AirBnb is no doubt the best way to travel if you’re in your 20s. There are countless amazing rooms available for less the $50/night all over Europe. Plus, you get more amenities and privacy then you would in a hostile.

This year my boyfriend and I grabbed our passports and left the country for the first time in our lives. With no experience traveling abroad we were left figuring it out on our own. I wanted to share a few tips and tricks about how to find the bed AirBnbs abroad we learned along the way.

LOCATION

My biggest tip besides checking the reviews of each Airbnb is location, location, location. Find a location that is central to where you want to site see. That makes site seeing and walking around the city much easier. Especially in European countries where walking will be your biggest form of personal transportation.

Avoid staying in an area where you will have to take a bus or taxi to site seeing locations. Trust me it is not worth saving the extra buck and there are plenty of budget friendly places right in the heart of Rome.

SET YOUR PRICE RANGE + DATE

This might seem like a no brainer but, you don’t know how many times I have started searching for places to stay only to find that the date I was looking for was already booked. Make your search more efficient by entering your price point and date in your search!

READ REVIEWS (And Rules) CAREFULLY

One of the most important things to check before booking an AirBnb is the reviews. People tend to be very honest about their visit and you can learn what to expect when traveling. Reviews will give you a better insight into the location, layout and overall experience with the AirBnb.

Also read the rules. Read if there are any hidden fees or extra charges. This will help keep you on budget. For example, we booked an AirBnb that had a late check in fee. Our flight to Rome landed almost 4 hours late which caused us to fork over about 78 Euros upon arrival.

COMMUNICATION

While traveling abroad it is most likely you will experience a lack of cell phone service. Make sure you communicate with your AirBnb host ahead of time to let them know when to expect you and if there are any delays. Use airport or cafe WiFi to communicate your arrivals and departures.

HOST RECOMMENDATIONS

This is actually one of my biggest tips when looking into AirBnbs. Read reviews and look at the hosts travel guides. Hosts that are invested to sharing their city and all it has to offer tend to give you the best experience. I loved learning about the best places to eat, drink and see from my AirBnb hosts. When hosts provide travel guides and custom recommendation it really improves your experience.

AMENITIES

Know what amenities are important to you and look out for them. Nothing is worse then showing up to an apartment with no WiFi in a foreign country or a room with no A/C in the middle of a hot summer. ALWAYS look at the amenities before you book. If an amenity is really important you can even adjust your filter to only include places with certain amenities.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A KITCHEN

If you really want to save money, find a place with a kitchen so you can cook a few meals during your stay and stock up on snacks to avoid eating out 24/7. You can still find tons of AirBnbs available in your budget that have a small kitchenette. This will give you a lot more flexibility throughout your travels.

HAVE AN OPEN MIND

Most importantly, go with an open mind. No matter where you travel things will not always go as planned. Remember where you stay should be good enough to feel comfortable and safe but, it is only a place to sleep and eat. You’ll spend most of your time exploring the cities you are visiting anyways. There is no switching rooms or room service when you arrive to your AirBnb.

Get $40 travel credit if you sign up for AirBnb using this link – not sponsored, just sharing the love.