Long-term traveling is a lot of fun. I had a blast when I was off seeing the world and experiencing everything from a local perspective. While I call Brooklyn home right now, I’ve lived all over the world. One of the things I learned is that there are different types of accommodations and housing when you travel and there are pros and cons to each one.
I love being able to offer personal insights into this because I’ve stayed in everything from hostels to fancy hotels to local apartments. And finding the best place depends on your habits, your goals, and how long you plan to stay in one place. Here are several different types of accommodations and some of the upsides and downsides of each.
Hotels
Hotels are great for shorter-term stays and when you’re just arriving in a new city. They can make a good temporary landing pad while you look for other options. On the plus side, they usually offer extras like meals, workout rooms, and sometimes even a pool. On the downside, there isn’t always room to entertain guests in the room.
For instance, most regular hotels don’t have kitchens in the rooms, and other guests aren’t always going to be the most considerate. If you need a non-smoking location, even the best places can’t truly guarantee that no one smoked in the room prior to your arrival.
Hostels
When you’re traveling on the cheap, hostels are a great option. They offer very low-cost community-style living arrangements. Often multiple rooms share one bathroom, and, in some instances, there might be multiple people sharing a room on their own bunk beds. On the plus side, you can easily meet new people when you arrive in a foreign country.
Many of them are multilingual, so if you speak only one language, chances are someone will speak it. On the downside, this option doesn’t offer much in the way of privacy, and it’s not always a good long-term solution. Some locations are also prone to theft, so it’s important to keep track of your things.
Apartments
A more traditional way of living is to get your own apartment. While you can rent some corporate-type housing on a month-to-month basis, an apartment is a good option for longer-term stays in a country. There are some distinctions between a studio vs. a 1 bedroom apartment. One of the biggest is that a studio is more like a big open space without separations between living spaces.
The bedroom, living room, and kitchen are all in one area. There might be a door on the bathroom, and there may be a closet, but they aren’t known for being overly spacious necessarily. However, they do offer private accommodations and you can buy your own food to prepare and cook in your home. On the other hand, a 1- or 2-bedroom apartment will be much more spacious.
With separate rooms, you can hide away your bedroom mess while still giving you a spot to entertain guests. Make your own meals, host a dinner party, or invite family or friends to come to stay the night when they are in the area. You’ll have more flexibility and versatility with this type of living. On the downside, they are much more expensive, especially in desirable areas.
Tent Camping or RVing
If your adventures are taking you off the beaten path, you can enjoy the countryside by renting an RV or pitching a tent. On the plus side, this can offer an affordable way to see a lot of areas in a short amount of time. For outdoors lovers, it also helps you connect with nature in locations outside your home country. On the downside, an RV or camper van won’t give you much space. It’s pretty much room for just you. There isn’t a lot of privacy and finding places to park can pose a challenge.
Plus, you’ll need to find food at local restaurants or grocery stores, and you won’t have much room to stock up. I can’t say that this is my favorite way to sleep, but I know many people who enjoy traveling this way. However, while traveling around the world, you’ll get to experience new cultures, new foods, and make friends from everywhere. It’s an exciting way to live. I hope this guide helps you pick the right places for you no matter where you go.