Price, sustainability, location, and awareness. Factors to take into account when deciding where to stay when travelling. The possibilities are many and varied, but which one best suits your needs?

The summer holidays are here. Undoubtedly, a good opportunity to carry out one of the hobbies that we miss the most when work forces us to stay at home: travelling. Far away, near, mountain, beach… the aim is to disconnect for a few days. This is probably where the most recurrent question comes into play and one of the main dichotomies when it comes to travelling: staying in a flat or in a hotel?

Hotel, flat, campsite, caravan… where to stay?

It is undeniable that platforms such as Airbnb or Booking offer very competitive prices that put the hotel sector at a clear disadvantage. They can do so precisely because they are websites where anyone can make one of their properties available to the public and, therefore, everyone sets the price.

In this type of accommodation you won’t find hotel services that make your experience more comfortable, but you will have a space set up to live in for a few days. So, you won’t have the option of having lunch delivered to your bed, but you can make it yourself and save money.

Campsites and caravans are cheaper forms of travel that have become very popular in the wake of the coronavirus and its restrictions. In fact, many families decided to rent a caravan and travel around the country, discovering new places closer to home. Knowing this information, campsite owners and caravan renters have made very competitive prices available to the public. However, it is better to book early, because last summer the caravan sites were sold out very quickly!

Travelling with a conscience

An environmental study conducted by Airbnb in 2016 already revealed that staying in flats, or as they call it ‘Home Sharing’, is more environmentally friendly than staying in hotels. To reach this conclusion, they found that 48% less water and 78% less energy were used compared to hotels. They also added that the owners instilled the notion of recycling in their guests and were thus able to maintain the sustainability of the space. But, as always, everything has its upsides and downsides.

The increase in supply in terms of tourist flats has generated a turistification and, consequently, unstoppable gentrification. In fact, Barcelona is one of the cities that has suffered the most from this effect: the expulsion of residents from their rented flats to transform them into tourist accommodation. Associations from different Barcelona neighbourhoods complained that there was less and less space to live in their own city. A fact derived from the ease of making a place available for tourists to spend their holidays, even if this means the expulsion of a resident.

From here, it is a matter of assessing preferences and making your days off a real experience. Each option offers different advantages and depends on the type of trip you want to make: relaxed, more autonomous, adventurous… it’s up to you. And once you have chosen your accommodation, all you have to do is enjoy your long-awaited holiday!

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