Renting an Apartment While Traveling
By NomadicMatt | Published: October 13, 2011
Lately, a lot of short-term rental companies have been asking me to stay with them. These companies offer furnished apartments for rent as an alternative to hotels. I’ve avoided them for a while as I generally like the social atmosphere of hostels. And, when I do want something non-hostel or hotel related, I usually just Couchsurf or stay with friends.
But the email barrage finally wore me down and I figured I would give this whole short-term apartment thing a try. I’ve written about them briefly in the past, but I figured it might be time to devote a full blog post to the subject.
I went in thinking that this type of accommodation wasn’t for me but that it could be useful to other people. My personal tastes don’t really fit this accommodation style. While having a nice apartment to relax in is great, I like hostels and would prefer to stay in one.
However, I’d personally feel like a bad travel writer if I didn’t try things that might help my readers travel better, even if it isn’t for me. After trying out a few companies, I can tell you that short-term rentals are still not for me – but they could definitely be a good alternative for other people.
How do they work?
These apartment rental sites list people’s apartments for rent. Instead of paying money for a hostel or hotel, you stay in someone’s apartment. The booking process is like booking any other type of accommodation. You go online, find a place you like, create an account, and book a place. After you are verified as not being an axe murderer, they connect you with the apartment’s owner (see safety below) and you now have a furnished apartment to stay in.
As an added bonus, most of the apartments listed on these sites are in highly local communities away from tourist centers, allowing you to get a feel for the local rhythm of life and eat at shops not catering to tourists.
The major apartment rental operators are Roomorama, Wimdu, 9flats, Home Away, and Airbnb.
The differences between the companies are pretty negligible. They all offer essentially the same product, but each puts their own twist on it. Airbnb has the best US inventory, Wimdu has a good European inventory, and 9flats is strong in Spain and Germany. Home Away has one of the biggest inventories of all.
If I were planning a trip, I would look at all the sites before I booked a place. (Unless you have a strong affinity for one company.)
Who is this for?
In all honesty, not me. I tried out this style of travel and it’s not a way I would usually choose to travel. However, while it may not be for me, I think these apartment rentals are good for business travelers, families, couples, groups, or anyone who is spending a long time in a place and can’t afford a week at the Hilton, but doesn’t want to spend a week in a hostel either.
Apartment rentals represent this in-between space between hostel and hotel. If you are traveling on business and want the comforts of home, you probably aren’t going to stay in a hostel. But maybe hotels are too expensive or too impersonal for you. A rented apartment, therefore, would be the perfect compromise.
If you want to travel the world but aren’t into the hostel scene and can’t afford hotels, this might be for you. A rental will be a lot quieter and more relaxing than a hostel. You’ll also be able to cook your own food, helping keep costs down on your long trip.
If you are traveling with a big group or a family, this is definitely for you. Squeezing a bunch of people into these apartments will work out to be much cheaper on a cost per person basis than dorm rooms in a hostel or a hotel room.
If you are looking to spend any extended amount of time in a city, these apartments are worth considering. The longer you stay in a place, the less you want to be in a place made for tourists. You want something that feels like home, a place that taps into the local pulse of the city. And this style of accommodation provides that.
There is definitely a specific niche this type of accommodation serves. I’m not it, though. I still enjoy hostels and Couchsurfing because I like interacting with travelers and locals. I’m more suited for that.
That being said, a few weeks from now, I’ll be going to London. I’ll be spending considerable time there catching up on work, meeting my friends, and going to a conference. I’m considering using one of these companies while there because I’m not looking to be in the “travel scene” then – I’m looking to just relax, rest, catch up with friends, and work. It’s in this setting that I would use this type of accommodation. Outside of that, I’d trade the homey feeling of a rented apartment for the lively social atmosphere of a hostel any day. And I think if you are a backpacker, you’re better off in the hostel too.
How much are they?
Prices vary of course, but in general the rooms on these sites are about half the cost of a hotel room. They aren’t as good of a bargain as a hostel, but offer way better value for money than a hotel.
Are they safe?
All these companies claim that they verify both buyer and seller to ensure no one ends up robbing anyone else. But a few months ago, an AirBnb homeowner got her place robbed and vandalized by her renter. They even cut through her wall to get her valuables. So sometimes, this doesn’t work.
But since then, all companies have added more security, insurance, and verification procedures to the process to ensure that this never happens again. There is risk in everything, but overall, I feel all of these companies are safe to use and the risk of something bad happening is minimal.
I especially like their growing reliance on user profiles. This is one thing I love about Couchsurfing and it’s a great form of verification. It really helps you figure out who is good and trustworthy.
At this moment, my travel style doesn’t really lend itself to using these services. I might reconsider it if I was in a city for more than 3 nights and wanted to get away from everything, but probably would not rent an apartment on a regular basis while traveling. But that’s just me.
However, I can see the value in this type of accommodation for certain travelers. If you aren’t into hostels but can’t afford a hotel every night, a short-term apartment rental is something you may want to consider, especially if you are looking for a place that feels more like a home.
Editor’s Note: This post was in part brought to you by Wimdu, whose constant prodding drove me to finally pursue looking into this accommodation type. They are one of the bigger companies and have a large inventory that is especially good if you are traveling Europe.
One of the huge benefits of apartment rentals for me is access to a full kitchen and pantry. Something that I find very tiring while traveling long-term is having to scrounge for every single meal.
I can see using this option as a way to combat travel fatigue, break up the hostelling, and chill someplace cool for a longer than average stay.
However you go, happy travels.
Brian
This would be almost perfect if you didn’t keep on mentioning yourself. Yes, we HEARD that rental flats aren’t for you. I counted at least three reminders of the fact though. A good travel writer stays in the shade of his creation.
I notice you always leave negative comments. But, then again, the site can’t be too bad if you keep coming back.
Haha, I like it when blog owners reply to the trolls, instead of just deleting them. It is definitely more genuine. Hats off to you Matt.
I was just thinking about this this weekend for a possible stay in South America. I think I’ going to pass this time just because I like being pampered just a little while I travel (i.e., I cook enough at home). Thanks for your perspective.
I’d stay in a ridiculously overpriced hotel before a hostel – I’m in my 40′s and don’t share well. I also need “down time” away from people to survive, so you and I are on different hemispheres! Thought I’d give an “apartment person” perspective since you’re not into them.
My husband and I have rented apartments for most of our European trips. We have never had a bad experience with renting an apartment and like that we can truly be “at home” while on vacation. An apartment allows us to “try on” living in the city like a local – shop for food, cook if we want (usually just a light breakfast and snacks though) and being able to do laundry. The prices are either cheaper or comparable to the type of hotel we’d stay in.
Once in Barcelona, there were 6 of us in an apartment with a roof-top terrace overlooking the city- it was fabulous to have pre-dinner drinks there in the evening. The only bad thing about that apartment was one room had twin beds in a room that had no space to put them together (weird shaped room). We had to draw straws to decide who got that room.
Our most recent trip, we tried to find an apartment that had three real bedrooms and was in our price range. It proved to be very difficult. Most apartments have one or two bedrooms and then a sofa bed in a main room or loft area. None of the couples were interested in 14 sleeps on a sofa bed! We ended up renting 3 separate apartments in the same neighborhood. It works for us. We have had good luck with VRBO.
Ooops. After my own blog post above, I forgot to add that part of the attraction for us is that apartments in Italy, Spain and Germany are designed different than American homes. So that allows us to learn a little from that culture, for example the kitchens are “functional” not huge, glamorous focal points. Washers are located in the kitchen and more often than not, no dryers– laundry is hung to dry. In fact, last trip, I found a shirt that had fallen to our window from the above apartment. Thinking how best to return it to owner, I left it in the foyer. The next day it was gone. I guess I assumed the custom correctly because later on, a bra was on the same rail I left the shirt. This is the little surprises you don’t get in a hotel.
My wife and I have tried this before. We really like the kitchen and some of the other facilities that they have to offer, like washing machine and dryer, etc. Apartments are probably more suited towards married peeps and or couples.
Haha, @anjci…I think Matt is entitled to an opinion, it is his blog I suppose.
I’m going to jump on this bandwagon and agree that having a kitchen and washing faclities is great. For my girlfriend and I the biggest plus is the space but finding short-term rental accommodation is pretty trick in our experience.
Depending on where you are it can range from difficult to impossible if you aren’t totally flexible and factor in that we’ve got a small dog, you can almost forget it.
I know you can’t cover everywhere but how about covering a few major cities over the next few weeks? List the companies you’ve used and where they offer accommodation.
What do you mean “cover a few major cities?” I’m always writing about cities but do you mean in relationship to apartment rentals.
Thanks for the review, I found it useful. I was curious, don’t you find that hostels get expensive for longer stays? I’ve found that hostels are great for stays of about a week, but longer than that there seems to be more value in renting arpartments. What’s your experience?
I do agree with you, I like hostels for meeting people.
Well I tend to stay in dorm rooms so it’s still cheaper but if you are staying in private rooms, an apartment would work out cheaper.
We travel slower than most people because we have small children. It works great for us because most hostels aren’t geared for young children and we try to max out our visa length wherever we go. You can also find private listings for monthly rentals that are better priced but it can be tricky.
We generally land, get a hotel, and then go look at the three or four places that we’re interested in. Sometimes the location maps are severely manipulated to make you think the place is better located than it is. And of course, pictures lie.
Hi – I wanted to add a couple of tips. Our family of four (two kids who were then 8 an 11) rented apartments multiple times during our RTW travels and generally had great experiences.
Tip 1: Check the address on Google Earth using Street View! Many times we almost got an apartment but then when we saw the street view, we noticed it was on a not-so-great street or above a bar.
Also, google the apartment owner’s name; don’t just go off of what the reviews say. It’s good to know a little bit about who’s renting it out. For example, we looked to rent an apartment for two weeks in Buenos Aires. When we narrowed down our choice, I googled the owner’s name and found out she also lives part time in Northern California and runs a B&B there, and the B&B had really positive reviews. That made me feel reassured that it was a good choice (which it in fact turned out to be).
One last note of caution: many apartment owners overseas want cash. Be prepared to deal with large amounts of cash. When we arrived in Barcelona to check into our apartment, we had to have many hundreds of dollars — the remainder of our deposit — in cash, which took planning ahead and extra security. You may also have to deal with wire transfers for deposits.
In spite of the hassle of researching a plethora of listings and dealing with payments, apartments are a great way to go with kids, even if you’re just staying a week — it’s so nice to be able to cook!
Great tips! Thanks for adding to the post.
It appears the ability to have a kitchen and cook your own food is the winning reason for renting an apartment.
We’re big fans of renting apartments because we like to travel slowly. I’m impressed that you have the stamina to stay in hostels all the time and move so frequently, Matt…. and still travel so much!
I get burned out easily and I like having privacy, so staying in apartments has made it easier for us to travel full-time and have space to breathe.
I think it also makes a difference because there are two of us – staying in a hostel if you’re traveling solo is so much more cost-effective than it is for a couple. I totally get that apartments aren’t a great option for all travelers, but for us it’s been awesome.
Nomadic Matt says: I removed this comment because it self promoted their own organization. Blog comments are for discussion, not for promoting your company.
Renting an apartment is such a challenge in Buenos Aires. I used a service and got ripped off by the landlord mistakenly thinking that the company that managed the transaction would prevent that from happening. I’ve gotten lucky a few times renting from individuals directly that I found through word of mouth.
I have heard of some of these companies and will have to look into the others.
Those of you coming over to Europe might find this website helpful (run by North Americans currently living in France)
http://www.sloweurope.com/
We love renting apartments when we can because as vegetarians it can get tiring finding places to eat so it’s nice to cook for yourself. Also when we need to get work done it’s more comfortable and quiet than hostels. In Tokyo the quite spacious apartment we rented was only a bit more than a tiny double room with shared bathroom in a hostel – so it can be great value too.
I can see how it wouldn’t be great for solo travellers though, unless you need to get your head down and work without any distractions.
I like renting apartmrnts too. Or something like that- there are many apartment hotels in the destinations I use to travel. Yes, it’s more spacious and has additional facilities. Just a personal point: as a diver, I wouldn’t be happy to leave my expensive stuff somewhere in a hostel. After rinsing I need a place where I can hang them to dry. The hotels’ tiny bath isn’t OK for this, and I’m sure I don’t have to tell why I wouldn’t like to leave them somewhere in a hostel.
So yes, you’re right, you have to know your preferences and you’ll find the perfect accommodation,
I used to like staying in hostels until I noticed a phenomenon that appears to be worldwide: the competitive, bragging traveler who wants to tell you everything they’ve done, how many countries they’ve hit and what adventure activities they’ve engaged in. Yawn! Traveling is about competing. It’s a personal experience. Also, a lot of the people in the hostels spend *all* of their time with other travelers and never interact with the local community. Finding an apartment and getting to know mylocal community by shopping in the supermarkets, talking with the small shop owners and meeting neighbors is a much more fulfilling experience for me.
Thanks for an interesting post, even though we have different perspectives on the topic.
Happy travels.
I meant to say that traveling is NOT a competition. It’s a personal experience. Perhaps I need some more coffee this morning
I have been in a lot of forums over the years where people are asking about renting an apartment and never understood why. When I go on vacation I want to be in the middle of the action, well maybe not right in the middle but I like to be able to walk to most of the places I want to go. I could see staying in an apartment if I were going to be somewhere for a long period of time 3 or 4 weeks that way I could have all the things around to make me feel at home. I will have to spend some time looking into these types of place if I ever get to take a real long vacation.
My lease on an apartment inside the walls of Siena is up tomorrow. It has been less than the cost of a hostel or hotel, nice to have a kitchen, and the walk is less than 10 minutes to the Piazza del Campo. On top of that, it’s nice, after a night out, to be able to retire to your own place and not have to worry about late-night noise and silliness that usually accompanies staying at a hostel. I’ve not found it any harder to meet people with the apartment than I would have at a hotel but then I was studying Italian at a school and had plenty of exposure to other travelers that way. Also, my landlords live right next door so I’ve had dinner and drinks with them on a couple of occasions.
I’m on a motorcycle trip in Europe and my partner has been staying at a castle, literally, about 15 kms outside of Siena for about half of what I pay. We’ve both been in Siena for about 6 weeks. His place is amazing but I couldn’t see staying that far away without a motorcycle handy.
For this stay, the apartments have been 100% win.
When I rent apartments abroad I simply meet people and ask around. Better yet, I use Couchsurfing to look for roommates. Done and I save a significant amount of money.
This might be a good alternative for those travellers on a holiday working visa, and are planning on staying in the same city for a few months. But I have to say I agree with you, and much prefer hostels and staying with friends!
Thanks for the review, Matt.
I prefer to stay a month or so in each location I visit. I don’t have much experience with couchsurfing. Do you feel it’s still a viable option for this type of travel?
Since we’ve been travelling we’ve rented a few places (rooms in shared houses or private apartments) but we’ve never looked into renting someone else’s apartment purely because we tend to stay more than a few nights (actual it’s more like months!) in one place (we’re trying to drag out our travelling for as long as possible!)
However, I’ve just won some credit win Roomorama so we’ll definitely be giving them a go in the next few months.
This is EXACTLY how my wife and I travel.
We visit different towns/cities and rent an apartment for one month or more. The savings are sizeable.
For example, we just arrived in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, and stayed in a pretty basic hostel (bed, shower) for $14USD a night.
After one night, we secured an apartment for $580USD which includes water, power and wifi. This rounds out to just under $20 a night.
Not bad for an extra $6.
But Matt… I do see your point. We all travel differently. Traveling solo would be really lonely if you stayed in apartments. Plus, not everyone wants to stay somewhere for an entire month. We – like you – make our living online and really enjoy the concept of “slow travel”.
Thanks for the post!
My husband and I make our money online and have been spent the last two years moving between the US and India every six months. We know we want to settle down in one place eventually, but have no idea where that one place might be. We’re in the process of planning a US road trip followed by a RTW trip to try to figure out where we want this one place to be. We’ve just started looking into renting apartments during these travels and feel this could be a good way for us to get a “feel” of how it may be to live in the particular city. After reading this post and the comments that have been left so far it seems like this may be the way to go for us, especially since we want to spend 2weeks+ in the cities we are considering. Thanks for the post and all those who have shared their experiences!
Hey Jessica,
I used to work as tour guide running trips across the US. If you need any advice, feel free to ask!
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said it’s for larger group of extended stays. That’s when you really see the benefits of the apartment stay!
good post i recently stayed in an apartment rental in orlando it wasnt bad
I found apt rentals to be great bargains in cities throughout Australia (if you’re staying for five days or more). Like someone else commented, you have the convenience of a full kitchen and a nice room.
I have rented apartments/houses in france and italy for the past 6 years. each one was wonderful, and I have never been ripped off. I love to cook, and having a kitchen available where the markets are so fabulous is just the best. I love pretending that I am a native…
My husband and I spent seven weeks this summer in the highlands of Central Mexico and stayed in apartments most of the time, usually for a week or more each stay. We found them on Craig’s List and my husband also called a local language school in each town to find out where they sent their students. Each place had wifi (Mexico is so connected) so we could spend a few hours each morning tending to our small businesses back home. We were always just a short walk to the zocalo in the center of town and the action. I love to cruise the local markets, so I could buy great exotic foods and cook them in our kitchens. We’d usually go out for dinner. We’ve travelled widely all over the world in our years together and are beyond the need for finding out news of the greatest clubs and watering holes. I felt our apartment stays brought us more into the culture as in each place we got to know “our” neighborhood. I’d happily return to any of these apartments for longer stays, but next year we’re doing Asia.
Back in 03 we tried to rent apartments in Southeast Asia and had no luck. I knew about Airbnb but have only used it locally renting a room from owners who were in residence. This is a great find for me. Thanks.
Matt,
This is such a great blog! I decided to spotlight it on my blog. You should check it out. The website can bring even more trafficking to this well-deserved blog!
This really redefines renting an apartment. I could see how it would be a great option for those who will be staying for a while or are traveling with family. It gives a more homey feel and you don’t necessarily feel like your living out of your suitcase.
Thanks for this list Matt. It will come in really handy when we set off on our adventure in January. Love your blog by the way always full of useful info.