If you're trying to save money while you travel, you might look to cheap hotels or motels as a money-saving hack. Unfortunately, these options don't always help you save, mostly because they tend to lack important amenities you'll pay for elsewhere.
An upscale hotel might do the trick, but they come with their share of financial trappings, too. For example, many higher-end hotels and resorts come with resort fees or charge outrageous sums for internet access or breakfast.
If you really want to save, a rental condo or Airbnb could easily be your best option-even if the nightly rate is higher than local hotels.
Avoid Booking Multiple Hotel Rooms
Depending on your family size or who you're traveling with, a condo can easily be the most feasible and most affordable option. That's because many regions around the globe drastically limit the number of guests that can stay in a single hotel room.
In Europe, for example, most hotel rooms are only made to sleep two. By booking a rental condo that sleeps however many you need, you can avoid the added expense (and hassle) of multiple rooms.
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Cook Some Meals at "Home"
Hotel rooms rarely have more than a coffee pot, while rental condos tend to come with a full or partial kitchen that makes cooking some of your meals at home a breeze.
The more you can cook at "home," the more you'll save on your food bill. Even if you just eat breakfast in your rental condo, you'll save plenty.
Avoid Resort Fees
While you'll need to pay a cleaning fee to rent a condo, you can usually avoid many of the added fees that hotels and resorts charge-things like resort fees, Wi-Fi fees, gym fees and parking fees. Rental condos typically come with television and a cable package along with high-speed internet and a dedicated parking space.
Before you rent a condo, however, you should check to make sure it offers all the amenities you need.
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"Relax" In Your Own Living Room
A cheap hotel room may offer a place to sleep, but it offers little else. To have some fun-or to enjoy the company of your family-you need to leave your room and find more space.
Unfortunately, being away from your tiny hotel room all day usually entails spending money to keep everyone happy and entertained. A rental condo with a living room, on the other hand, offers space for your family to relax and unwind. You could watch a movie, play a board game or enjoy some snacks you brought along without having to pay for the privilege.
Do Your Own Laundry
If you're traveling with a family in tow, having the ability to do your own laundry while you travel is huge. Not only will having on-site laundry let you pack less and potentially avoid checked baggage fees, but you could avoid a laundromat visit as well. This will not only save you money but time.
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