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Accommodation Guide for Indie Travelers

When it comes to long-term travel, the accommodation options for independent travelers are many. Gone are the days of only having the choice between a giant hotel chain and a 12-person hostel dorm.

If you’re planning your first big trip overseas, it pays to be informed about all the options you have and really learn about each. You may assume that hostels are only for young, college-aged travelers, but did you know that travelers of all ages stay in hostels these days? From those 20-something travelers to families to retirees and every age in between.

Hostels aren’t the only option for the long-term, budget travelers either. There are now resources like Couchsurfing, private rentals (from a room in someone’s apartment to entire homes) through sites like Airbnb, private hostel rooms, and WWOOF’ing – just to name a few.

Not only should you learn about what options you have for accommodations, there are also the regional differences to deal with. A guesthouse might mean two different things in two different countries (there aren’t many traditional hostels in Asia – most are advertised as “guesthouses”). People are surprised to find out that depending on where you are, a B&B doesn’t always come with breakfast. And even beyond these quirks, budget travelers often make the mistake of assuming that a hostel is always going to be the cheapest option – when sometimes it just isn’t.

That’s where we come in.

Below, you’ll find information about accommodation options all over the world – hostels, hotels, vacation rentals, and more. You’ll also find articles about some of those accommodation choices, too, so you can learn more about them before you choose which direction you want to go.

Booking resources

Use the following resources from BootsnAll to book accommodations for your next trip:

  • BootsnAll hostel booking site– BootsnAll’s hostel booking engine and resource for all things hosteling, from info on individual cities and hostels, to online reservations.
  • Vacation rentals– Find cheap vacation rentals and book – all from one site.
Friends of BootsnAll – BootsnAll has been around since 1998, and we’ve made many friends along the way. Here are some accommodation resources that we know and trust:
  • Couchsurfing– Connect with travelers from all over the world and crash on their couch. Or host travelers yourself when you’re back home.
  • Airbnb – Airbnb lets you rent a room or entire home, sometimes the primary residence of owners who are traveling.
  • Flipkey – Find vacation rentals from all over the world.
  • HomeAway – Explore various rental options across the globe, and list your home or apartment for rent to make a few bucks while you travel
  • Vacations Abroad– Find a condo or vacation rental with this large list of properties from around the world.
  • Home Exchange– The name says it all. You offer to let people stay at your house while you stay at theirs.
  • Global Freeloaders – An online community, bringing people together to offer you free accommodation all over the world. Save money and make new friends whilst seeing the world from a local’s perspective!

Accommodation articles

Want to learn more about your different accommodation options for your trip? Check out the following articles geared towards the long-term, independent traveler: