Arranging accommodation can be a nightmare or a pleasure and until you have arrived at the chosen place, it is still unknown as to which one. The process is made even more difficult when immigration people at some countries insist on seeing proof of accommodation for the entire stay. Usually it is advisable to book a few days in a hotel then use those days to follow up on the list of places you researched before arrive. Websites can’t / don’t convey how good the wi-fi service performs, whether then location is safe, or in the case of my accommodation in Mexico, if was directly above a cafe / bar open from 7am until midnight seven days a week. Of course the kitchen started at 6am which made it even worse.
Hotels and Motels
Gone are the days of going to the travel agent and waling out with half a dozen brochures listing all the hotel options and rates shown per person based on two people traveling. No good for solo travellers, however, I digress… The consolidators are a good place to start, such as Expedia. Also checkout others such as Priceline and Hotwire. Be sure to familiarise yourself with how some of these, such as Hotwire, work. You only get to choose an area rather than a specific hotel so if you must have a certain feature if can be a bit of a risk.
Don’t forget to check out the individual hotel website once you have narrowed it down to a few. Often these can be just a cheap or have special offers not available at other websites. Check out their loyalty programs as member offers might give even better deals. I was able to sign up and immediately book an ocean view room for the cost of a garden view room at the Royal Hawaiian a few years back. This was better than any deal I found elsewhere.
While you may be tempted to cancel the subscription to frequent flyer program emails, it’s a good idea to keep receiving them as they often have hotel deals exclusive to members.
Vacation Rentals
Long term travellers will more than likely look for vacation rentals for two reasons. Firstly there is the cost issue and it is easier to negotiate a better deal with vacation rental owners than it is for serviced apartments and hotels. Secondly, it sucks to live in a hotel long term if you are always surrounded by holiday people. Many leave their quiet voice and manners at home.
The number of vacation rental websites is huge and whilst some cater to specific locations, a few cover most areas of the world. These include Homeaway, IHA and VRBO. When researching locations these websites give a good indication of the costs for each area.
Airbnb deserves a separate sentence as it it similar to the other vacation rental places with a few extras. In return for prices that are usually cheaper, you can stay in a private room (kind of like a bed and breakfast) or even on an air mattress. Hence the name and how the founders came up with the idea when they rented out their floor and air mattresses when a local conference was in the area. If you are comfortable with this type of accommodation it is a good way to meet people and save a few dollars. I used it to rent an apartment and when I needed to extend my stay I then stayed at the owner’s house as they had a room they rented to people they knew. Perfect.
If you can wait until you arrive and are comfortable with putting yourself under pressure, then it is better. Research first and arrange to view a few properties once you arrive. Take your computer with you to check out internet connections. Just remember to check you are arriving at the same time as a festival or other event that means everything is booked. I go through stages where I like to have some accommodation organised and other times I have been down to a couple of days. Of course my backup plan is to throw money at the problem and stay in a hotel for longer, however, I don’t want to do that too often and have so far avoided this solution.
House Sitting
House sitting is a bit of an underground method and kept that way because the people that do it don’t want the competition from more people. The house sitting concept is that homeowners don’t wish to leave their house unattended so they offer it as a place to stay in return for the house sitters looking after it for them. Sometimes it’s just a security concern and other times it is to look after pets, maintain the garden and similar duties. The level of tasks is up to the two parties. Like many things, there are wonderful stories and horror stories. Do your research and if possible have a chat over Skype and use the video connection of possible to get a better feel for the place.
Some people will ask for a contribution towards utilities although not common for short stays. In the end it’s a common sense thing. I once looked after a couple’s place for seven weeks and didn’t need to pay although when the gas ran out I just took it out and paid to have it filled. It’s a karma thing and I now have two new friends from the experience.
The best house sitting website I have found is House Carers. For a small annual fee you can add your preferred locations and what you are willing to do, such as the type of pets you will look after. People looking for a house sitter can search for free and will often approach house sitters directly, rather than post an advertisement and have to deal with all the applications. I had to knock back a Christmas in the Cayman Islands when an owner contact me, because just days before I had booked and paid for accommodation in another place.
Couch Surfing
Couch surfing is obvious and most your people have done it at some time or another, even it if was just for a night. Nowadays it is a global thing where you can line up a couch over the internet. Often it is free and many participate on both sides of the transaction. In return for sleeping on stranger’s couches, they offer up their own when not traveling.
If you are a solo traveller this is a great way to meet people. Just make sure you are the type of person that is comfortable meeting strangers Use the reputable websites and if you don’t feel comfortable about a place or a person, trust your instinct and leave.
House Swapping
House swapping has been around for a long time and the internet just made it easier to organise. I haven’t done this and to be honest, don’t think I could. That said, many others have and regularly do it as a way to see the world. The advantages are that you save money on accommodation and you have somebody to look after your own place. Like house sitting, the options are endless and up to each party to agree on the terms.
