My coworker is taking his family to Poland this summer and asked me about staying at AirBnbs in a foreign country. I almost exclusively stay at AirBnbs while traveling overseas, so I had a lot to say! I realized I should write it down to share with everyone!
New to AirBnb? Use my link to sign up for Airbnb and get $40 off your first home booking. Plus you’ll get $15 to use toward an experience worth $50 or more. While I’m not sponsored by Airbnb for this post, after you complete your first stay I may get up to a $30 travel credit if you’ve used my link. But overall, I generally believe its one of the best ways to travel abroad.
Why stay at an AirBnb abroad
First, why even consider staying at an AirBnb while you’re abroad? Here’s why I love to book a local’s space.
Relaxation
When traveling abroad you typically go on longer trips with big adventurous days! At some point you need downtime, and its so nice to have a proper living room to sprawl out in to do just that.
Cooking
I love shopping local markets and cooking a meal “at home”. I really feel like a local. Plus, its typically cheaper and makes for a significant memory. Even if you just grab breakfast items from the local grocery, its so nice to have that time saved.
Laundry
If you’re able to do laundry you can pack much lighter! When traveling abroad you’re typically gone quite awhile, and renting a place with laundry means you can lug a lot less around – but not smell!
Live like a local
It’s likely you’ll be more of a neighborhood spot instead of a hotel & shopping center. This enriches the experience for me to step into a part of the city that locals spend their time, and not just where tourists are corralled.
Get local tips
If you rent an entire place, or stay with a host you’re likely to get better advice on what to see than any travel guide.
Unique design
The space you rent will likely have unique design that tells a lot about the local culture.
Tips for Staying in an AirBnb Abroad
Staying at AirBnbs in a Foreign Country can produce a multitude of issues and anxieties. Here are some tips to make sure your stay at an AirBnb isn’t one.
Coordinated check in
- My first time abroad I didn’t have any cell service except wifi. I thought I had all my check in info figured out until I actually went to find the place. Now I either make sure I know EVERYTHING about getting to and into the unit, and if possible I pick hosts that offer entry with a digital key lock.
Tell your host a window for your arrival time
It’s okay to give a window for your arrival time. This gives you time tp explore a bit and pop into a shop or cafe on your way without too much worry.
Bring small change for local hospitality taxes
When a home or flat is rented out for short term rental they still pay hospitality taxes that are collected on top of your Booking (or sometimes its included). Don’t worry, this request is likely legitimate. Read more about how Airbnb handles hospitality taxes here.
Book with a Superhost
“Superhosts are experienced hosts who provide a shining example for other hosts, and extraordinary experiences for their guests. Once a host reaches Superhost status, a badge will automatically appear on their listing and profile to help you identify them.”
Airbnb checks Superhosts’ activity four times a year, to ensure that the program highlights the people who are most dedicated to providing outstanding hospitality.
Search for English-Speaking Hosts
Search by English-Speaking Hosts – (or whatever your preferred language is). This is super helpful if you don’t speak the native language. This is under “more filters” and then “host language.” This helps with not just with communication while there, but also with questions ahead of time and coordinating your arrival.
Read the reviews!
This one should go without saying. Its internet purchasing 101. But the details reviews offer PLUS the response that hosts have are extremely informative. For one stay I recently had in Carmel I found out that our host was being dinged for road noise. I live in a big city so I knew this wouldn’t bother me, and it clarified why the place was such an amazing deal!
Download the area to use offline
Having data and cell service abroad can be very expensive, and also unreliable. Make sure to have the area downloaded so you don’t need to use any service to see where you are or which direction is “home.” Here’s how to download areas to use offline. Pro tip, save the address of your stay as a starred item. 🙂
Check out the the Luxe options
Some homes are so gorgeous and unique that they’ve been titled as Luxe! See some Luxe homes. In certain areas Luxe homes are surprisingly affordable if you can rally a group!
Save Money on your first booking!
Use my link to sign up for Airbnb and get $40 off your first home booking. Plus you’ll get $15 to use toward an experience worth $50 or more. While I’m not sponsored by Airbnb for this post, after you complete your first stay I may get up to a $30 travel credit if you’ve used my link. But overall, I generally believe its one of the best ways to travel abroad. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed these tips and will have a great time staying at AirBnbs in a Foreign Country.
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