Accommodation can be expensive but who needs cash when you can exchange goods and services for free stays in bed & breakfasts worldwide? That’s the premise of Barter Week, where travellers can stay in B&Bs without putting their hands in their pockets, if they’re skilled in manual, teaching or creative tasks. They can also stay for free if they arrive with something from home for their bed-and-breakfast hosts.
BnB Varen, Varen, Switzerland. Image by Barter Week
So far, around 450 B&Bs in over 60 countries on every continent have signed up for the scheme, which takes place during the third week in November. It’s the international spin-off of Italy’s “Settimana del Baratto,” the annual event promoted by www.bed-and-breakfast.it, which is successfully in its tenth edition.
How it works is that a site dedicated to the event contains listings of the B&Bs participating in the barter scheme, and it is organised by country. Each entry contains a host wish-list that outlines what is being requested in exchange for the free hospitality. Once you select the B&B you are interested in and you’re able to meet any of the requests posted, you simply contact the hosts and start bargaining.
La maison Blanche aux Volets Bleus, Crédin, France. Image by Barter Week
If there is no wish list, the traveller is free to offer a barter of their own, for instance tango lessons, language lessons or a collector’s item of some sort – the only limit is your imagination. B&B owners who want to sign up to Barter Week can simply add their name to the site, with a presentation, photos and descriptions of the barter on offer.
1720 Quinta da Cancela, Guimaraes, Portugal. Image by Barter Week
Barter Week runs from 19 to 25 November and you can check out the barter opportunities here.
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