Where to Stay

I get the question a lot: where do you stay when you travel?

The answer is...it depends.  How long am I staying?  What's the condition of public transportation?  Can I walk from there?  Is it safe?  Would I feel better having a contact in the country in case of emergency?  Would I rather have a front desk to help me plan tours and things?  Can I pay ahead of time or will I need cash on hand?

So the major options are

• Hotel

• Hostel

• Airbnb

There are also free/ultra-low cost options like Couchsurfing, and volunteer work for accomodation (such as WWOOF), which I haven't tried

This lion outside a Venice hotel is in the holiday spirit

Hotel: generally the most expensive option but also the most comfortable and/or luxurious.  I generally choose a hotel if I'll be staying in one city fewer than three days OR if it's the off-season (during winter in Venice, for instance, I got a great hotel within easy walking distance of St. Mark's at something like half the usual rate).  Hotels are always the choice if you really need amenities (hair dryers, irons, toiletries, breakfast, maybe a pool or terrace).  On occasions when I feel a little out of my depth (Jordan, Turkey, and China so far) I tend to stick to hotels or the cheaper version, hostels, to provide myself a contact of some sort within the country.  Resorts fall in to this category, but are generally more self-contained: you get a luxurious stay but little to no contact with the place you're actually visiting.

Hostel: these can range from cheap bunk to private room, depending on the facility.  Some hostels have an in-house restaurant, while others just have a kitchen.  Personally, I like my privacy so I tend to opt for the slightly pricier private rooms (which are generally still far below what a hotel would cost).  The night I was stuck on Huangshan I was originally given a bunk in a shared dorm with 11 other girls--none of whom spoke English.  There were no curtains for privacy and they seemed intent on partying, so I ducked out and got myself a (ridiculously overpriced) hotel room instead.  I had a private room in the hostel in Beijing, but the folks on the Great Wall hike said that the bunk rooms were great there--privacy curtains, lots of electrical outlets, and lockers (alas, the Beijing Downtown Backpackers Accomodation is now a newly renovated travelotel with all-private rooms).  The point is, experiences can vary between individual hostels and between dorms and private rooms--do some research, read reviews, and know what you're getting in to and you'll have no trouble.

An apartment stay in Bolzano

Airbnb: my go-to for lengthy stays!  A week in Paris or Rome?  Waaaay cheaper in an apartment AND you get a kitchen!  Keep in mind that Europe is cracking down on Airbnb in many cities, so it may not always be an option when you travel--but there are always alternatives! VRBO is the same sort of idea, so there are some workarounds to find if you search hard enough.  Some apartments are even listed on Booking.com & Hotels.com!  It's darn relaxing to come home to your own place after a long day of roaming an unfamiliar city...and you can stock up on snacks!  This is also a great option if you have a family of five or a group of backpackers, for instance: everyone pitch in $20 and you've got a great place for the night!  Bonus: your own refrigerator for saving leftovers...or cake.  Or cake leftovers (as if).

So what's your favorite way to stay?  Am I missing out by skipping Couchsurfing?  Have I missed or failed to consider another option?