I will now list a few sites that I have used to cope with my trip and allowed me to significantly reduce costs.
COUCHSURFING
The term indicates surfing on the sofa and allows a friend or a stranger to stay in the house for free with the opportunity to experience the city with a local.
This is the most popular platform and is a free service that allows a stranger to stay at home using
any space, from the floor to the sofa, or a room. In this case you will have the opportunity to be a guest of a local person. You can be the host or the guest and it is absolutely free to contact those who want to travel the world.
A little less known than the first, BEWELCOME is run by a non-profit organization and is an online exchange service. Registration is free of charge.
HOUSE SITTING
The owner entrusts his house to a person and provides that the person indicated remains in the house for free in exchange for custody and care of both the house and the owner’s pets when he is absent. There may also be other tasks that you will decide in agreement with the owner. Be careful to check all the details.
In this platform you will require to take care of an animal so if you are an animal lover, it is a viable alternative. They also have a section for long periods so, in this case, there is an annual fee to be paid.
It’s a new site less known than the first, but there’s a good amount of ads. Also in this case it provides for the care and care of the house and the animals of the owner.
The aim is to list houses that are “luxurious”, the same houses are also found in other sites but you can find hidden pearls.
EXCHANGE OF HOMES
This is a house exchange, for a specific time you will exchange house with someone from another country. You will live in their house and he or she will live in yours.
A good home exchange platform. They also have a point system where you will earn points by hosting.
It’s one of the world’s largest trading house sites, you’re going to trade the house for someone else from another country.
VOLUNTEERING
The volunteer performs a certain job in exchange for food and lodging. Below are some sites where you are looking for travelers like you who work for them. Some provide a membership fee, however you are free to consult the list of offers before paying the fee
It’s the most popular volunteer work platform in exchange for board and lodging, and it’s very much used by travelers. This site offers a wide range of activities: reception, kitchen, babysitting, English lessons, agriculture, gardening and more.
This site connects organic farms and small farms looking for voluntary help with those who want to experience rural life and learn various farming techniques. Wwoof is one of the first organizations related to volunteering and ecotourism in the world.
It’s a site that provides different job opportunities in the hostel to perform different tasks.
CHEAP HOSTELS
You can book yourself on some sites that provide cheap hostels
It’s the leading platform for booking hostels with several good solutions.
Another great platform for booking in the hostel. I recommend to use this site and
compare it with Hostelworld and see the best offer. Most of the time it turns out Hostelworld.
SHORT-TERM RENTALS
These sites are a viable alternative if you decide to stay in one place for a longer period, usually other sites like Couchsurfing or exchanges of homes do not offer.
It is an excellent site that can offer spaces ranging from private rooms, entire apartments, castles and villas but also tree houses, cottages and any other type of accommodation.
It’s a platform that connects people looking for accommodation with people who have space available to rent. It focuses on worldwide vacation rentals for short-term rentals. An alternative to hotels, it is synonymous with authenticity, convenience and flexibility.
HOMESTAY
Family stay is how local communities allow you to stay in their home and rent one of their free rooms. It’s a good opportunity to get in touch with local life in a foreign country.
The largest platform for family stays and is present in 140 countries.