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My 1st experience was the worst and the only time I’ve ever stayed at Airbnb. Never again. Eastern European couple that were total crooks . Apparently it was one of the apartments they ran as their business. They didn’t own them, they were tenants themselves. We got several knocks at the door and were told to never answer them. There’s no bed, only mattress on the floor and unwashed brand new bed sheets because all the plastic bags were still there. We ended up washing them until midnight. Thank God we only stayed for one night. Never again. No matter how much cheaper they are compare to hotels in the neighborhood. They should be fined for running this kind of business. No wonder there’s a shortage of housing. Never going to support Airbnb ever again.

Good video but you did show the island

Sorry guys when I add the history of Italy including Pompeii and southern hospitality. Beaches? Sardinia and Sicily is Caribbean on steroids with better food, amazing food. Whole fish €15 ? Not Vietnam but affordable. Malaysia definitely agree not a good experience and honestly don’t like Americans.

I stayed at a "super host" Airbnb and it was horrible. The place was dirty, the hosts were aloof and very restrictive in using the facilities

On the dull knives. I just sharpened 2 dull Ikea knives with 360 grit Emory paper. Tear sheet into quarters or even eights. Wet. Hold on cutting board and run knife diagonally along paper. Rinse frequently. Got two serviceable edges. 10 BHT for the sheet and it packs well.

Have tried Merida, Yucatán, Mexico? Very sweet, cozy and colorful town

Great advice. Really appreciate these videos

This is truly teamwork.. Thanks for sharing your boring lifestyle with us. I'm just teasing. LOL

I love how you are budget travelers but still budget local beers everywhere you go

Hi. I started my YT journey last month. Your words helped me make a decision to retire early. I want document my 5 year journey to my own financial independence so others can learn and have hope they can do it too! Thank you for your videos and sharing your life! I hope when I am a little older I can follow your example!❤

We have been lucky over the 20+ years using AIRBB . Have had some minor problems and disappointing things but also fantastic extra great experiences. My experience is that the management company not the owner is the problem. Lazy or not performing what the owner pays them for, management companies that are people making extra money but not real estate professionals. In over their head manipulating the owner

I've been very fortunate with all my ABB experiences (just a few!) That said, you two now join other YT world traveler couples who have, after long ABB experiences, reached a point of exasperation. Some have completely switched back to hotels, and now include tips on accumulating points, using hotel brand credit cards and etc. I'm really sorry you experienced this dismal failure of service. Thank you for sharing your tips for dealing with such situations, and for avoiding them to begin with.

What internet provider did you use in Koh samui?

I'm sorry you guys had a bad experience with this AirBnB in particular. What it sounds like is you guys tried communicating with the host multiple times, it didn't end well, and they became overly hostile and aggressive. Also, trying to charge *you* for expenses when it's their residence they're hosting for travelers? What? Major red flag. This is why I do hotels instead. Easier to deal with, less guess work, and all the communication is done with staff members. I doubt a hotel stay anywhere for 3 weeks will be close to $1800 a month, it'll be more expensive probably, which is where the AirBnB actually is a much better choice financially wise -- but... IDK, something about it always seemed off to me. What if I do everything right and the host still complains about me, like "The guest didn't properly make the bed", or something else? Like what do guests do to stay on a hosts "good side", if you will? Just seems like too much headache to deal with. Also, while we're talking AirBnBs, am curious on what your thoughts on Vrbo are or if you've ever used them instead.

Nice video. We always book via super hosts and double and triple check all of the reviews.Even with the double checking we have stayed at a few duds. Luckily they were only for a few nights.

We had some of the worst Airbnb experiences in Turkiye during our 2-month trip there. We wondered if it was a practice in that country to not stock the place as described. We found places to not be very clean (grease and handprints on cupboards and walls, unusable oven it was so dirty, plus no knives, no hot water, no cooktop, and on it went). One place we stayed for a week and they gave us one roll of toilet paper. When we asked they brought us one more. Is that normal? We also noticed that many reviews were remarkably similar like someone was coaching them on what to say. I am now discerning how authentic the reviews are. I appreciate your advice on communicating with the host in advance and when there. For us, we tolerated far more if only staying a night or two. Perhaps we need to not tolerate so much. Thanks for the checklist!

Oh my goodness! Thank you!!!! As a European, we know you're American. We don't care, as long as you wear good manners. Really love your videos, but this one is the creme!!! I laughed about the safety part. You guys nailed it.

@chrisbible880 0 seconds ago hey, are you guys going to produce more videos of ACTUALLY showing where you are, or is the plan to do more talking into the camera (to save on editing work ???). Please advise. We love you guys, but don't really care to watch you talk into the camera.....

That's a good question to ask a host: When's the last time you've done a walk through of the place?

I work at a complex which consists of a cinema, restaurant and a bar and they share a bathroom. Costs 0.50 cents to use if you are not a customer of the complex and the money goes for buying the needed stuff to maintain it. Cleaning products, toilet paper and paper towels etc. Some places might give the rest to the person maintaining the bathrooms as an extra.

Where’s colonoscopy? Is that down-under? I hadn’t realized you went that far.

How do you determine if an area is safe? Where do you check?

I'm for ireland

Another excellent video!! My wife and I are talking about this more and more. She is actually getting pretty excited about the prospect of it. We are looking at starting four years from now when our youngest child is finished with college and off our payroll. 😳 For a while my wife wanted to just move somewhere like Italy since that is where her family is from, but she is becoming more interested in this for at least the first few years. Her requirements right now are that she wants to be able to flush her toilet paper, she needs AC because of her hot flashes and good cheap wine. She has also asked about having a base. Since I’m the planner I just need to figure that out. 😎 With your help that is much easier. Thank you!!

What criteria do you use to choose your travel destination?

1800 a month, lol. Never Use What's App after you are settled and satisfied

I read reviews from 2 years to the present.

How is the driving in Portugal as a tourist?

I have also stayed at many Air B&B's in the past. Most of my experiences were fine, but an 8 day stay in Barcelona was not. This place and the pictures barely matched up. It was a dark cave, the windows were actually blocked, the furniture was old , musty and uncomfortable. The kitchen was dirty and severely understocked. I always checked reviews and there was no cause for concern when I rented this place. I can not believe I was the only person to have had a problem with this property. As a female traveling alone, I did not want to create an issue over things that could not be easily resolved and create hard feelings. I just made the best of the situation, I have not stayed at an Air B&B since, I had heard, as you stated in in your video, Air B&B are not responsive when issues occur. Knowing this, Im not taking the chance anymore. I feel bad that responsible hosts are losing out, but Air B&B has got to step up, clear out their problem hosts and respond quickly to renters in trouble. Air B&B was a great idea, but fails in practice. My travel time is too valuable to risk it on Air B&B. Good luck. Enjoy for videos very much.

I LOVE this video!!! Great tips and learning to be less planned out and go more with the flow and I am much more like Carrie and my partner is so much like Brian and it is a nice balance (most of the time!!- he can make me laugh when I’m stressed)

Nothing else I would consider a big deal except the hot water situation that would have bothered me the most.

Iv stayed in Air BnB's when traveling with friends and there's been some hiccups, but not anything unmanageable. I will be traveling solo in the near future so naturally proceeded to search for an AirBnB. Booking one this time around was such a nightmare that I went to hotel instead. Much more expensive, but a lot more peace of mind and much less stress. I now live in community that is over run with air BnB's that sit vacant during the winter months meanwhile we have a crises of housing. Working fsmilies are stuck in hotels or end up moving to another city. Very unfortunate. Your check list for the renter is spot on, and completely necessary but daunting for a traveler. Great vid thanks.

Great choices, thank you! I'd like to recommend Graz, Austria. It is a beautiful, vibrant town with great surroundings and lots of variety within about 1 hour train or bus ride (excellent public transportation). World-class skiing and hiking to the North, gentle hills with vineyards to the South, hot springs and baths to the East, and lakes and forests all around.

Always communicate via airbnb , like that any airbnb help can read the conversations .

When we were staying at an Airbnb in Hawaii we were charged to replace old window blinds that were thread bare. We went to close them st night and the string broke. BEWARE!!! The same scenario in Pacific Grove, but this time we didn't touch them.

I like your honesty, keeping it real

I am from Alicante, I want to cry.

Sounds like you've got an abuser on your hands. They're awful. I'm glad you're making a video about it since these people need to be held accountable.

Where did you saw people smoking in a restaurant? I only saw it in Serbia (non EU member). In EU I don't think you can smoke in restaurants

Thank you so much! That was so very helpful and I will keep that in mind next time we use Airbnb. We stayed in an Airbnb in Oaxaca Mexico and the night before we left I was doing dishes when the dish rack fell over and broke several of their glasses. I notified the host immediately and left 200 pesos at check out. The host said it was okay and left us a 5 star review. Do you think that was appropriate response for us? I felt so bad

We’re planning on doing this as well in the next two years, but I struggle with being a super planner. I am a super planner. That’s my biggest struggle and my next biggest struggle is going to be not having a home to go back to that. I’m really struggling with butI have a year and a half to get used to the idea lol thanks for all your information. You’re a beacon to me.

Great analysis and very informative as always. I'm a solo traveler but haven't had problems with loneliness (yet). I go to Anglican churches everywhere to find English speakers. Talking after church leads to dinner and doing things together. As a Catholic, I also try to find masses in English in larger cities. As a college professor, I also visit with colleagues, which is invaluable in gaining local knowledge. I agree 100% with the difficulty of finding gyms! I run, stair step (often in bizarre locations, like by bridges, where they have stairs), and do yoga, but only lift at my home home base in my college town. Avoiding injury is a big deal! I like having "bases" - places where I know where everything is, how to get around, people I know, etc.I used to use Amsterdam, then Budapest as my "gateway" to Europe, but A'dam has become a zoo, and it's limiting in not knowing Hungarian (besides the obvious few phrases). I use Tokyo as the base in Asia - easy to get to, connected to everywhere, incredibly safe, and within the last decade CHEAP! For somewhere long-term, I like to know the language (except in Japan), so I'm currently in France trying to figure out where I want to stay - I love Lyon, and am currently in Clermont-Ferrand (which won't make the cut), then on to Tours, Nantes, and Rennes. I wouldn't want to live in Paris. One last point that you've probably covered in a video I haven't seen. In my experience, $75-100/night will get you a great place anywhere in the world on Airbnb, so that's what I usually budget for, with some variability.

What is a reputable website to find housesitting USA and international?

I stopped using air bnb as a solo female traveller…..there’s no real security if god forbid anything unpleasant /scary happened. Not travelling for the foreseeable future but that’s due to grandchildren!

The worst part is speaking with Airbnb and its a foreigner who hardly speaks English and can't really comprehend, and puts you on hold over and over.

Watching mainstream media news in the US always focuses on tragedy, crime and violence in order to keep you in a continued state of immobilizing fear and trepidation afraid to venture out. Stop watching! Don’t feed into their narrative. It’s true that as a whole, the US is a more dangerous country to live in than many, and so much more expensive to stay in which is why as a single guy with no children, I sold my house, car and motorcycle and all of my belongings and moved with only 3 suitcases containing everything left in the world that I owned and moved to the other side of the world to a country I’ve never been to before, but heavily researched beforehand… the Philippines! The next 3 years were amazing and I had no regrets. Nearly everyone speaks English and there are many, many western amenities and restaurants. A new girlfriend came into the picture right away. Why not join me in a tropical and super-affordable paradise here in the Philippines? 😎

Brilliant eye-opening video! As a fellow world traveler, I completely agree with ALL of your points. I finally have a comfortable mattress in my apartment that doesn’t make me feel like I’m sleeping on a wooden plank. Mosy mattresses are so hard. I also have 2 big, fluffy pillows, not just one pillow as thin as a towel, haha. Little things do make a difference!

I’m with you. I’ve slow-traveled southeast Asia (tiring after awhile) and now I’m staying put for 18 months so far in Cambodia. Much more relaxing staying put. You find a super-affordable apartment to rent, find stores and products you like. Becoming familiar with the things you like and want is always nice and you give all that up as soon as you move on to a new destination. It’s a lot of work, but fun… to a point.

Adjusting one’s attitude should be a metaphor for life.

I booked an air bnb for 3 nights in a small town in Hawaii. There were huge cockroaches in the sink, in the microwave, on the bedroom walls, in the floor in the bathroom...! I laid awake all night with the light on because they come out less with light on. At 530 am I packed up and left. I drove to the main town, got a nice hotel room for just a little more money than the air bnb was. I didn't even try to get my money back for the nights I didn't stay. I did not leave a review because.... nobody wants to insult a human unless they are a horribly mean person... and sure enough the reviews for the place all talked about how nice the owner was... Not a word about the place itself. I didn't stay in another air bnb for about 15 years after that. When I finally did- another bad experience... booked an entire month and the mattress was so flexible/soft you sank down into a hole...terrible for anyone's back and neck! I ended up buying 2 camping pads and sleeping on the floor! Kitchen was not stocked well so I had to buy some utensils, cup, drying rack... internet connection was horrible. They said they had cable TV but it was just that Roku type thing that takes forever to get to a new channel and nothing is live... very limited channels... I learned a lot and will stick to hotels again. I'm sorry to say - but I didn't leave a bad review for two reasons: the way air bnb is set up - potential future hosts can read your reviews and if you leave a negative review (even if said politely) - I suspect a lot of hosts wouldn't choose you for their place if they have a choice to take someone who never says anything negative (in case I ever decide to use air bnb again). and second - because I do find it hard to say anything negative when it involves a human... If it's a hotel- then it's usually a big corporation so you aren't going to hurt anyone's feelings. for this reason- I think hotels are a safer bet- you can trust the reviews.