Forex Articles

Along with airfare, if it is part of your travel expenses, lodging is the single largest expenditure associated with traveling. Most mid-range hotels charge well over $100 a night, and even economy hotels can easily run $70 to $80 a night. Fortunately, there are an increasing number of lower-cost alternatives to traditional hotel stays; these alternatives can save travelers hundreds of dollars. Some of the most popular are vacation rentals, student housing, room rentals, religious housing, hostels and home exchanges.

Popularized by services offered through websites such as Airbnb.com, inexpensive short-term room rentals have become an increasingly used alternative to staying in a hotel. It is possible to rent a room in another person's home or apartment, as well as rent a whole house, guest cottage or apartment. Rates are commonly half the price of a hotel and may be even lower. Available accommodations range from very basic all the way to luxurious. There are also weekly room rentals, usually involving rental of a bedroom along with a shared bathroom, kitchen and laundry facilities, in a house with three or four other renters, sometimes available for less than $200 for an entire week. Besides the potential savings, another advantage of renting a room or apartment in the home of a local is the opportunity to get a local resident's input on things such as where to eat or what to see. Although not the best option for travelers who relish privacy, this is an excellent alternative for those who enjoy meeting local people and having some nearby company available.

Vacation home rentals or apartments offer a great way to save money on trips such as week-long family vacations. Vacation rentals can often be found, through websites such as VRBO.com or vacation rentals by owner, for significantly less money than hotel rates, and even if the rental runs about the same as a hotel stay, there are other money-saving benefits. Having kitchen facilities available can enable travelers to save a considerable sum over dining out or ordering room service in a hotel. Having a washer and dryer available is a great convenience for vacation travel, especially for a trip to the beach with kids. Renting a vacation home, or even a condo or apartment, offers more space than all but the most expensive hotel suites and is much more practical for family travel than having to rent one hotel room for mom and dad and another for the kids. Vacation rentals, that can often be found in very nice, upscale neighborhoods, offer other benefits over staying in a hotel, such as privacy and quiet.

One less well-known, but often extremely inexpensive, travel housing option exists in the form of religious housing. It is possible to obtain accommodations in monasteries, convents or religious retreat centers for much less than the price of a hotel. Many offer a room for the night for less than $50, and some just charge a token fee of as low as $10 to $15 per night, making them perfect for a person traveling on a very limited budget. These places also usually offer the opportunity to meet some very interesting people, either among the residents or fellow travelers. And if part of the purpose of a trip is to get some rest and relaxation, monastery, convent or retreat center housing is hard to beat at any price. The available housing is usually simple and may include private bath facilities. Religious housing is usually best-suited for individual travelers; however, there are a number of places that offer housing space large enough for families. Obviously, religious housing is not the choice for travelers looking for late night partying. Many have a curfew, and nearly all require guests to respect the general quiet atmosphere.

An excellent option for summertime travel exists in the form of available student housing at colleges and universities. Since the vast majority of students leave campus and go home for the summer, this leaves hundreds of dorm rooms and student apartments vacant for the summer, and universities have wised up to the extra revenue that can be generated by renting out university housing during this time period, even at discount rates. Available housing can range from a simple dorm room with a single bed and a bathroom down the hall to very nice one-, two- or three-bedroom apartments. University apartments can be an excellent, cost-saving alternative for extended stays, with monthly rental rates as low as $350 to $400. UniversityRooms.com is one website that offers information about temporary student housing available nationwide.

Hostels are commonly thought of as "youth hostels," or housing primarily utilized by students or other young people when traveling. But the fact is nearly all hostels are open to guests of any age and offer a very inexpensive alternative to hotel rooms. Space in many hostels can be found for as low as $20 to $25 a night. Accommodations are not generally luxurious. The typical hostel setup is three or four rooms with a couple of bunk beds in each room and shared bathrooms. However, some hostels offer private rooms for a little more money. And in some cases during off-peak travel seasons, travelers may be fortunate enough to end up with a room to themselves anyway. While the sleeping accommodations at most hostels are less than deluxe, the common areas available to guests are often very nicely equipped with such amenities as large, widescreen TVs and sometimes a hot tub on the back deck. Both kitchen and laundry facilities are usually available as well. Plus, the managers of hostels can usually offer directions to anywhere in the city and recommend good restaurants and interesting places to visit locally.

Home exchanges, or house swaps, are about the most inexpensive travel stay deals available, usually totally free except for perhaps an annual membership fee to join a home exchange network such as HomeExchange.com. Home exchanges are exactly what the name implies: two travelers who are traveling to each other's cities stay in each other's homes while the owner is away. There are other options available that do not require coordinating travel schedules, such as staying in another traveler's vacation home. Home exchanges offer all the space and convenience of staying in a nice home, away from interstates and downtown noise, and at virtually no cost. They are not an appropriate option, however, for people overly worried about potential damage to their own home or about the possibility of accidentally damaging someone else's home.