Gettin’ Carried Away

After you have surprised yourself by finding a ridiculously cheap flight, you have to worry about where you are going to, as my mom used to jokingly say, “sh**, shower and shave.” If you didn’t book a total travel package, don’t panic! Sometimes it’s cheaper to book a flight and a hotel separately. And unless you plan on traveling far outside the city, I never recommend renting a car. Anyway - back to the hotel search!

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One of the best sites I ever stumbled upon was New York Habitat. I first discovered the company when I became a freelance writer for them. It’s a very interesting business! NYH offers you the chance to stay in more personal accommodations than those offered by hotels. These furnished vacation rentals can be rented for 3 days up to 3 months!

In New York, some of these rentals go for $170 - $200 a night! The rates at my favorite hotel in SoHo, the Holiday Inn, start around $300. And it is one of the cheaper hotels I’ve stayed in! The only down side of New York Habitat is that you can only utilize their services if you are traveling to New York, Paris, South of France, London or Rome. But it’s still a great site!

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I have also used Hostel World on many occasions. If you are traveling with a group of friends, this is an especially good service to use. If you don’t know the difference between a hostel and a hotel, I’ll tell you realy quick. A hotel room is private, while hostel rooms typically vary from semi-private to openly communal. By staying in a hostel, you are choosing to stay in a room with anywhere from 2 to 20 people, sharing a bathroom, a common area and either a dining hall or a kitchen.

You can book affordable hostel accommodations on Hostel World in virtually any city in the world! I just checked my hometown, Chicago, to see some current prices. I found a dorm room for as low as $22 per night and a private room for $25.66! Private rooms will always be more expensive, but sometimes you get lucky, and the price difference is only a few dollars, euros or pounds. And don’t forget - if you are student studying abroad, there will usually be deals. Your hostel will also most likely have coupons for nearby restaurants, bars and clubs.

Even if you’re not lucky enough to still be in school, just keep an eye out. There’s always a hidden deal somewhere!