3 Alternative Accommodations for Budget Travelers

Finding accommodations just about anywhere in the world isn’t difficult. Hotels, hostels, B&Bs … there’s a place to crash for just about every manner of traveler. But what about the budget traveler who’s looking for something just a little bit different?

Here are three alternative accommodation ideas for the alternative traveler:

Homestays

Homestays have been around long before Couchsurfing and long before the internet. The gist is quite simple: a local person in your destination offers up a room (or more) for you to stay in their own home.

The upsides are many. First, you can typically find a homestay for much less than your average hotel, sometimes 75% or more less per night. Second, your host is a local family who can provide keen and unique insights into your destination including where to go, what to do, the best restaurants in town, neighborhoods to avoid, etc. It’s like having a personal travel guide!

Rent an Apartment

If you’re staying somewhere long-term, it’s almost always much cheaper to rent an apartment by the month. This is often true even if you’re not planning to stay for an entire month. For example, you might be able to score a month-long rental in, say, Madrid or Montreal for $1,500 USD per month. When you consider a typical 3-star hotel can cost $150 nightly or more (including tax), the savings can add up quickly for anyone traveling for 10 days or longer. Even for Asian travelers, renting an apartment in India (which you find here), China, and throughout Asia, it can make economic sense as well.

Peer-to-Peer Rentals

You’ve no doubt heard of peer-to-peer rentals by now. Sites like Airbnb have made it mainstream and it’s since become a great opportunity for travelers to rent a local apartment (or house, or more) for much less than what a typical hotel would cost. Another upside is that many owners have started renting out very interesting properties, including igloos and treehouses!