When it comes to seeing the world and finding new places to visit as a solo traveler, one of the things that many people will want to do is to get a greater understanding of the population in their destination and their lives and culture. One of the best ways to do this is to avoid the hotels and hostels where people work with visitors on a regular basis, and rather to stay at home with a local family or individual.

There are plenty of reasons why this is a good idea, ranging from the opportunity to try out your language skills through to the chance to share meals with the people you will be staying with. Here are a few ways you can incorporate a homestay experience into your trip.

 

Working For Bed And Board

This is one of the most common and well established ways of staying with families across the world, and this can be arranged either through a formal organization such as World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, or on a more informal basis. The type of contribution you will be asked to make in terms of the work will vary depending on where you travel, but for bed and board it will usually be around half a day's work. Depending on your passions and interests, there are some charities that can offer a similar arrangement, but as these are working without profit, in many cases you will be asked for a little more of your time to do volunteering work.

 

Couchsurfing

Visiting different countries can be an expensive business, and one of the most interesting ways of seeing these countries on a budget is to make friends at your destination through the couchsurfing website.

This is a site that allows people to make contact with those who would be willing to share a spare bed or a couch with you for a night or a couple of nights, and gives you a chance to meet several different people in your destination. Staying with people is a great way to find out more about the local way of life, and it is often traditional to offer your host a meal at a local restaurant, which will be an interesting experience itself too.

 

AirBnB

AirBnB website is primarily used for those wanting to rent an apartment, but one of the interesting aspects of this website for travelers is that it is also used to advertise rooms that you can rent within a family home. As it is an online facility, this will give you the chance to see pictures from inside the property before you visit, which will help to give you reassurance, while you can also interact with those who are renting the room to find if they are friendly and welcoming.

 

Renting A Room In A Family Home

While AirBnB is one possible way of finding a room, many people will look for a room once they arrive and have a hostel bed in their destination, and this will often be a good way to find a cheaper room than those that are found online. This will also give you more of a chance to have a look around to see if the house and the hosts are appropriate before committing to rent a room that you have only seen online.

 

House Or Room Swaps

If you are someone who is looking for a homestay option as a vacation rather than as a part of a long term trip, one good way is to look at a house swap or room swap that allows you to stay in someone else's home, while they stay at your property. This is certainly one option that is worth considering, but it is also worth carrying out your due diligence on the person or family you will be swapping your home with before you travel.