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How to Find Budget Accommodations For Your Family Vacation

c2s — Mon, 17 May 2010 11:51:55 +0000

When selecting where to stay on your family vacation, chain hotels and motels are hardly ever the most economical or convenient lodging choice for a big family. Using a little digging and research, almost every destination offers better alternatives.

Rent a residence:

There’s no need to cram into a single room if you can rent a complete house. In tourist towns it’s often no problem finding fully-furnished rentals. You have multiple bedrooms under one roof, along with a kitchen for cooking breakfast or light meals. It’s a lot cheaper than several standard hotel rooms and eating in resort restaurants. Search Google for vacation rentals, or vacation rentals by owner for any destination you’re attracted to. Craig’s List also has ads for vacation rentals by area.

Home Exchange:

When thinking of where to stay on your family vacation, if you’ve never considered a Home Exchange Vacation, the prospect may be a little daunting. After all you’re letting a family you don’t know live in your home while you live in theirs. However, if you think about the benefits, you may very well be tempted to try it at least once.

Remember that your potential exchange partner is likely to have the same concerns as you do. Having someone in your home at the same time you are in theirs gives each of you a powerful incentive to treat the home entrusted to you personally with respect and care.

Many of the great things about a home exchange family vacation include:

1. Obviously the price of remaining in someone’s home will likely to be lower than staying in hotel accommodations and they are also a whole lot more casual and relaxing.

2. An exchange is arranged between families with children of similar ages. Therefore you won’t be required to travel with a lot of baggage, (especially if your children are infants and toddlers)

3. Oftentimes you are also able to exchange cars which will save on rental-car fees (check with the insurance companies first)

4. In the event that your children are older, once the exchange is finalized, you might find them emailing and IM’ing one another. By the time family vacation rolls around, they will often have already made friends with the other neighborhood kids on Facebook or other social networking sites.

5. Home exchanges are interesting because you can slip right into the local lifestyle and see glimpses of how people live, the best quality local places to eat, get invited to local events that you simply would never get to see or do as a tourist.

6. Should you be someone who worries about leaving an empty home, having someone stay there as long as you’re away will relieve your concerns.

7. If there are pets involved, arrangements may be made for pet care and this also can eliminate expensive kennel costs.

You can find more info about home exchanges at Home Exchange.com

Rent a Time Share:

You don’t need to own a timeshare to enjoy the benefits of time share ownership. Many timeshare owners rent out their weeks for a small price of what it would set you back to stay at a hotel.

I myself own a timeshare that sleeps six and I often rent it out for only $500. a week in order to cover my maintenance fees if I don’t plan to use it that year. A number of other time share owners do the same.

Visit Craig’s List for available timeshares in the area you intend to see. For other time shares that may be available for you to stay on family vacations take a look at Redweek.com

National and State Parks:

In the event that your chosen family vacation destination choice is anywhere near a state or national park, this can be a great choice for your home base when thinking of where to stay for your family vacation.

When I talk about staying at a national or state park, I’m not referring to tying your tents and camping equipment to the top of your SUV and heading out for the back country. After all, we’re discussing a vacation here. National and state parks around the U.S. are providing accommodations for family travelers which are beyond the typical park campsites. These parks now offer vacation cottage and cabin rentals that are fully-equipped for travelers who are searching for a week or a weekend get away vacation.

Before making a decision to seek out your lodging in a national or state park, do your research. A lot of these cabins offer just the bare essentials and amenities. There are several levels of cabins available from standard to deluxe. Review the different options and choose one that is suitable for your expectations for accommodations.

When staying at a state park cabin or cottage, you’re getting a number of the same amenities you’d have when residing at a beach house. Usually there are often one or two bedroom choices, a full kitchen, living room and dining area. Make it a point and check just what exactly is readily available for bedding since there is a great variation of bedding offered, from bare mattresses and pillows to full bedding.

One Final Caveat:

Remember that when traveling with a big family things will in all likelihood go wrong and the unexpected usually happens. An open mind, a flexible outlook, and a great sense of humor might help keep you-and your family-happy and sane. To reduce frustration for everyone, plan a trip that’s light on itinerary and planned excursions and brimming with relaxation and laid-back discovery.

Never underestimate the time you spend with all your children. Chances are you’ll feel exhausted and frustrated some days when you find yourself traveling and wonder what in the world possessed you to embark on this journey. However, in years to come, you will be amazed at just how much your children remember of those trips plus the stories and memories they have stored about them.

As a mother of six children and having 9 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild, Gloria Daniels has done my her share of traveling with children. Now that she is retired, she is combining her love of sharing and teaching with her love of travel to help other families find the joy of traveling with their children and sharing experiences with them.

Visit her website at Best Family Travel Tips for more in depth info on family traveling with children.

Article Source: Guest Article By Gloria Daniels

Hotels, Hostels,Holiday Homes and Group Accommodation

Asia Hotels and Budget Accommodations Creepy Crawly Hazards

c2s — Mon, 17 May 2010 10:45:29 +0000

I have had the unfortunate luck of running into things that bite you in the night. This is at some of the Asia hotels and guesthouses that I have stayed at in Asia and I do not just mean mosquitoes.

One hotel had scabies that fortunately wasn’t in my room but a couple of other people got a dose. If the hotel or guesthouse does not have a dryer it will be difficult for them to get rid of unless they soak the bedding in very hot, roiling boil water for a few minutes.

The way to get rid of them off of you personally is that you need to get a ointment usually, that kills them and make sure that you have all of your laundry done and dried completely on the hottest setting, which kills any that might be on your cloths or sleeping garments.

I have been bitten by bed bugs in a few of the cheapest guesthouses. Bed bugs are very hard to get rid of, basically you need to freeze the bed, which is hard to do in the tropics, or stick the entire bed in a plastic bag and apply some bed bug killing solutions, or isolate the mattress for 6 months in a plastic bag.

You also need to clean very good the rest of the bed frame and anything close to the bed as the bed bugs can jump back on to a new or cleaned mattress and you are infected again. A good idea is not to stick you luggage on the bed whenever possible to avoid hitchhikers.

Cockroaches you can sometimes have crawl into your luggage when you are traveling and you can bring them home with you. If that is the case take your luggage and shake it real good and look for the little bastards in all the little nicks and crannies, and if you find them, of course, squish the little darlings and give the luggage a good spray with a bug spray.

If you do get a infestation of cockroaches in your home or apartment you need to bomb the dwelling and apply some cockroach powder near all the water fixtures that you can not see like behind the toilet and under the sinks and around the refrigerator. One drop of sweat off a pipe is enough water for a small army of roaches.

On the bombing you need to do it 3 times do it the first time and wait 12 days bomb again, wait 12 days and then the final. If you have the powder out and follow that schedule you will be successful in getting rid of them, again the keys are 3 times two weeks apart, which breaks the egg cycle and powder around the water pipes which will get any stragglers. Cardboard is on their favorite food list.

Also if you are in a building that has many tenants they might infiltrate from the other apartments, fill all the cracks that you can find. Many times water and drain pipes will share common walls, these are areas to pay particular attention to as no water, no roaches.

Lice are generally caught by close contact with someone who is infected but a pillow case that has them could probably transfer them as well. They are not real hard to get rid of basically if they wash the bedding after each customer you should be fine. If you do get them a cheap remedy is to buy dog flea shampoo which works just fine.

So some general rules are to look and see if they have changed the bedding and to look at the bedding to see if there are any small blood stains which is a very bad sign. Open doors and drawers, and look in the bathroom if you see stuff moving not a good sign. If there are towels or curtains, the little creepy crawlies like to hide there and are good indicators. When ever possible, ask for recommendations from people that have stayed there recently as they will know and so then will you, without the unpleasant experience.

Cheap Charlies Hotels Asia Flights. Learn to save on your travel using practical information from a real Cheap Charley, Asia Flights? More Cheap Charlies free information http://www.cheapcharlieshotels.com/

Guest Article By Fred Tittle

Hotels, Hostels,Holiday Homees and Group Accommodation

Tips For Hostels and Budget Accommodation

c2s — Mon, 17 May 2010 10:21:06 +0000

Hostels and budget accommodation are a great travel option. They can prove to be a blessing providing good clean surroundings for less money with a pleasant social setting and all facilities available. To make it a good experience, certain tips can be followed to enhance and enrich the experience.

Hostels and budget accommodations have different variety of rooms like single rooms, double room, dorm rooms, 4 sleepers, 6 sleepers or 8 sleepers. However single rooms are preferred by most of the travelers so they are quickly booked and are generally not available. So, if you are keen to stay in single rooms it is better to make advance reservation and tell the concerned authorities about number of days you plan to stay.

Many hostels have certain time-limit or curfew, so it is important to know the time limit [if your hostel has] and be on time to get shelter comfortably.

Breakfast is one of the facilities which are being provided in such accommodations but it is for limited time. So, you have to take your breakfast within the allotted time and enjoy your day.

Generally hostels have different facilities like laundry, washing machine, community kitchen, internet cafes and TV. It is best to check with hostel authorities all necessary facilities which are being available and also extra facilities, which they can provide you.

Going to the Soccer World Cup 2010 ? To enjoy it to its fullest, you have to find an accommodation near one of the best stadiums or within any of the host cities. You will get plenty of resources out there for you accommodation needs.

Coming to Johannesburg for the FIFA Cup Accommodation then let us accommodate you. Providing best Accommodation hostels that are located in superb areas which are a stone throw away from the city’s hottest clubs, restaurants and pubs.

Guest Article By Neha Saxena

Hotels, Hostels,Holiday Homes and Group Accommodation

Cheap 2 Sleep has Cheap Accommodation 4 U

c2s — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:28:34 +0000

Cheap 2 Sleep has found cheap accommodation for you in New York City and the Caribbean Islands.

In neither of these places would you normally associate ‘cheap’ and ’sleep’ but Finca Fantastica Travel has done it again! We have unearthed some wonderful places for you to book cheap accommodation and found you a zillion things to see and do for free…OK the ‘zillion ‘ might be a bit exaggerated…oops!

New York is wonderfully hectic to the visitor, a great melting pot of peoples from around the globe that will have your head spinning in amazement. Whatever is on your “must see” list you are unlikely to be able to do it all but at least you will have tried!

In the Caribbean Islands of Barbados and St.Lucia

The cooler evenings come alive with Caribbean rhythms in the many reggae clubs, bars, pubs, jazz clubs, dinner-floorshows, theatres, nightclubs, latin parties or beach bars where you can dance the night away.

Dining in one of the many fine restaurants in Barbados and St.Lucia will leave you spoilt for choice. There is surely something for everyone including, Bajan, Caribbean, Creole, European, Mexican, Seafood and Thai are but a few in the wide range of options on offer which suit every taste and budget.

Man, you can visit and find cheap accommodation when you downoad your free copy of Cheap 2 Sleep in Barbados or St. Lucia…look out for Jamaica, Mon, it’s comin’ soon…

Hey, and you’ll hardly belive it but you can buy a place on a luxury resort for only £1,000 …!! Cheap 2 Sleep or what? This is an investment deal where you can take out a 100% mortgage, you have a guaranteed rental income, they look after the maintenance and you get to use the place for 30 days each year. What a deal…worth a look don’t you think?

Click here to download your Cheap 2 Sleep e-books for fun and information.

Cheap 2 Sleep in Honolulu

c2s — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:25:17 +0000

Cheap 2 Sleep in Honolulu is designed to find you cheap accommodation when staying on Ohau.

Hey, and what a place to stay! Everything you want is at your fingertips and just look at all the FREE things you can do there…apart from the obvious…:-)

Free things to see and do in Honolulu!

Walking Waikiki Beach is one of the best free things to do on Oahu. Enjoy the splendid beach or browse the many and varied shopping streets before relaxing with a drink or a meal at one of the many fine restaurants and bars.

The luau (the Hawaiian feast) offers wondrous foods and entertainment including music and hula dancing. Hula shows start off the evening across Oahu. You can marvel at the talented local performers on the beach near Kaiulani Avenue or at one of the hotel poolside venues and even in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center in the early evening.

The Aloha Tower, an old clock tower and formerly the tallest building, will give you great views of Honolulu and the harbor.

Enjoy a stroll through the Aloha Tower Marketplace and when you are in need of a break you can enjoy the entertainers on the marketplace’s waterfront stage.

The Aloha Flea Market is overflowing with goods at great prices. This is a shopping paradise.

The Aloha Festivals and Waikiki Hoolaulea Celebrations are held in September and you can join in the fun anytime. Other festivals are held throughout the year. Look out for one of the Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Portuguese or Japanese events.

The Hawaii State Art Museum displays the works of Hawaii’s finest artists in the three galleries: the Diamond Head Gallery, the Ewa Gallery, and the Sculpture Gallery. It is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm

The Honolulu Fish Auction is for early risers who can experience the daily clamor at the Kewalo Basin from 5:00 am onwards.

Kapiolani Park in Waikiki is wonderful for a quiet walk while others indulge in their favorite activities.

Fort DeRussy Beach has wonderful surf, picnic tables and volleyball courts and close by is the historic Battery Randolph Museum in the military grounds

Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial is dedicated to those that lost their lives in the infamous attack of 1941. Take the boat trip.

Chinatown’s typical hustle and bustle is complemented by herb shops, traditional markets, gift shops, noodle factories and fine resaurants.

At 760-feet, the Diamond Head State Monument gives a panoramic view. Enjoy a well earned rest gazing out over Waikiki, Honolulu and the rest of the island after your hike.

Punchbowl National Military Cemetery is dedicated to the dead servicemen and women of the Pacific War from Pearl Harbor to the Japanese surrender in 1945. It is a very moving experience to walk among the acres of well maintainedgraves.

The Oceanarium Restaurant has an enormous fish tank holding hundreds of tropical fish. This three storey monster is at the Pacific Beach Hotel.

The Dole Plantation is a favorite family thing to do in Oahu. Tour the pineapple gardens, ride the Pineapple Express and try to find your way out of the world’s largest garden maze.

Fun and free. Try saying “humuhumunukunukuapuaa” while swimming to look for this popular stubby-nosed and brightly striped little fish! Need help? It’s pronounced HOO-moo- HOO-moo-NOO-koo-NOO-koo-AH-poo-AH-ah…:-)

Wahoo ..Ohau…bookmark this for your reference or better yet dowload the free e-book, Cheap 2 Sleep in Honolulu by clicking here and find cheap accommodation and some more interesting places to see.

Cheap 2 Sleep in Europe

c2s — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:16:00 +0000

Cheap 2 Sleep has produced 3 e-brochures for you to download. Do it at your liesure for your pleasure They will save you a lot of time searching for clean, comfortable and cheap accommodation. We have done the work for you.

With the summer holidays almost upon us and the economy being what it is, we thought this was a timely reminder that there are plenty of places where you will find it Cheap 2 Sleep in Europe.

We currently have 3 seperate volumes prepared with others in the pipeline.

Volume 1 Prague, Berlin, Dubrovnik and Sofia
Volume 2 Brussels, Dublin, Amsterdam and London
Volume 3 Marseilles, Paris, Florence, Milan and Rome

You can download them from here