Enjoy 7 nights in Rhodes with flights and 4-star accommodation and meals all included for £299pp. Autumn dates mean you won’t have to worry about the summer crowds at Kolymbia Beach, which is only a 10-minute walk from the hotel.

Find this deal and more in the Travelzoo Top 20 →

In last week’s edition, we asked for an update about your feelings on short-term holiday lets. While much of the bad press surrounding AirBnB has made us wary of dodgy hosts and hidden cameras, there’s now an increasing focus on over-saturation and high prices.

Unsurprisingly, all this has led many of you to swiftly disembark the AirBnB train, while others are settled in for the long-haul. Here’s what you had to say:

Pros

It’s clear that the personal touch is something that really makes a difference to many of us when we’re considering properties on AirBnB, and there’s no doubt that a good host can offer something very special.

During my recent trip to Georgia (the country, not the state), we booked a lovely looking place in a central location. Good start. With a wine bar downstairs? Great start!

But it was when we were faced with a nightmare scenario getting there that the hosts really showed us how wonderful they were. We landed in Kutaisi at around 8 PM and boarded our 3.5-hour coach to Tbilisi. About an hour in, we were stuck in traffic that really wasn’t going anywhere.

Long story short, a landslide on the road meant we ended up spending the night on the coach by the side of the road, and didn’t arrive at our accommodation until the following day. The whole time, our hosts kept in touch via WhatsApp. They were super understanding, and even offered to make us food and prepare the wine for when we arrived.

You could say it was an adventurous start to the trip (I haven’t even got to the part about the twilight soviet commuter train full of raw meat), but we felt so much safer knowing someone was looking out for us. This really underlines what makes services like AirBnB so valuable:

On the other hand, reader Laura has a suggestion for anyone who’d like to move away from AirBnB, but isn’t ready to give up on the convenience of self-contained accommodation just yet:

If you’re not familiar with Vrbo yet, here’s the low-down. Unlike AirBnB, Vrbo only lists entire homes—so you shouldn’t find yourself accidentally booking a private room in shared accommodation, or unexpectedly turning up to a hostel.

The filtering options on the site could explain why some users find it more reliable. Right from the get-go, you can choose to only view properties with a rating of 4+ stars, or that are highly rated for cleanliness or location. And for anyone travelling with furry friends, you can also focus in on accommodation that allows pets!

When it comes to Vrbo offering better rates for the owner, that’s a little less clear-cut. Their fee system is different to AirBnB, offering hosts a one-off annual subscription that will likely work out in the host’s favour if they rent their place out all year.

However, those who just want to list their place occasionally will have to pay a commission and processing fee each time, which could easily amount to more than AirBnB’s basic “split fee”, where guests absorb the majority of the fees. Now, we don’t love the idea of guests absorbing the fees, but we can see how that might be more appealing to the occasional room-letter.

And then there are the cons

The restrictions on short-term rentals that are being put in place by many cities are aimed at curbing exactly these issues, which have been dubbed the “AirBnB Effect”.

As many hosts have jumped on the opportunity to offer their property as a short-term let, the availability of long-term rental accommodation has decreased, pushing prices up. Couple this with the cost-of-living crisis in many countries around the world right now, and it’s no wonder some people have a sour taste in their mouth when it comes to AirBnB.

Then there’s just some downright erratic behaviour that one reader reported. We’re not surprised that this would make you think twice about using them again:

And just like the last time we broached the subject, there’s one platform that has stolen many of your hearts—Booking.com.

We have to admit, you’re not alone, readers. Booking.com is a go-to for many of us at JFC as well. They’re really on to a winner with their Genius discounts and perks, which are offered to repeat customers. Nothing like the incentive of a free breakfast to make you come back again and again!

Thanks to everyone who dropped us a line to share their thoughts on the matter. We’re always keen to hear what is important to you in the world of travel.

If you have an idea or a request for an article, please share it with us!

Ask us for a travel tip! ✈️

Washington’s central hub is along Puget Sound, a massive bay that stretches from Olympia all the way to Canada. On the East Bank of the Sound, you’ll find Seattle.

The state’s largest city is known for rain, coffee, grunge, and, yes, the Seattle Freeze. Seattlites may come across a little cold, but that didn’t stop JFC writer Olivia (that’s me!) loving it so much that she’s made it her home-away-from-home.

If you only have one day in the Emerald City, your first stop is MoPOP. It’s packed with movie and music memorabilia, ranging from Luke Skywalker’s severed hand to Jimi Hendrix’s Woodstock Guitar. Oh, and it’s an absolute must on any Nirvana-fan pilgrimage.

Next, head down to Elliott Bay to visit Pike Place. This waterfront market is a Seattle icon, having operated since 1907. Here you can buy pretty much anything Washington can grow or make, from cheese to jewellery to paintings to fresh flowers.

While you’re in the city, make sure to pick up one or two (or six) cups of coffee. Skip the original Starbucks in Pike Place—it’s a total tourist trap with a crazy line at all hours. Instead, pick one of these:

• Fremont Coffee Company - Olivia’s personal fave! A shop constructed in an old house, located in the Fremont neighbourhood. Ask about the Earl Grey hot chocolate.
• Herkimer - A local chain with good lattes and a cosy atmosphere.
• Ghost Alley - A fun, spooky stop by Pike Place.

An hour south in Tacoma, you’ll find the Museum of Glass. Prepare to be blown away (pun intended) by the sheer variety of glasswork on display, including big name artists like Chihuly and Lalique. Even the building itself looks ready to blast off into space.

Olympia, the state’s capital, is known for its artsy vibes and abundance of nature reserves. Browse the vintage shops downtown (check out Dumpster Values for quirky fashion) and then try to spot some rare frogs at Nisqually Wildlife Refuge.

Speaking of nature, Washington has waaaaay too many breathtaking parks, mountains, forests, and coasts to list them all, so here are the highlights:

• Mount Rainier National Park - The state’s tallest mountain is actually called Tahoma in the local language. Despite being an active volcano, the inside is full of ice caves.
• Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest - 1.2 million acres including waterfalls, ski slopes, and possibly several bigfoots. Or should that be "bigfeet"?
• Olympic National Park - Most of the Olympic Peninsula is occupied by this stunner of a park. This covers some of Washington’s best coastlines, including the Twilight-famous and ever-gorgeous La Push.

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.

• Starting next year, visitors to the UK will have to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and pay £10 to enter. The system will be similar to those in place in the USA and Canada.
• It’s time for another “Top 20”, and this time it’s the world’s friendliest cities. That may sound handy for planning a trip where you can shmooze with locals, but there are a few somewhat questionable names on there…je vous regarde, Paris!
• Someone clearly got lost looking for the honey pot last weekend. Beachgoers in Destin, Florida, were in a fur-enzy as a black bear cub emerged from the water. Onlookers say he was having a paw-some time.
• Talk about holding a grudge. A flight attendant for Aerolínias Argentinas apparently made a bomb threat against a flight to Miami in order to stop her ex-boyfriend from flying with his new partner. Unsurprisingly, she has since been fired.
• And finally, the cat’s out of the bag. Or at least, this one was. Passengers on a Delta flight were recently tickled when an adventurous feline decided to wander through the cabin during take off.

  Thankfully, the one-eyed ginger explorer was purrfectly behaved and took a seat in the galley until he could be returned to his owner. We suspect they’ll be telling this tail for a while to come.