Airbnb and how to nail it!

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Airbnb and how to nail it! www.mywelltraveledfriend.com

This is a mega quick post about Airbnb. I do feel there is so much about the subject already online but the post is based on our extensive experience with the site. We have used their services in more than 10 countries including Germany and even El Salvador where we stayed in our of our favorite rentals. Take a look here for more info on this little slice of El Salvadorian heaven. When I first started to think about Airbnb I read so many tips, warning, scary stories etc. but me being me I eyed up my half full glass and imagined my palatial rooms just being a click away. In August. In the South of France. Booking only two weeks in advance eeek. And they REALLY were. Thank you Ingrid for making my first delve into the unknown so wonderful.My top tips.

AIRBNB TOP TIPS

  1. research your location, street view, google map it, foursquare it, you could even buy a good old guidebook with map.
  2. search for your host on google, Facebook or linked in. Do they exist? Yep ok move forward.
  3. read reviews but filter out the divas. Champagne for beer money? Pleeease! You get what you pay for.
  4. make sure you have the full address as well as the telephone number and email of your host.
  5. Air bnb can be temperamental in delivering messages. Be kind! Don’t forget your dealing with humans they’re vulnerable and volatile and don’t always have a PHD in customer relations.
Incase you were wondering. I was looking for accommodation for 3 generations of my family. No easy task we were really pushing it, an infant, a teenager and 3 grown women who to be honest really weren’t going to want to be slumming it or look at some bad interiors! To see where we settled on in the beautiful city of Montpellier in August take a look at Ingrids beautiful apartment smack bang in the middle of the city here.
Since this post was first written in September 2014 we have even added our own home to the Airbnb network. Want to stay on our peaceful Croatian pied a terre? Here is a link to our Zagreb apartment and a Zagreb guide for some inspiration too!