From Airstream caravans and Poké Ball-shaped hotels to Victorian water towers and cosy caves, there are plenty of alternatives to the bog standard bed and breakfast these days.
And if you’re looking for unconventional options in Europe, you should be heading to France as it just topped a new ranking of the countries with the most unusual stays around the world.
Produced by Holafly, the ranking looked at Airbnb listings around the world across eight property types: Caves, castles, treehouses, houseboats, windmills, lighthouses, earth homes, and domes.
The number of each was added up by destination, and with a whopping 2,947 listings, the world’s most-visited country came out on top.
France leads the rankings in several stay categories, too, with more than 1,000 castles, 400 houseboats, and 30 windmills you can book.
Where else to go in Europe for an unusual stay
Third place in the overall ranking went to Italy, thanks to its Tuscan castles, the trulli (aka cone-roofed stone huts) of Puglia, and cave dwellings in Matera.
Next up in Europe is the UK, which has 696 listings and places sixth overall. Here, you’ll find nearly 250 castles, almost 150 domes and more than 100 houseboats, alongside 23 lighthouses and 12 windmills.
The last European destination to make the cut was Greece, in ninth overall. Unsurprisingly, the country won for the number of cave stays, with 279, and it was also in second place for windmill stays, with 27.
The top 10 countries for unusual stays
- France (2,947 listings)
- US (2,533 listings)
- Italy (1,050 listings)
- Brazil (873 listings)
- Colombia (762 listings)
- UK (696 listings)
- Mexico (675 listings)
- India (604 listings)
- Greece (599 listings)
- Chile (548 listings)