NordenBladet – Travel better, cheaper, longer by using these smart sites and deals! Some studies indicate that you can save about 30% to 40% when booking a vacation home or apartment versus a comparable hotel. That’s just the upfront price. You’ll save even more by eating some of your meals (breakfasts and dinners, perhaps) at your rental property. Shopping at neighborhood grocery stories, cheese shops and bakeries also lets you experience a slice of the local life. Rental units often have laundry facilities, which will help you pack light. And try haggling with a property’s owner or manager: Negotiate price, length of stay, arrival and departure dates — it’s all up for discussion. And those discussions can lead to great savings.
Accommodation
House sitting is an great way for animal-lovers to travel and live rent-free in exchange for caring for a house and pets.
Trusted Housesitters, in my opinion, is the easiest housesit site to use and navigate. They have a ton of international traffic. I have personally received requests from just about everywhere in the world. Sitters and Homeowners can pay $49.99 USD/month for 1 month, or $7.99 USD/month for an annual plan. Sitters can also pay $23.99 USD/month for a 3 month plan. Bonus: Annual plans include access to a 24/7 Vet Help Line staffed by vet techs.
House Carers also offers lots of international house sits and also have quite a bit of traffic, as I’ve also seen a lot of activity worldwide from this site. Sitters pay $50 USD yearly, homeowners list free.
Mind My House, out of New Zealand, has a very eye-pleasing website and is super easy to use. Sitters pay $20 USD yearly, homeowners join free.
WWOOF, or Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, is the ultimate accommodation for your karma. You get to stay at a farm or homestead for free and in exchange you help out for a few hours a day farming, caring for animals, or doing odd jobs showcasing some of your awesome skills.
Couchsurfing, aka, the original homestay site. Find locals worldwide to stay with, for free. Can be used as a local meetup if you’re looking to go out!
Airbnb is a site where you can book a stay with a local in their home. It’s a great way to travel if you are super social, and enjoy meeting new people and sleeping their homes! I’ve seen everything from a boat to a couch to a private room to a guesthouse. Definitely some super cool, interesting and unique places.
Yonderbound is a super unique travel accommodation booking site. If Pinterest and Hotels.com had a baby, this would be it. Create Yonderboxes of plans, share, follow, and book. The coolest part – If someone books in your yonderboxes, you earn money!
Hotel Tonight lets you book hotel rooms right from your phone, anytime, anywhere, easy breezy.
Bon Appetour is a cool site you can use to dine with locals in their homes. If you want to immerse yourself with locals and you love food, then what better way to have locals cook for you in their homes- anywhere in the world! Find anything from classic old-world recipes to gourmet cuisine by chefs.
EatWith is a foodie’s dream site, full of really unique once-in-a-lifetime dining experiences. You can book a seat at a table to a shared event or private event where local chefs can create menus and even work with concierges to find locations.
Vayable is a super cool site you should definitely check out. It’s like Airbnb, but for activities! Be a tour guide for whatever your passion is! Travelers can meet up with local tour guides to learn, see and do things they probably wouldn’t otherwise do! It’s just brilliant.