ACCOMMODATION AROUND THE GLOBE
Budget Accommodation for the Young and
the Young at Heart
by Katie Cooney
There are many accommodation
options around the world, from dormitory rooms to elegant five star hotels.
One of the daily decisions you will make while traveling is where to sleep each
night. Your budget and where you feel comfortable will determine the type
of accommodation you will choose.
Listed and explained here are a
variety of accommodation options. International youth hostels, pensions,
backpacker hotels, bed and breakfasts, homestays, convents and monasteries, and
overnight trains and ferries are all a possibility for the traveler. The
accommodations detailed here are more suited to the backpack traveler, who tends
to be on a more austere budget. However, depending upon where in the world
you go, you may find enchanting little hotels that have existed for years that
are reasonable and affordable even on your humble budget.
As housing and architecture
differ greatly around our globe, so will your experience in finding
accommodation. Each place has its own rules and regulations, customs, and
taboos. Each place accommodation holds pleasures and challenges to meet
and greet every traveler.
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH HOSTELS
The International Youth Hostel
Association provides accommodation internationally and within the United States.
Staying in youth hostels is one of my strongest recommendations for lodging.
The philosophy of the
International Youth Hostel Association is to provide a place where people from
all over the world can come, stay inexpensively, and meet other travelers and
native people. Understanding and gaining a greater knowledge of other
cultures, ethnic groups, and race are basic tenets of the hostelling philosophy.
Some of the most interesting and terrific people stay in youth hostels around
the world. It is a place where people from every corner of the earth come
together and share their lives, ideas, a dorm room, and a hot cup of coffee.
Hostels provide a clean, safe,
inexpensive accommodation for travelers who enjoy the company of others and the
community spirit that the hostel embodies. Generally availed by more
youthful travelers, hostels host a wide range of age groups.
International Youth Hostel Membership
The process of becoming an
International Youth Hostel member is quite simple. Contact the
International Youth Hostel office in writing, telephone, on the Web, or FAX and
request a membership application. See page 9 for this information.
After the membership package
has been sent to you and you have filled out the appropriate paperwork and
mailed the membership fee, your application will be processed. The
membership fee for an individual is approximately $25.00, is good for one year,
and may be renewed annually.
Once an accepted member of the
International Youth Hostel you will receive the following: a world map
listing the International Youth Hostels, a youth hostel card, and a youth hostel
book listing all the hostels in the United States. A book listing all of
the International Hostels may also be purchased. Definitely purchase the
International Hostel Accommodation guide and carry it with your guidebook.
International Youth Hostel Reservations
Reservations may be made at the
International Youth Hostels. Request a reservation by telephone. The
International Booking Network will reserve a bed for you in over three hundred
youth hostels worldwide. To book a reservation internationally, you will
need to call three to eight days in advance, maybe more depending on the season.
The reservation is prepaid by credit card.
Youth hostels in more
frequented cities (London, Paris, Tokyo) are often booked to capacity.
Plan in advance and make a reservation early to secure a bed. If you plan
on traveling alone, making reservations may give you peace of mind when
traveling to your destinations.
Each Hostel Has Its Own Style & Personality
What to Expect
Each hostel differs from the
next; no two are ever the same. Individualizing each hostel will be the
country, architecture, floor plan, and the people managing the establishment.
Youth hostels each offer the same general rooms and common areas. Although
some may be grander than the other more modest hostels, they typically all share
a few basic traits.
The hostel provides separate
dorms for men and women. The dormitory style rooms have bunk beds for
sleeping. Each traveler will be assigned a bunk bed. A bed sheet may
be provided in the accommodation fee or you may have to rent one. Many
hostellers bring their own bed sheet to use. This saves money and you
always have your own linen.
Typically, one large bathroom
for the women is separate from the one large bathroom for the men. Women's
rooms and the men's room are often located on separate floors or opposite
hallways.
A common area provides a space
in which friends and travelers of both genders may come together and talk.
Usually filled with couches and chairs, people sit and share where they have
been and their stories of being on the road. This room provides a place to
hang out, read, write, talk, or play the guitar.
Many hostels have a rotating
library system such as bookshelf with used paperback and hardback books.
Travelers donate books they have read and then take a book that looks
interesting. The used books may also be for sale at a fraction of their
original price. Trading books with other travelers is a great way to
receive new books and unload the books you have read.
Information boards in the
hostel will give you information on local sights, points of interest, and
traveling tips on that particular city. Also, corkboards with requests and
offerings from fellow travelers may be present. People may post requests
for rides or the desire to share the cost of renting a car across a large
distance. A solo traveler may advertise for a traveling partner for a few days
to a specific area. Items for sale (travel guides, books, airplane tickets, rail
tickets, etc.) may all be advertised on the hostel corkboard as well.
Kitchen facilities may be
available depending upon the hostel. A great way to save money while on
the road is to cook your own meals. The hostel may also provide a dinner
for a reasonable price. Consult your hostel guide book and note if there
are kitchen facilities available. The hostel kitchen is generally equipped
with pots, pans, plates, bowls, and utensils. The basic kitchen items are
provided, but nothing special. The kitchen may have specific hours in
which it may be used so check and be aware of the time schedule.
Youth Hostel Curfews
Youth hostels enforce a day and
night time curfew. The hostel will have specific hours in which you may
check in and check out. Typically the hostel will be closed during the day
for several hours. During this time you will not be able to gain access
into the building. Not all hostels close during the day but be aware that
some do. At night, the hostel will close its doors. Any guest who
has not returned by the curfew hour will not be let in. Take notice as to
when the hostel curfew is and plan appropriately.
Small Task in Exchange for Budget Accommodation
Some hostels expect you to
perform some small task as a part of your stay, such as rake a few leaves, clean
a small bathroom, sweep out the women's room. Nothing crazy or time
consuming will be asked of you as a chore. Youth hostels manage to remain
available and affordable by enlisting the help of the travelers who use their
facilities.
Age Limitations, Limited Stay Mail & Extra Fees
Some youth hostels have an age
limit for their guests. For instance, in northern Germany, a traveler over
the age of twenty-seven must pay a slightly higher fee for accommodation.
Consult the youth hostel book in advance of your stay for any age restrictions
or additional fees. Although one may feel the age regulation and extra fee
are discriminating and unfair it is in essence enforced to benefit the more
youthful travelers. Hostels want space to be available for young travelers
to stay inexpensively. In order to protect and secure accommodation for
the more youthful travelers, some youth hostels do not take travelers over a
certain age.
The youth hostel may also have
a limitation on the number of consecutive days you may stay. If there is a
limitation it is usually three or four days. Consult the youth hostel
book.
Receiving mail at the youth
hostel must be arranged in advance with the individual hostel. A small fee
may be charged to receive mail.
Youth hostels differ greatly
from place to place. While in Barcelona, Spain, I stayed in a stately old
mansion. Inlaid floors and mosaic walls adorned the rooms. Guests
would tinker away at the baby grand piano in the spacious lobby. The cafe
lattes served on the morning cafeteria line were heavenly. Sound pretty
terrific? It was.
In comparison, while staying in
Krakow, Poland, the accommodation proved to be a bit more modest. No baby
grand pianos or creamy cafe latte's surfaced but the people working at the
hostel and the good feeling from the other travelers made my stay memorable and
unique.
HOSTELLING INTERNATIONAL
733 15th Street, NW, Suite 840 Washington DC 20005
(202) 783-6161 Fax: (202) 783-6171
Web Site: www.iyhf.org
(Membership application)
INTERNATIONAL BOOKING NETWORK
(202) 783-6161
(Reserve a bed at over 300 hostels around the world)
BACKPACKER HOTELS
In many Asian countries
backpacker hotels or crash pads will provide accommodation to the traveler.
Youth hostels are not as plentiful in Asian countries as they are in Europe.
In countries such as India, Nepal, China, Vietnam, and Singapore one may find
the backpacker hotels rather good, adequate, or marginal. Where you are
coming from, and where you've stayed previously will, all influence your
comparative analysis and critique of the backpacker hotel.
Backpacker hotels are managed
and run by individual proprietors. They see loads of young travelers
coming through their towns as a market to be tapped into. Some of the
accommodations are home-like buildings restructured into a hotel type rooms.
Many of the backpacker hotels are old hotels that have been given a structural
and visual face-lift. Some of the hotels are new structures built just for
the influx of travelers to a given destination. One never knows just what
to expect because each is individually managed and owned.
Each hotel has its own rules
and regulations, which are generally posted by the check-in desk, so they are
easily visible to the guest. These accommodations generally have less
rules, regulations, and curfews. Kitchen facilities, common areas,
rotating libraries are less common. The price will also vary from place to
place. Sometimes you will be able to bargain for a better price if you
plan on staying for an extended amount of time. Time of year, the season,
and the flow of travelers are all taken into account when bargaining for
accommodation.
PENSIONS
Pensions are popular in Europe.
A step above the hostels, yet not as pricey as the larger hotels. A
pension may be a small hotel or a room in a person's home. Many guidebooks
will list different pensions in the accommodation section of the city.
Pensions have their own rules
and regulations. The price of the room may include breakfast. When feeling
the need for privacy and personal space, pensions are a great option.
Personally, I have only stayed
in one pension while in Florence, Italy. Feeling quite a bit under the
weather and in need of speedy accommodation. My friends, Valerie and
Robin, secured a room in an older Italian woman's home. Although we moved
to less expensive accommodation the following day, after I convalesced, the
pension met my immediate needs to rest and lay down.
HOTELS
Hotels offer another
accommodation option. Flying to and arriving into a unfamiliar foreign
city late at night may be unsettling. Especially if you are traveling
alone or even with a friend, book a reservation at a hotel in the city of your
destination prior to leaving home for at least one night.
For instance, leaving the
United States and arriving in London or Nairobi, late at night with no set
accommodation will immediately be challenging. Upon arrival you may be jet
lagged, tired, disoriented, and anxious. Being able to deplane, go through
customs, collect your baggage, and go directly to your hotel will be reassuring
and comforting both physically and psychologically. Give yourself at least
24 hours to get your bearings and begin acclimating to the new environment.
CONVENTS, MONASTERIES & RETREATS
Convents and monasteries
provide accommodation for travelers. Listed in guidebooks, convents and
monasteries offer safe and modest accommodation to those on the road. Each
facility has its own rules and regulations, accommodation may be limited in age
and gender. The convents, in Italy, typically host only female travelers.
In Venice, Italy there is a
great convent run by endearing, yet strict and forthright Catholic nuns.
The spunky disposition of the nuns provided entertainment and an upright
community spirit. We stayed with them for several days and had a blast.
The convent dorm room was one
large room with three rows of thirty stiff starched beds. High vaulted
ceilings and one large crucifix of Christ loomed above us. The convent was
clean and safe. The cafe vending machine in the lobby was the best place
to get that caffeine jolt in the early morning.
If you would like to take a
spiritual retreat for a day, few days, or several weeks, planning ahead and
making the appropriate plans will only help when you arrive at your intended
spiritual destination. Contact your church or the organization in which
you would like to take a retreat. Some guidebooks may also list different
monasteries in which you may take a spiritual retreat. Not all
organizations can be contacted from home. In this case you will have to go
and see what you can arrange.
BED & BREAKFASTS
Bed and breakfasts offer a more
personalized accommodation. The comfortable, cozy setting may be a bit on
the pricey side if you are on a tight budget. Keep in mind these lodgings
are about pampering people away from home and making them feel taken care of,
indulged, and relaxed. The backpacker may welcome this extra indulgence,
but the price tag may be out of your budget. The rate of accommodation
will depend on the geographical area and the season.
To actually stay in the home of
a person who lives in the country you are visiting is a terrific experience.
Although a guest, you gain insight on a small slice of life of those people who
run the bed and breakfast.
HOMESTAYS
Participating in a homestay
with a family in the country you are traveling to, may be one of the greatest
ways to get to know the people of the country. Staying with a family gives
you the opportunity to become part of their lives for a short time. The
family also has the opportunity to get to know you and learn more about your
culture.
Homestays are a more intimate
way to travel the globe. A great bonus will be that the family will be
excited to have a foreign guest to show their local points of interest and
welcome the opportunity to teach you about their culture. Observing how
the family operates in daily life will give you greater insight upon their
culture and your own. The rules and expectations for the family will most
likely also apply to you over the course of your stay.
One way to find a host family
abroad is to investigate any of your family or friends who may know families
abroad that would like to host you for a few days or a couple of weeks.
If you are attending a
university or are a alumni, check into any exchange programs offered through
your educational institution. Overseas internships and study programs may
be available. Contact the Career Center or International Studies Center at
your university and see what you can find.
OVERNIGHT TRAINS & FERRIES
Overnight trains and ferries
offer a cheap place to sleep while on route to your next destination.
Getting from one destination to the next may only be viable on an overnight
excursion. When traveling by ferry over great bodies of water, as between,
Ireland and France and Italy and Greece, the journey was only offered overnight.
Unless you want to book a flight or swim, your only other option was the
overnight ferry. The bonuses to overnight trains and ferries are two fold.
While you sleep you are traveling closer to your next destination and you avoid
paying a night's accommodation.
Reservations may be needed for
overnight train travel. Check the schedules and restrictions at the train
station prior to your departing date. Don't wait until the night you plan
on departing to investigate your options. A little prior footwork avoids
unexpected surprises, delays, and disappointments at the train station.
Depending upon the country, train, your ticket, seat and sleeper availability,
you may sit and sleep, lay down on the seats, or pay a supplement for a sleeper.
The long distance ferries run
overnight. Usually the journey is quite long and will generally leave late
afternoon or evening. Again you may purchase a seat to sit and sleep,
purchase a berth in the bowels of the ship (not recommended), or sleep up on
deck for no extra charge. On deck you will find one large sprawling
traveler slumber party.
Overnight ferries are not the
most restful way to travel, however they do serve the purpose and you do arrive
at your intended destination the next day. If you travel by ferry during
the day it can be quite nice. Relaxing on deck and enjoying the salty sea
air can offer a great break from travel.
The stretch in traveling on
overnight trains and ferries are a few. Sleeping is often uncomfortable,
restless, and interrupted by stops and train conductors checking tickets and
passes. Theft is a problem on overnight journeys. At your most vulnerable,
when asleep, you may be robbed. If another passenger is harassing you it
may be difficult to ditch them on the journey.
Remember to stock up on some
food and water before you board the ferry or train. Food concession prices
are practically criminal. Always take something to hold you over until you
can get off the train or ferry.
WORD OF MOUTH
Undoubtedly, the best resource
regarding information about accommodation will come from other travelers.
Commonly you will meet travelers who have just come from the town or area you
are traveling to. Ask them about where they stayed, what they liked or
disliked, and how much they paid. Simply asking other travelers about
their experiences is most helpful.
Accommodations and hotels come
and go. The turnover cannot be updated in guidebooks as rapidly as other
travelers can advise and recommend. Other traveling souls are the best
resource.
When you first begin your trip
it will seem as though everyone knows so much more about accommodations, food,
and sights. Don't worry. In a couple of weeks you too, will be
recommending accommodations and the like.
Remember to write down were you
stayed. It will be helpful in giving that information to those you meet.
Take a business card if available, of the great accommodation or restaurant, to
refer others. I wrote down the accommodations in which I stayed and was
then able to go back and give a great recommendation having written it down.
TRAVEL BOOKS LIST ACCOMMODATION
Most travel books will list a
variety of accommodations. Remember to choose a travel book that is in
harmony with your budget and philosophy of travel. Browse through the
accommodation recommendations and see if it resonates to what you are expecting
and can afford. Some books will give accommodation recommendations in
varying degrees of one's budget from high end to budget accommodation.
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Special circumstances arise,
you can depend on that when traveling abroad. You may miss the check-in
time at the youth hostel, all the budget accommodations in the town seem to be
booked for the night or you may be feeling ill. I call this a special
circumstances time. A time when you need to pay a little bit more for your
night’s rest or catch a train to the next town and hope for better luck.
If you do end up paying more for your accommodation, then simply enjoy it.
Let's face it, regardless if you enjoy it or curse about it for the next four
days, you will be out the same amount of cash and maybe some enjoyable days.
Remember to try and plan ahead and make reservations if it is high season for
travel.
WALK THROUGH
Take a quick look at your
intended accommodation before you lay out your cash. Some proprietors may
act put out by your desire to see the room or dorm. They either believe
they have a great place and feel distrusted or their place is not great and they
know you will run when you get a closer look.
Look At the Room
Check out the room you will be
staying in, the bed, the bathroom, and the overall general cleanliness. If
you are in an individual room check the lock on the door and the lock on the
windows to be sure they are working properly.
Inquire about the following;
-
Do they have hot water?
-
Are any of the meals
included in the price of the accommodation? Which ones? Are other
meals available?
-
Is there a day or evening
curfew?
-
Are the rooms all female or
co-ed?
Have a Good Feeling about the Place?
If you don't feel good about a
place, have a weird feeling from the proprietor, feel uncomfortable about the
physical lay out of the place, (no fire exits, locks don't work) rooms are
dirty, bathrooms stink, and the type of people staying their are not your type
of friends, then LEAVE!
Do not stay in a place where
you do not feel comfortable and safe. Trust the feeling that you have.
Don't blow it off as being silly or unjustified. Don't let someone talk
you out of how you feel or what you are sensing. Another hour of looking
around for a place you feel good about is worth it. Those feelings of
insecurity and flight are there for a reason, honor them and be true to
yourself.
Excerpts from Katie’s soon to
be published book, Window on the World, Straightforward Advice for Today’s Woman
Traveler.
To contact the author -
katiecooney@sprynet.com
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