The Price Makers presents: great tips to find affordable vacation accommodations!
Do you have a vacation planned out soon, and you’re looking for different tips to save money? One of the major fixed travel expenses is the place you sleep at night, so knowing where to get a good deal on lodging can help you have more money for all the exciting things you’re going to do during your vacation.
Luckily, there are several ways to travel with less money spent on lodging. Seeing the world is one of the best things ever because it helps you discover new cultures, great landscapes, fantastic food, and lovely memories.
A friend of mine is a travel enthusiast, and she gave me plenty of tips on how to find affordable vacation accommodations. Money doesn’t grow on trees, but you still want to have fun during your getaway, so without further ado, let’s discuss some of the most amazing tips on how to find affordable vacation accommodations. Let’s start!
1. Location
Finding affordable vacation accommodations isn’t that hard if you know what you want. The first thing you should consider when planning your getaway is the location you want to visit.
Whether it’s a vacation in the country or internationally, knowing the area you’d like to stay in is going to have a major impact on your total spending.
Generally speaking, the most budget-friendly option you can find is in suburban areas outside of cities, although you won’t always save money this way.
Depending on what you arrive at the destination with, you need to take different things into consideration, such as having a parking space or public transportation. If you pay less for a hotel room that’s in the suburbs and you spend a lot of dollars trying to get in the center, do you really save anything?
So before you book the most affordable vacation accommodations, take a few moments to investigate your alternatives for transportation and associated costs.
Sometimes, staying in the suburbs is the best option, but it will take you longer to get to the main attractions, and the transportation might not be cheap.
Other than that, while staying in a central area that’s close to local attractions, parks, beaches, airports, and food outlets might cost more, it could be worth it if you can just walk from one place to another. Think about what you want to get out of your vacation, and then book your accommodations.
Trust me, these are the best tips on how to find affordable vacation accommodations!
2. Stay a night extra
If you want to find affordable vacation accommodations and have the time of your life at the same time, you shouldn’t just book a single-night stay. When you spend more than one night, several hotels or even Airbnb facilities will shower you with their greatest discounts. This is particularly true for apartment rentals that provide packages lasting 7 days or more.
However, there are plenty of other discounts available for longer stays. A common deal at many hotels, for instance, especially chain hotels, is “stay 4 nights, pay for 3.”
Even though these deals exist, you have to look for them, and travel agencies say that you’re more likely to benefit from an offer like this when you travel off-season because hotels would do anything to fill their rooms.
These tips on how to find affordable vacation accommodations are amazing, so don’t miss them!
3. Stay mid-week
While weekends are the funniest days of the week, many tourists book their getaways from Friday through Monday. If you want to get the best affordable vacation accommodations, consider checking in on the weekdays.
Avoiding the busy Friday and Saturday nighttime hours is a smart strategy to save money on your hotel rooms in particular gorgeous places, including Las Vegas. If you prefer to stay a few days, consider booking your getaway from Tuesday through Thursday to get a lower price.
Big cities tend to be packed with tourists over the weekends, and hotels won’t miss this chance, and they’re increasing their rates like crazy. If you’re looking for the best tips on how to find affordable vacation accommodations, keep this one in mind.
4. Shoulder-season
Did you know that the prices for hotel rooms change from one season to another? Yes, that’s right, and if you want to find some affordable vacation accommodations, shoulder season is your friend.
This period is the one between the peak and off-peak seasons, and the reason I love it is that the weather is still wonderful, the popular destinations aren’t crowded, but there are still people on the streets, bars, and restaurants are open, and you don’t have to wait hours to get your food.
The shoulder season is fantastic because it can also help you cut down on car rental costs as well as on flight tickets. If you think about visiting Europe, for instance, you should avoid the July–August summer peak season and consider going in May or September. The weather is just perfect, and sightseeing will be way easier.
This isn’t a tip on how to find affordable vacation accommodations, but it is going to help you save money on flight costs! This carry-on luggage is exactly what you need to take everything you need on your trip without paying extra for luggage!
5. Apartments or suites
Another easy way to save money and find the most affordable vacation accommodations is to travel in groups. If you book your getaway with your family or with a small group of friends, you can save some money and still have fun.
Rental homes and apartments are generally more budget-friendly and practical than hotels, especially for large groups. For instance, if you want to go to the mountains with your friends, you can book an entire chalet, and each couple will have a private room with their own bathroom.
You’ll have to pay for the entire property, but the costs for that will be equally split between all guests. Moreover, what’s great about a rental home is that you can cook your own food in the kitchen and save money on restaurants. Isn’t that great?
6. Nearby towns
Another fantastic way to find affordable vacation accommodations is to look at hotels and suites in nearby towns. If the transportation costs aren’t over the top and the time to go from one place to another is manageable, you can book something that’s slightly outside of the city.
For instance, if you want to visit the fabulous New York City, a budget-friendly place to stay is Jersey City. Getting to Manhattan is going to take approximately 20 minutes by train, and you’ll save a ton of money.
However, don’t forget what we’ve previously discussed in point 1, because staying too far away from the main attractions you plan to visit isn’t a smart idea either, considering the high transportation costs, parking fees, or time in general. Do your research and choose the best option for you! That’s what’s going to make your getaway brilliant!
Do you know any other tips on how to find affordable vacation accommodations?
7. Contact hotels directly
Another way to find affordable vacation accommodations is to select the hotels or suites you’d love to stay in and contact them directly. Regardless of how easy it is to use booking sites like Airbnb and Booking.com, you might be lucky and get a fantastic deal if you message the hotel directly.
You can send them an email, give them a call, and talk about the price mentioned on booking platforms. Use your best persuasion tactics, and they might be offering you a better deal.
You surely know that hostels, hotels, and apartments pay a commission to use booking platforms, so they won’t mind you booking your room directly from their own platform. That’s because it’s going to help them keep 100% of your booking fee, so you both win.
8. Family deals
This tip goes hand-in-hand with the one previously mentioned. If you’ve decided to find affordable vacation accommodations, don’t forget to ask about family discounts when talking to the hotel staff.
Some hotels are nice enough to offer free meals for kids or include an upgrade at check-in. It doesn’t hurt to try your luck with this one. The worst thing that can happen is for them to say no, so keep it in mind!
I’m pretty sure you’ll like this next tip on how to find affordable vacation accommodations! Check it out!
9. Free cancellation
When you’re sure that you’ll be going on vacation pretty soon, don’t forget to make reservations in advance at the best price you can find online. After that, keep an eye on the prices to see if you can get a better offer at a different property or even at the same hotel.
For instance, most accommodations on Booking.com can be canceled for free up to 48 hours—and perhaps even 24 hours—before your visit. That’s fantastic in case something comes up and you can’t make it or if you find something that is more budget-friendly.
Moreover, you have some freedom to lock in that cost with their book now, pay later check-in system, so don’t neglect it. You might notice that sometimes new “last-minute deals” come up just 2 days before your check-in date.
Before you do anything, make sure you check and understand the booking conditions per room type, so you won’t be required to pay any additional fees.
10. Don’t forget about facilities
Finding affordable vacation accommodations can be an energy-consuming task, so if you want to save money, you need to choose a room or a suite that comes with a free airport shuttle, WiFi, breakfast included, free cable TV, and laundry facilities.
There are fancier options that might include BBQ areas, a pool, a tour booking desk, and a fitness center, so choose the one that fits your needs. When you’re lucky enough to find accommodation that includes all of these services, or at least a couple of them, it means that you won’t be paying extra for services outside.
If you want to rent an apartment for your getaway, make sure that there’s a microwave oven, fridge, and coffee machine at your disposal, because that’s going to save you lots of money.
These appliances will help you store food items and snacks so that you won’t be tempted to eat out for every single meal. Sometimes, finding affordable vacation accommodations isn’t only about the cost of the room but also about the facilities that you might need during your stay, so having them included in the price can be a game-changer.
If you want to discover other great tips on how to find affordable vacation accommodations, keep reading!
11. Credit card reward points
Another amazing way to find affordable vacation accommodations is by using those reward points on your credit card. We’ve talked about these points several times on our website (if you need a more in-depth explanation, check out this article: Save Money Every Day With These 16 Easy Tips), but using your credit card can give you bonus points you could exchange for flight deals and accommodation offers.
Since you already spend money buying the things you need, why not get some points in return? It’s like saying no to free money. You won’t catch me saying that.
However, there are plenty of travel credit cards that offer plenty of benefits that can be used when going on vacation, so make sure you look up credit card companies and ask them about reward points. You might get free upgrades, lounge access, and amazing experiences thanks to that, so don’t waste this opportunity!
Keep reading, because you’ll love this next tip on how to find affordable vacation accommodations!
12. Reward programs
Our 12th tip on how to find affordable vacation accommodations is to use loyalty programs or reward programs, such as Genius by Booking.com.
If you frequently visit the same hotel chains or online booking services, it’s a smart idea to join their rewards or membership programs. I can’t tell you which program is best because it depends on your priorities, how and where you travel, and how frequently you travel.
Besides that, there are plenty of travel credit cards that offer exceptional discounts at hotels to their members. However, keep in mind that all these deals are different and depend on your preferences and travel needs.
When researching reward programs, you should consider what matters more to you: more perks or free accommodation. Or would you rather enjoy luxury at a reasonable cost?
Charging your hotel expenses to a credit card that’s linked to the rewards program is the best thing you could do if you want to get the most out of any rewards program. Yay!
You can earn extra points for spending on any card, basically, but the best one will also instantly elevate you to elite status in the hotel program, earning you even more bonus points and benefits. Can you believe it?
Before you get your hopes up, don’t forget to take into consideration what the annual fee for your credit card will be. Is it really worth it if you don’t plan on traveling that much in a year?
Other perks that might come with travel credit cards are lounge access and travel insurance, and they can sweeten the deal. My advice for you is to not rush with this one. Take your time and think it through; it’s the smartest thing to do if you want to save money.
13. Dining options
We’re not done with these tips on how to find affordable vacation accommodations, so keep reading! As we’ve previously discussed, location is key when choosing the right place to stay, so make sure there’s a plethora of local cafes and restaurants next to you. To save money, make sure they’re budget-friendly (you can check that by looking at their menus online).
If you chose an accommodation that also serves breakfast, that’s wonderful, but keep in mind that larger cities have plenty of options for restaurants and cafes, and that can be cheaper compared to a dinner at the hotel. If you have the option, cook for yourself, because that’s going to be way better for your wallet.
14. Newsletter deals
Another tip I have for you on how to find affordable vacation accommodation is to subscribe via email to your favorite travel agencies and booking websites, such as Hotels.com, Booking.com, Expedia, and Airbnb.
They often share their latest deals and special coupons, and the first to receive them are those who subscribe to their email newsletters. Who knows what amazing offers you can find there? Subscribe now and find out!
15. Follow on social media
We’re almost done with these tips on how to find affordable vacation accommodations, but we have one more thing to talk about: get online, because that’s where the deals are!
Grab your phone and hit the “LIKE” button on your favorite booking platforms, hotels, and hostels on all social media pages: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Nowadays, more and more sites and properties post about their limited deals and offers that are available for a limited number of people, and it can be a great offer for you, especially if your travel plans are flexible. You snooze, you lose!
Which one of these tips on how to find affordable vacation accommodations is your favorite? Did you find this article useful? Leave a comment below and let us know!
If you’d like to read something else from The Price Makers, I recommend this article: 10 Negotiation Techniques for Successful Bargaining: Get the Price YOU WANT!
