Has anyone used Airbnb?

I used them to book a stay last year in Boston and was very happy with the spot. We are planning a trip this Sept and I have already used it to book a place in Paris and London - both under $75 a night and very central. The best thing I can tell you is to read the reviews left by others, and I also look at street view and see where it is on a map in relation to other things. I would be hesitant to stay with someone who have some less then positive reviews - you can also rent entire apts, as well as a room in an occupied home, they tell you if they have wi-fi, are non-smokers (or accept smokers if you are of that persuasion), may let you use laundry and cooking facilities, I had even seen one in Florence (too bad she was booked when we are going) who would lend people her bicycles to tour the town!.

Used them for the first time to book two places in London pre and post an RS 7 Day Tour of Istanbul. Both places and hosts were fantastic. Now only use airbnb when I travel and need a place to stay. A word of advice is to only consider properties where the owner has provided a photo and that have a number of reviews. Via email you contact the owner directly. I always as for an exact address so I can Google Map (satellite view) the location. Personally, if the owner wouldn't provide it that would be a red flag. Anyway by using Google I check out the neighborhood. What's nearby. Grocer, gas station, tube stop, bus stop, metro stop, park, busy street, etc. Ask specific questions. Do you have pets? Children? What's your line of work? Get to know your host so you can get a sense if the place is where you'll feel comfortable.

Hi Linda, We used AirBnB to book an apartment in Taormina, Sicily and were very happy with the Air BnB customer service and our apartment and host. Everything was as promised and we plan to use them again when we travel. Do your due diligence on checking reviews, photos, street views etc, so that you'll be staying in the area you want. Our landlord was very helpful answering our questions before we booked. Buon vacanza, Sherry