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Finding accommodation can be one of the most frustrating aspects of planning your travels. There are two ways to solve the accommodation problem: booking in advance or finding a place on the day.
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Booking in advance
Booking in advance gives the traveller peace of mind that they will have somewhere to sleep once they arrive at their destination. It is also a good idea when travelling to a popular tourist destination.
This can be done in a number of ways:
- Over the internet
- Through a travel agent
- Over the telephone
Internet
You can use the internet to book accommodation. Depending upon where you are going, this can be extremely useful. Yet if you are travelling to somewhere a bit more out of the way, for example, a small city or town, you may find something, but there will be accommodation options not listed on the internet. In this situation, it is better to find accommodation "on the day", as described below.
Here are some sites where you can book hotels other than by going to a hotel's website:
- HotelClub.com (http://www.hotelclub.com/) Discounted accommodation in over 90 countries worldwide.
- RatesToGo.com (http://www.ratestogo.com/) Last minute accommodation specialist. Bookings up to 20 days in advance.
- MYTravelGuide.com (http://www.mytravelguide.com) offers booking through online travel agencies as well as user submitted reviews, photos, and trip planning functionalities.
- www.Backpackers-Planet.com (http://www.backpackers-planet.com/) has an address database of all free hostels and guest houses all around the world. You just get the telephone number or the webpage address, so you don't pay booking fees.
- Abigeye.com (http://www.abigeye.com/) can get you search-and-book travel products in China.
- TripAdvisor.com (http://www.tripadvisor.com/)
- Hotels.com (http://www.hotels.com/)
- Expedia (http://www.expedia.com/)
- WholesaleTrip.com (http://www.wholesaletrip.com/) offers great rates to Hawaii, Mexico, Asia, and the US.
- Accommodationz (http://www.accommodationz.com/)
- Orbitz (http://www.orbitz.com/)
- Hotwire.com (http://www.hotwire.com/)
- Priceline.com (http://www.priceline.com/)
- Travelocity.com (http://www.travelocity.com/)
- DealsOnHotels.com (http://www.dealsonhotels.com)
- LateRooms (http://www.laterooms.com/) can get you discounts on rooms if you book less than 14 days before you need the room.
- Generalturist.com (http://www.generalturist.com/)
- GOMIO.COM (http://www.gomio.com/) Find hostels/low budget accomodation in Europe.
Travel agent
Travel agents often have deals with specific hotels, although you may find it possible to book other forms of accommodation, like camping grounds, through a travel agent. There is an increasing amount of Business-to-Business agents that have become open to the consumer to book through. See main article: Business to Business Travel
Telephone
Consumers often find the best lodging rates by calling travel suppliers directly. Contacting the specific property, rather than the chain's main toll-free telephone line, provides the best opportunity to negotiate discounts an ask about specials (advertised and unadvertised).
Canceling a reservation
You might have to cancel a reservation. For example if you plan to arrive in a new city at night and book at hotel for that night but your flight is canceled or delayed so you arrive the next day.
Some hotels and pensions will let you make a simple booking by phone or internet. Call and cancel you reservation when you know that you will not make it.
Most hotels will require a credit card number to make a reservation. They will usually charge you for one night if you cancel less than 24 hours before arrival. In some popular tourist destinations such as Hawaii or Las Vegas, this minimum notice may be as long as 72 hours.
If you make reservations through a travel agent you can get charged for accommodation that you do not use even though your delay is caused by transportation also arranged by the travel agent.
On the day
If you have planned your trip yourself, which means you have not decided to use a package from a travel agent, sometimes finding accommodation when you arrive is the best option.
If you have not made reservations in advance, this should be your first priority upon arriving. The best and/or cheapest hotels have a tendency to fill up most quickly, and looking for a place to sleep as darkness falls can be an anxious - and even dangerous - experience.
It is sometimes frustrating to be reading a guidebook and looking for the listed recommendations trying to decipher an unfamiliar map having just travelled for several hours. In this case, it is possible to walk around and inquire at the first few places you see. Courage and confidence are required for this type of thing, especially if you are not using your native language. However, it is sometimes easier to do this rather than tracking down listings, especially for the first night.
Larger cities and popular tourist destinations may have "tourist information offices". These may be operated by the local government, a consortium of local hotels and attractions, or independent parties (of varying trustworthiness). These frequently offer listings of hotels and other lodging options (e.g. hostels, bed-and-breakfasts). Some act as booking agents for hotels, placing visitors in facilities with vacancies (though there may be a fee for this service).
Frequently, the best hotels are those just opened. Beyond being new and modern, they need to attract clientele, and may strive to offer more comfort or services for less money. It often makes sense to inquire locals upon arrival which hotels / pensions etc have opened in the last year or two.
Types of accommodation
Hostels
See main article: Hostels
Hospitality Exchange
See main article: Hospitality exchange
Camping
Camping is do-it-yourself accommodation: you carry your roof and your bedding in your backpack or your car. It's often the only choice of accommodation you have when you're travelling off the beaten track, but there are also very popular sites for camping holidays.
Many popular national parks or protected sites have limited camping to particular sites and some have banned it altogether. Always check whether you need a permit to camp, how much it costs and whether your choice of site will be restricted. You generally need to get permits either in advance or on arrival. Permits for sites at very popular holiday periods are actually quite hard to get and sometimes sell out months in advance, don't blithely plan a Christmas camping holiday without being sure you can get a permit if you need one.
When hiking, there will often be set campsites a day's walk apart, and often you are forbidden to camp between them.
Caravan parks
Caravan parks tend to have two or three types of accommodation: powered sites to put your caravan and car; caravans owned by the park that you can stay in; and small cabins with a bit more space. Caravan parks are usually located in medium sized towns and cities, or in very popular tourist spots.
See also: Car Camping
Hotels
Visit Hotels
Bed and Breakfasts and Guesthouses
Bed and Breakfasts (B&Bs) and Guesthouses provide hotel style rooms. However, they are typically smaller residences and you will interact with your hosts and other guests, often eating together and sharing common spaces. Bed and Breakfasts and Guesthouses are found both inside and out of major centers. Many market themselves as providing a "quiet escape". There are many associations and websites that offer help finding a Bed and Breakfast in your travel area.
Some online directories:
- http://www.bbonline.com/
- http://www.bbcanada.com/
- http://www.bbconnector.com/
- http://www.backpackers-planet.com/
- www.triplehillabs.com.au
Vacation rentals
Many residents of popular tourist destinations lease their houses and apartments to vacationers. The residence may have been bought specifically for this purpose or the normal occupants may vacate it during some parts of the year. The guests will have full use of the residence, and usually the residence will not be serviced during their stay.
Vacation ("self-catered") rentals are usually cheaper than booking a hotel room for the same length of time. Utilities are normally included in the rental price and electricity and so on (if available) will be connected for your stay.
You will find vacation rentals all over the world. They offer excellent value for money and much more space than a hotel room. They are ideal for families or groups of friends who like to vacation together but are equally suitable for couples wishing to relax in comfort.
The facilities offered will vary from house to house. The homes will be individually furnished and equipped by their owners so you are sure to find one which suits your requirements.
Many will have private pools or accesss to a communal pool. You can expect kitchen and laundry facilities. Probably a TV - in the US you can often find TV in every room, maybe a Video player or DVD aswell.
Some of the homes will have a games room with games like pool or table tennis. Some will have games consoles such as Playstation 2 or X-Box.
You will find vacation homes near the theme parks, on the beach, in the mountains or countryside. Literally anywhere you are looking to vacation you will be able to find a vacation rental.
The ideal way to rent a vacation property is to talk directly to the owner. Many owners book their properties themselves and they will be able to answer any questions you have about their property. The pricing is more competitive as you are cutting out the middle-man and you know exactly which property you are renting.
Here are some sites where you can find vacation rentals:
- USA Resort Rentals (http://www.usaresortrentals.com) USA Resort Rentals is the source for planning your vacation at the various resort destinations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Whether you are planning a beach vacation at the many coastal resorts and beaches, quiet mountain getaway, tennis or golf vacation or ski vacation at one of the exciting ski resorts in the Eastern or Western mountains - we have the perfect vacation rental for your special holiday.
- Furnished Rentals (http://www.furnishedrentals.com/)
- www.betterVillas.com (http://www.bettervillas.com/)
- Last Minute Vacation Rentals (http://www.lastminuterentals.net)
- Vacation Rentals - TipTopVillas.com (http://www.tiptopvillas.com)
- DreamSpaces Vacation Rentals (http://www.dreamspaces.net)
- Vacation Rentals by Owner (http://www.vrbowner.com)
- List your property for free (http://www.rentals365.com)
- Triplehill Accommodation Booking Service, Accommodation in the Macedon Ranges and Spa Country, Victoria, Australia (http://www.triplehillabs.com.au/)