One thing about using Air BnB in a variety of countries and regions is that there is an amazing variety of accommodations out there. Most of the time it is just a variation on normal. Then there are days like last night. THAT was different.
I had not used Air BnB until I traveled with Special Agent Nancy last year. The requirement for two bedrooms makes normal hotel room searches crazy expensive and difficult. When we were traveling we stayed in a lot of different places, but in my opinion, the best places were where we had full use of an apartment, or house. There were cheaper options, but the ones we chose tended to be at a decent price, comfortable and safe for the bikes. If you are flexible on where you stay, as in not near tourist places or towns or humans, the prices for what you get can be amazing.
Now that I am back to traveling alone, I find that I don't stray too far from the formula we had that worked for us. I look for apartments or at least rooms with bathrooms and independence. I prefer to make my own breakfast whenever I get up, rather than setting a time with a BnB host, and although I like talking to people, I don't want to have to do this when I am having breakfast and need to plan my day and get out on the road. Depending on where you are, this can work well or not. The one tricky thing is I prefer places that are walking distance to a pub or restaurant when possible. That is not always possible, but since I am extremely flexible on location, I can often find a place near a village. My search area is generally a 50 or 100 mile radius. Sometimes Air BnB availability dictates my route, so in a way my search radius can be hundreds of miles.
On the SAN portion of the trip, we stayed in fantastic modern apartments, and some that were not so much. Once we stayed in rooms with an Upper Crust British Couple, in Farm Country. The woman was an architect, who to me seemed more like an engineer. The man was, as he put it "Cambridge Educated in Philosophy, so he was highly educated but didn't know anything" He told me he had an internet business in Energy Healing I told him I was an engineer. He told me about something else, maybe space aliens or something. I told him I was a retired engineer. He told me, with glee how the stock market was going to crash. I told him I was an engineer. He told me a bunch of other things, but the only time he seemed happy was when he was speculating about some disaster falling upon mankind. I really liked his wife, she seemed nice. They had a parrot. This parrot really did not like me, which was good because if he did not like you he just stayed silent. He really liked SAN. I don't think the feeling was mutual. I really don't think whistling and the things the bird said was really the best way to win over an American woman. He was really lucky we found lamb at the grocery store, otherwise he might have ended up on the menu.
We also stayed in rooms in a place that smelled like Dude, Cat Piss, Sheep and Axe Body Spray. That was a place that during a late night search seemed really decent. Fireplace, country, comfortable, etc. When we got there, finally, as the directions sucked, it was a farm house. This does not mean it was bad. BUT, picture your college aged kid, who went to work on a farm castrating sheep, buying a house he could afford and then putting it out on Air BnB. I talked to him, he was a great kid, but.... well, if this place was $30 for the two of us, it would have been tolerable as a place to not be sleeping on muddy ground. But this place cost 4 times that. A little more than the awesome place the night before. It was the first place I have given a bad review to. He was surprised.
I don't mean any of this to make Air BnB sound bad. I have stayed at so many places, most of them reserved the night before or the same day while moving and having to make quick decisions. Even then, with all the places that I have stayed I only have a few stories out of them, most of the stories are funny, not bad. I have had far more weird and bad stories out of regular hotel rooms, or camp grounds. I have had so many fantastic stays that I can't even count them. When things go well, the stories are not interesting, so you won't hear about many of them.
In most of the places on this trip, they use these weird entry doors that seal completely. They are weird to lock until you are shown, but more importantly, they are trip hazards. They have sills that are 3 or 4 inches high. Combine these with unfamiliarity and bifocals and my toe nails will take months to heal. It doesn't help that these exterior doors are sometimes used indoors as well, especially with the odd additions people create for Air BnB. Speaking of ... whatever ... most of the world does not have as many lawyers as the USA. As such, scald guards on the sink/shower water are non existent, stairs that are almost vertical are not unusual, weird setups, steps, trip hazards, doors that are, without exaggeration , 4 feet high (I loved those) are all common. Also common is that almost every door, if locked, requires a key to unlock. This is bad enough if you control the apartment and can leave the key in the door, but some B&Bs don't leave the key in the door. If there were a fire, and you ran down the stairs to the front door without your key, well, you die.
Trip Hazard, my toe nails really hate these.
OH YEAH, LAST NIGHT
It's Saturday Night right now. Thursday Night I was trying to decide direction and location. North into Luxembourg, or south towards the French Coast. Or to Mars. I was a little undecided. I found a room in a house near Bastogne, Belgium. For you Hitchikers Guide fans, Belgium is not quite that bad, I can't comment on Cricket.. This location allowed me to see the parts of Luxembourg that I wanted to see, have a relaxed time in Bastogne, and walk to beer and food at night.
My initial inquiry was rejected as they don't rent to only one person. Seemed weird, but fine. I responded, with a bit more information, but had already decided to go elsewhere and skip Luxembourg. The host responded that I could stay there, but not to make a reservation on Air BnB and just to pay cash when I got there. Red Flags, but what the hell, you only live a few dozen times.
Belgium is more expensive than many parts of Europe. They tax or put fees on everything. You want to replace the windows in your house? Paperwork and either a 6% tax or a 28% tax depending on the age of the house. Or maybe the windows, I got confused. They seemed to have the Connecticut view of finances, if we are not making enough money in taxes, increase spending and tax those with money more, at least until they leave.
The inside of the place was nice, it was near at least 3 good restaurants and a famous Belgium Brewery. I met the wife briefly and she seemed nice enough. I went to the closest restaurant. I ordered a pint of beer that I thought was overpriced and found out it was 25CL, which is half a pint. Fortunately the wine was cheep.
Back at the BnB I watched a show on my 'puter with my headphones in until nearly midnight as my internal clock is still on UK time. I removed the headphone and tried to sleep. THEN things hit the fan. I heard some walking around upstairs, not an issue, but then there was STOMPING, and YELLING, and then FURNITURE hitting the floor and more yelling. I am pretty sure I heard a body hitting the floor. It turns out I did. I am thinking the guy got home drunk and was beating up his wife.
Things quieted down, and I tried to get back to sleep. Then I hear more stomping around, and more men's voices. I'm thinking, tomorrow I need to find a new place. I have not even paid yet, maybe I will just leave some cash and disappear.
THEN, at 3 am or so, I am woken to more stomping. Not like before but..... I am now a bit sensitive. I have luggage piled against the door just in case. Then I got on Air BnB and booked a room for the next two nights, screw this place.
I had told them I wanted breakfast at 8:30. My bike was packed at 7:30 and I had already left cash on the table. As I am heading towards the bike I meet the guy. He has blood across his nose, probably broken. FOUR newly broken teeth across the front top row, his face and body were swollen. He is a mess. I am thinking the wife was the one doing the beating. She looked strong enough to do it.
I was not really sure if I should just keep going out the door, but the guy just seemed likable. I stayed for breakfast.
Smoked Salmon on a fresh apple salad, yogurt, coffee, meats, cheeses and much more, and I am sure if I asked they would have cooked me their pet rabbit or one of the chickens.
This couple, and their young son were fantastic. Really great, intelligent and like-able people. Last night, about the time that I took my headphones out, a very large Bee had come into the house. The man is seriously allergic. He stomped on the bee, and the bee had issue with that. It flew up and stung the guy. The resulting reaction had him knock over a table as he fell, breaking 4 front teeth. The ambulance came later, and took him to the hospital. They pumped him up with meds and he got home, stumbling after 3 am.
Even after their ordeal they were very apologetic and we had a wonderful conversation.. They understood why I had decided to get another place, although I felt bad now, knowing what they went through. It was too late to cancel the next two nights.
THIS is what my next place had. A Jacuzzi, with disco lights. 
OK, the switch for the Disco lights at the Jacuzzi was hit by mistake. There were all kinds of Candles and relaxing whatevers in the Jacuzzi room, but damn the place got weird when you hit that switch. The rest of the place seemed normal enough, just a standard house that someone figured out a way to cram a roomy apartment into unused space. Very comfortable.