4 Tips for Picking Out the Ideal Lodging While Traveling

For many, the first part of going on vacation is deciding where exactly you’re going. After that, you start to look at flights or transportation options as well as the best things to see and do while you’re in your chosen spot.

Once you have your flights and your dates set, then it’s time to book lodging.

There are roughly 5 billion (rough estimate, we lost count after 5 million) lodging websites you can browse. Many flight websites, such as Kayak, Priceline, Expedia, etc, bundle your flight and hotel together to create a holiday package.

Airlines also do this too, as after booking a flight you will often receive an email encouraging you to look at their hotels and/or rental car options.

So how can you go about choosing the ideal place to rest your head? Where do you even start? Below, we’re going to give some key tips on helping you find your ideal space for your next big trip.

Think About What Kind of Trip You Want

Generally speaking, the three most popular lodging options are hostels, hotels/motels, and apartment/house rentals. Each offer completely different things with their own advantages or disadvantages.

Hostels have long had a bad rep since the 2006 horror film by the same name came out, but they’re not the horrible death traps that Hollywood would have you believe.

Here’s a quick list of the pros and cons of staying in a Hostel.

Pros:
● Easy to meet people
● Inexpensive
● Found in city centers
● Host cultural events

Cons:
● Noisy
● Crowded
● May have to share room/bathroom

So if you’re someone traveling alone or with a friend and you want to meet other people to explore with, then a hostel is a great option for you.

Hotels and motels are well-known and there are many sites to choose the right hotel or motel. Try a Hotel comparison site where you can filter on amenities, price and distances to landmarks in the area.

Apartment or house rentals offer you a chance to live more like a local. Depending on what you’re renting, they can have everything from a living room to a full kitchen.

It all depends on what kind of trip you want. Looking to party the whole time? A hostel may be best. Romantic getaway? Go for a hotel or apartment rental.

If you’re looking at using Airbnb for the first time, we have an Airbnb referral code that gives you up to $35 USD toward your first stay.

Choose Location over Amenities

When you’re planning your vacation, you’re thinking about which monuments you want to visit and places to see. You’re not exactly going to be super-thrilled because it has a big screen TV and a walk-in closet.

The top thing we always look at is the location of lodging. Here are some questions you should ask yourself:

● Is it in the center? If not, how far is it from the center?
● Is it close to what I want to see and do?
● How do I get there from the airport/train station/bus station?
● Is there public transportation close by?

You’d rather spend time seeing the city you’re in instead of looking at four walls. So when you’re searching through places, look for location first.

But Amenities Can be Important

If you’re going for an apartment or house rental, you’re likely going to be looking at what the house does have to offer.

You’ll want to look to make sure they have linens, WiFi, and a full working kitchen so that you can prepare your own meals. Not only will this help save you money, but you can also eat healthier while shopping around with other locals.

This largely depends on the type of lodging you’re looking for. If something is really important to you, don’t give up hope in looking for a proper option.

Read the Reviews

While you might be tempted to simply look at how many stars it was given or what it’s overall numerical rating is, it’s best to actually read reviews.

While people may applaud the location, they may talk about how dirty the place was. Looking at the numbers isn’t bound to give you the full story, so make sure you’re getting the full story.

Many places have individual rankings for things like location, security, customer service, etc. That can help you narrow down a place that would be attractive to you.

While you may cycle through the positive ones only, be sure to read the reviews that gave the place a horrible review. One or two may be from a disgruntled customer who was just having a bad day but if you see a common theme in their complaints you might want to throw up a red flag.