Back in Stockholm

After a late morning breakfast, and an afternoon train trip from Copenhagen, I’m back in Stockholm again, and this time I’m staying on the southside, directly opposite Globen.

As I didn’t have access to a washing machine in either Reykjavik or Copenhagen, the first thing I did when I arrived was go straight to the bathroom where there was a washing machine and dryer ready to be used. Hand-washing your socks and jocks gets a little boring after a while. Without a moment’s hesitation I emptied everything from my luggage into the washing machine. I even stripped down to my birthday suit, so I could take full advantage of the washing machine to take care of everything.

Once again, I’ve booked the apartment through airbnb. Although at first a little apprehensive about using the service, I’ve become quite the evangelist for it. After all those years of travelling and staying in expensive and isolating hotels, or sharing a room with a bunch of backpackers in a sometimes grungy hostel, I’ve become a complete convert to the “cause” of people renting out their homes, often while they’re away.

So far I’ve stayed in accommodation I found through airbnb in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Reykjavik and Berlin. The price per night has never been more than $100, sometimes as little as $66, and when you consider I was sharing many of those apartments with Sue, you soon realise it’s probably as cheap as, or only slightly more than the cost of staying in a hostel.

On all but one occasion, I’ve stayed in places where I’ve had the entire apartment to myself. This has meant I’ve been able to do those simple things, like washing clothing, preparing meals and so on, which can often add to the inconvenience and expense of travel. Also, how boring it is to spend time in a laundromat when you could be out and about enjoying yourself, seeing new sights? On the one occasion where we did stay in someone’s apartment while they were there, it was a good experience, as the woman we stayed with was a lovely person who really made us feel at home.

It’s also interesting to reflect on the reasons why people have chosen to rent out their apartments like this. In the case of some I couldn’t be sure, but in the case of the bloke I’m renting from now, he’s currently in Canada, and said in his profile he likes the idea of renting out his apartment so visitors to Stockholm can enjoy low cost accommodation while here. Nice stuff.

So yeah, I would HIGHLY recommend airbnb for your next holiday.

I have no real plans for the week. Just hanging out, I guess.

P.S. I’m already thinking about my next big adventure, which will probably involve a visit to Africa. Fingers crossed it will all come off.