Budget Travel Tips: Hostel vs Airbnb Comparison
Traveling to different places is often tiring. Booking the cheapest air tickets, searching for affordable accommodations with all the facilities and food services is kind of a job. If the travel is for a day, it is not a big deal, but in case, if you have to stay at a new place for more than a day, then it becomes a real task.
People prefer the most comfortable flights so that their travel does not seem to be hectic. After a long journey, jet lag is most common, so proper accommodation to release all that stress is a must.
This is perhaps why we are often attracted to the places which are not only budget-friendly but also comfortable. Thankfully, there is a range of accommodation options available today right from hotels to Airbnb and hostels.
Traveling to California? San Francisco is an expensive city so it’s highly recommended to crosscheck your San Francisco tour itinerary to know if you are going to stay in a hotel, hostel or an Airbnb to help ease the dent to your wallet!
While hotels can be quite costly, Airbnb and hostels are budget friendly travel options. But are they worth it? Let’s compare each of them in this article.
What is Airbnb?
Airbnb is basically a private global company which helps the travels search and book affordable lodging and homestay options. It is basically an online marketplace where people with empty apartments offer accommodation to the people in need.
Whatever the status of the apartment is, it is updated on the website from time to time. These apartments are cheaper and available at affordable rates. So it proves to be ideal for the tourists.
What are Hostels?
Hostels are quite different from Airbnb. Airbnb provides an apartment to the customer, but hostels are the places where you can get a dormitory room with a bunk bed. These are obviously cheaper than Airbnb. So in case you are running short on money and decide to cut off some expenses, then opting for a hostel can prove to be a wise idea.
Airbnb and Hostels Compared
There are various criteria which will help in deciding which one is better and provides a better service. Deciding where to stay is the most important while traveling, thus it is highly recommended to ensure that the compromises that you are making are worth it.
The decision is actually simple, for work-related trips where your company is going to cover all your expenses, hotels are what everyone chooses to go for. As you are working for that firm, it is their responsibility to take care of your lodging needs.
But do you think it’s a great idea to opt for expensive hotels when you are on a solo trip or a personal trip? This can really cost you a good amount of money. Here is a much better solution to this problem. Instead of selecting expensive hotel rooms, you can opt for hostels and Airbnb facilities.
For travelers who are more into exploring things, hostels are the perfect place to stay. The reason is the will not be spending more time in their rooms, instead, they will be moving from place to place.
So before making the decision of staying in a hostel, make sure you are ready to share your space with some new and unknown people. On the plus side of that though, you might meet a new lifelong friend!
Features of a Hostel:
- Hostels will not have heavy staff facilities like big and expensive hotels. There will be a limited staff of one to two people. Those people will guide you through the guidelines.
- Sharing of the space is a must is hostels. The only option to escape from that is opting for a private room.
- Storing your luggage and other belongings can be done with lockers available for each traveler.
- Communication with other people can be enjoyed in the provided common area.
- For browsing the Internet, there are computer rooms available for that.
- One of the main features is that they are cheap.
Features of an Airbnb:
- Airbnb can give you a more authentic experience of staying with your partner in your own space.
- The price is moderate, it is neither too expensive like a hotel nor cheaper like hostels.
- The owner will generally take care of all the necessities.
- You have to take care of your own amenities.
- Safety should not be a problem. A key will be with the owner in the event of an emergency.
Wrapping Up
As is evident, choosing between an Airbnb and hostel all depends on your requirements. If you are looking for a cheaper option, hostels could come to your rescue. But if you want to experience the best facilities, without spending a large amount of money, Airbnb is the right choice.
Which lodging choice do you prefer and why? Let us know in a comment below!
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We choose Airbnb. I like cooking my own meals.
I do to Missy. So convenient and a great money saver!
Thanks for this detailed post about the different options for budget travel!
You’re welcome Kristin!
Great Information! We like Airbnb, but that’s because I have a large family!
My family (3 daughters, their spouses and kids) will be traveling to Portland this summer. We HAD to have an Airbnb!
I have not tried either, but have been intrigued by an Airbnb. Perhaps for our next trip we will give it a try.
Yes, give it a try if you can.
We like Airbnb, good to know other options.
Sweet! At my age, Airbnb is my first choice.
I haven’t done either, but an AirBnB is next on my list. I need my space, so a hostel wouldn’t work for me.
I agree Ola. Private space is key!
We haven’t done either one, though we have rented houses on HomeAway before, which I’m guessing is a little like AirBnB. Definitely the way to go!
Homeaway is very similar!
We are staying in Airbnb’s on our upcoming trip in London, Paris, and Zermatt, Switzerland. Using Airbnb’s on our last trip to Europe worked really well.
Excellent! I hope you have a great time on your summer holiday!
Luxury accommodations are also available on AirBnB. I usually resort to it if I don’t like the hotel options. Never stayed in a hostel before, it kinda scares me so this was interesting to see the comparison.
I believe young travelers are more inclined to go the hostel route since it can have a significant savings in accommodation costs.
I have tried both hostels and AirBnb. I have to say the hostel we stayed in was really nice one in Mexico so not sure that is a fair comparison. I usually like more privacy so I usually stay in AirBnb or Hotel. Thanks;
For me, privacy is king so Airbnb is usually my choice.
While I was in Spain, we stayed mostly in Airbnb’s. We found that the price about equaled out if you were staying in an airbnb vs. hostel with 2+ travelers. And in Morocco, we stayed in fancy hotels because they were so cheap!
I’m so glad you found an accommodation option that worked for you. That’s what it’s all about. 🙂
One thing we loved about the hostel we stayed in Jamaica, is getting to eat authentic cuisine. It’s closer to experiencing life in another country.
Yes, that’s a great benefit of hostels. Thanks for sharing your experience.
great post! Lots of helpful details
Thanks Jen!
I have used AirBNB many times and I have had a great experience each time. Thank you for comparing the two.
You’re welcome Trisha.
Great comparison. I love the space an AirBnB provides, even over luxury hotels.
Agreed Marianne!
I have heard nightmare stories about AirBnB and hostels do not seem like my thing at all! I can’t imagine sharing a room with people I don’t know. I have done VRBO lots of times with great success though, which is very similar to AirBNB I think.
I’ve only heard good things about Airbnb, but as with all things, there’s probably a few rare bad apples out there. Hostels are not for those requiring private space but are a good option for those wanting a unique experience with the possibility of meeting other travelers. Who knows? You might meet your new bff. 🙂 Yes, I believe VRBO and Airbnb are very similar in their business models. Thank you for your thoughts Amanda.
We almost always stay at hotels, we usually find them much cheaper. Or we are doing the Airbnb search wrong! 😀