Hostels And Other Cheap Travel Accommodations

H ostels have been around in       Spanish lessons.                   one form or another for a                                          long time. They are             Is A Hostel For You?               oriented towards young travelers                                         and anyone else seeking cheap         I love hostels, but most of you    accommodations. The United States     won't. I like mingling with        version was originally more           travelers from around the world.   complicated, with guests helping      You're more isolated in a hotel.   with chores, etc. It is much          "Mingling," of course, could mean  simpler now: you rent a bed           sleeping next to a snorer. I'm     instead of a room, sharing the        sure the idea of sharing a room    bathroom, living room and             is too much for some people, as    kitchen. You have less privacy,       is waiting to use the shower.      but cheaper accomodations, and        It's a different experience from   you get to socialize.                 staying in a hotel.                                                                                         My first time in Quito, Ecuador I     Are Hostels Cheap Accomodations?   stayed at Centro Del Mundo, a                                            hostel near the center of town.       Even if they were the same price,  $4 per night included breakfast.      I'd prefer a hostel to a hotel,    I shared a room and bathroom with     but one of the biggest reasons     4 others, and a T.V. room with        people stay in hostels is to save  guests from 14 countries, and         money. For this, they're a good    channels in three languages. 80       option when you're traveling       cents got me a rum-and-coke to        alone. Since my wife and I travel  drink while I played chess with a     together now, we don't stay in     flower-buyer from Holland. The        hostels often. You pay for two     manager could arrange anything        beds, after all, which makes       from tours of the snow-covered        hotels more competitve.            volcano Cotapaxi, to $2/hour                                             Hostels are not as common in the      Try picking up those coupon books  U.S. as in other countries,           at gas stations along the          unless you include                    highways. We've almost always      "bed-and-breakfast" places.           found good deals using these.      Theses are, after all, somewhat       It's rare that a manager won't     like high-priced hostels. There       honor the coupon. Generally, only  are still cheap hostels in almost     if they're absolutely full will    every state, though. Search           they refuse. Read the fine print,  Google for hostels, and you'll        though, since they often charge    find all the information you          more for certain dates, weekends,  need.                                 or for two people.                                                                                          Other Cheap Accommdations             Another way to get a cheap room                                          is by negotiating. Unfortunately,  For cheap accomodations other         for some reason, most owners here  than hostels, you can try             in the U.S. would rather watch     websites, such as. Remember           you drive away than knock five     though, that they only give you       bucks off the room rate. This      rates for the hotels and motels       isn't true in most other           in their system. I just did a         countries. My wife and I were in   search for Tucson, Arizona. Cheap     Banos, Ecuador recently, and were  Tickets.com was the easiest to        told the room would be $12. The    use, and found the best rates.        room was clean, with cable T.V.    However, I could show you several     and lots of hot water. We paid     nice motels here in Tucson that       just $6 per night, paying four     are $15 cheaper than the cheapest     nights in advance. The owner       rate they found.                      understood we were ready to walk                                         away.                              About the Author: Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 42, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. For travel stories, tips and a free Travel Secrets e-book, visit: http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com Published At: www.Isnare.com