Vacation Traveling: Saving Money on Lodging

Posted by André Nosalsky :: October 13, 2008 @ 9:27 am

Continuing our series on saving money while traveling, we will now look at ways you can save money on lodging. Lodging – which can be hotels, motels, hostels, camping facilities, apartments, or guesthouses – can be one of the biggest costs while traveling. This is a fixed cost that is hard to eliminate, because it is not a lot of fun spending nights under the stars.

The first question you should ask yourself is what are your standards for this trip? Do you have to stay at a four-star hotel no matter what the other details are? Do you have to stay within a certain area or can you move around? Once you have figured out your limiting factor, you can start doing your research.

Friends, relatives? If you have friends or relatives in the area and they are OK with you staying with them, by all means consider this option. Nothing beats free or almost free lodging and reconnecting with people you know and care about.
Guesthouses: Many travel destinations have people that put up a portion of their houses for travelers. This is a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture and at the same time save money, as the cost for this option is usually much lower than for hotels.
Hotels: When looking for hotels, make sure to check the top comparison sites, as the quoted rates can vary from one site to another. You should at least try Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia, Priceline and Hotwire. Also, search using the site name and “coupon,” such as: “Travelocity hotel coupon”. Many times you can save $50 or more by booking three nights or more at a hotel.
Package deals: There are many travel companies that put together custom travel packages. Because they have many people on a similar package, these companies are able to secure discounts from airlines and hotels.
Always ask for the AAA discount: This one sentence can save you 5 to 10%, as many hotels that are really busy are part of AAA but don’t have the signs indicating they are.