Many travelers believe the best way to save on vacation accommodations is to bid online for the cheapest price. Turns out there are a slew of ways you can book a vacation stay without worrying about someone else’s low-ball price proposal.
Farmstay: You’ve heard of housestays, where you can crash in someone’s spare bedroom during your travels, but what about farmstays? This alternative to expensive hotel rooms is one of the cheapest lodging options out there right now. Don’t let the name fool you; prior farm experience is not needed to take advantage of the affordable accommodations. In other words, you don’t need to know how to milk a cow to book a farmstay. All you need is a desire to spend time in a bucolic setting. Farmstay benefits include eating hearty meals, learning how to make cheese or spin wool and soaking up the silence while catching up on your favorite books. Farmstays are extremely popular in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Academic Housing: This budget vacation housing option is available during the summer months when students leave campus and return home for break. My alma mater offers it as well as hundreds of others around the world. The best place to view academic housing options is to visit University-Rooms.com. If you don’t see a school near your vacation destination, call a local campus directly and see if any rooms might be available during your trip. The upsides to staying in student housing are the rock-bottom rates and location. However, keep in mind that you won’t be living large in plush accommodations. Most rooms are small and the bathroom may be down the hall.
Cheap Bed and Breakfasts: Cheap doesn’t have to mean dirty and unsafe. Often you can snag affordable lodging in quaint bed and breakfasts if you are willing to share a bathroom with other guests and forgo modern amenities typically found in chain hotels, such as flat-screen televisions, blow dyers, multiple outlets for charging electronics and Wi-Fi.
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