Airbnbs are our preferred accommodations on the road as full-time travelers, specifically locations that allow us to have the entire place to ourselves versus only a room in someone’s home. We like Airbnbs for a variety of reasons, but mostly because we can spread out with a kitchen table, a couch, a small kitchen, and a washing machine. These items allow us to live more conventionally than we could in a hotel. Because we don’t have a big budget, a suite is an impractical expense for us, and even those don’t always include things like salt and pepper, oil, etc.

*Easy homemade spaghetti and meat sauce and freshly grated cheese*

We bring along an Apple TV, a streaming box that allows us to connect to our Netflix, Hulu, and other accounts because there are days you just want to decompress and have a lazy day. In our regular lives, we had downtime, and in many ways our lives are even more hectic now, so a brief respite from work and planning is a necessity.

It may be hard to believe, but eating out every day can be exhausting as well. Where to go or what we’re in the mood to eat is one or more additional decision we have to make on top of a myriad of other decisions, so cooking is surprisingly a welcome break.

What we pack for an Airbnb kitchen

Apron. When you have a finite amount of clothes, grease splatters are no fun. I pack mine in a plastic bag and clean it regularly, but especially before we travel to our next destination.

Digital Food scale. It’s somewhat of an unconventional item, but since most of our Airbnbs don’t have measuring spoons or measuring cups, it’s a convenient substitute. I can do an internet search for how many grams in a tablespoon or grams in three cups and know that my recipe is going to turn out great.

Reusable storage bags for leftovers. These have been indispensable to us. Rarely has an Airbnb had a vessel for storing leftover food. In theory you can refrigerate your leftovers in the pan you cooked them in if you’re really in a pinch, but that means you may not be able to cook anything else until the leftovers are gone. And what if you have a meal with side dishes? These have been perfect for to store open cellophane bags of spices from a farmers market, for preserving half of a cut lemon, for soups, sauces, stir fries, you name it.

Bag clips. We sometimes use our storage bags for opened bags of rice or pasta, and occasionally potato chips, but it’s more convenient to have a few bag clips that we can keep those foods fresh and not have to worry about any pests getting into them.

Reusable shopping bags. We carry two reusable shopping bags. They are lightweight, carry a heavy load, and are perfect for the market or grocery story. We also use them for anything we might want to carry that won’t fit in a backpack or purse when we are settled somewhere. They’re also washable and we like that they are more sustainable than disposable bags you have to pay for at the store.

Microfiber dish towel. There have been a few Airbnbs that do not provide dish towels, so we like to bring one of our own so we don’t have to use paper towels or buy one somewhere on the road. We like how quickly these dry, that they have a hook for hanging, and how little space it takes up in our suitcase. We like that ours is a busy design that stands out so we don’t accidentally leave it behind.

*Simple but delicious chicken, fresh tomatoes and pasta in Naples, Italy*

Vegetable peeler. We have stayed in countries where you are buying potatoes with dirt still on them and occasionally very thick cucumber skins or no access to a scrubber for carrots. A vegetable peeler has never been an issue for us when we go through security, and it gives us options since many Airbnbs don’t include those in their kitchen supplies.

Boullion cubes. These are so versatile because you can use them as broth to drink or added into stir fries and vegetables and meats to add an oomph of flavor, especially when our Airbnbs don’t have a lot of stocked spices.

Red chili flakes. Perhaps unconventional, but most Airbnbs will stock salt and pepper, but they rarely have anything to give a dish some heat. After buying and rebuying packets in multiple cities, I now bring them with me.

What we no longer carry, but recommend if you have room

We also used to bring a cheese grater to shred cheese, but we got rid of it. We loved it and it’s a nice add-on if you have room, but we have found that for each thing we add to our suitcases, we need to remove one item, and for us, that was our cheese grater. But it’s a great accessory, especially when you’re traveling to Italy or in other places with delicious hard cheeses that you want to sprinkle on your food.

There’s nothing worse than buying a bottle of wine and not having a corkscrew. Problem is that it’s very easy to leave these behind, which is what we did. This little guy served us well, but you need to make a habit of putting it back in your kit after every use or build some routine for yourself so you pack it up with you before leaving.

Eat seasonally using local ingredients

Unlike the United States, most countries eat only locally grown ingredients according to the season. We try to infuse our food with regional spices and fresh vegetables. The butcher counter often has seasoned but uncooked meats that are easy to cook if you can’t find familiar looking proteins. I prefer to make food from scratch, but we’ve purchased gyro meat and shish kebabs that made meal prep a snap.

Shopping essentials when we arrive

We typically stay in areas where there is a grocery store or market nearby because we only shop for a few days at a time. After assessing what’s in the Airbnb pantry, here’s what’s on our list when we shop for the first morning after we arrive. We’ll add extra virgin olive oil, pepper, salt, a small bottle of vinegar if these items aren’t already stocked. We like to take a walk through a nearby outdoor market whenever possible and see what the local ingredients are and add them and some local spices as well.

*Quick stirfry shrimp, bell peppers and onion in Broughty Ferry, Scotland*

Butter
Eggs
Carrots
Cherry tomatoes (if they’re in season)
Cucumber
Onions
Lemons
Garlic
Bouillon cubes
Bananas
Berries
Box of salt for pasta if there isn’t one in the Airbnb
Pasta (usually two different shapes or one each of pasta and rice)
Canned beans (white beans are easy to find and go with many meals)
Some type(s) of meat—chicken and ground beef are super versatile
We may or may not buy cold cuts and cheese and bread, depending on our location and what we’ve been eating recently. We tend to avoid bread in most situations, except for France!

To save money, calories, and time cooking, we tend to skip either lunch or dinner. If we’re concerned about being peckish between meals, we may splurge on chocolate covered almonds, some salty chips or pretzels, or cheese and crackers.

Easy meals

Breakfast is always cappuccinos and either something sweet (Kevin) or savory (Judy) at a nearby coffee shop. This is the time we use to plan our day and connect with each other before the day gets too hectic. It’s a moment of peace and we budget for it accordingly. Occasionally I’ll skip the savory something on the road and instead scramble or poach eggs with some tomatoes and spices in a style similar to shakshuka, which I discovered in Serbia.

Meals don’t have to be complex to be delicious. Here are some ideas you can easily incorporate into your repertoire:

*Warming chicken, carrots, white beans, diced potatoes and pasta*

Soup. I’ll sometimes pick up potatoes and beans and use seasonal vegetables and meat to make soup or swap out the potatoes for pasta.

Salad. We love an easy salad of cut up cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced cucumbers and sometimes a bit of sweet onion and salt, pepper, and a squirt of lemon or balsamic vinegar. In lieu of lettuce, we typically will buy cabbage because it has a longer refrigerator life. It’s great to add bulk and crunch as a base of a Thai salad as a meal with quinoa, carrot, chicken, and some Asian flavors.

Pasta. Homemade spaghetti sauce always is a hit with Kevin and you don’t always have to do a version that requires a full day of simmering. Fry up some onion, garlic, add whole peeled tomatoes in a can or fresh ones from the market, I tend to also add passata or puree to give it some extra liquid and let it simmer. Add some seasonings, a sprinkle of fresh cheese and pour over your favorite pasta.

*Wholesome roasted chicken, rice, broccoli, tomatoes, and onions*

Stir fries. Most fresh vegetables are suitable for a stir fry, but I don’t even mind using a few bags of mixed frozen vegetables with some herbs and boullion and some olive oil or butter. When we’re in climates that aren’t too hot and have ovens, I like to roast some freshly seasoned chicken thighs in a pan. I add parchment paper to my grocery list so I don’t have a huge mess to clean up. Dice up the meat, mix it all together, and you have a healthy, easy meal. In lieu of chicken, I also like to buy fresh or frozen salmon steaks that I season with salt, a good dose of fresh lemon, and some butter. I’ll serve the veggies as a side and occasionally toss them with spiral or penne cooked pasta (or a fun local shape if I see one). Raw deveined shrimp, fresh or frozen, pair well with colorful sliced and roasted bell peppers and onions and garlic and a generous sprinkle of salt and seasonings.

Final thoughts

In the whirlwind of full-time travel, our Airbnb kitchens are more than just places where we cook; they're the heart of our nomadic home. The simple joy of preparing a meal, the comfort of familiar tools, and the occasional indulgence in local flavors define our journey. So, here's to the cozy corners where we dice, stir, and savor, turning every Airbnb into a unique chapter in our travel tale. It's not just about the destinations; it's about the warmth we bring to each kitchen, making every place feel like home, even if just for a little while.

We’d love to hear about the home cooked meals you prepare while on the road. Leave a comment for us below!

Eat Like a Local: A Full-Time Traveler's Guide to Mastering Meals on the Road