Airbnb in Europe?

[Anonymous]

Stayed at one in Amsterdam.

No issues, except being woke early AM by some chickens in the backyard clucking. Was not in the listing so I was a bit surprised.

Wished it had a safe.

[Anonymous]

I don't think I could work up the guts to use AirBnB for a major vacation, even though when they work out they are generally a better value than hotels. I've had two AirBnBs cancelled at the last minute (within a week of the trip start) and it was a big hassle each time. Both hosts were really well reviewed and one was a "Superhost" but there were no real ramifications for them for cancelling and the superhost kept their superhost status even after the last minute cancel which AirBnB claims is not allowed.

I don't think they are any less safe than hotels mostly but the lack of accountability makes me distrustful for major trips.

[Anonymous]

Had a great experience with guesttoguest.com - home exchange where but you can use points, so it doesn't have to be a direct exchange. A family from Germany stayed in our home, and we stayed in several homes in Europe, including a spectacular Paris apartment. It saved us thousands of dollars/euros. Yes, you have to open your home to strangers, but the company does basic ID checks, you have reviews from past stays, and they provide insurance. Because they are based in France, there are lots more homes in Europe than U.S., which makes it relatively easy to swap, if you have a home in an location attractive to tourists (e.g., Logan Circle will be better than Gaithersburg.)

[Anonymous]

Always. I like having a kitchen and laundry when traveling with kids. I don't think you're taking much of a gamble--you know where the rental is, there's a list of provided amenities, you can ask the host questions before booking, and you have reviews, as well.

[Anonymous]

Stayed at a GREAT air b and b for a week in Paris last summer with DH and baby. Had lots of good reviews and the owner was very communicative. Would only stay somewhere if both of those things were true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think I could work up the guts to use AirBnB for a major vacation, even though when they work out they are generally a better value than hotels. I've had two AirBnBs cancelled at the last minute (within a week of the trip start) and it was a big hassle each time. Both hosts were really well reviewed and one was a "Superhost" but there were no real ramifications for them for cancelling and the superhost kept their superhost status even after the last minute cancel which AirBnB claims is not allowed.

I don't think they are any less safe than hotels mostly but the lack of accountability makes me distrustful for major trips.

Completely agree, but I've booked one anyway... This is my only fear, really. If a cancellation happens like this, I suppose I will try another last-minute Airbnb booking. Hotel rooms in an expensive city might be hard to find on the spot. (Or hard to pay for.)

[Anonymous]

I've had amazing experiences with AirBNB in Europe. One of my all time favorite places I've stayed was our gorgeous rental in Rome, and also in Cala d'Or, Majorca. Also have used AirBNB in Florence, which was not quite as nice as the Rome rental, but in a great location with a great owner. Always had amazing communication with hosts, but we were also careful to only rent from those that had a decent amount of positive feedback on the site.

Would be a definite "yay."

[Anonymous]

Used abnb in Denmark and had good/great experiences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think I could work up the guts to use AirBnB for a major vacation, even though when they work out they are generally a better value than hotels. I've had two AirBnBs cancelled at the last minute (within a week of the trip start) and it was a big hassle each time. Both hosts were really well reviewed and one was a "Superhost" but there were no real ramifications for them for cancelling and the superhost kept their superhost status even after the last minute cancel which AirBnB claims is not allowed.

I don't think they are any less safe than hotels mostly but the lack of accountability makes me distrustful for major trips.

If you have a host cancel last minute, Airbnb will work with you to find a comparable place and generally cover any cost increase. I had a place cancel 2 months in advance and they gave us a $80 credit, allowed us to get a slightly nicer place as it turned out.

Completely agree, but I've booked one anyway... This is my only fear, really. If a cancellation happens like this, I suppose I will try another last-minute Airbnb booking. Hotel rooms in an expensive city might be hard to find on the spot. (Or hard to pay for.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think I could work up the guts to use AirBnB for a major vacation, even though when they work out they are generally a better value than hotels. I've had two AirBnBs cancelled at the last minute (within a week of the trip start) and it was a big hassle each time. Both hosts were really well reviewed and one was a "Superhost" but there were no real ramifications for them for cancelling and the superhost kept their superhost status even after the last minute cancel which AirBnB claims is not allowed.

I don't think they are any less safe than hotels mostly but the lack of accountability makes me distrustful for major trips.

If you have a host cancel last minute, Airbnb will work with you to find a comparable place and generally cover any cost increase. I had a place cancel 2 months in advance and they gave us a $80 credit, allowed us to get a slightly nicer place as it turned out.

Completely agree, but I've booked one anyway... This is my only fear, really. If a cancellation happens like this, I suppose I will try another last-minute Airbnb booking. Hotel rooms in an expensive city might be hard to find on the spot. (Or hard to pay for.)

Thanks -- that's comforting. I appreciate your passing that on.

[Anonymous]

I've done VRBO but not air bnb. Not sure there is much of a difference--sometimes I think you see the same apt on both?-- but I feel like the VRBO is a bit more "serious".