Cheap Travel Tips

Well, this one is of paramount importance in your search for cheap travel. The fact is that you MUST sleep and the problem is that you it cheap. Hmmm.

But, don't worry, there is a solution.

That you are traveling does not necessarily mean that you need to get lodging at a 5-star hotel. Who says you have to?

There are a range of options available to you to get cheap accommodation during your stay.

Here are a few possibilities:

• Chop the Ego: While it is everyone's dream (perhaps) to stay at a 5-star hotel with nightly rates running into hundreds, this does not mean that you can't have an enjoyable vacation without it. What you can (and should) do in this case is to do some pre-departure research into the available hotels in your destination city. You will be looking out for the "cheaper" hotels here.
  
  It may surprise you how many times you will come across start-up hotels who have excellent or near-excellent facilities and services, but whose rates are way lower than the others.
  
  The key here is to check out past customers reviews about such hotels. Once you have found a few, compare them and choose the one you are most comfortable with.
  
  
• Another way around lodging is to lodge at a motel. Usually, their rates are posted close to the road where they are located. Or, you can just search them online and choose a decent-but very affordable-one.
  



• Sleep on the subway. Ok, just kidding ;)
  
  There is another way of getting cheap travel and lodging. See the next tip below.
  
  

Home Exchanges abound no matter the type of trip you are undertaking.

A home exchange is typically an arrangement where you get to travel to a different country (most times), but instead of having to lodge in an expensive hotel, you just live with a host family. There are tons of benefits to you with this type of arrangement. Here are a few:

=> The family becomes your travel guide. They will e showing you around town. So, you won't be missing out on the attractions, both popular and less-toured, of that place.
=> You will be saving a lot of money in transportation costs, because-a lot of times-the host family will be driving you around, so the cabbies won't be able to skin the last bucks out of you. :)
Food: Yes, most times your "family" will be feeding you local delicacies-and perhaps some international-delicacies for free.

A home exchange is the way to go any day, where your are a student traveler, curious tourist, or whatever.

The Internet, your local tourist board and the tourist board of your destination city will be able to give you listings of people who have signed up to be "cultural exchange" families in different parts of the world. Just do a little research on this.

You have probably heard the phrase "do your own due diligence" thousands of times.

There is no better time to do just that than when you are preparing to travel-on a budget.

A lot of times, what you will be comparing here will include:

• hotels
  
• travel companies
  
• restaurants and other eateries.
  

The key criteria to look out for here if you are interested in getting cheap travel are:

• Low rates
  
• decent customer reviews
  
• and nearness or access to transportation and the tourist attractions of that city
  

Once you have found a few that fit these criteria, further scale down the list by eliminating some more until you get the best of the bunch.

Once you have settled on one, just go ahead and book ahead for your room(s).

This one applies to lodging.

"What about the restaurants?" I hear you ask.

• Do a comparison and select the cheapest that also have a lot of the menus that you are interested in.
  
• Find out where the locals eat and join them. If they confront you, save the embarrassment by saying "I prefer the healthy local food to the junk tourists eat." Maybe you will even get the meal for free. Just be friendly, too and zip up your ego in your hotel room before venturing out. :)
  

You will end up making friends with many (including restaurant owners and waiters), enjoying the local delicacies and spicing up your taste buds for less and of course, having a good time.