Budget Travel Webpage

Most of us may have the perception that youth hostels are strictly for youths. Indeed, we are wrong. Youth hostels are for the adventurous budget traveller regardless of age. Such accommodations are affordable alternatives to hotels and unlike hotels, you have a choice of whether to choose to share a room with up to eight people or have a room to yourself. Bear in mind that single rooms are few and cost higher than the dormitory-like rooms but nonetheless less expensive than a hotel room. Also most hostels offer only dormitory-like rooms. If you don’t mind sharing a room with strangers, this will be an opportunity for you to get to meet people from different countries.   

If you have never stayed in a hostel before and are interested in staying in one, here are some facts you need to know:

1)   Know what to expect 

As most hostels keep their single rooms at a minimum, you have to be open to sharing a room and bathroom with strangers. You will not receive any freebies like soap and towels. Sheets are not provided and you won’t have the luxury of watching the television all on your own. On the other hand, hostels may offer amenities that hotels don’t such as a common kitchen, games room, library and free internet access.

2)  Find a hostel  

Look up hostels on the internet. Simply do an internet search for hostels and the city and you will be provided with a list of hostel information. You can also click these websites that I have sourced from the internet: www.hiusa.org, http://www.hostelineurope.com, http://www.hostels.com. Most important, is to check reviews by guests to gauge the quality of the accommodation.

Try to exchange notes with other travellers at the hostel you will be staying for future reference. Check hostel sites to find out about the location, availability of lockers, single rooms or access to free internet.

3)  Compare prices before you book  

You can either book directly from the hostel website itself or through general hostel sites. In most cases, online booking is cheaper as they offer deals especially during the low peak season. 

4) Decide whether or not to join Hostelling International

Hostelling International is an organization of hostels that maintain certain standards. They’re often cleaner and more reliable. A few of these hostels will not allow non-members, but most simply charge you a non-member supplement (usually 1-5 dollars a night extra). Check to see if non-members are welcome before making a booking. If you’re going to be staying in Hostelling International hostels in Europe for more than a week in any given year, consider buying a membership card, available for Americans at hiusa.org.  

(Refer to Hostelling International’s website for other countries’ sites). A year’s membership costs $28 as of 2010, and gives other benefits, such as very basic travel insurance, discounted trips and activities in many countries, concessions on entertainment and reduced admission to museums and cultural events. It is worth it only if you travel regularly and choose to stay in ’Hostelling International’ hostels. Do thorough research on museum exhibits, cultural events and entertainment at the time of travel at that location and double check if you are eligible for such member benefits.

5) Pack appropriately.

Because hostels don’t provide the same amenities as hotels, be sure to pack a towel and bring your own toiletries. There will be no toothpaste, soap, shampoo, lotion, etc. Bring a small combination lock for those hostels that have lockers but expect you to bring your own lock. Your mobile phone alarm will be valuable but if you are wary about placing it on the bed beside you in a room consisting of strangers, an alarm clock will be a good replacement. If you’re a light sleeper, consider earplugs. Thongs or rubber slippers are useful for trips to the bathroom or common room. 

Hostel accommodation is not for everyone. You have to have a sense of adventure and make an effort to get to know people of different cultures to learn from others and enrich your travel experience. Such an accommodation allows you to stretch your budget while at the same time widen your horizons.  

Hotel cost can be among the biggest budget travel challenges. But even if you manage to find a good rate, you cannot avoid the taxes.  In many places, those now exceed 13 percent of the room rate.

You’ve used search engines to find a base price for rooms in your destination city. You have learned that online booking can cut your bill in half, and can be a real money-saver in certain circumstances. Perhaps you take advantage of hotel promotions and you’ve learned that places with empty rooms are ready to make deals.

The hospitality industry makes lots of money from services that are completely independent of your room rate. These are charges that are easy to side-step and must be given some thought when you check-in.

Avoid the Mini Bar  

Would you ever pay $5 for a bottle of water from the bar? How about a $6 bag of peanuts?

A few travelers are tempted to take the expensive water and then replace it the next day with a reasonably-priced bottle purchased elsewhere. It usually doesn’t work, because inventory is taken each day and some honor bars are equipped with motion sensors.

Buy your own drinks or snacks elsewhere and leave the overpriced items for the next guest. You can get mineral water for $1 and a bag of peanuts for $2 from the nearby supermarket.

Refrain from ordering room service

Another blow-a-hole-in-the-pocket charges is the food and beverage order service offered by the hotel. If you flip open the pages of the menu, you will notice that the prices are overly charged. Would you pay a whooping $24 ++ for a plate of fish and chips or $35++ for a set breakfast meal?

You can save 75% by eating out. 

Skip the In-Room Movies

“In-room movie” may be tempting as the selection is wide and the service offers viewing of the most recent movies. But those selections are overpriced offers on your screen.

For the price of some in-room movies, you can rent three or four titles at your hometown rental store when you get home, or buy the DVD and play it on your computer.

These costs add up quickly, but there’s an even more compelling reason to tune out: in-room movies are often the source of billing mistakes. Order one movie, and guests sometimes are charged for two or three.

It’s best to stay out of the hotel movie service altogether.

Stay off the Phone and internet access

This one is less of a problem than in previous years, because many travelers now carry their own mobile phones. But the temptation still sits on your nightstand.

Hotels have a varied and bewildering array of surcharges and fees for using their phones and internet access. Some charge for local calls. Some put premium charges on long distance in addition to the standard rates. Internet access cost $20  day and it is not as if you are likely to use it the whole day.

If you don’t have a mobile device, buy a pre-paid calling card for your long distance conversations. Ask about fees for calling the local pizza parlor or your in-town friends, too. Search for internet cafes in the area if you need to send out or check urgent emails.

Avoid hotel spa and massage services

Hotels may offer state-of-the-art massage parlours and spa services. However, that comes with a price. Such services usually charge patrons 3 times the amount and that too come with double taxes, including service charge.

If you need to seek such services, find out if the area offers any from the tourist centre or the internet during pre-departure and check-in research.   

We all know room service is usually overpriced, yet sometimes the convenience outweighs the cost. But if it becomes a habit, it can eat a chunk of your budget. Explore facilities are complimentary and the services that are located around the hotel area such as dining, grocery shopping, movies and entertainment. 

Travelling is cheap these days especially when hotels, tour agents and airlines are cutting costs to make ends meet in the face of a frail economy. Hotels offer big discounts to attract travellers. So how to find great hotel deals?

Check out hotel booking sites online. They offer good deals of up to 60%. The money you save by getting a good deal can be spent on other areas of your travel like food, airfare or entertainment. Bear in mind that different prices are offered for different dates or time of the year. For example, the prices of rooms will be marked up during public holidays that fall on weekdays. Here will be a great difference in the prices offered for rooms at different times of the year and for different weekends so grab the best deals and be flexible with travel dates. Prices are higher from Friday to Saturday so it will be best to book rooms starting from the beginning of the week. Compare prices carefully among the various booking sites. Some sites offer prices including GST and some don’t. Think carefully before you commit to charge the cost to your credit card and make sure you know the total cost inclusive of GST and service charges. Some sites also carry a booking or handling fee to sue them. Do also take note that some hotel rates do not come with breakfast. Weigh the pros and cons before you make a decision.

Another choice in hotel deals is to check the hotel’s website. Often times, they will have a special rate or offer a last minute hotel room if they do not have many reservations. Some hotels offer early booking prices while some offer special weekend package prices.

A few other things to think about in hotel deals are when and where you go. If you want the best deal, don’t stay really close to major attractions or in the heart of the city. A few minutes’ of travelling time can save you a lot of money. Also, if you have the choice, don’t travel over the weekend. As mentioned earlier, rates are much higher on Fridays and Saturdays than they are on any other day of the week. Lastly, make reservations and book ahead. If you just show up, you are likely to pay additional fees then if you make the reservations even a few days ahead of time.

Spend some time in looking for a good hotel deal. Many booking sites offer great deals to entice you to come back or advertise via word-of-mouth. Don’t jump at one deal. Look for several and take note of what the deals include or exclude.

If you are cutting back on your travel budgets during the economic crisis, that doesn’t mean you can’t get away. You might be amazed to find that you can get a relaxing getaway without going very far and by not staying away for very long.

Taking a brief vacation to a nearby place means that you won’t have to take a full week from work, which can bring in some more cash, or it can mean you have some time to finish household chores that you’ve been putting off. The peace of mind that comes with finishing something like that is priceless in itself.

Instead of planning a week or 10-day outing, try scheduling your next adventure for a simple four-day weekend. With all the money you’ll save, you’ll be able to plan another getaway as soon as you need one, rather than waiting until the following year.

First, visit your local Visitor’s Center to discover if there are any local tourist attractions, dining, or activities that you haven’t tried in your own town or region. Play tourist and explore the place you’re been living in.  Try a new restaurant each day. Hike or bike new trails or watch the sunrise and in the evening, go to plays or other events that you wouldn’t ordinarily have time for.  

If you want to venture a little further, see what you can explore within the distance you can reach with a single tank of petrol. What destinations in your state have you not yet fully explored? With the money you save on airfare and by cutting the length of your trip, you can probably afford a luxury hotel for a night or two and perhaps a couple of spa treatments or dining at a posh restaurant.

The Internet has so many great resources for planning trips close by. Try the Road Trip Finder by Hotels dot com. Just enter your zip code and this online tool will give you information on destinations between 1 and 6 hours of your home. Then you can read about entertainment options, lodging, dining, and other area attractions.

 Alternatively, you can go for the nature vacation option. This includes a camping/caravan or cabin-stay adventure in a campsite or caravan park or by the beach. Make sure to bring the bikes, groceries, the fishing rods and a pile of good books. I love staying in cabins as they offer some convenience and more privacy. These are generally fairly rustic, but can be a nice form of accommodation for people like me who don’t want to sleep on the ground but do want to enjoy the great outdoors. It is also fun to cook and enjoy the food at the patio, watch the surf roll in,  the long stretch of sandy beach ahead, the changing colour of the sky as the day winds to a close and the lorikeets gliding in droves at sunset.

This short time away might be all you need to regain your sanity before going back to the humdrum of city life and the drudgery of work. With the time and money you save, you’ll be able to take frequent mini-vacations whenever life gets overwhelming. 

Hostelling is a great way to travel if you are on a tight budget. Popular with young adults, hostelling offers low budget and low luxury accommodations for those that don’t mind sharing space with other travellers.

This method of travel can offer adventure and the chance to meet different people but is not for everyone. Well, personally, it is not for me as I tend to value privacy highly. So it very much suits fuss-free individuals who don’t mind living in the barest minimum conditions. It’s great for the solo traveller or a group of young people but families with small children and couples who want a romantic vacation should go for more private accommodations.

Most hostels are set up as dormitory style rooms, with a number of bunk beds arranged throughout the room. The number of bunk beds in a single room varies, with the average from four to ten bunks per room. Each traveller is assigned a specific bunk upon check-in.

Hostels usually divide their accommodations according to gender. In multi-floor hostels, each gender is often assigned a specific floor or group of floors. Check with the hostel first to ensure they provide separate rooms for both genders.

The bathroom accommodations at hostels vary, with some rooms containing a shared bathroom and shower, while other hostels will have shower and bathroom facilities located in the hallway. If this is an important consideration, you should ask about bathroom facilities when making the reservation.

You will be provided with a locker to keep your personal belongings such as your wallet, passport and cell phone. Do remember to lock your harversack or lugguage at all times.

Although hostelling is a very informal way to travel, you do need to make reservations especially during peak seasons. This method of travel is becoming more popular and some hostels can be booked for months during popular tourist seasons. My advice is to make a call in advance to book.

So what is the main appeal of staying at hostels for some groups of people? Obviously, it is the price. The nightly rate for a hostel rarely rises above $25 or $30 per night, with most hostel accommodations costing far less. If you are not willing to pay $100 or more for a hotel room, the hostel will be your answer.

Also, the staff at most hostels are extremely accommodating and knowledgeable about the local area such as the local attractions and cheap but good places to eat. Most hostels these days are also equipped with travel brochures and guide books of the local destination and provide computers with internet access for lodgers to surf and check emails.

Also, many hostels nowadays have spruced up, well-decorated interiors to make them more appealing to lodgers such that the common areas evoke a homely and cosy feel.

See picture below.

 A kitchen is available for budget lodgers who prefer to prepare or cook their own food. For example, lodgers can save money by heating canned tuna eaten with bread and salad bought from a local grocery store or cook a simple vegetable dish accompanied with rice. Other simple  fuss free meals that are popular with lodgers are cheese and tomato sandwich, egg sandwich and home-made hotdog with mustard.  They are very convenient and quick to prepare.

Hostel accommodation is not everyone’s cup of tea and certainly isn’t for every vacation but it can be great lodging for the budget-minded tourist who want to see many places over a few months. It is definitely for the adventurous traveller who does not bother about luxury as the main goal is to save money on lodging so that more can be spent on air travel, train rides, entrances to places of attraction and maybe even a spa treatment as a rare treat.