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Our First Airbnb Stays: A Wonderful Week in Dublin and LondonĀ 

4/11/2014

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Picture
By John Roberts

We stayed at Airbnb residences for the first time during our trips last month to Dublin and London. I had always kept Airbnb in mind as way to travel to help keep costs down. Using the private rental system will especially come in handy when we are less gainfully employed, meaning when we retire or simply drop everything to further satisfy our travel cravings (that day is fast approaching, I sense).

Being that we were making last-minute arrangements for our trip to Europe last month, it seemed wise to consider an alternative to the high-priced hotels in those two busy cities. So we popped over to Airbnb.com to check out what was available.

Our experience with our two accommodations was mostly positive for our first Airbnb stays.

The Breakdown
We stayed in a bedroom of an apartment owned by two nice fellas in Dublin. They allowed us full access to the kitchen and living room, if needed, and were very friendly people, who were willing to give us all the details about what was happening in the city that weekend and how to get around. It was great to essentially have our own personal concierges at hand.

The price was about $100 a night over the St. Patrick's Festival weekend, a nice discount from some of the name-brand hotels in the region.

In London, we had a flat in Soho all to ourselves for about $200 a night. This was not a significant discount, if any, compared with other places nearby. But we had a full kitchen, laundry, and more space than at a hotel, plus we were integrated right within a bustling neighborhood full of bars, restaurants and theaters as if we were true residents of London. I did shopping at the local Tesco for groceries for the week, which saved us a nice chunk, too.

The best part of using Airbnb was that communication and assistance was excellent from the owners at both locations. The Airbnb website has a thorough review and rating system that helps you select your residence and offers insight into just the type of experience to expect. This feedback is invaluable in guiding your choice of where to stay. The owners also can review their guests, meaning you should be considerate of a place where you are staying if you want to remain eligible to be invited into other homes that participate in the service. It provides an efficient, transparent and democratic feedback loop.

Considerations
Some people might not like sharing space. We had no problem with it for a short stay, but on a longer stay in Dublin, we probably would have preferred a little "private time" for our extracurricular activities.

You can select places that give you full privacy or choose spots with shared spaces. Prices will vary, and it's up to you how you want to travel. Some of you are more social than others, of course.

There are a wide range of properties available in the service. In exotic locations, you'll find pools and beaches. Or, you can plop in a room for the night on a futon or air mattress. Some offer meals with the hosts or simple continental breakfasts.

Now, that we've tried it, we probably will be scoping out some more Airbnb locations for our travels, especially when the price and amenities make an attractive combination. 


Thanks for reading. Hope this review helps in your happy travels.

JR
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Observing the Hustle and Bustle of a Busy London Tube Station

3/26/2014

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Picture
By John Roberts

On a recent Thursday, I found myself relaxing and leaning on a column smack dab in the middle of the action at Waterloo train station, flipping through a London Evening Standard while awaiting Colleen's arrival, on her return trip on her National Rail from Southampton, England, after her day at work. I glanced up from my paper and noted the rush of humanity flowing through the concourses at the busy London public-transportation facility situated just away from the Thames River on its south side.

It struck me about how every life follows a unique path. A mix of preparation and heavy dose of fortune in my 47 years of life had placed me in a spot to catch a glimpse of people carrying on with their daily routines in a leading world city center. Hectic as it was, it was exciting to witness. That orchestra of human movement represents the grind of people carrying on in their bids to thrive, pursue their dreams -- and for some, simply to survive, I imagine. Observing these moments in life as a traveler always provokes such thoughts for me.

London, like New York, Mumbai, Buenos Aires, Beijing or other big cities is truly a melting pot and serves as a "land of opportunity." The city is filled with immigrants from all over the planet. I heard more languages than I can remember as I made my way around on foot, by train, subway and cabs. It was all very enjoyable.

During my week in London, I wore out a pair of shoes sightseeing, snapping pics of famous statues, landmarks, structures and buildings. But the buzz of the streets during the days and in the pubs and restaurants during the nights might have left the most lasting impression with me about how diverse London is. We ate in several restaurants in our home base of Soho during the week. The service could be sketchy and the menus almost unreadable because English was not the first language for many proprietors, but the eateries, stacked side by side for streets on end, were invariably busy. It seems that you simply have to come to London, open your doors with decent food offerings and the business flows. 

Colleen was busy all week with work and a cruise show, but we had a few evenings together to check out a couple wonderful theater productions: "Blithe Spirit," starring Angela Lansbury, at the Gielgud Theatre, and "Once," a Dublin-set musical based on a hit 2006 movie, at the Phoenix Theatre.

We had been to London last year for a too-quick trip that limited our ability to explore the city. This time, we really got a great feel, while still just scratching the surface.

Check out our slide show below to see what we were up to. Meanwhile, we're happy to get back to the States after a hectic two weeks of travel. But I'm sure we'll be just as eager to head off on another adventure before too long.

Cheers and happy travels.

JR

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