When traveling, there are always the traditional lodging options. But the classic examples of lodging options for travelers, hotels, motels, and inns are usually intended for people staying a few days in a certain place. And usually these establishments can charge a good amount because the people staying with them are either a) on vacation, and therefore willing to spend money to have everything they need, or b) on business, and paying with a corporate credit card. Of course, the hostel is the go to option for people wanting to save on money and willing to share space with strangers. This is, however, usually a younger, partying set, which can be very fun, but can get old after awhile. Finding an apartment is always an option, but that is usually best for longer stays. People who like to experience a location for a month or so often find themselves in a kind of no man’s land between hotel and apartment. A few options:
Homestays. Homestays are great if you want to learn a language. They are usually tied to some sort of language program, and they are more common in less developed places. You usually get some local cooking out of it, and there’s nothing like family life to teach you what a culture is all about. Of course the downside is you really have to respect the rules of the house, and it’s really not your space.
There are international houses to stay in, like the one I stayed at in Medellin. Rooms by the month for travelers. This is often where couchsurfing comes in as well. Couchsurfing.com is primarily for people looking to crash on somebodys couch for a night or two, but the couchsurfing message boards are invaluable for finding accomodations for longer periods of times, like rooms for rent by the month.
Finally, there are new business models being developed for the locationless traveler all the time. One is City Base Apartments
, a kind of search engine that finds furnished apartments to stay in by the night. It’s cheaper then hotels because of how much overhead costs a hotel has to operate. It’s a great idea, and they are growing in size. Although it’s not everywhere yet, you have to check out City Base if your looking for a place in the UK.