Disclosure: This site may contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase we may make a small commission. This does not add to your cost or cost you anything!
We are up to our 3rd week in the travel blog series! This week we are focusing on how to choose accommodations for your trip. So sit back, relax, grab a cup of coffee and let these 13 travel bloggers give you tips and tricks on choosing the perfect place to stay during your travels!
1. Regina at Full Time Field Trip says “When planning, search incognito or use a search engine that focuses on privacy like DuckDuckGo. That way your searches, and thereby rates, are not stored in your cookies.”
2. Kristy at World For A Girl advises “We are huge house-swap fans having had successful swaps in Denmark, Switzerland, the USA and Jamaica. We swapped our 4 bedroom house in London with families and retired couples. Sometimes for just a week and twice for over a month. I can't even begin to list all the benefits of house swaps here but they include cost (it's totally free except a small fee to the organizing website), the opportunity to swap cars as part of the deal, child-friendly houses filled with toys, meeting locals and exploring lesser-visited parts of the world. If you're open-minded and relaxed about sharing your home with strangers house-swapping really is a fantastic and unique way to see the world.”
3. Nikki at Yorkshire Wonders tip is “The best arrangement are adjoining rooms. If you have older kids they have their own space, but more importantly, with younger kids you can maintain their bedtimes. You can settle them into bed and keep the room quiet, without having to sit in the dark yourself while they fall asleep!”
4. Annette at Tips From A Typical Mom says “When it comes to choosing accommodations for my family, there is a checklist I like to use. 1. Does it have enough beds for everyone to sleep comfortably in? 2. Is there a kitchenette so we can prepare some of our own meals to save money? 3. Is there a pool for the kids to spend some time in? 4. Is there a complimentary breakfast? 5. Is it close to all the sights we want to see while we are in the area? 6. Does it provide transportation to and from the airport and to activities and events?”
5. Tiffany at Mommy And Me Travels thinks that “When choosing accommodations for my family while on vacation I find the most important thing for us is cleanliness. While this seems like a given, we have found when traveling the USA and the World, the cheap places are not always the clean ones. I have young children that still enjoy playing on the floor and taking a bath. I can not in good conscious let my kids do either of these activities if a place is dirty. This sometimes makes people refer to me as that person who has champagne taste on a beer budget. While this might be true, I find ways to make budget traveling work. I accomplish this by researching more and finding other creative ways to save money.”
6. Shannan at Captivating Compass says for International Travel “Consider Hostels - They aren't just for backpacking college students anymore. For any size family, but especially large families, this is a great money saving option to consider. If traveling mid-week and off season, hostels are generally very quiet. Many hostels have family-friendly game rooms and lounges to relax in. Perfect for kids that want to blow off steam and parents that want to relax. Most are family friendly, but make sure you ask before you make reservations, just in case.”
7. Kris at Gadsventure says “A family of 6 has little options with hotel rooms, often having to pay double for interconnecting rooms. However with Airbnb we have so many beautiful homes to choose from, and the prices give you so much better value for money. Our kids are still little and don’t mind sharing beds or sleeping on couches too.”
8. Shannon at Grab My Passport says “Our two favorite online booking tools are Airbnb and Booking.com. I usually start with Airbnb to check out what's available in the area and compare it to the pricing and locations of local hotels. Typically, I'll check booking.com for prices and reviews and then I'll head to the hotel's direct website to check their price.”
9. Yamy at Gofamgo advises “We saved hundreds of dollars with hotels through the use of mileage and points accrued from a travel credit card. One such credit card available to travelers in the USA is the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. When I applied for it, I received a sign-up bonus of 100,000 points and an annual credit of $300 towards travel expenses. On top of that, I also earn bonus triple points for using it towards any dining and travel related expenses. Everyday expenses such as groceries, eating out or even filling up the gas can turn into a free vacation once you accumulate enough points.”
10. Deb at World Wise Kid says “Choosing where to stay depends on location, climate and the focus of our travels. For wildlife and nature-based trips, we love car camping. We fill one big check-in duffel bag with tent, tarp, sleeping bags, and pads. We rent an economy car at our destination and seek out small campgrounds at beaches and parks. Wherever we pitch the tent the kids call “home” - and we get to use our own personal bedding! When the kids wake up, there is wild space to run around. We’ve toured Hawaii, Costa Rica, Alaska, Florida, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand this way.”
11. My advice is “When we are looking for a place to stay on vacation we look at price, location and amenities. First factor we look at is price. When I am researching I use Travelocity to compare prices. I also look on Priceline and Hotwire if we are flexible on location. When it comes to location I try to get within a few miles of everything we plan to do. Since we normally drive, we have our vehicle to use. Lastly I look at amenities for the hotels. The things that we need are handicap accessibility, refrigerator and microwave. If our stay will be longer than a few days I try to get an extended stay with a full kitchenette. If I can, I also try to use Booking.com to reserve our hotel room because I can earn Kicks from ShopKick and they have rooms you can wait to pay until arrival!”
12. Sarah at State By State says “One of the great things about traveling in an RV is the ability to be flexible. We almost never make reservations because we like to be able to change our plans on the spur of the moment. If someone tells us about a really cool activity, but it's not on our route, we can change course easily. Some of our favorite accommodations have been in the least likely places.”
13. Sarah at Dandelion Seeds “With food allergies, we need a rental home with a full kitchen so we can have home cooked meals. Fortunately, Airbnb and VRBO, and some of their lesser-known international counterparts, let us "tour" potential accommodations before we go. If the place looks good for sleeping and cooking, we'll gladly walk a few extra blocks for sightseeing. My advice for renting a home is to Google "best website for lodging in [the country you're visiting]". Know that it might be a different site than the one you use in your home country. You'll likely get the best rates, security, and overall experience this way.”
There you go! 13 tips on how to choose the perfect accommodations for your family. No matter if you have a big or small family, travel internationally or stay local to the U.S. If you want to stay in a home, a hotel or use an RV we have you covered! Keep in mind if you are looking for accommodations close to Walt Disney World or Southern California if you book with Get Away Today through our link and use code DD10 you can save on your vacation package! https://www.getawaytoday.com/?referrerid=7793
Comments