Journey.Destination.Experience
I have thought long and hard about these words. They are Budget Travel Talk’s byline and each are considered with a view to the budget. I’ve been thinking about this subject because I’m in the throes of planning our ten week trip to Sicily, Croatia and Slovenia. We leave in a matter of days yet all is not planned. While this is not necessarily a bad thing there is one area that I do like to have organised…
Accommodation
There is nothing worse (I find) than arriving at a destination and trying to find accommodation while jet-lagged, hot and hauling luggage. Occasionally accommodation is cheaper on the spot but at what cost to the sanity? Finding a place where we will feel relaxed; that is visually appealing; has a great view or friendly helpful hosts is much more effective on-line! At times the stars align and a place materialises that ticks all my boxes. Accommodation has a huge affect on my travel experience and can colour my view of a destination.
Budget Friendly
The cost of accommodation is important on a long journey and apartments or private rooms are comparable price-wise to a hostel when travelling as a couple. In our case, money saved on accommodation is earmarked for dining out or a Saharan Experience.
Airbnb
Increasingly we find ourselves staying at Airbnb apartments. The Airbnb site is extremely user friendly and it can take as little or as long as you like to find a place to stay. I have found it very rewarding on this upcoming trip through Italy, Croatia and Slovenia and in past trips to Spain and Portugal, but have never used it in Asia, although Anna from Slightly Astray has. I just love her Day in the Life posts.
I should state now that Airbnb and I are not affiliated in any way.
In my current planning I’ve been looking for and finding places around the 80AUD mark per night. Some are whole apartments while others offer a private bedroom with the host present in the apartment. Both of these choices work well and I try to alternate the two – after a bit of alone time it is nice to stay with a local, have a natter and pick up some tips . Hosts enjoy sharing their home and we’ve had only positive experiences – some were hardly ever home, while others invited us to lunch or sorted out our lost luggage problems. A shared room is a third Airbnb option which we have not tried.
Our Barcelona live-in host met us for lunch at a cafe with an interesting view.
Staying with Airbnb hosts means rubbing shoulders with a local.
Some apartments are just Irresistible
Although Starigrad was originally the town of choice for our upcoming visit to Hvar Island in Croatia, we will instead be staying five days in Hvar Town – playground of the rich and famous – and all because I fell in love.
Although Hvar Town is more expensive than Starigrad we will be able to prepare meals in our atmospheric kitchen and eat them alfresco with a view of Hvar harbour…
Follow our Journey
I hope not to lose our MacBook Air on the first leg of our journey (as we did on our Turkey/CAMBODIA trip in 2013) and will be posting on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the occasional blog post too.
If you haven’t already – join us on your choice of media – we will be sharing photos of our Journey, Destinations and Experiences. I’ll be sure to share the view from our Terrace in Hvar Town.
Do you think accommodation that makes you feel good is vital to your travel experience?
This post is linked to Nancie’s Budget Travelers Sandbox for Travel Photo Thursday
Snorkelling and Fishing at Pelorus Island and Orpheus Island
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I totally agree. I just love Airbnb and use it more and more on my trips. So far I have liked every single place I stayed at and one private apartment in Tokyo even had its own cat! Most of the places have quirky and cosy aspect which I like 🙂
I’m happy to meet a kindred spirit Sacha and I agree that they do tend to be quirky. 🙂
Oh yes, it is SO important to me too!!! It sets the scene for the whole trip for me, a comfy, safe, and welcoming base for all my adventures. 🙂
Hi Jan,
I agree with you. At the very least, I want to know that accommodations are set, paid for, and waiting for us when we arrive at an unknown destination after long exhausting travel. Most of the time we have been pleasantly surprised at the good location — perhaps a neighborhood we would otherwise have not ventured into — with Airbnb apartments or other B&B-type places.
Once in-country, then I like to book on the fly, so as to have complete flexibility in terms of length of stay and locations. The internet makes this so darn simple. Before internet days, I had my own method of finding lodging, which involved tourist info offices and talking to locals in restaurants/bars.
Either way, I love the adventure of it and I know you do, too!
Wishing you a safe, fun, and happy journey!
Josie
Your apartment in Hvar looks great. You are going to love the view! Have fabulous trip…I’ll be travelling vicariously with you!
I wish we were there already, the last minute chores at home are mounting! Thanks for all your travel advice Jenny.
I agree. I really dislike planning, but we will have accommodation booked at the very least! I like knowing that we have a place all ready for us when we arrive. And we’re a little picky too, so we like making sure that we have our own private bathroom. I absolutely LOVE airbnb. We use it always exclusively for our travels. We have had a couple of exceptional hosts, but I find that most are absent hosts. Either way, it’s okay because we are still saving money! We’re going to Europe this summer and have managed to find all accommodations through airbnb, at around $50 US a night! Have a GREAT time on your trip!! I haven’t been to any of those places!
(and btw, thanks so much for the mention!)
I have found some accommodation around the $50 mark but Croatia at the end of Spring is very popular and the prices rise accordingly. With the addition of cleaning, Airbnb charges and the dreaded $20 after the first guest they do creep up. $80 is my upper limit lol.
Interesting…
I don’t think accommodation that makes me feel good is vital but it does go a long way in contributing to how much one enjoys their trip.
What a great itinerary you have planned. We’ve never done AirBnB but have rented apartments. Your Croatia apartment looks wonderful. I don’t think I’d want to leave. Looking forward to virtually following along. Safe travels!
Ooooh, I can see why that terrace in Hvar appeals to you so much. I can also picture myself right there. I’ve been reluctant to do Air BnB with my crazy, loud kids. We’ve had guests staying in our own house who decide to cut their visit short in order to escape the chaos that accompanies my family. I agree that good accomodations and not stressing over finding them last minute are an important part of a vacation. The few times where it’s happened have not turned out well as the only places available were seedy, pay-by-the-hour types. I need to check if I’m following you in Instagram so that I can enjoy your trip as you go.
Michele there are lots of apartments on Airbnb where the host does not live in the property with you. They usually meet up to give you the keys etc. and keep in contact via email, but otherwise you have the property to yourselves. We usually alternate between the two forms of apartments. Yes, make sure you are following on Instagram. 🙂