[mkdf_dropcaps type=”normal” color=”#000000″ background_color=””]T[/mkdf_dropcaps]ime is a key factor that keeps people from planning their trips by themselves. It’s so much more convenient to ask a travel agent to do everything for you. I am all about planning trips myself and teaching others how to do the same. Doing so allows you to customise your travel fully to suit your specific needs and wants and can be a huge money saver. Who wouldn’t want to spend less on travel? So read on to learn more about the quick way to find the best accommodation on Airbnb.
[mkdf_custom_font disable_break_words=”no” title_tag=”” font_weight=”500″ font_style=”normal” text_transform=”none” text_decoration=”” text_align=”center” title=”It’s time to sharpen your travel planning skills” font_family=”EpicRide” font_size=”44px” color=”#000000″ line_height=”33px” letter_spacing=”-1″ title_break_words=”15″ font_size_768=”42px” line_height_768=”31px”]
The best way to learn is by doing, so make sure to practice these steps by yourself after reading. I am going to work through a simple example of how to best use Airbnb to save you time. Ok let’s get into it!
Step 1 to find the best accommodation on Airbnb – Know what you are looking for
Let’s say you are planning to go to Durban as a family of 10. The first thing to do, is know what you are looking. Simply knowing the destination is not enough. You need to get as specific as possible now to save you time through this process. This may mean starting a WhatsApp group and making sure the most fussy members list all of their non negotiables. If you don’t want to follow a democracy, think on behalf of your family and consider what your family may need.
After giving it thought or speaking to your family members this is what you come up with:
- Air-conditioning,
- A kitchen
- A private pool
- WiFi
- a TV
- And lastly, it must be a house
I have left out budget from this example but knowing your budget is very helpful towards optimizing your search time. Sometimes you have no idea how much accommodation in the area will cost, so searching without budget at first can give you an idea of the range.
Now that you know what you are looking for, we move on to step 2.
Step 2 – Sign up to Airbnb
You can’t access Airbnb’s best tools unless you have an Airbnb account. If you don’t already have an account, creating an account is simple and requires that you have an email address.
Step 3 – Create a list
You are now ready to create a list. Â Using saved lists is the quick way to find the best accommodation on Airbnb. Airbnb lists are one of the best time saving tools whether you are planning a solo trip and especially if planning a group trip.
Since our example is a family trip to Durban, let’s walk through the steps to follow to create a list on Airbnb called “Durban family trip.”
Click on your profile and select “saved” from the drop down list
Select “create list”
Name your list & select your preferred privacy settings
“Everyone” means any sent the link to you list can access it
“Invite only” means that only invited people can access the list
Step 4 – Search for accommodation & save to your list
Now you are ready to search for accommodation! Continuing with the Durban family trip example, search for accommodation for 10 people in Durban. Airbnb allows you to search for accommodation without inserting dates which is a great option if you are early in the planning stages.
When you click search you may find that there are hundreds of listings that meet your criteria. I don’t know about you but I definitely do not have time to look through hundreds of listings. This is where knowing what you want comes in. Insert all of the non-negotiable accommodation criteria that you compiled in Step 1 as filters to your search.
In this example, applying filters brought the number of listings down from 230 to 48 options. Thats a much more reasonable number of listings to go through. The more filters you apply, the narrower your search list becomes. This is a good thing! No point in waisting time looking through options that don’t meet your criteria.
Save accommodation to your list by clicking on the heart which is located on each listing’s front image. When you click on the heart, Airbnb will ask you which list to save it to. For this example, select “Durban family trip”
Step 5 – Review & share your Airbnb list
This is the final step. Now that you have your top picks saved, when it’s time to book, simply review the accommodation options in your list. Some may not be available for your dates which can make the final selection easier.
Airbnb allows you to invite others to view your list. The people you choose to share your list with will be able to modify your list by adding and removing accommodation options. For group trips, this is a great tool to get everyone on the same page and ultimately save everyone time! Instead of having each person separately restart the same search, everyone can simply select an option from the list you have already narrowed down.
Apply this method to find the best accommodation on Airbnb quickly and easily. The next time you have a trip to plan, take the lead and see for yourself how useful this truly is.
Get a South Africa travel bucket list when you sign up to my newsletter
If it’s your first time on Gophari.com, WELCOME! I would love to have you join the growing Gophari travel community.
Once you subscribe, you will receive a South Africa travel bucket list. You will also receive a monthly travel newsletter with the latest travel advice.
I am raw html block.
Click edit button to change this html
Thank you for this tips. Really helpful 🙂
It’s a pleasure 🙂 I’m glad you found it useful