows you the area where the listings are located. (Are they close to the train station or one of the sights you want to see?)

7. From the map view, you can also look at the photos of a listing, or pull up the full listing in a new tab. If the listing is listed in another language, you can click “Translate” and you’ll get the description in English. 

8. You can also see details of the amenities, sleeping arrangements, and read more about the neighborhood. 

9. Click “book” and you’re done! You’ll get a chance to review the details and message your host. If you’re traveling with others, Airbnb gives you an option to split the cost right away (it sends invoices via email to your travel pals). For some bookings, you may need to wait to be approved. Either way, you’ll get an email confirmation once it’s officially booked. Happy travels!