Airbnb.com: Travel Like a Human

A recent article in the New York Times caught our travel eye. One of our favorite sections, The Frugal Traveler, highlighted a travel site called Airbnb, which according to the article, "connects budget travelers with locals who are offering anything from an air mattress in their living room to a private bedroom in a luxury loft — for a fee." The site seems to be more functional, straight forward, and organized, than, say, CouchSurfing or Craigslist. Travelers can also rest easy knowing that the site thrives on user reviews and handles all transactions through a secure PayPal account for you (as the host or the traveler). The site, with the charming tagline, "Travel Like a Human," and called the "Ebay for space" by Time Magazine, boasts accommodations in 1,590 cities in 95 countries, from Vietnam to Tennessee. In its two years of operation, Airbnb seems to have garnered quite a following, especially in major cities. Listings include vacation rentals, private rooms, entire apartments, bed and breakfasts, boutique hotels, castles, treehouses, and the like. Hmm, an ancient British Castle looks pretty good. Any takers?