If you love to travel, you know how expensive hotels can be. On top of the airfare, food, gas, and leisure expenses, hotels likely take the biggest chunk out of your travel budget. For those with wanderlust, your wallet shouldn’t have to suffer.
The hotel industry is expected to reach a whopping value of 1.1 trillion dollars this year. However, there are many other comfortable options for your overnight vacation stays.
Do you have the travel bug? Here are seven affordable travel accommodations and cheap alternatives to hotels.
Airbnb
Since its launch in 2008, Airbnb has changed the way many of us travel. Airbnb offers arrangements for homestays, lodging, and other tourism experiences. Booking a place to stay has never been easier with Airbnb’s online marketplace.
Airbnb offers more than six million safe, reliable housing options in 191 countries. To search availabilities, visit Airbnb’s website, fill in the location, check-in and check-out dates, and the number of guests. Detailed information about each property is available on the website and communication is simple.
Travelers can take comfort in knowing that each property and property owner has been checked and approved. Airbnb conducts thorough background checks, promises secure payments, and protects against any scams. Another feature that attracts many to Airbnb is its affordable prices.
Housesitting
If you’re looking to stay at someone’s house while on vacation, you may consider housesitting. This option is one of the best ways to save money while traveling.
In many cases, housesitting is free, and offers a great way to live as the locals do. If a homeowner is out of town, they may post their property on a homestay server. One of these servers include Servas International, a homestay network with 150,000 households in over 100 countries.
For those that love an adventure, housesitting allows you to save money while learning about other cultures. If you choose to housesit while traveling, be sure to book your stay with a trusted, well-researched company.
Travel Trailers
For road trips and spontaneous adventures, travel trailers offer a unique way to see the world. The independence that travel trailers provide is a bonus to the money you’ll save.
Travel trailers are both convenient and comfortable, as they double as your form of transportation and your sleeping arrangement. Many backpackers and travelers even live out of their travel trailers year-round. Their versatility and comfortability are unmatched.
Many areas offer safe camping sites to park your travel trailer overnight. However, some more experienced travelers prefer to set up camp wherever the road takes them. If road-tripping on a budget sounds like your dream come true, check out these best used travel trailers and hit the road today.
Camping
Perfect for nature lovers, camping offers a cheap hotel alternative and a unique experience.
If you’re exploring remote parts of the world with a goal to experience nature and wildlife, camping may be your ideal option. Many nature preserves across the world offer safe campsites for travelers. Some online sites, like Hipcamp, help travelers book camping areas on private land.
Hipcamp has over 300,000 campsites for those looking to experience nature to the fullest extent. Be sure to be well prepared with the proper camping gear before setting up your tents.
Hostels
One of the best places to stay when exploring a foreign country is a hostel. While many may picture hostels as cramped, dirty, and unsafe, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Most hotels are cozy, safe, and full of character.
Hostels are often short-term, cheap accommodations where visitors can rent a bed in a shared room. While this may not sound ideal, they’re more common than you may think, especially in tourist areas. Rather than paying for an overpriced resort, you can spend saved money on adventures and still have a warm, safe place to sleep.
Also, if you’d like a room to yourself, most have the capabilities for added privacy. With hostels, you’ll never stay in two that are exactly alike. Each hostel has a unique vibe and can offer an unforgettable travel experience.
Boathouses
As one of the most unique hotel alternatives, boathouses are perfect for those visiting an area with rivers, lakes, or ocean access.
Whether you’re looking for an over-the-top yacht or a quaint fishing boat, boathouses offer cozy sleeping arrangements and waterside views. If you have a boating license, many boathouses also double as your form of travel. In many countries like Italy and France, boathouses are common for foreigners looking to see it all.
Many boats today come with kitchenettes, bathrooms, and comfortable living space. If you’re planning a trip to an area blessed with beautiful water, consider booking a stay in a boathouse.
Farm Stays
Available in many beautiful, rural areas, farm stays offer a way for travelers to earn their keep while experiencing local culture.
For those looking to see the world on a budget, farm stays may be an ideal alternative to hotels. Those who participate in farm stays are offered a bedroom and comfortable living arrangement in a family home. In exchange for space, they work to help with farm jobs like making meals and feeding the animals.
If you’re an animal lover and outdoorsy type, consider staying on a family farm. Not only will you save loads of money, but you’ll be a valuable asset to a working farm.
You will also be able to experience what life is really like for natives of a foreign country. Farm stays are usually more popular in Europe rather than in the United States. This travel accommodation is a common living arrangement for backpackers or long-term travelers.
Seek Unique Travel Accommodations Today
Now that you’ve learned about seven terrific no-hotel arrangements, are you ready to travel the world? For your next trip, consider the many unique travel accommodations available to you. Rather than overpaying for a generic hotel room, see the world in a different way.
From boathouses to hostels, farm stays to travel trailers, adventure awaits you. What are you waiting for?
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