How to find cheap/safe/nice accomodation?
Finding accomodation is essencial for staying anywhere in the world. If you are on a trip you should find a hotel, hostel or any other place to stay. This really short guide should show you first steps.
Booking in advance
Booking in advance gives the traveller peace of mind that they will have somewhere to sleep once they arrive at their destination. It is also a good idea when travelling to a popular tourist destination. This can be done in a number of ways:
- Over the internet
- Through a travel agent
- Over the telephone
Internet
You can use the internet to book accommodation. Depending upon where you are going, this can be extremely useful. Yet if you are travelling to somewhere a bit more out of the way, for example, a small city or town, you may find something, but there will be accommodation options not listed on the internet. In this situation, it is better to find accommodation "on the day", as described below.
Nowadays there are also a lot of online agencies that can find you cheap hotel in the place you travel. They often have special deals with local hotels and because of high traffic they get low prices. If you care about a cheap/budget/economy class hotel - online booking in essencial.
Travel agent
Travel agents often have deals with specific hotels, although you may find it possible to book other forms of accommodation, like camping grounds, through a travel agent. There is an increasing amount of Business-to-Business agents that have become open to the consumer to book through.
Telephone
Consumers often find the best lodging rates by calling travel suppliers directly. Contacting the specific property, rather than the chain's main toll-free telephone line, provides the best opportunity to negotiate discounts an ask about specials (advertised and unadvertised).
On the day
If you have planned your trip yourself, which means you have not decided to use a package from a travel agent, sometimes finding accommodation when you arrive is the best option. If you have not made reservations in advance, this should be your first priority upon arriving. The best and/or cheapest hotels have a tendency to fill up most quickly, and looking for a place to sleep as darkness falls can be an anxious - and even dangerous - experience.
It is sometimes frustrating to be reading a guidebook and looking for the listed recommendations trying to decipher an unfamiliar map having just travelled for several hours. In this case, it is possible to walk around and inquire at the first few places you see. Courage and confidence are required for this type of thing, especially if you are not using your native language. However, it is sometimes easier to do this rather than tracking down listings, especially for the first night.
Larger cities and popular tourist destinations may have "tourist information offices". These may be operated by the local government, a consortium of local hotels and attractions, or independent parties (of varying trustworthiness). These frequently offer listings of hotels and other lodging options (e.g. hostels, bed-and-breakfasts). Some act as booking agents for hotels, placing visitors in facilities with vacancies (though there may be a fee for this service).
Frequently, the best hotels are those just opened. Beyond being new and modern, they need to attract clientele, and may strive to offer more comfort or services for less money. It often makes sense to inquire locals upon arrival which hotels / pensions etc have opened in the last year or ts are usually cheaper than booking a hotel room for the same length of time. Utilities are normally included in the rental price and electricity and so on (if available) will be connected for your stay.
Vacation rentals
Many residents of popular tourist destinations lease their houses and apartments to vacationers. The residence may have been bought specifically for this purpose or the normal occupants may vacate it during some parts of the year. The guests will have full use of the residence, and usually the residence will not be serviced during their stay.
Vacation ("self-catered") rentals are usually cheaper than booking a hotel room for the same length of time. Utilities are normally included in the rental price and electricity and so on (if available) will be connected for your stay. You will find vacation rentals all over the world. They offer excellent value for money and much more space than a hotel room. They are ideal for families or groups of friends who like to vacation together but are equally suitable for couples wishing to relax in comfort.The facilities offered will vary from house to house. The homes will be individually furnished and equipped by their owners so you are sure to find one which suits your requirements. Many will have private pools or accesss to a communal pool. You can expect kitchen and laundry facilities. Probably a TV - in the US you can often find TV in every room, maybe a Video player or DVD aswell. Some of the homes will have a games room with games like pool or table tennis. Some will have games consoles such as Playstation 2 or X-Box. You will find vacation homes near the theme parks, on the beach, in the mountains or countryside. Literally anywhere you are looking to vacation you will be able to find a vacation rental.
The ideal way to rent a vacation property is to talk directly to the owner. Many owners book their properties themselves and they will be able to answer any questions you have about their property. The pricing is more competitive as you are cutting out the middle-man and you know exactly which property you are renting.
The original article comes from wikitravel.org. Therefore this article is licenced under cc-by-sa-1.0 lincence.