Travel Thrifty (Part 2: Accommodation) by Amanda Jaucian Balneg

Accommodation

• Two-in-one. There are travel packages for hotel and airline at hotels.com or your local travel agency. You will save money when you book them together than separately. Traveling with a group may also get you a group discount.
• Proximity. Choose hotels that are near public transportation.
• Eat like a king. If your hotel offers buffet breakfast, don’t skip breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you eat a moderate to heavy breakfast, you don’t need to eat morning snack and you have the energy to perform the day’s activities.
• Use hotel toiletries instead of bringing your own. You save up on luggage space and money.
• Alternative accommodation. There are alternatives to hotels which are more affordable and give you an authentic feel of the place you’re visiting. In Japan, there’s ryokan or traditional Japanese inn. There are camp sites for backpackers. There are youth hostels. See membership types and costs of Hostelling International.
• Have your Embassy or Consular Office number and address. This is not just for emergency. When I was a scholar in Spain, I called up the Philippine Labor Office to request if they could accommodate us for two nights. They did let me stay and my fellow scholar.
• Stay with relatives or friends. Inform them ahead of time of your intended trip. If it’s your first time, chances are they will be very eager to take you around, have you stay in their homes and pay for the restaurant bill.
• When trains meant more than transport. If you’re traveling by train in Europe, you save up on your hotel when you sleep at the train so schedule it in such a way that your trips are in the evening.

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It pays to have lots of relatives and friends when traveling.  I've been to Australia, Canada and several states in the U.S.A. without having to spend for my accommodations.  So for the budget-conscious travelers, I suggest you try spending your vacation with relatives or friends.

To see Amanda Jaucian Balneg's original post, click here:
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/209248/travel-thrifty