What we loved most about the hostels we stayed in our younger days was the communication we had there. Meeting people, making friends and trading information was kept us coming back for more. Today we find our Airbnb Experiences provide us with all these experiences plus much more.
Some Airbnb experiences we have had.
What You Will Find in This Post
Airbnb Experiences in New York City (2010)
Our East Village Neighbours.
An entire apartment. More of a bed-sit really. Our host John and I corresponded by email. He did offer to Skype but we did not have it installed. We arranged an approximate time to meet him at the apartment and then rang him on the way from JFK airport as the cab driver needed some local directions. We rang John again kerbside and he bounded down the stairs to open the front security doors and help carry luggage up the couple of flights of stairs to our apartment. We were 55 years young at the time and he was only 30, but the age difference did not exist – we were too busy swapping travel stories. He gave us the rundown on the best restaurants, bars and clubs in the area. As it was late afternoon when we arrived he suggested we investigate St. Mark’s Place that evening as it was a Friday and there would be plenty of action to keep us entertained. He was correct!
The apartment had a brand new stove, small fridge and limited cooking utensils, but we found that food was so cheap in New York City that we hardly ever ate in. Breakfast was the exception. The bed was in an alcove, complete with fairy lights, separate yet part of the lounge/kitchen. The bathroom with its exposed plumbing was typically tiny – a large person would have had trouble sitting on the toilet.
We definitely knew we were living in a local apartment block. Friday night was party night. Our neighbour’s bedroom adjoined ours through a thin wall – I wore ear plugs and B.H. who was earplugless, settled in for an entertaining evening. He purchased some the next day, but all was quiet from then on.
The Good. We loved living like a local in East Village. It was cheap. It was action packed. The apartment was centrally heated and had a pedestal fan and keylocked window bars.
The Bad. We had trouble working the door locks. Fairly quickly B.H. learned how to manipulate the key in the apartment door lock, but even worse was the double security entrance downstairs. Early one morning I went out by myself and got stuck in the gap between the two doors. Eventually I calmed down and worked it out.
The Suggestion. Make sure you find out the quirks and can work all the locks before your host leaves the apartment. We could have called him back but we knew he was busy and decided to work it out for ourselves.
Would we stay again? Definitely.
Airbnb Montreal Canada
Our host cancelled on us 7 days out from our arrival. We were notified by Airbnb who were very supportive – offering to refund our money immediately or transfer it to another booking, with a voucher of $25 (from memory) to sweeten the deal. Eventually we asked for a refund and stayed at Auberge Alternative hostel instead.
Airbnb Experiences in Spain (2012)
L’EXAMPLE, BARCELONA
Above is the view from the sidewalk cafe where we lunched with our Airbnb hostess and friend.
Private room in an Apartment. A brother and sister owned the apartment and although we dealt with the brother on-line, it was his sister who was living in the apartment. The place was huge and we felt like we had it all to ourselves, but Paula was very helpful when she was around, and if she was not around we just called her. We had lunch out with her and a friend on our first day, she rang the airline for us to sort out our lost luggage, and gave us tips on local coffee shops and sights. The kitchen was tiny but well stocked and we used it several times in the week.
The Good. Our hostess and the apartment were both lovely. Staying with a local means they can help you out. It was central and we could walk most places. It was close to the airport bus route and had a great BRACAFE coffee shop downstairs.
The Bad. Can’t think of anything.
The Suggestion. They had a lot of Airbnb references**. It is unlikely you will have a bad experience if most of the references are good.
Would we stay again? Definitely.
**Airbnb references are there for everyone to see and the host has right of reply. As the option to write a reference comes through the site automatically after you have left the accommodation, you can be sure that the comments are sincere.
LA LATINA, MADRID
Our corner of La Latina.
Entire Apartment. Once again this was more like a bedsit. The bed being in a little alcove which could be separated from the lounge/dining/kitchen by a pull across divider. The bathroom was tiny, separate, clean and well stocked. Our host was not available to meet us but a very happy pleasant man was at the apartment to buzz us in. I think he was a relative but he only spoke Spanish and we only spoke English! He managed to show us how everything worked and it was not awkward at all. The host had left extensive instructions (In English) and information for our stay. I have never before or since seen such a small apartment that had absolutely everything you could possibly need in it, including washing machine and dryer in the kitchen, as well as a full size fridge, stove and hot plates. The kitchen was well stocked and we could use whatever was in the pantry.
The Good. It was cheap. The apartment was spotlessly clean and well equipped. Having the washing machine was a bonus. The apartments were set out with a central courtyard that had clothes lines strung from one side to the other on each level. There were both stairs and a lift that had automatic Spanish voice recordings, and it was very quiet. We were part of an authentic neighbourhood.
The Bad. Situated in La Latina on the long point of a triangle drawn between Tirso de Molino and La Latina Metro Stations, it was an area I chose because of it’s quaint lanes. On arrival we walked the 6 blocks from Tirso de Molino to the apartment, and the further we walked from the Metro the less quaint the lanes became. At one stage I was sure we were being followed. Having said that, the longer we stayed and the more people we met, the more relaxed we became. Nevertheless we were more vigilant in the streets at night here, than in other place we have stayed.
The Suggestion. Pay attention to references. From memory there were some that mentioned the area being a little worrying, but they had experienced no actual problems either. I do think that staying here added to our experience of Madrid.
Would we stay again? No – We would try somewhere else next time, if only to experience something different.
CORDOBA, SPAIN
The Plaza view from our Airbnb apartment in Cordoba, Spain.
Entire Apartment. As usual with Airbnb, Jose our host had given us directions to the unit. We caught bus 3 from the train station and four stops and a ten minute walk later we were ringing the bell on our apartment block. We were a little unsure exactly what we would end up with as there were several different apartment options, but we were super impressed by our spacious two bedroom apartment with cool to the touch tiles underfoot (it was 35 degrees outside). We had a view of the lovely plaza below through our french shutter doors and tiny balcony, but Jose suggested it would be cooler if we left the shutters closed during the day.
The Good. Our host was offended that we were only spending one day in Cordoba but helped us plan our time there regardless. The apartment was perfectly situated in the middle of all the action of the old quarter. He let us leave our luggage in his apartment the next day while we continued our exploration of Cordoba.
The Bad. The bar across the street had it’s outdoor drinking area below our apartment, so it was noisy quite late into the night and then a very noisy garbage truck emptied the multiple garbage bins that were located in the square directly below our window early the next morning.
Suggestion. These things were reported in the references. You just have to make a judgement call.
Would we stay again? We were happy with our one night stay because of the superb location, fantastic apartment and helpful host. If the bins were only emptied once or twice a week I would definitely stay again.
SEVILLE, SPAIN
Looking down from our front balcony, Sevilla, Spain
Private Room in Apartment. Located at the skinny end of Jardines de Murillo, the apartment stood above courtyard restaurants. It had a balcony that overlooked the park and we were steps away from the intricate laneways of Santa Cruz, the old Jewish Quarter.
The Good. Fantastic location. Beautiful setting. We could have cooked and eaten in the tiny kitchen or walked downstairs to the restaurants below. Our young hostess was friendly and helpful, telling us of a great place to watch flamenco for free. Late at night after the restaurants closed we could open the huge windows above our bed and let the cool night air fall on us while we star watched.
The Bad. The weather gave a summer preview a couple of months early and caught everyone unawares. 42 degrees at 7.45 pm in April, with not even a fan, meant we were very hot in our room. Our hostess had not been in the apartment during summer before and was as concerned as we were. She immediately began making enquiries about installing A/c and fans. The kitchen clatter and fumes directly below our bedroom meant we could not open our windows until the restaurant slowed down at night.
Suggestion. Take note of whether there are air-con/fans/heating. Take your lifestyle into consideration – If you were a night owl the heat would not have been a problem.
Would we stay again? The hostess was looking at air-conditioning and I am sure would have either that or fans by now. If so or the weather was different we would definitely stay here again.
Airbnb Experiences in 2015
In 2015 we continued using Airbnb. We’ve introduced staying with the host in their apartment rather than having our own apartment. This alleviates the problem of non-availability of normal rental apartments for the residents of a city. A bonus is we have realised that we love staying with Airbnb hosts. They are wonderful friendly people who share their knowledge and opinions freely and add so much to our travel experience.
In 2015 we used Airbnb on the Amalfi Coast, Salerno, Giardini-Naxos, Modica, Palermo and Trapani in Italy as well as Zagreb, Zadar and Vis and Hvar Islands in Croatia.
By using Airbnb we know we will have an affordable, original and authentic experience and that afterall is why we travel.
This post is linked to TRAVEL PHOTO THURSDAY at Budget Travelers Sandbox, and R WE THERE YET MOM.
Come and visit!
I have never tried apartment stays yet but on a long term trip and to get the authentic experience I think they sound like a great idea. I have generally been hearing very good things about them and they seem to be growing.
I really like staying in apartments, but I do miss the conviviality of hostels. I thought we would not like staying in a room in someone’s apartment but have found it works really well. Guests will talk about what the host was like in the reviews so you can gain some idea of what to expect.
Most interesting. I would have loved lots more photos! What you had got my attention, though. Nice format for reporting your experiences.
Glad you enjoyed it Jackie.
Hi Jan, honestly I don’t know much about the Airbnb and had to look it up. I think it’s an interesting concept. I think you reviews and insights are definitely helpful for future users of the site.
Thanks Marisol, The only offputting thing is you have to pay the entire amount up front to the AIRBNB site to secure your booking, but we know from experience that it is refunded immediately if needed, and also it is passed on to the home owner within 24 hours of us leaving the property. The gap gives time for you to notify Airbnb of anything that was wrong – like misrepresentation.
Someday when I am not traveling with a whole posse of children, I would love to stay AirBnB. It just seems like such a great way to see the local area.
Getting a whole apartment on Airbnb would work well for you Jessica!
I was so happy to see this post as dear friends of mine started as Airbnb hosts this year. They are LOVING it!! 🙂 I’m thinking of doing it myself once I’m well and able to fix up the granny flat for guests. 🙂
I thought of it too. Of course we would have to fix up our guest room, plus our accountant said the profit would have to be shared between us for tax purposes which does not work for us.
I’m a hotel kind-of-girl, so I’ve never really tried this, but your experiences sounds so interesting and quirky. (Even your bads sounds kinda fun.)
I have never really liked hotels Sophie so I guess that is why it works for me. 🙂
What a great way to travel and really experience the local culture and community! I would love to stay with Airbnb once the kids are grown– if I can convince my husband.
Hi Tonya, hiring a whole apartment through Airbnb would work with the kids 🙂
Sounds like you have had some great experiences! We have been staying in apartments and aparthotels lately but have never tried Airbnb – will definitely keep it in mind.
Yes it is worth trying Lisa.
I’m not sure how i’d feel about staying in a the spare room of an apartment while the owner was there. I admire your adventurousness. it seems like you’ve had some great experiences.
I thought that at first too Eileen. But I think it works because the people who rent out their spare room, do so because they are great communicators and like people.
I’ve only used AirBnB once so far in San Juan, PR. But I’m planning on using them again in Tanzania this December and next spring in France. I love living as a local would – it makes for such a rich travel experience!
Yes I really like that component of it. Sometimes I think yes I could live here in this city in this apartment for ever!
Very cool and comprehensive. I’ve done it a couple of times, and I think I’m not the “private room” kind of girl. I am too introverted! I need the whole apartment/house.
We have done some of each with Airbnb. I must admit that as well as being swayed by references we would usually choose a whole apartment when the price was affordable. So probably in cheaper places we would have the whole apartment and in more expensive cities we would have a room.
mmm…my only fear with air bnb is that the owner will cancel on me. I’ve never used it before and I don’t mind paying a little bit extra for hotels or guesthouses, but I’ll probably consider it in New York because there, hotels are super expensive.
That is a worry I admit, but I don’t think it is very common. In our case we ended up finding a great hostel instead 🙂
Great review. Jan. I’ve used Airbnb 3 times. One stay was stellar, Granada Spain. The other two, Madrid and Prague, were not that great. However, they were great cheap alternatives, and I made the best of them. The Plateau area in Montreal is one of my favorites in the city!
That’s a shame that Madrid and Prague were not that good. That’s a bit of a worry 🙁
My brother uses AirBnB a lot but he’s a single guy and loves the experience of interacting with the locals. We’ve never stayed using AirBnB but have rented apartments in Paris and Iceland. We do enjoy having all that space and amenities. Looks like you’ve had some great experiences with them. Love that graffiti building in Barcelona.
Yes apartments are great, especially with kids.
I have never thought to look at House Sitting, Bed Sits, or share accommodation when traveling! And I haven’t used Airbnb before – but after reading your experiences with each place I would be so keen to check it out. Would you recommend the experience for couples without children?
The last picture of Spain looks so pretty!
The narrow streets sounds scary – and being Hot at night wouldn’t be too ideal.
But gee you sure have some great adventures!
Airbnb is great for couples without children. I think with children you would have to rent the entire apartment.
I think it sounds like a great idea – one I had never thought of when traveling internationally. Sorry I am just now making it over from Friday Daydreamin! Busy 2 weeks!! Thanks for linking up – hope you do again tomorrow!
You’re right. You cannot be sure what to expect, except that the experience will be authentic and original, and sometimes it might exceed expectations. Which is what travelling is all about really, isn’t it?
I think the not knowing exactly what to expect makes the whole thing exciting. Of course you have to be adaptable lol.
If I go to Spain next year this will come in handy Jan. We are going to look at Airbnbs in Italy when we travel there next year. Do you have any recommendations here? That’s a shame about Montreal. My sister lived Montreal for 6 years and I went to visit her. It is a wonderful city and I also enjoyed visiting Quebec City while I was there.
Hi Kathy, We stayed in airbnb’s in Rome, Positano, Salerno, and in Siciliy at Giardini-Naxos, Syracuse, Modica, Palermo and Trapani. These were all Shared accommodation, but a lot of people prefer their own place. We liked the places we stayed at and sharing did save money and/or got us in the area that we wanted. My advice is to book early because the places that are good value, good position and references go quickly.