Accommodation
Where you stay shapes the cost of a trip more than almost anything else, and the right kind of place depends mostly on how long you are staying. A hostel suits a few nights on a budget. For a month or more, a furnished rental or serviced apartment is usually cheaper and more comfortable, and house sitting or a home exchange can remove the cost of accommodation altogether.
For short budget stays, Hostelworld's hostel bookings cover backpacker-friendly places worldwide. For one to twelve months, Flatio's furnished mid-term rentals, Housing Anywhere and Rent Remote are built for remote workers, students and people relocating, while Metro Residences and Forenom offer serviced apartments. Furnished Finder focuses on travel nurses and other professionals on assignment, and Sabbatical Homes on academics.
If you are flexible about dates and location, house sitting trades looking after a home or pets for a free place to stay, usually in return for a membership fee to the sitting site. Trusted Housesitters is built around pet sitting worldwide, Nomador and Mind My House also work worldwide, and Aussie House Sitters and House Sitters UK cover their own countries. Home Exchange suits homeowners who can swap their own place.
Before booking a longer stay, check the total cost including deposits and service fees, the cancellation terms, whether bills are included and how fast the internet really is. For shared housing with a community built in, see Coliving.
