I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Budget travel does not mean skimping, not enjoying yourself, or staying in seedy accommodation. Usually, people will book hotels, Airbnb or, book a package holiday. However, these are not the best choices of for cheap holiday accommodation. So, if you’re looking for cheaper travel, you should consider different types. Usually, where we stay is one of the biggest expenses when we travel. Therefore, I have put together this list of cheap holiday accommodation options for you to try.
Cheap Holiday Accommodation Option 1 – Hostels
Despite their reputation, hostels are a great choice of accommodation for cheap travel. You will have a slightly different experience, as there is a strong focus on socialising, which can be great for solo travellers. Equally, if you are just looking for cheap accommodation, nobody is going to force you to make friends. Also, if you are travelling as a group, you can book a whole dormitory for you and your friends.
A lot of people don’t consider hostels as they are usually a dormitory-style set up. Of course, this option is not for everyone, but most hostels now offer private rooms. So, hostels really do offer something for everyone looking for cheaper accommodation. They are also probably the cheapest choice from this list, without providing a service (read on to find out more).
Hostelworld is the best website for organising this type of accommodation, with an extensive selection across the entire world.
Option 2. Guesthouses
If a hostel doesn’t sound appropriate for you, you have the option of guesthouses or bed-and-breakfast establishments. Similarly to hostels, these environments will usually have a communal area for guests to mingle, if you wish to do so. However, different to hostels, you don’t have the choice of dorms and will always have your own private room. Additionally, they often have options of some meals for good value. This can also help you with saving money on food.
Guesthouses are usually more expensive than hostels because of the added privacy and comfort. You can find some great guesthouses and B&B’s on TripAdvisor.
Option 3. Home Stays
For me, home stays are one of the best types of cheap travel accommodation. Home stays are like guesthouses but they aren’t specifically used for renting all of the rooms out. Instead, it is usually a local family renting a room out in their home. This means the price is kept low, but you get a much more intimate and authentic experience.
As mentioned above, if you don’t want to socialise, this won’t be a good choice, as you’re living with people. However, if you want a more unique experience, and like to give back to the local community, I would highly advise booking home stays.
From my experience, Airbnb is the best place to book home stays. Another tip is to message the hosts directly to ask if you can pay in cash. Usually, this allows them to bring the price down but still make more money, as they won’t pay the fees to Airbnb.
Cheap Holiday Accommodation Option 4 – House Sitting
As with the home stays option, you will be staying in somebody’s home. However, they won’t be there! Therefore, you can get the experience of renting an apartment from a booking website but, at much reduced rates (or potentially even free). This is because you are providing a service for somebody in return, by house sitting whilst they are away themselves. There are also different types of house sitting, for example, pet sitting, where you take care of the family pets.
As you can imagine, this is a more unusual form of travel accommodation. Also, some people won’t enjoy this, as you might not want the responsibility whilst you are on holiday. However, it can be an extremely good set up if you can find it.
One downside to house sitting is that it is quite a new concept. This means it is not as common as conventional accommodation types and may not be available in your destination. Equally, if you want to try house sitting, you should visit Trusted Housesitters or Mind My House.
Option 5. House Exchange
House exchanges are very similar to the house sitting concept above. You will still be looking after someone’s house and having the same experience as if you chose to house sit. However, you will also offer your home for them to stay in. You may not have heard of this option but, it’s an amazing idea for those looking for cheap travel accommodations. Also, this is a great option to find places to visit away from touristy areas.
Obviously, I understand that you may not be comfortable having strangers in your home. But, it is a great way to save money and help with this new concept of house sitting. Similar to house sitting, there is limited choice with house exchange but you can see what’s available at Home Exchange.
Option 6. Work Exchange
This option is more suited to long term travellers. With work exchange, you can find accommodations that offers work programs in exchange for a place to stay. This usually means you help with tasks in exchange for reduced rates or free accommodation. Helpfully, you can find a lot of places that don’t require any skills. For example, manual work, house work or caring/ helping elderly homeowners. Not only is this a great way to get cheaper travel, it can also be meaningful, rewarding and provide value to the local community.
Work exchange is an amazing concept that helps you travel at a huge discount as you don’t have the big expense of accommodation. So, you can find offers at Work Away, or World Packers.
Cheap Holiday Accommodation Option 7 – Capsule Hotels
Capsule hotels are becoming more and more popular. Why? Because they are a great cheap travel choice for those who only need a place to sleep. So, if you don’t spend much time at the hotel when you travel, you need to try them! Often, they are similar to hostels. But, they offer a self-enclosed capsule, or pod, for you to stay in. They are usually only the size of a mattress, with enough head room to sit up but nothing more. Although they sound very basic, they will also have electrical ports and a light, and sometimes a mirror or even a TV.
I have stayed in a capsule hotel twice. Once in Amsterdam and once in Copenhagen. Honestly, I think they are a great idea for those who just need somewhere to sleep, or solo travellers who want some cheap privacy in a hostel environment. As they are set up like hostels, you will usually have shared bathroom facilities.
Most hotel booking platforms will have these options as they are just hostels, so try searching for them on Trip Advisor.
Option 8. Camping
Although it is not considered as much these days, camping can be a very cost-effective choice. Especially in natural or national park areas and if you like to embrace the outdoors. All in all, It’s an awesome alternative for budget travel and can double up as an adventure as well. One downside to camping is the risk of bad weather. However, if you plan well, choose the right destination at the right time, it is a great experience. Also, campsites are so much cheaper and fitting for budget travel than other cheap holiday accommodation options. Obviously, it may also not be ideal for long term travel where you have all of your possessions with you. But, for a holiday, it is a great choice for you to explore. You can explore camping options here.
One great website for campsites is Pitch Up. Although, many other websites such as AirBnB also have camping options.
Option 9. Couch Surfing
Finally, for lone travellers, you have to explore options like couchsurfing. Couchsurfing is a website/ app which does exactly what it says. It basically offers people a place in someones home, sometimes on a couch. I mean, you don’t have to lone travell, but you’d need to find a big couch if you’re not! So, this is more aimed at travellers rather than holiday makers but, could be an option if you’re having a short break on your own. Couch surfing may be a travel app you’ve never heard off, nonetheless it’s a great option to look into.
Conclusion – Cheap Holiday Accommodation
So, I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and have found value in it. But remember, the aim of budget travel is not to slum it or dim your experience. Therefore, you really need to think about what kind of experience you want from your travel. This article simply offers alternative options that you can try to save some money on your next trip.
You can check out some of my other budget travel tips across the site. Whether it’s saving money on food, flights, general travel or travelling more around work.
Do you know any other websites that can help people save money on their accommodation?
