What's Happened Since "Hotels, Hostels, or Homestays?" (#77)

It was supposed to be simple this holiday season: preview and rerun classic episodes, starting with an April 2020 debate of hotels, hostels, and homestays (Airbnb, Couchsurfing). But then #nerdbirds Kai and Rachel started to wonder what's happened in these industries since the pandemic started, and poof! A new episode emerges instead, with news updates and even some travel coping tips for introverts.

Articles mentioned in the episode:

• California is banning short-term rentals. Why can't travelers get refunds? (New York Times)

• Pandemic hits 'couchsurfing' travel bug (Nikkei Times)

• Has the Coronavirus destroyed hostel culture? (Fodors)

Rachel still loves staying in RVs. This was an Airbnb rental in San Jose, California.

The episode that started this discussion aired on April 21, 2020 and featured David, Jeremy, Kai, and Rachel discussing the pros and cons of various types of accommodation: