Here’s How You Can Barter Your Way Into A Free B&B Stay In Italy

Courtesy Settimana del Baratto

This week, you can exchange your skills or stuff for a free stay in an Italian bed and breakfast thanks to Italy’s Barter Week (or Settimana del Baratto).

From November 13 to November 19, Italian innkeepers list what they’d take in exchange for a room, and travelers are encouraged to email barter offers. If the hosts accept the bid, guests can take a last-minute adventure to Italy in late November with a free place to stay.

Courtesy Settimana del Baratto

Don’t be put off by the barter list’s Italian entries. There’s a translate feature so you can find the perfect fit for you.

Are you a musician? You might be able to trade serenading guests for a couple nights’ stay in a hotel next to Lake Garda. If you’ve got an extra copy of the O.G. Harry Potter series, you could nab a stay in an artistic B&B outside Florence.

Courtesy Settimana del Baratto

And it turns out that November isn’t the only time when you can use a vintage typewriter to gain a holiday in Italia. There are more than 800 B&Bs that accept barters all year round.