Travel
overnight
If you’re planning to travel long distances, combine sleep with travel by
upgrading to a couchette or sleeper on a train. It’s a lot cheaper than a
hotel, if not always very comfortable.
Use
last minute accommodation sites
If you’re not a planner, take advantage of last minute specials on sites like
www.us.lastminute.com or www.wotif.com. Plenty of hotels discount their last few
rooms for the coming weekend, so keep an eye out.
Get
closer to God
Monasteries or convents offer clean, quiet and often very cheap beds. Apart from
peace, tranquility and spotless rooms, convent or monastery stays are often beautiful
old buildings. Because they are religious institutions, monasteries and convents
can be very safe places for women who are travelling alone, but make sure you check
the rules about dress and conduct within the monastery. Check out these sites for
monastery stays in Italy www.monasterystays.com and Japan www.templelodging.com
Home
stays
There are plenty of organisations that will arrange accommodation with local families.
Not only will you get a cheap bed, but you’ll get to met some locals and pick
up some insider knowledge about places to go and things to see. Make sure you check
out the house you’ll be staying in on Google maps to make sure it’s
not way out in the suburbs, unless commuter travel to the sights is your thing.
Couch
surfing
If you don’t mind dossing on someone’s floor and making new friends
at 2:00 AM over a take-away pizza, then www.couchsurfing.com can hook you up with
people willing to let you bludge off them host an international visitor. Good couch
surfers give a little back to their hosts: like washing the dishes and watering
the plants. Other than that it’s all beer and pizza.
Book
ahead
If you know your dates well ahead of time, you can get great deals by booking ahead.
And while you’re in a planning mood, try travelling to well-trodden tourist
towns during the week (when rates are cheaper) and more business-oriented destinations
on weekends. Business hotels can do great rates for tourists, as long as you’re
happy to be surrounded by empty office buildings during your stay!
Shop
around for hostels
Hostels are not just for backpackers. Many also have private or family rooms. For
families with young children, a hostel can offer a great place to sleep, with a
lounge room for parents to retreat to after the littlies are asleep.
House
swapping
If you own your own place you can really save on accommodation when travelling by
swapping it with a traveller visiting your city. There are plenty of house swap
sites, and house swapping requires a fair bit of planning, correspondence and vetting,
but free accommodation is worth the effort, especially if you’re planning
on staying for more than a few nights.
Sublet
an apartment
Staying in one place for a while? Try subletting an apartment. It works best in
large US cities like New York where sites like Craigslist are popular. You can get
an apartment, or a bedroom in an apartment, for months at a time during the summer
vacation period for as little as $US30 per night.
Camping
Many European cities have camp sites close to town. You can pick up equipment fairly
cheaply at camping stores and stay in an expensive city for just a few dollars in
the busy summer months!