It feels so nice that Spring has made its way here in Nashville. But what I’m really happy and excited about is the fact that summer is drawing near! Clear skies, sunny days and humid weather inviting us to enjoy a soothing soak in the beach, river or lake. Whatever your agenda this coming summer, I would like to share a handy app that can make your itinerary creation easy and make your travel experience cheaper and worthwhile.

What is AirBNB?

It’s been on my Facebook feed for as long as I can remember and ads are everywhere! So I finally decided to take a good look at what’s in store for me since I enjoy the perks of traveling every now and then. AirBNB is an online community marketplace that connects people looking to rent their home with people who are looking for a place to stay. This is a very useful app especially if you’re the frugal type. It opens personal property to random strangers who can book an apartment, room or whole place and rent for the night or longer directly from the “host”.

How does AirBNB work?

Prior to reservations, the traveler or the “guest”, needs to create his or her profile with AirBNB. This will give the host and the company a little background of you. Then you can access and search their database of over 600,000 listings in more than 34,000 cities and refine searches if you want a more specific venue such as a beach front view, amenities available, price range, room type and so forth. There’s a fee you have to pay for using the app (booking and payment services) that is around 6-12% on top of your booking fee (which will go to the host). It’s still cheaper than booking a hotel room for yourself.

Pros:

• Travel cheap without spending too much on accommodations
• Meeting somebody new which can grow your networks and friendship circle, applies to both guests and hosts

Cons:

• Damages to the property, stolen items and mischievous guests
• Guests may be disappointed if the property, room or place does not match the description they’re looking for.

I’ve read great reviews and stories on how travellers from around the world are pleased to use this app to travel around the world and at the same time, meet new people. It’s an overall great community for avid travellers.

Have you used AirBNB?  Will you share your experiences?  I always think its the experience that counts so I recommend using this app on your upcoming travel! Have a safe trip!