How do I choose an Airbnb when I travel? Read below to find out how we stayed a week in the heart of Madrid for less than $400 for a week and Rome for less than $300. I know that planning a trip can feel overwhelming in the midst of everything else you do in life. It’s easy to just go to the same place you always have. Since travel is one of my main hobbies, I enjoy the challenges and the choices that come with planning a trip and have learned (sometimes the hard way) some important tips to picking the right Airbnb to stay in.
- As I mentioned in Should You Stay in an Airbnb or a Hotel, if you are planning on more than one or two nights, I highly recommend staying in an Airbnb instead of a hotel.
- The earlier you look, the more choices you will have and the best options will probably be available for you. I buy airline tickets when they are on sale to a destination I want to visit. For overseas trips, this is often five to eight months in advance. As soon as my airfare is booked, I start looking for my Airbnb.
- Pick which filters are important to you before you look at any properties. After you enter your dates, destination, and number of guests, Airbnb will show you a map of potential places to book. If you are searching on your phone, there are two lines with dots in opposite directions at the top. Click on this to pick your filters. There is price range, type of place (I almost always pick “Entire place to yourself” which can still be an apartment but means you don’t have a room in someone’s house), how many bedrooms, beds, and bathrooms, type of property, amenities (beachfront, wifi, etc), and booking options. If there are many options of places to stay, I highly recommend using your computer to book so you can do some of the things below.
- Once I have it narrowed down through the filter, there may still be hundreds of properties. To narrow things down further, I decide where I geographically want to be. Often this means, I have to do a little research on the city. The further out from the city center you are, typically the cheaper the Airbnb. Sometimes that’s a great way to discover a less touristy section of a city and if there is good public transportation it’s worth it. Sometimes paying a bit more to be able to walk to things you want to do is worth it. I often look at the difference in price compared to the distance from attractions. If there is a big difference in price, but only a short subway ride to destinations, then it might be worth it to stay further out.
- After I have decided the section of the city I want to stay in, I do the map quick view. You can click on a property dot on the map (shown with the nightly price – not the price with cleaning and fees), and scroll through the first four pictures or so. If it’s a place that I like the look of, I then click on it and it will open a new window with all of the info on that airbnb if I am searching on my computer.
- When I am in the full view, I look at every picture and if I like the look, I then read at least the first 5 to 10 reviews on the property. Reading reviews is essential when booking an Airbnb. Unlike hotels which often just have complaints, Airbnb is based on both property owners and guests reviewing each other. Most airbnb guests will leave a review. This is where you discover if there is a noisy dog next door or construction happening across the street. You’ll get a feel for the host and if they are responsive to issues that might come up. Even if I see a bad review, I still might book the place as long as it is an outlier (because there are ALWAYS those people who you just can’t make happy).
- At this point most people will go ahead and book the Airbnb that they like the look of, with good reviews, in their budget. Completely reasonable and feel free to do this. However, I typically spend a little longer to make sure I get the best place I can for the best deal (no surprise to those that know me well – sigh). I keep the separate tab open of the place I like, then go back to the map view and repeat until I have three or four tabs of places that I like open. I then compare and contrast. Often there is a place that I really like that’s at the high end of my budget and a place that’s just fine at the lower end of my budget. If I’m going to spend a lot of time in the space, I might decide that it’s worth the extra money. Sometimes, I will have kept for consideration a property that I end up deciding it’s not worth it once I see all the other better options. Let’s say I would prefer to have a washer and dryer but it’s not essential. I might save one of the earlier options I see with a washer and dryer but once I realize that most properties I like have a washer and dryer, I can go ahead and close out that earlier option.
- Check the cancellation policy of the place you want to stay. Airbnb’s are not like hotels that typically give you until the day before check in to cancel. Hosts get to pick their cancelation policy so make sure you are ok with the option they have selected. If not, go back to one of those other open tabs.
- Also, if you have a particular need, say washer and dryer or a dedicated work space, even if it’s listed as an amenity at that airbnb, look through the pictures to make sure you see that washer and dryer or that work space. If you don’t, message the host and ask questions before you book. Even if you see a picture, if it is a really important feature for your trip, message the host to make sure that it is available and working. We often have guests contact us to make sure the hot tub is working before they book one of our Airbnbs.
You may get through to the end of this list of how to choose an airbnb and decide that taking the time is not worth it. However, the initial first steps of choosing an airbnb don’t take very long. I really believe that following these steps will save you a lot of time in the long run. You can certainly save time by just booking the first place that looks good to you as well. By spending this extra time though, I not only have gotten amazing deals, but I have thoroughly enjoyed my Airbnb experience.