A treehouse in Ontario's wine country, a converted wine barrel in Switzerland, and a repurposed lifeguard tower in Miami — I've booked them all through Airbnb.
As a travel reporter, I've slept in accommodations throughout the US, Canada, and Europe. I typically opt for Airbnbs over hotels because I've found that they offer more unique experiences.
More often than not, I travel solo. I've spent roughly 200 hours on overnight trains in the US and Europe and seven nights on one of the world's largest cruise ships sailing the Caribbean Sea. I've traveled by rail to Vancouver, Niagara Falls, Montreal, and Quebec City. On these trips, I explored new cities and slept in unique accommodations — all by myself.
Now that I'm a seasoned solo traveler, I have several practices to ensure I feel as safe as possible when traveling alone, especially in other countries.
When staying in Airbnbs solo, I recommend booking for two people
When I make an Airbnb reservation for a solo stay, I simply change the number of guests from one to two. Then, in my message to the host, I say I may have a friend joining me for my trip.
This way, my host doesn't think I'm traveling by myself. Creating the illusion that I have someone else with me makes me feel more comfortable falling asleep at night in a stranger's place.
Booking for two sometimes comes with an additional fee, depending on the Airbnb. In these cases, I still think it's worth it to feel safer.
For example, when I traveled to Rome and booked two nights in a livable art-sculpture Airbnb, the price was $102 per night for one person and $145 per night for two people. In this case, a companion did end up joining me for the stay. But even if I'd been on my own, I would have been fine paying the additional fee to feel more secure about staying there alone.
Solo travel can be daunting, especially when you're booking accommodations with an individual rather than directly through a company like you would at a hotel.
Still, after all my unique Airbnb experiences, I think it's worth booking them even when I'm alone. And booking for two makes me feel a little safer.
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Joey Hadden is a travel reporter and photojournalist at Business Insider based in NYC. She covers transportation modes, alternative lifestyles, and luxury travel. Many of Joey's stories are visual features that give readers a front-row seat to her personal experiences at home and around the world.Joey graduated from St. Edward's University in May 2019 with a BA in Photocommunications. Since joining BI in 2019, Joey has traveled by train in seven different countries, from day trips to overnight rides as long as 30 hours. She's ridden on many different train lines, including Amtrak, Via Rail, and the iconic Orient Express of the 21st century, among others. During her travels, she's slept in countless accommodations — five-star hotels, unique tiny homes, and private train cabins, to name a few.When traveling in North America, Joey takes readers inside the continent's wealthiest enclaves where billionaires hide away, from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to Medina, Washington. She spends her free time singing and playing drums for the indie-rock band Blanket Approval. You can follow Joey on Instagram or send her an email at [email protected].Popular ArticlesI spent $1,000 to have a room to myself on a 30-hour Amtrak ride. It was the best experience I've had on an overnight train in the US.I booked basic economy flights with Delta and United. They felt like 2 completely different classes.I went on an adults-only cruise for the first time, and 8 things surprised meI spent 2 nights in a 2-story, 100-square-foot tiny home in Germany that was smaller than any I've seen in the USStep inside the richest city in Arizona, where wealthy Californians are flocking for private mountainside estates
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