Benefits of Using AirBnB in a Foreign Country

Traveling is fun and exciting. Besides the choice of what country to visit and what to do when you get there, one of the most important things to choose when planning a vacation to a foreign country is what accommodations you will stay in. Nowadays there are so many options: hotel, hostel, AirBnB. My favorite, ever since I stayed in my first one two years ago, is AirBnB. Below are some of the benefits of using AirBnB when you are in a foreign country:

Location

When you stay in an AirBnB, you are literally living where a native would live. You are staying in someone’s home, and you can see exactly how people from that country live. Sometimes this could mean you are nowhere near the city center or that you have to trek for half an hour up a huge hill to get back to your apartment at the end of the night (my last weekend trip to Prague), but these are the experiences that you will always remember. The whole point of traveling to a new country is to experience new things, so why stay the night at the same hotel chain you always stay at in your home country?

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Immersion

Not only are you living in someone’s apartment or house, but oftentimes your host is only renting out a room to you. Sometimes it can be hard to meet native people while traveling. True, you are surrounded by them, but they are going about their everyday life. The Brandenburger Tor they’re walking under is just a part of their normal commute to work, nothing special. Culturally, they may be from a place where they don’t talk to strangers without reason. They’re not being rude, but they probably won’t make the first move to start a conversation. When you are staying in an AirBnB, you have a native right there to talk to and learn about your new surroundings.

Sightseeing Tips

Your host is from this country, maybe even originally from this city, so they know the best things to see and the tastiest food around. Some hosts will have little pamphlets or information sheets that they have made their guests, while other hosts might just give you good advice if you straight-out ask for it. Every once in a while you will get a host who wants to spend the whole day showing you around their special city. Regardless of their method, hosts can give some of the best sightseeing tips. You can look online at what people recommend on travel websites, but many of those people are just tourists themselves. Besides, a host will know about national holidays or current events going on around the city.

If you haven’t used AirBnB, I highly recommend you try it on your next trip. Sometimes the reality won’t be as great as the pictures on AirBnB, but sometimes it will be even more wonderful!

–Grace Douglas

Grace Douglas is a lover of cats, books, and travel. She is currently working toward her Master in International Security Management in Berlin.Benefits of Using AirBnB in a Foreign Country