How to travel using Airbnb, the right way.

I am a big proponent of couchsurfing, but I understand that it's not for everyone. Airbnb tends to be the alternative for budget travelers. I have spoken with a couple friends that use Airbnb and I have noticed they are making the same mistakes I did when using the website. Fortunately, early on in our travels we came across another couple from California making a trip around the world in 1 year. They explained how they are using Airbnb for their whole trip and how they use it, which is different from the norm.

The best Airbnb we've had. St. Goar, Germany

Here is what they said. When you go on Airbnb and you find accommodation you like, you typically request to book with your dates and such. This locks your funds to that particular place until they have said yes or no. This can be difficult if you are road tripping or backpacking because sometimes, you do not know where you will be until a couple hours before. So instead of sending requests to book, Airbnb also allows you to message the host. This is going to be the way that you book. You can send messages to as many hosts as you like. When you message them, airbnb will ask you to put in your dates and then you can personalize your message from there. We ALWAYS ask for a discount in our messages and we have always gotten them. Once your host says they are available, they can send you a special offer for your dates with your discount. They will not be able to see the fees that Airbnb includes on the traveler's end, so keep that in mind when you are asking for a total price.

The town St. Goar

A note about Airbnb fees. Airbnb charges a conversion fee when your currency used is not the dollar that is 3%. Airbnb also charges a booking fee which is about 10% additional on to the accommodation price. Some hosts also charge a cleaning fee which should be listed on their description. With all of these fees, often times, airbnb is not the cheapest option, so make sure you are shopping around with traditional travel websites like expedia.com or booking.com who don't have any hiding fees.

You can help offset the fees by using referral credits. If you have not signed up for airbnb yet, make sure you sign up using this link so you get $25 off your first stay of over $75 or more. That will basically take care of your airbnb fees. Then, if you are traveling in a couple, set up another account for your partner with your referral link. That will get you an additional $25 off through their account. After you have used their account for one of your stays, you will get an additional $25 off for having referred them.

I hope you have enjoyed learning how to work the system on airbnb.

Hiking from our Airbnb to the castle behind us

Signing off for now.