I stayed in a $700-a-night houseboat in Amsterdam. It was surprisingly spacious and worth every penny.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

• I stayed in a houseboat in Amsterdam for four nights.
• The houseboat cost $2,802.55 after taxes and fees, or roughly $700 per night on Airbnb.
• Even though it was on the pricier side, it was worth it to live like a local for a few days.

One of the first things you notice about Amsterdam when you visit is that there are canals everywhere — and in many of those canals are houseboats.

When I took a...