My Favorite (International) Airbnbs

I find that I use Airbnb more in Europe because for whatever reason, I find AirBnbs in America are overpriced.

I absolutely love Airbnb. It ha become our go-to online booking service for finding accommodations outside the US. If you've never heard of Airbnb, the concept is that you pay to stay at a local’s house – with or without that local around. You could rent a room in a house, or you could rent an entire house, an apartment, a cabin, a spot in the backyard to pitch a tent, an Airstream, a tree house – there really are no limitations You can view pictures and reviews online, and if you have specific questions, you can very easily communicate with the host.

The big plus for budget-conscious travelers like me is that they are less expensive than a typical hotel and some of them come with sweet perks such as breakfast and just the priceless experience of being hosted by locals.

Shared bathrooms could pose a drawback to some, although for me, it never has beeb an issue.

All our experiences with Airbnb have been great and here are our favorites. If you’ve never tried Airbnb before and would like to get your feet wet, here’s a link for a $25 discount for you to get started!

Paris, France

Montmartre: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/412806

Montmartre is not the elegant, posh part of your Parisian reveries. It is grittier, working class, and therefore, feels more real and grounded. It is also rich with art and history since Van Gogh, Monet, and those impressionist artists at one point either lived or partied in this neighborhood a hundred years ago.

Le Marais

Upside: Metro stop really close by. Great local neighborhood where Parisians live. Sleeps four people.

Downside: Nada. It’s Paris!

Montreal, Canada: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1167697

A room in a buddhist temple.

Upside: The zen of the space. The location is a block from the lively street market.

Downside: Shared bathrooms, some time restrictions – it being a working temple, noise and movement is restricted during certain windows of the day, although it never was a problem for us.

Rome, Italy: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1660134

Upside: In a quiet corner very close to Pantheon. I feel like a bonafide Roman! The amazing restaurant next door that serves the most amazing cacio e pepe of my life.

Downside: I can’t really think of anything.

Regnano: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1281746

Upside: I fell in love with Italy and its people all the more because of this place. The views, the people, the experiences, the characters. This is the proud region where Parmegiano Reggiano (parmesan) and Prosciutto (Parma ham) originated, so of course there will be plenty of that. The dinner with our hosts and their friends every night was stupendous.

Downside: Because it's in the hills, you need a car to get here.

Monteriggioni, Tuscany: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/918020

Very close to Siena and San Gimigniano, this secluded agriturismo is a gem.

Upside: The organic, authentic cooking of Emiliano (the host). Emiliano. Meeting likeminded travlers from all over the globe.

Downside: A car would be nice, although the travelers we met didn’t have cars and they managed fine with public transportation.

Murazzano, Piedmont, Italy: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/2081950

$60/night for two people with breakfast at a working farm in the hills of Piedmonte – yes, please. Although a caveat: we’ve just booked this for a stay in July so stay tuned for a review after the fact!

Makati, Manila, Philippines: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/2867140

For $50 a night (for a week long stay) in this location, it can’t be beat.

Upside: Location, location, location. It’s walking distance to Greenbelt. The apartment itself has all the conveniences you need. We’ve bounced around quite a bit on this trip to Asia in November so I LOVED having a washer/dryer! There’s also access to a swimming pool, but we were so busy meeting up with friends, we didn’t have time to take advantage. There’s also 24 security at the lobby, if you’re concerned with that kind of stuff. There’s also a farmer’s market across the street on Sundays!

Downside: I can’t think of a single complaint!

#travel