Brecon & Our First Airbnb Experience

Brecon & Our First Airbnb Experience

Our recent trip to Wales entailed a lot of firsts for me. It was my first trip to the Brecon Beacons, my first time walking in Wales and also my first Airbnb experience. It was a bit of a step into the unknown on all counts, but it couldn’t have turned out better.
As you all know we usually camp, however, with it being March and still a tad on the chilly side, we decided to opt for bricks and mortar. Originally we had planned to stay in a B&B, but with Finn going to bed early, I thought this option would leave us trapped in our room for a long time. I thought of glamping (still undecided on the merits of that one!), hiring a cottage and then I had a quick peruse of the Airbnb website. It offered so many options, from rooms to mansions and anything in between. In fact it’s become a bit of a hobby, checking out all the quirky places you can stay across the world! I had thought that hiring out an entire house would be too expensive, however there was plenty of choice for all budgets. I had decided that I wanted to be in or very near to Brecon. As lovely as it is being in the middle of nowhere, we do appreciate having amenities on the doorstep. I came across a lovely little cottage in Brecon that seemed very good value at around £60 a night, it’s also handy being able to cook for ourselves and generally just do as we please.

Brecon Cottage

Our cosy cottage provided a great base for our stay

Brecon Cottage

The spacious living room was great for relaxing after a day exploring the area

Brecon Cottage

With a toddler it’s a great bonus having a well equipped kitchen

Brecon cottage

It was a bit too chilly to make use of the terrace over looking the bowls club behind the cottage.

I was also very impressed with our first Airbnb experience. It was all very straightforward, although we never met our hosts, they were great at communicating with us and telling us everything we needed to know. I guess a lot depends on who’s property you stay in, we were very fortunate. Having said that, I will definitely use Airbnb in the future as it offers so many options and is a great way to explore different places.

The market town of Brecon is a great base for anyone visiting the Beacons. We could see Pen y Fan from our cottage and yet it was just a short walk into the town centre. There was a nice selection of shops, a supermarket, and, as you would expect, a good few outdoor shops.

We also visited the cathedral, which is well worth dropping by if you ever have the chance.

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Have you ever used Airbnb? I’d love to hear about your experiences, good or bad!

Packing my Suitcase

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Comments

  • emmajones1972 emmajones1972 April 08, at 07:04

    The Brecons are beautiful – we went last year. I keep looking at AirBNB but haven’t actually tried them yet. My step-sister always uses them and some of the places she has stayed look like film sets.

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker April 08, at 08:41

      I loved the Brecons, can’t wait to go back. There are some really amazing places on Airbnb! It’s so much fun looking at them all and planning trips 🙂

      Reply
  • MummyTravels MummyTravels April 10, at 20:31

    I’ve used AIRBNB a few times and found it fantastic especially with kids. For some reason, we haven’t tried it in the UK yet, only European cities so I should have a look for a fun break close to home.

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker April 10, at 20:56

      I love Airbnb, as you say it’s really good for trips with kids. I love browsing all the amazing places you can stay, will definitely
      have to take a look at some further afield 🙂

      Reply
  • Kate Kate April 11, at 08:24

    Very cool post! I’ve never heard of the Brecons, but they look wonderful!

    Kate xo http://www.PetiteAdventures.org/

    Reply
  • Tanja Tanja April 11, at 09:08

    I’ve never done it! lovely place though! #monday escapes

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker April 11, at 09:58

      It’s a great way to explore a new area. We shall definitely be doing it again ☺

      Reply
  • AJJenner AJJenner April 12, at 13:29

    Yay you came to Wales. It’s such a beautiful place to travel, especially walks in the hills. I do love airbnB and we’ve found it great for trips with the kids. x

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker April 12, at 13:35

      We loved Wales, can’t wait to go back! Such a beautiful country. Airbnb was great too, as you say perfect when travelling with kids.

      Reply
  • Clare Thomson Clare Thomson April 13, at 14:03

    I love the look of that cottage! We’ve done our first airbnb as a family this last year and managed three in just over two months. It’s a great website but I remain to be convinced that they offer a better experience than other companies. #MondayEscapes

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker April 13, at 17:24

      The cottage was gorgeous, we’ll definitely use airbnb again. But you’re right, there’s lots of options out there!

      Reply
  • That’s a lovely looking cottage and great value. We much prefer the flexibility that self-catering accommodation brings with small kids. I hadn’t realised there was a cathedral in Breacon. We’re hoping to visit in the summer so I’ll see if we can fit it into our trip #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  • mytravelmonkey mytravelmonkey April 20, at 13:44

    I use Airbnb a lot! It’s my go to choice now when I look for accommdation particularly in cities. I find having the freedom so much better when you have children. Your Brecon cottage looks lovely and cosy. I haven’t explored that part of Wales, so will make a note of this! Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  • travelingchristie travelingchristie April 28, at 21:53

    I just don’t get Airbnb at all, I have read so many posts but don’t get the concept at all, yet everyone is raving about it , the cottage looks so lovely x

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker April 29, at 06:32

      I think with things like that where there are lots of different owners listing their accommodation it is a bit of a risk. We were lucky with the cottage, and I will use Airbnb again, but I can see how it could be a bit of a gamble.

      Reply
  • Our Seaside Baby Our Seaside Baby October 20, at 17:04

    What a lovely little trip. I love the living room in the house, looks so cosy! I’ve rented a holiday cottage once similar to this and stayed in an airbnb rental in Dorset which was great. There was a group of us and it worked out so much cheaper than staying in a hotel. Glad you had a good experience. Thanks for joining in with #MyFavouriteTrip Polly x

    Reply
  • Emma - Hip2trek Emma - Hip2trek March 21, at 10:47

    I haven’t actually done it but have looked at some of the amazing airbnb properties and friends have had good experiences. I would love to visit that part of Wales too, it looks like you had a great trip.

    Reply

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