Booking Hotels and Airbnbs

There is a lot to learn while traveling and we are constantly finding solutions to things that arise. Although we are far from knowing it all, we would love to share with you what we have learned!

Introducing our quick tips guide – starting with finding a place to stay. This is a big one when you are traveling for an extended period of time since a bed will be a constant cost and a good place to save money.

Our two hubs are Booking and Airbnb. Both are fantastic in their own right. Below is how we decide between the two and what red flags to watch out for.

Booking is great for a couple of reasons: the final price is listed in the beginning, no hidden charges! They also have amazing filters to quickly narrow down all the options. The filters we always keep on: $0-50 USD/night, free wifi, and rating over 8.0 (on booking). From here a list will populate of hotels and hostels that fit the bill. We then rank them from price – low to high to see what the most cost efficient options are. We sometimes we will adjust our cost per night if only hostels are available.

We also will look at the map view in hopes of getting as close to the city center as possible. We typically spend close to $55 USD/night however my goal is to get close to $40 USD. Whatever cost you want to set for yourself, try to stick to it before hand or you quickly may get tempted by the photos of a place that’s 20% more.

Airbnb is great in cities you feel comfortable in. Use your discretion here, for instance I wouldn’t do an Airbnb in Vietnam or Morocco but would in Tokyo or Israel. If you feel unsure, peruse Airbnb and see what options are available and be sure to read through multiple reviews.

The major advantages to Airbnb: you feel like a local, you have access to a kitchen, and you can often find spaces with a washer. The ability to make food and do laundry is a huge money saver. Filters we use on Airbnb are: $0-50 USD/night, entire place, wifi, washer. If you are working on a tighter budget, going for a private room drops the price significantly (you typically share the living space with the owner). We decided to do this while driving through New Zealand, we felt very safe and hotels where expensive, so it was a great way for us to stick to our decided budget.

We would love to hear from you. What sites do you find that work well? Comment or tag us on ajourneylife Instagram to share.