Even though I live a location-independent lifestyle, one of the ways I like to feel like I’m “at home” is by renting an apartment every once in a while instead of staying in a hotel.

The service I use the most for this is Airbnb.

It’s basically an Expedia meets Yelp concept that allows people to rent out their homes to travelers with a website where you can search for places to stay based on location, price, etc. It also provides a rating and review system for hosts so that any sketchy places with rude hosts get weeded out.

I’ve stayed in Airbnbs all over the world from Charlottesville, Virginia to Rome, Italy to Baltimore, Maryland to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and now Honolulu, Hawaii!

It’s great having an entire network of hosts who provide a wide variety of short and long-term furnished housing in most cities around the world. You can choose to rent the whole apartment or house, or simply rent a room. (I’ve done both and I prefer having the whole place to myself!)

What I also appreciate about Airbnb is that the price of your apartment or room rental will typically be much less than you would pay for a hotel, especially in large metropolitan areas that have a high cost of living.

I made a quick apartment tour video of the Airbnb I’m renting while I’m here in Honolulu, Hawaii if you’re curious about what they are like and how you can incorporate this option into your travels!

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