1. Team Carry On
I am a minimalist when it comes to solo travel and I generally try not to check bags. As a result, it’s important for me to be able to wash my clothes while I’m on the road. While you can get your laundry done at hotels it’s much easier and less expensive to stay at an Airbnb that includes a washer/dryer and wash your clothes on your own. I always opt for Airbnb‘s that have washers dryers included.
2. Affordable and Comfortable for Long-Term Stays
I prefer Airbnb from a budget and comfort standpoint. When I solo travel I’m usually gone for at least three weeks. It’s much more affordable to stay in an Airbnb for three weeks than a nice hotel generally in my experience. I also like to be comfortable and so I need things like Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, heat, washer/dryer and close walking proximity to the city center. I find that it cost me a lot less to buy this through Airbnb than hotels, especially in major cities across the world. At least that has been my experience so far.
3. Better Cultural Experience
Staying in an Airbnb allows me to get a really great sense of neighborhoods in new cities. I do my homework about the town and the area where I want to stay and I find Airbnbs that are no more than a 15-minute walk to the city center or any key destination I want to see. For example, when I visit Florence I like to stay in an Airbnb off Santa Croce Square. It’s not as popular a square as the Duomo so it’s not as expensive to stay there but it’s very close walking distance to pretty much everything I want to see. I like walking around and finding the supermarket, the drugstore, and the breakfast places where the locals go. I like being near the city center but not right in the middle of it. It’s a great way to learn about a country and its culture.
4. Safety
Believe it or not, I feel safer at an Airbnb. I don’t have people coming in and out of my place every day to clean. I always inquire about who has access to my apartment or home during my stay prior to booking. I exercise the safety precautions that I outline in my travel safety guide for solo women travelers and then my many safety-related blog posts. You can grab my travel guide for just 10 bucks HERE. Overall I feel better and safer in an Airbnb than I ever do in a hotel where maids and maintenance people have access to my space all the time
The key to having a good Airbnb experience is doing your homework beforehand. In my blog post HERE I explain the steps I take to select an Airbnb. And so far these steps have served me well.
So there you have it, the 4 reasons I prefer Airbnb over hotels when I am Solo traveling.
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