This information will clarify precisely how you can discover low-cost lodging on a highway journey. It contains suggestions and tips that I’ve realized from over a decade of touring and quite a few prolonged highway journeys all around the world. I’ve highway tripped round over 30 international locations in Europe alone, so I do know a factor or two about discovering low-cost locations to remain.
If you’re planning a highway journey, this put up is a must-read to make sure you get the most effective worth in your highway journey lodging. Let’s leap into my high twelve suggestions. I’ll increase on every level and supply hyperlinks to priceless highway journey sources.
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My Favorite Booking Platforms
I exploit Booking.com for accommodations, flats, and homestays. Sometimes hostels are cheaper too.
I exploit Hostelworld for dorm beds or personal rooms inside hostels. Always test evaluations.
How To Find Cheap Accommodation On A Road Trip
- Be versatile with dates: If your journey dates are versatile, think about staying throughout off-peak occasions or weekdays, when lodging costs are typically decrease.
- Plan forward: Research your route and make a listing of doable lodging upfront. This lets you evaluate costs, learn evaluations, and ebook early to safe higher charges.
- Always test a number of reserving websites after deciding on lodging. Fees can fluctuate throughout platforms making a worth distinction. I normally use Booking.com however If I’m staying in a hostel I additionally test Hostelworld. Platforms typically have particular provides, reductions, and last-minute offers.
- Factor in parking prices: When evaluating lodging choices, think about the price of parking. Some properties might supply free or discounted parking, whereas others would possibly cost a payment. Take this into consideration when making a highway journey price range and evaluating lodging selections. Check out our put up on discovering low-cost automobile parking.
- Explore choices exterior the town: Since you’ve gotten a automobile, benefit from the pliability it supplies and think about staying in lodging situated exterior of metropolis facilities. These locations are sometimes inexpensive and might present a extra relaxed environment, whereas nonetheless being inside straightforward driving distance of main points of interest.
- Consider different lodging: Look for non-traditional lodging choices equivalent to hostels, guesthouses, motels, or campgrounds, which are sometimes extra inexpensive than accommodations. I’ve used Couchsurfing up to now however be sure you take precautions and do your personal analysis earlier than contemplating this.
- Leverage loyalty applications and memberships: Sign up for lodge and reserving website loyalty applications or use present memberships (e.g., AAA, AARP) to get reductions on lodging.
- Negotiate immediately with the property: Contact the property on to inquire about particular charges or reductions. They might supply a greater deal than what’s listed on reserving web sites.
- Utilize social media and on-line boards: Join travel-related Facebook teams, Reddit threads, or different on-line boards the place vacationers share tips about discovering inexpensive lodging.
- Travel with buddies or household: Sharing lodging with a gaggle can assist you save on prices by splitting bills.
- Be open to last-minute offers: Some accommodations and lodging properties supply discounted charges for last-minute bookings as a way to fill empty rooms. Keep an eye fixed out for these offers, however keep in mind that they won’t be obtainable for all locations or throughout peak journey seasons.
- Sleep in your automobile as a final resort: If you’re unable to search out inexpensive lodging, you’ll be able to think about sleeping in your automobile as a final resort. It’s necessary to make sure you analysis secure locations to sleep in your automobile earlier than contemplating this selection, equivalent to well-lit relaxation areas, truck stops, or designated in a single day parking areas. Be conscious of native legal guidelines and laws concerning in a single day parking and sleeping in autos, as these can fluctuate between jurisdictions. Our article could possibly assist: Is it unlawful to sleep in your automobile? It’s additionally necessary to totally analysis security concerns when sleeping in your automobile.
Iain based The Road Trip Expert in 2019 and continues to handle the web site to at the present time. The inspiration to start out the weblog got here throughout an in depth highway journey round Europe with two buddies that spanned a number of months and concerned over 25,000km of driving. Iain writes about a wide range of matters together with backpacking, planning highway journeys, and automobile tenting.