Accommodation is one of the major budget costs when you travel – along with transportation, food and activities. And trying to keep these costs down will as a result reward you in being able to travel for a longer period of time, if that´s what you aim to do. No one wants to spend a lot of money for a bed but you have to sleep somewhere – therefore reducing these expenses can save you a lot of money off the total cost of your trip. You can make big savings just by staying a little bit cheaper than the ordinary two weeks hotel vacation.

Learning how to find cheap accommodation will help you save more money that you in return can spend on activities which is really what a trip is all about. And one of the cheapest ways to spend the night usually is at a hostel. If you are lucky you can even stay for free when doing couch surfing. 

Travel budget

How much money you have when you leave home will be one of the major factors that determines how much you can spend each day to get a good nights sleep. This will probably set the tone for what you will be looking for and what type of traveler you choose to be – budget, in the middle or luxury.

Destination

Another crucial factor for how much money you will spend for a bed is where you are going in the world. Some places are really expensive while others are so cheap its close to nothing. If you compare USA to Thailand you get the picture. Spending more time in countries and regions where your money travels further is a golden rule. When traveling to more expensive countries you will have to lower your accommodation standards.

Length of your trip

If you are about to travel the world for over a year you simply cannot afford to stay at hotels each and every night – then you have to adopt a backpacker travel style and stay in hostels. However if you are going on a vacation for two weeks you could probably afford a more luxurious stay and maybe even all inclusive. Therefore depending on how long you will travel you can mix up and change your accommodation style to suite your needs.

Price

One of first things many people do when looking for a place to stay on for example booking.com is to sort the results by price from lowest to highest and take it from there. We all wanna find those deals where the price for a nights sleep is as low as possible. An easy way to find the best deal is to look at the best price while also looking at the number of positive reviews. That way you don’t have to do the hard work, since other peoples opinions will help you make a decision.

Location

Generally the further out from the city center you stay the cheaper it gets. But don’t forget what it might cost you if you wanna visit the city center everyday and have to take the bus, taxi or other transportation. Some of the best hostels are usually located downtown and close to the main street but then the price might also go up. A good tip is to stay in a central area such as close to public transportation, local attractions, food outlets, the beach, the park – where you can reach these things by foot. This way you will save both money and time. Sometimes you might also wanna stay close to the airport – so it depends on your plans for the upcoming days. Always check these things before booking.

Hostels

Without a doubt the best way to stay. Booking a hostel is a good choice for many reasons if you are a budget traveler and always wanna keep the costs down so that you may travel longer. If you are looking to save money on your trip it should be your first choice next to couch surfing. Besides being super cheap you get the chance to meet travelers from all over the world and make memories, and perhaps even friends, for life. This is by far the best social atmosphere to be in if you like backpacking. Some of the hostels even have private rooms whenever you need the comfort of your own space. 

Hotels

If you are traveling on a budget you would naturally do your best at keeping your costs down. This means that you cannot stay at a hotel every night for a year. However the occasional mix between different acommodation styles is always good and sometimes you can even find hotel rooms for the same price as a hostel bed – but it all depends on where in the world you are. 

Airbnb

Airbnb is one of our favorite services on the market. This site connects you with homeowners who rent out their homes or apartments. Staying with the locals, you get the comforts of home and at the same time pay a fraction of the cost of a hotel room. This is especially profitable if you travel in a group because then you can rent a whole house and split the costs instead of each one of you sleeping in separate hotel rooms or hostel beds. Airbnb represent the middle ground between hostels and hotels and one of the best things about it is that you can use the kitchen and save money on food as well.