The Ultimate Guide To Cheap Travel
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Extended stay hotels are gaining in popularity, and with good reason. The weekly rates are often so low that it's worth reserving for a week, even if you won't actually be staying that long. Free local calls, voice mail and wifi or computer data ports are the norm.
The included kitchens, complete with dishes and utensils, allow you to keep leftovers and do your own cooking, saving you money on food. Some extended stay hotels off sleeper sofas in addition to beds, allowing more people to comfortably share a room. A similar idea is serviced apartments... that is, furnished apartments with cleaning service. Try these links for more information:
Extended Stay Hotel Network (InTown Suites, MainStay Suites, Staybridge Suites, Studio 6...)
Extended Stay Hotels (Extended Stay Deluxe, Studio PLUS, Crossland, Homestead Studio Suites...)
Extended Stay Network (Ramada Limited, Comfort Suites, La Quinta Inn, Holiday Inn Express...)
Home-Towne Suites
ApartmentService.com (serviced apartments worldwide)
Premiere Executive Suites (Canada)
Quest Serviced Apartments (Australia)
Timeshare rentals vary widely in price, but can be quite economical, especially if you're traveling as a group. Most will sleep 4 or more people. And remember, the fact that they're "resorts" often means lots of things to do. Look here for more:
Classifieds - Timeshare users Group
Marriott Timeshare Resales Rentals and Exchanges by Owners
Rental Getaways - Platinum Exchange
Timeshare Rentals - MyResortNetwork.com
Timeshare Rentals - Timeshare Travel
Timeshares By Owner
Timeshares For Rent - Timesharing Today
Vacation Timeshare & Rentals
Dial An Exchange
Exchanging - IES Travel
Interchange Timeshare (Australia & New Zealand)
Interval International (the second oldest & largest exchange company)
New Horizons Exchange
RCI (the oldest & largest exchange company)
Resort Exchange - Platinum Interchange
SFX Preferred Resorts
Trading Places Exchange Directory
The second method is to work directly with other timeshare owners. This is called Direct Exchange. You don't have to deposit your week with a third party and risk losing it, but of course, there's no middleman to confirm things. There are also little or no third-party fees:
OwnerTrades.com (for Marriot timeshare owners)
Timex
Timeshare Users Group Marketplace
For shorter trips, these accommodations offer low, low rates:
Budget Host
Knights Inn
Motel 6
Poland Spring Inns
(a unique adventure on 1000 acres in Maine)
Red Roof Inns
Travelodge (some have kitchenettes)
Valu-Lodge (kitchenettes)
While your at it, pick up some motel coupons:
Don't rule out Mom & Pop accommodations as a possibility. They can be tough to track down on the Web, but you can let your mouse do the walking in the yellow pages:
Home exchanges can be the ideal money-saving technique, but they're not for everyone. We recommend you take the time to get to know the family you'll be swapping residences with for safety's sake. You can find home exchange services here:
House sitting sounds like a dream come true. Just take care of the pets and plants, make sure the house is safe and you're literally home free. unfortunately, house sitting positions are few and far between. Here's some places to check:
Search - HouseCarers.com
Worldwide Housesitting
Hostels are a great no-frills way to save money and meet interesting people from around the globe. Many hostels offer private rooms, which we recommend over shared rooms. Read these articles to decide if the hostel experience is for you:
Frequently Asked Questions About Hostelling - Hostels.com
What Are Hostels? - The Hostel Handbook
If you're intrigued, locations and membership information can be found here:
About - Hostels Of America
Hostelling International
Many educational institutions, domestic and foreign, make dorm rooms available for rent when school's out. If you'll be near a university during summer travel, you may want to call and see if they have guest rentals available.
Nightly Guest Accomodations - Hofstra university
McGrew Towers Residence Hall - Hampton university
Summer Dorm Rental - Hawaiian Mission Academy
Summer Visitor Housing - univ. Of California, Berkeley
