When I first started traveling, my perception was that I was sprinting. There was so much in the world to see, and I needed to see it immediately. I had a vacation brain telling me that my traveling would come to an end and that I wouldn’t see everything I wanted to see. I planned to move every 3 days to one week. There are a lot of things wrong with this plan, which is why this plan lasted not even a month. I realized very quickly that moving so frequently was cumbersome. More so, I found it to be distracting from being able to experience the areas in. Moving and traveling with the wind is an excellent place to be. However, to go with the wind you have to be mentally present. I was not able to be present amidst the frequency of making plans and doing research. Before my excursion, I didn’t seek any advice. You are already leaps ahead of me by reading this and other blog posts. Had I done so, I would have learned that finding a home base to travel out of is a far more enjoyable and financially efficient way to exist as a digital nomad. So enjoy this post on how to find digital nomad places to stay!
How to Find Digital Nomad Places to Stay
I am asked often how I find places to live. Even more frequently, I’m asked how I found my current apartment. The locals are more curious than anyone. How could it be that someone from another place find a home? It can be, I assure you. Although finding places to live long term or even short term can prove to be a challenge, it is what you make of it. There are plenty of things to consider: budget, language barriers, renters’ rights, and neighborhood knowledge. Fortunately, I’ve got some suggestions for you. Some will be duplicates because I find them useful for both short and longterm situations. I consider under 3 months short term and anything else long term, for your reference.
If you just want to cut to it, here are my recommendations for short term and long term accommodations:
Where to Find Short Term Accommodations:
Couch Surfing
When I first considered Couchsurfing, I thought of it as something a 20-something does. You may think similarly. I was wrong. Couchsurfing is an incredibly affordable and fascinating way to travel. You not only get to have a budget-friendly stay around the globe, but you get to immerse yourself in the life of another person temporarily. What I’ve noticed about the hosts of Couchsurfing is that they are like-minded folks. There’s a solidarity amongst the people in the traveling community. It is my experience that the people who offer their homes on the platform are of that mindset.
Check out Couch Surfing here.
Booking
I am a huge fan of booking.com. It is the only website I use to find hotels, period. The user interface on the platform is easy to use. The filters they provide allow you to find a place that perfectly matches your needs, and they have excellent customer service. They also offer a messaging platform between you and the hotel. If you have a concern before your arrival you can connect with your host almost immediately. I think my favorite tool is the filter that shows which hotels provide airport shuttles. When I have late-night flights or long layovers, I prefer for my first night to be in a hotel that has a shuttle from the airport to avoid my tendency to get lost. They offer more than just hotels. There are hostels and apartments similar to Airbnb. Once you use their service 5 times you get 10% off and free breakfast at select hotels. When you’re trying to narrow down places to stay, sometimes free breakfast is how you decide.
Check out Booking here.
Airbnb
Airbnb is such a fantastic tool for the digital nomad or globetrotter. I cannot believe that there was a time in my life when it didn’t exist. If you haven’t used Airbnb before, you can select an entire place to stay, a private room, a hotel room, a shared room, or a space to sleep in a shared space. They also offer experiences. If you’re looking for some sights to see or adventures to have, you can schedule them through their platform with local providers. I also really appreciate their customer service and communication options. It makes booking incredibly easy. It also makes troubleshooting and inconveniences easier to address.
Get up to $55 off your first trip through my Airbnb link here.
House Carers
Housecarers is pure genius. This platform provides you a free place to stay in exchange for house sitting services for another person. This could be a long-term solution for living as well. You can filter the length of time you’re hoping to stay. Not only that, this company was founded in 2000, making it a senior citizen and incredibly reliable in the online world for service providers.
Hostelworld
Hostelworld gives you an incredible list of options for hostels to stay in around the globe. I know many people who have selected hostels through this website. After having an incredible experience they decided to stay in their hostel long term. Hostels are not what they used to be. I’ve stayed in many very friendly and comfortable hostels and thought I was staying in a hotel. Hostelworld also provides resources to navigate the area you’d like to stay in and offers similar filters to that of booking.com.
Check out Hostelworld here.
Where to Find Long Term Accommodations:
Airbnb
I have found some of the most tremendous long term finds through Airbnb. I missed the opportunity to book it, but, once I found a villa in Greece on the beach that was only 120 dollars for an entire month. I won’t drag my feet next time! As I said before, the communication and customer service that Airbnb provides is outstanding. With regard to long term rentals, it is an incredible way to protect yourself as a tenant, as long as you communicate exclusively through the platform. What’s more, you can use past Airbnb hosts as resources. I have messaged my past hosts to see if they had any suggestions or recommendations to help me find future homes in the same area. This, ultimately, led me to my current apartment. I have also utilized it to get an understanding of the areas around me. I messaged the experience leaders and asked for their advice. This is a great way to meet locals when you are a new kid on the block in a foreign country.
Get up to $55 off your first trip through my Airbnb link here.
Workaway
Similar to the service at housecarers.com, Workaway allows you to provide a service in exchange for a place to sleep. I love so many things about this website, besides its functionality. It is a relatively basic user interface. The website provides you with places to stay all over the world for almost free. I say almost because time is a valuable commodity in my book, and you definitely give your time to your host. Not only that, you contribute to the local community. There are different options that a host can offer such as a bed, a room, meals, and excursions. Consider it a service-based stay. There are different types of services being sought around the world. This means, no matter what your background is, you can do something. Some people just want someone to walk their dog while they are at work. Others ask for help watching their children, farming, or building. If you have any experience in marketing, art, or languages, you won’t have a problem using this resource either.
Check out Nestpick here.
Nestpick
Nestpick is a resource to use for major cities across the globe. It provides an ideal one-stop-shop for finding a home instead of having to do research every time you want to move locations. The filters they provide include just a room, a studio, or an apartment. You can use the filters to accommodate your preferences if you have any (balcony, washing machine, dishwasher, etc.). I don’t recommend using Nestpick if you are interested in living in smaller, less known cities or towns that are a distance from a major city.
Check out Nestpick here.
Online Resources
This is a vague category to include, I know, but it must be included. Through messaging Airbnb hosts, I learned of an online resource in France called Leboncoin, similar to what I know in America as Craigslist. This is how I found my current home. There are websites like this all over the world. I highly recommend finding what the website is in your targeted location and searching on it to get an idea of what accommodations are like in different areas. Real Estate agents also post on these types of websites. This can also be a means to introduce you to real estate industry professionals if that is your preference.
Facebook Groups
I also highly recommend using Facebook groups. There are flat or apartment exchange groups for cities all over the world. Even if you don’t find a place to stay, you can get some great advice about neighborhoods, pricing, and tenant laws. You also may be able to find a roommate if you prefer to live with a local.
Real Estate Agent
Real Estate agent websites have an abundance of listings for available properties. Learn the word for “Realtor,” and “For Rent,” in your desired country. Google search it as a phrase. Some agents require that you pay them a fee for finding a home. Be sure to ask what their fees are. You’ll want to know what you’re committing yourself to beforehand. This is a great option to find a home because it takes out a lot of the legwork of finding a specific type of home in an area. Similar to buying a home, you can just give them a list of your must-haves and let them show you what they have. I usually start with the agents that have the highest rating on Google and then continue my search from there.
Additional Thoughts
When I travel, similar to other nomads, I usually get a hotel for a few nights to get the lay of the land. In my current home, I got to know the area very well and then rented the apartment sight unseen 4 months before I moved in. You may find yourself in a similar situation. Perhaps not that far in advance but renting sight unseen. To prep yourself for taking the risk, I recommend searching online to acquaint yourself with tenants’ rights in the area that you’re going to live in. After doing that, I highly recommend finding groups on facebook that can shed light on what the actual renting process is like. In America, I was accustomed to having to provide first and last months rent in addition to a security deposit. In France, I found that many people didn’t want to rent to me because I was not able to work, so I had to get creative with what I offered my proprietors as a tenant. Remember, everything is a sales pitch.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a plethora of options for you to choose from to find your next long term stay. You may also consider doing further research in facebook groups to get advice from fellow travelers about their experience in finding a place to live. Remember, take all advice with a grain of salt. I have met some really negative nancies who have led me to believe that it would be impossible to find a home safely or within my budget. They were wrong, and I was wrong for letting them discourage me. I’ve met many travelers who have had success finding homes in addition to myself. Keep this advice also when asking for neighborhood opinions. Renting an apartment blindly, I believe, is not a considerable risk. I would highly recommend visiting the neighborhoods that you are considering in the daylight and at night to gauge your comfort level. Getting others’ opinion on the matter is wise. Just keep in mind that comfort levels vary by person. What may not feel safe for another person may be totally okay for you.
Hope you enjoyed this post on how to find digital nomad places to stay. Let us know if you have other recommendations in the comments as well!
