Say goodbye to sacrifice when it comes to inexpensive vacation lodgings! Traveling on a budget has a whole different meaning with Airbnb, a website that allows people to rent out lodging that includes everything from private rooms, entire apartments, castles, boats, manors, and more. The website has over 500,000 listings in 33,000 cities and 192 countries. All you have to do to is register and create and online profile to begin. Then you type in where you want to go and when, and search properties in that area. You can see pictures of the properties, view the profiles of the hosts, and read reviews from previous lodgers who have stayed there.
Airbnb is perfect for college students and anyone else traveling on a budget, because it makes it possible to stay in the nicest locations for much, much less. For example, when it’s difficult to find a hotel for under $250 per night in even the relatively more undesirable parts of New York City, Airbnb can help you find a private bedroom in a hip SoHo loft for just $190. Visiting Paris? You don’t have to book a hotel on the outskirts of the city to save money, because you can easily find a chic bedroom in a gorgeous apartment right next to the Eiffel Tower for under $150.
(left is New York, right is Paris)
Sure, hostels are an option, but do you really want to share a bathroom with strangers? And yes, you might get lucky and be able to find hotels that fit into your budget, but they are probably priced that way for a reason and not up to your standards. Bedbugs? Cockroaches? I don’t even want to know. Airbnb has properties to fit everyone’s standards and budgets, so there’s no more settling. Traveling is a necessity, as far as I’m concerned, so it might as well be done in style!