Sleep for free? In November you can, from the 17th to the 23rd, with Barter Week. In exchange for help from you whether it is a good or a service you can stay in one of the 800 B&Bs participating in the initiative.
An established tradition for 16 years now, the B&Bs featured on settimanadelbaratto.it will open their doors to travelers in exchange for goods or services.
A fair exchange, help with room and board. Quid pro quo
What is barter week
Barter week is really about an exchange between the traveler and the host institution. The B&B offers free lodging in exchange for a good or service from the host. But what are the facilities looking for?
Services:
- Plumbers.
- Painters.
- Gardeners, Olive Harvesting, Lumberjacks and Tree Pruning.
- Travel Bloggers.
- Interpreters, Translators, Native Speakers.
- Musicians.
- Experts, Lessons in.
- Handymen.
- Photographers and Videomakers.
- Journalists.
Assets:
- Antiques.
- Cars, bicycles.
- Furniture and Furnishings.
- Typical products, Oil, Wine and Beer.
- PCs, Tablets and various Hardware.
- Clothing.
- Groceries.
- Animal Accessories.
- Collectibles and Memorabilia.
The list is long we list a few but find the main goods and services on the site. Each B&B participating in Barter Week is featured on settimanadelbaratto.it with photos, descriptions, location on the map, reviews and features. Also among the facilities’ information is a wish sheet, consisting of the goods and/or services the B&B will accept that week.
Participating B&Bs may also not have a specific list, but be open to barter proposals of any kind. Find participating B&Bs and propose what you are offering. The facility may or may not accept or find an arrangement that suits both parties.
How to participate
2 are the options for participating in Barter Week:
- As we report from the website: If you already have a location in mind that you would like to visit, you can enter it directly into the site ‘s search bar or explore the menu of regions to get inspired. Once you have found the perfect property, use the contact form on the B&B page to propose your barter if the property does not already have preferences for goods and/or services. After submitting your proposal, all you have to do is wait for an email response or, if you want, you can speed things up by calling the manager directly (find phone numbers on the facility’s page).
- Another option is to consult the wish list of participating managers. Here you will find a number of goods or services that might be exactly what you can offer. If a B&B wish coincides with what you can give and you like the facility, do not hesitate to contact the manager and offer yourself as a guest in exchange for the requested good or service. Again, you can wait for an email response or take the initiative by calling the facility directly.
What better opportunity than Barter Week to discover a new way to travel that is inexpensive and beneficial to all. Remember Nov. 17-23.