Until a couple of year ago, I was aware of Air BnB and the concept, I knew that it was a cheaper alternative to staying in a hotel. For those who asking what Air BnB is, then let me explain. Air BnB is basically a website where you can book cheap accommodation, that accommodation either involves staying in someone house where you get your own bedroom, and often share a bathroom and if the host allows, you get access to use their kitchen, lounge and other communal areas of the hosts house. You may occasionally come across a property where you have the entire flat or apartment that the owner will allow you to book, these do come at a more increased cost. So that it a nutshell basically. Up until 2017, I used to turn my nose up at the thought of staying in an Air BnB and staying in someone’s house, and I always opted to book hotels, but after visiting in Canada in the fall of 2017 my friend Sam, who had booked a number of Air BnB, my opinion was drastically changed. During my time in Canada in 2017, Sam had booked an Air BnB in Toronto, Ottawa and Manitoulin Island. We stayed with a girl called Andreas in Toronto, originally from Mexico, her apartment or Condo shall I say as we are speaking about Canada as that’s what Canadians call them, was perfect, beds were comfy, and she was a pleasant lady. Our place in Ottawa we had full use of the condo, as the host lived elsewhere. Our final Air BnB we stayed in, was located in Kagawong on Manitoulin Island, our host was called Stephen an Aboriginal Canadian, he was a great host, his house over looked Lake Kagawong, had its own entrance and during the evening he built us a little camp fire where we seat a drank out Gore Bay beers we had previously bought, I believe I may have mentioned this is my Manitoulin Island blog. Sam had sold me the idea of using Air BnB, and ever since then, I have always used Air BnBs when travelling around different countries. I’ll go into a little detail sharing my experience of the Air BnBs I have stayed in, so for anyone who hasn’t used Air BnB I came share my experience with you. Whilst I was travelling around Scandinavia, I stayed in four different Air BnB, my first been a place on the outskirts of Copenhagen. A ten minute train journey to Copenhagen central station and a five minute train journey to Copenhagen Airport, Helmuts home was conveniently located in a quiet suburb of the city, I had my own entrance which was perfect, meaning I didn’t have to worry about coming to going, in total I payed £150 for a four night stay, you would pay this for 1 night for a hotel in Copenhagen. From Copenhagen I headed to Malmo where again I stayed in an apartment about ten minutes from the centre of Malmo, my host (as they are called) was lady called Agnes, I had the pleasure of sitting down both nights and chatting to Agnes, we got on really well, and we shared the same political opinions, that something that I wasn’t discuss. For two nights in Malmo I paid £68, again a fraction of the price you would pay for a hotel. From Malmo I headed up to Stockholm, and my Air BnB was in place called Gullmarsplan a suburb of Stockholm around ten minutes on the Stockholm metro, making the city centre easily assessable. For this reservation I paid £107.75 for three nights and again this a fraction of the price you would have paid in a hotel in Stockholm. My final Air BnB I stayed in was in Oslo and again this was about a ten minute bus journey out of Oslo and cost me £133 and once again was a bargain price compared to what you would have paid in hotel, I mention in my Oslo blog that this Air BnB offered some stunning views of Oslo and I could have sat there all day admiring the view. Herman and his partner have a beautiful place, and they could easily charge more as it was worth every penny. I have also stayed n two more Air BnB. One place as in Toronto again, a centrally located condo right in the heart of Toronto, after messaging Christian the host, he arranged for me to check in before the time that was stated on his profile and arranged for me to collect the keys. For my stay in I paid £165 which was a bargain price for Toronto for a great comfortable condo. For my final Air BnB stay, I stayed in a house in Dublin, sharing with a lady called Trish and her partner Nathalie. Trish was a great host, and she went out of her way to ensure I had an enjoyable stay, she collected me and dropped me of at Dublin Airport, and she also allowed me to sue her travel pass, where I could use my money to top her pass up, and then this give me discounted travel in Dublin. So that a little about the Air BnB I stay in, and now to go into a little detail why I chose Air BnB and why I recommend to anyone wanting to use an Air BnB. The price is arguably the biggest factor for me staying in an Air BnB, you will pay a fraction of the cost compared to hotels. As with hotels the closer to the city centre you get, the more you will pay, however you will still play a lot less than a hotel. If you do book an Air BnB, everything is done via Air BnB website, so you know your money is safe.
You stay with local residents. This great if you’re a tourist to area. Staying with someone who has loved in a city for many years, they are hands on knowledge of how to get around, where to go to eat, drink or visit. They know their city like the back of there hand and their knowledge can be very useful to anyone new to a city. The people I have stayed with have been extremely friendly, and I am lucky enough to have met some great people whilst staying in an Air BnB. If your looking at booking, I would highly recommend doing your research, reading up on different homes, as previous guests can leave reviews, also hosts can leave reviews for yourself and what they thought of you as guest, check my profile out, I have some good reviews. All in all Air BnB is a great affordable place to stay whilst visiting different countries and cities. As I enjoy sightseeing and exploring different cities, staying in an Air BnB is great to sleep, wash and relax.
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James CMy name is James, I'm from Newcastle UK, and wanting to share my travel experiences with everyone Archives
February 2020
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