How to Book Your First Vacation on Airbnb

If you've being eyeing up some locations on Airbnb for your next getaway, here's how to book your first vacation on the platform.

Airbnb is one of the world's best-known platforms for finding a place to stay for your vacation. You can find several kinds of accommodation, ranging from single rooms to full apartments; it's a great way to save money, have more of an authentic experience abroad, or both.

While Airbnb is very user-friendly, you might struggle with booking your first holiday because of how many tools are available. If you're planning your next getaway, you're in the right place; we'll break everything down in this article.

Complete Your Airbnb Profile First

Before booking your first Airbnb vacation, you should ensure your profile shows that you're a real person. We recommend verifying your phone number and submitting a form of photographic identification, such as your driving license or passport.

Once your account is verified, you can start customizing your profile. Click on your profile picture in the top right and go to Account > Go to Profile.

On the next page, select Edit profile. You can add an author description, the languages you speak, where you live, and your occupation; once hosts have reviewed your stay in their accommodation, you can also see these under the starred section.

You should also consider adding a photo of yourself, so your hosts know what you look like. Click on Update photo in the left-hand column near the top and select the file you'd like to upload.

How to Book Accommodation on Airbnb

Once your profile's looking good, you're ready to start booking your dream vacation. If you already know where you're going, go to the homepage and click on the search bar. Enter your destination, dates, and number of guests before selecting the magnifying glass icon. For this example, let's head to Switzerland.

As you can see from the screenshot above, Airbnb also lets you search by region if you're a little more flexible.

If you don't yet know the exact dates you want to travel, but you've got a rough idea of when you'd like to visit, you can choose the +1 days and so on under the Check in tab.

Once you've selected the magnifying glass icon, you can scroll through your options. If you see a rental that looks interesting to you, you can check out more photos by clicking on it. On that page, you can also read reviews from other people who have stayed there. Moreover, you'll see an overview of any fees you need to pay—such as a service charge.

As part of Airbnb's extensive 2022 updates, the company introduced a new Split Stays feature if you're traveling for longer periods. You can stay in more than one place in the same area, and you'll notice if you have the option by the connected black lines on the map.

How to Filter Your Airbnb Rental Options

When you first search for accommodation on Airbnb, all the available rentals for your chosen dates—regardless of your price range—will appear on the page. You'll often find several listings that are irrelevant to you, and filtering these out will help you streamline your decision.

You have multiple options for filtering out unwanted Airbnb listings. The Filters tab in the top right-hand corner is how most people do so; you can alter your price range here, along with the amenities you want and booking options—plus various other features.

Once you've chosen your parameters, select the black Show [number] stays button in the bottom right.

You can also filter your Airbnb rental choices via the map. If you know the exact district you want to stay in, you can zoom in and out on the map in your search results. On top of that, you can drag your cursor to different locations.

As you can see from the top of the above page, you can also filter your search results based on the type of home you want.

How to Choose a More Unique Rental

If you're feeling a little spontaneous, you'll find it satisfying to hear that Airbnb extended its categorization tools in 2022. On the homepage, you can choose from several quirky accommodation styles.

When you click on any of the icons at the top, you'll see a list of rentals that fit that specific category. You can sift through to find dates that appeal to you, and the Filters tab will let you fine-tune your price range.

Completing Your Airbnb Booking

Once you've chosen the accommodation you want, completing the booking is the same in most instances. First, you'll need to select Reserve; note that you won't pay at this particular stage, and your host might need to confirm the booking first.

On the next page, you might receive the option to pay in installments. If it's easier for you, however, you can choose to complete the payment in one go. Select whichever fits your needs best.

You can then scroll to the bottom and select your payment method before clicking on Confirm and Pay. On the following screen, you can leave a message to your host letting them know your check-in times and any other useful information.

How to Book Experiences on Airbnb

Booking accommodation is only one part of your vacation; you'll probably want to have a couple of plans ready for when you land. If you're looking to participate in something unique, you can use Airbnb Experiences to find something that interests you.

Airbnb Experiences lets you search for tours, photoshoots, cooking classes, and more. Booking one is straightforward; you'll need to go to the homepage and click on the search bar. When you're there, hit the Experiences tab.

Like when you looked for accommodation, enter the city you're visiting and the dates you'll be there—along with how many guests will attend. Then, click on the Search button.

We didn't find any experiences for the Swiss city we originally searched for, so we'll show you an example of how to book an Airbnb experience in Paris instead. Once your results have loaded, you can break them down based on language, experience type, price, and so on.

When you've found an experience that interests you, click on it and scroll down to select a day. Press Choose on whichever fits your schedule best.

On the next page, you can review all the necessary terms and conditions. You'll also find the cancelation policy if you later want to change your mind. If everything looks good to you, scroll to the bottom and select Confirm and Pay.

Airbnb Is an Excellent Way to Have a More Authentic Experience Abroad

Booking your first vacation on Airbnb might feel daunting, but you'll quickly get into the swing of things. Using the platform allows you to sample life like a local in an authentic neighborhood, along with booking exciting experiences you'll never forget—all from one interface.

This guide has given you all the tools you need to book your next big adventure, so what are you waiting for?