Let’s talk about finding an apartment abroad. The truth is, traveling via hostel, hotel or B&B works if you’re planning a brief tour or intimate rendezvous in a foreign city but when it comes to living and working abroad, an apartment is definitely where it’s at.
I believe the single most important aspect of moving abroad, be it as an expat, volunteer or in study abroad program is your location. The neighborhood you live in will often dictate your experience and the people you live with will open most doors for you.
When I moved to Buenos Aires to work and travel I found a great apartment with two incredible locals who introduced me around town, helped me get adjusted with Argentine customs and allowed me to travel deeper faster than if I would have stayed in a hostel.
That is unless you’re trying to avoid meeting other people. In that case you should look at alternative long-term travel accommodations like and renting and RV or Cottage. For example, if you’re heading to Europe, an amazing getaway would be renting a cottage in Whales or Scotland. Highland cottages would be the perfect getaway.
Bueno, enough of the fluff, let me explain the 3 steps I go through to finding an apartment abroad:
1. Question Connections: This may seem obvious but very few people leverage the greatest connector of our generation, social media. You may not know many travelers directly or have a travel blog, but that should not stop you from putting the information out across Facebook, twitter, Couchsurfing and other networks to start connecting the dots to reach your goal. Let’s say you were trying to find information about Edinburgh cottages, the first thing I would do is connect with Couchsurfing Scotland, start following expats living in Paris and join groups of foreigners working and traveling in France.
2. Popular Apartment Sites: One of the first places I check is Craigslist, no matter where I go. Depending on the location, there is usually a good amount of apartment rental information and most of the listing are geared towards English speakers. The only problem I found was that in some cities in South America the listing are limited to luxury rentals (Lima and Medellin for example). However, there are sites focused on global apartment rentals such as online apartment website Wimdu and you can also research local apartment rental companies who often have the most up-to-date local listings. The only problem with dealing locally in some cities is the lack of security and reliability verses other popular apartment rental sites. Also, local organizations may not have all different listings like a global organization may because they are competing directly with other spaces. Let’s say you want to book your holiday rental in Madrid it might be better to visit an international site who collects apartments, condos or cottage options from a variety of local organizations.
3. On-the-Ground Research: Whenever I arrive in a new city I spend the first 3 days traveling around the city to find the neighborhood that fits my desires best. I definitely take advice to heart but nothing beats seeing a place with your own eyes. I would highly recommend doing this third phase of the process because it will make everything that much better in the long run. I actually just gave a detailed account of how I found my apartment in Medellin, Colombia by utilizing local grocery stores and door-to-door investigating to find the perfect place. Check out the full article at the South American Tourist.
Finally, I leave you with advice that applies just as much to apartment hunting as it does to life. The more you prepare the easier it gets, take all road bumps as building blocks and be sure to enjoy the journey. You have already accomplished the hardest part about moving abroad and this is deciding to move abroad now go find a private apartment in Paris and Travel Deeper.
I really liked your article! and especially the things you discussed about how to rent apartment for the travelers who are looking for stays for a long time at their desired location.
I do agree that travelers who are looking for a long-time rental should first travel on foot to see which neighborhood should one stay in. Reading your tips reminds me of my sister, who is planning to study abroad in the future. With that being said, I will use your tips to scope out apartment listings online so that she can study properly.
Gareth, I love your first tip about utilizing social media to help find apartments to rent long-term. My brother-in-law is hoping to study abroad and will want to find a good place to live in. Looking online to see things like neighborhoods and feedback might help him find a great place.