Telecharger.com has selected the best Android and iOS mobile apps to help you find seasonal accommodation.
Whether it’s renting a villa for a vacation with friends or a studio for a long weekend solo, finding accommodation that meets specific criteria can sometimes be difficult. However, there are many free platforms capable of meeting the most specific requirements and the tightest budgets. Telecharger.com has selected the best mobile apps to help you find the perfect vacation rental.
Rent an apartment or a house
This is the most obvious solution for medium or long term stays in the same place. Renting a temporary pied-Ã -terre has the advantage of feeling at home without suffering the drawbacks of a second home all year round.
PAP Vacances bypasses the traditional rental agencies, putting owners and vacationers in direct contact. The thousands of advertisements listed meet a diversified demand and promise everyone to find what they are looking for. You can find apartments, houses, cottages, campsites, and tourist residences all over France.
The filtered search refines the results according to budget, calendar and area criteria. In case of lack of inspiration, thematic selections group together possible destinations. It’s up to you to set the tone for your vacation.
- Download PAP Holidays for Android (Free)
- Download PAP Holidays for iPhone (Free)
To avoid the potential worries of renting between individuals, some prefer to turn to specialized agencies. HomeToGo aggregates announcements from dozens of platforms such as Abritel or Booking. The system compresses search times while ensuring a complete mix of housing offers available anywhere in the world.
- Download HomeToGo for Android (Free)
- Download HomeToGo for iPhone (Free)
To reserve a hotel room
On weekends or on a road trip, booking overnight seems much more practical. Booking lists thousands of flexible establishments, hotels, motels or guest houses. Searching by criteria roughs the list of results that meet budget or location requirements.
In addition to its efficient reservation system, Booking has some significant advantages. On the one hand, it is almost always possible to place an option without making a down payment. Cancellation is often free, which allows you to book well in advance without worrying about unforeseen events. On the other hand, the application facilitates the organization of multi-destination trips by grouping all the drop-off points on a timeline. Where will we be in tomorrow already?
- Download Booking for Android (Free)
- Download Booking for iPhone (Free)
Specialized in booking hostel beds, Hostelworld draws its strength from a strong community of backpackers. There are good low-cost accommodation plans and many details on the establishments consulted. Reviews left by backpackers around the world reinforce choices that are not always easy to make, offering a rather realistic glimpse of what to expect once there.
- Download Hostelworld for Android (Free)
- Download Hostelworld for iPhone (Free)
Sleep Homestays
Sleeping with locals is the perfect compromise between long-term accommodation and a hotel room. We enjoy home-like comfort and flexibility specific to professional establishments.
We no longer present Airbnb, a platform for temporary rentals between individuals. Present all over the world, the service lists tens of thousands of accommodations available per night or per week. Few surprises concerning the prices indexed on the standard of living of the cities and countries visited.
Airbnb is built on a community of invested guests and travelers whose verified reviews certify the quality of the accommodations and the seriousness of the registered members. Payments are made directly via the app which also manages subscriptions to additional services such as cleaning or the rental of an additional parking space.
- Download Airbnb for Android (Free)
- Download Airbnb for iPhone (Free)
During the holidays, some would gladly swap a good bed for a sleeping bag and a tent. Gamping lists all private gardens ready to receive holidaymakers for one or more nights, in France and abroad. Depending on the size of the land, you can plant your Canadian or park your motorhome there before getting to know other campers.
- Download Gamping for Android (Free)
Swap your house
The collaborative economy has given birth to many concepts, including NightSwapping. The service highlights its principle of virtual kitty to be exchanged for one or more nights in one of the accommodations available on the site. To fill this pot, all you have to do is become a host yourself. The money earned is fully credited to the user’s account. The objective is to maintain a solid dynamic of reciprocity since it becomes possible to find free accommodation provided that you have previously accommodated other travelers.
NightSwapping does not penalize hosts who are not very active, however, and allows them to supplement their pot with real currencies. Frequent travelers are also rewarded for their loyalty and virtually get back 10% of the amount of their reservation at the end of the stay.
- Download NightSwapping for Android (Free)
- Download NightSwapping for iPhone (Free)
Another solution based on reciprocity: GuestToGuest. Hosting travelers earns points that are exchanged for homestays around the world. In the case of a mutual exchange of houses, the users agree on the equal value or not of their homes. In all cases, guests take out overnight or yearly insurance that protects both parties against unforeseen events and material damage.
- Download GuestToGuest for Android (Free)
- Download GuestToGuest for iPhone (Free)