Travelling on a budget - Live with the Natives!

When traveling we all want to stay in the best hotels and have the best service possible. In reality however, our budget might not be able stretch this far and we're left struggling in lousy hotels and fighting for food! Often renting a villa is beyond beyond our finances so what should be an enjoyable time is slightly deflated by bad accommodation. It doesn't have to be this way though. You could always stay with someone from the country you're visiting.


Thanks to the rise of social networking sites on the internet contacting people from other countries has never been so easy. There are many sites out there that are set up for the purpose of people offering accommodation to travels who are visiting the place where they live. Obviously, this can save you LOTS of money and means you have more to spend on actually enjoying your vacation! What's more is that, by staying with these people, you get to see their unique cultures and get a 'first-hand' look at the way they live. Something you'd never get in a hotel room or private villa!

In fact, this is something I have now done a couple of times and would highly recommend it. I visited Chicago last year and stayed with a lovely couple. They showed me their city by day (and night), made me welcome in their home and gave me lots of information that the average tourist would not be aware of. A privilege that you wouldn't get in private accommodation!

Of course, doing this kind of thing has it's risks but there are precautions you can take to minimize them. A lot of these networking sites have a 'feedback' feature. This is where a persons previous guests can give a rundown on their stay with that person. Obviously, the more feedback a person has the more trustworthy they are likely to be. However, be sure to check that the feedback comes from verifiable sources and has not been done from that persons own PC! Also, I would recommend a woman to NEVER stay with a man she has met on the internet. It's far too risky and there have been many cases of things going wrong. It is best to stay with a female if, as a woman, you are traveling alone. And, one last thing, always leave contact details for those back home. It's best they know where you are in case you need to be contacted for any reason.

So, traveling abroad needn't be so expensive. Staying with the natives can be a rewarding experience.

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