6 Reasons I Choose Airbnb Over Hotels While Traveling in Europe
Hotels are great. They smell nice. They seem clean. The beds are always perfectly made. They have TVs, WiFi and nice furniture. I do like staying in hotels due to all these reasons. I'm not a "picky" person when it comes to accommodations. However, what I don’t like about hotels is I feel like I'm not experiencing the culture fully. I'm fascinated by how others live and the neighborhoods that are outside the city center. Airbnb's are a smart, inexpensive way to see more and their web platform is extremely simple to use.
Here are 6 Reasons Why I Choose Airbnb Over Hotels While Traveling in Europe
We have our own space
If you work it out right you can guarantee that you all have your own room.
It's okay to get annoyed of people while traveling. It's usually when people's true colors usually show. You're with these people all day. It's nice to be able to go to your room and just relax.
**This Airbnb in Copenhagen had toys and kid friendly games and DVD's in the kids room.
I love to see how others live
I'm fascinated on the different appliances, windows and bathtubs. It's interesting to see how people live in other countries.
After a few days, we feel like locals because we stayed in a neighborhood where we see "real life".
Supermarkets, baristas, car dealers, parks, salons, etc.
Even with the language barrier, you can try your best at the local supermarket. Get over the fear of the language barrier and just step outside of the city center and see how they live.
The French Press was super new to us. I've never used it before and luckily with a quick YouTube video, we had making coffee down in Denmark.
Even when my daughter wanted a warm bottle, I had to use the kettle to heat it up. Things weren't that easy without a microwave.
You can get a balcony or a whole yard for your family to play or have a meal
One of the Airbnb’s we stayed at had a whole playground with a sandbox for our kid to play in. We were able to watch her from the porch as she enjoyed being outside and not cooped up in a room all day.
Most of the places had playgrounds nearby. We always found one.
It was nice being able to enjoy a glass of wine outside after a long day or my morning coffee with beautiful views.
Cleaning supplies
I know this may seem weird, but when you are staying at an Airbnb it’s nice to be able to clean up your own messes and have a vacuum and broom at your disposal. Even things like your own paper towels and dish-rags are helpful.
If something looks dirty or you need more trash bags, you can just send an email and it’s usually there within a few hours.
If you book it right, they have washers (not dryers…)
So, while traveling with the family, you need to wash clothes every few days. We’re usually pretty good for about 7 days, but after that we need fresh clothes.
In Europe, you will not find a dryer (like 99% of the time). Hang drying your clothes is their way of life. I enjoyed this part of washing my clothes. Mindfulness.
If you’re in a hotel, there are services if you want to pay a ton of money to wash your clothes. Crazy what they charge people.
I can cook
I don’t really like cooking, especially on vacation, but it’s sometimes necessary. In an Airbnb you won’t always have restaurants close by and even if you did, you won’t want to eat out at every single meal. I eat first thing when I wake up. When we arrive in a city, we find a local grocery store (which is usually so fun looking at their products) and stock up on necessaries. Milk, cereal, bread, butter, jam, eggs, etc. You get the point. It’s nice coming home after a long day and eating a snack or even cooking a dinner you know your kid will eat. It’s just easier having a stove with pans and bowls.
**Best balcony ever in Lake Como, Italy!
Here is my link to Aibnb link, I get a travel credit if someone signs up and books a night. Other advice...Read reviews and look at the locations. Read the descriptions and "other fees" carefully. If you have questions, send the host a message. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.