Accommodations
Booking your accommodations is a lot of fun and
there are a lot of outstanding deals waiting for you to grab them! There are a variety of
choices to choose from. In this section we will give you our opinions on
each various option and advise you what to look out for. The closer to the
top of this list indicates our best recommendations for a road tripper.
As a general rule, avoid (or at least think seriously) about options towards the
bottom.
Hotel Adventure:
Hotels are the most common and most convenient way to
plan your road trip adventure. There are tremendous deals that are
available every day of the week at 3-4 star hotels. Staying in these rooms
at unbelievable costs is a lot of fun and something you should seriously look
into. Once you land a nice deal then it is easy to find all sorts of local
activities that you can do in that area. There are many options available
for you to bid on a hotel room online and save huge!
The drawback of this option is that if you get one of
these deals online, typically your payment is non-refundable. The simple
solution is to move forward with your road trip at all costs.
Camping Excursion:
A camping adventure is an excellent low-cost option
available for your upcoming road trip. You are able to bring all of your
food and supplies with you and this saves you an enormous amount of money.
There are many campground directories that you can choose from to help plan your
excursion.
The disadvantages are that you do not control the
weather. A prolonged rainstorm, snow, or worse can really ruin your trip
so plan accordingly. You will need to plan for several
activities to keep your trip interesting.
Condo/Beach Vacation:
There is a tremendous amount of condos available that can be rented for a
trip. These condos are the ideal accommodations for beach vacations and can make your life
extremely simple. You can bring all of your food with you as well as any
other household item that you can not live without. Large groups or
families make this an affordable option.
The drawback is that you are living in someone else's property and are never
100% sure what you will walk into. Most of these places are quite nice and
it is well worth looking into.
Cabin Rental:
If you love the outdoors but are not prepared to take your chances with the
weather then a cabin is something you should seriously look into. Most
state and National Parks have cabins nearby that are extremely comfortable and
filled with all of the comforts of home. Once again, you can bring all of
your food and creature comforts from home. If' you've never stayed in a
cabin, then you should definitely give this a shot.
The only drawback is that prices are generally not as affordable as some of
the rock-bottom deals you can land at hotels. Don't let that fact allow
you to overlook this option.
RV Rental (Land Safari):
If you elect for an RV rental, is an experience you will remember for the rest of your life-it
is an absolute blast. Once again, you get to bring all of your food and
essentials from home (or you can stop at a local grocery or convenience store to
stock up). An RV gives you complete freedom of where you go and where you
decide to stop for the night. This option will allow you to save an
enormous amount of money if you are traveling for five days or longer.
This is an absolute must to consider for the Adventure-Oriented traveler.
The only drawback you will run into is draining the septic system in these
units. When you pick up the vehicle, they will go over all you need to
know in orientation and the actual process of draining the septic is not
difficult.
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The options below
this point are not what we would recommend for your upcoming road trip.
However, every situation is different and you still may want to check them out.
Bed & Breakfast:
I don't want to discourage anyone from staying at these
establishments because they are generally quite comfortable. However, it's
not looked favorably if you walk in with your muddy boots and pile your gear on
the floor. Here's the thing...Bed & Breakfasts just simply lack the
spontaneity that you need for your road trip. It's too planned and quaint
for you to suck the nectar out of life on your vacation.
Hostels (Not HOTEL):
If your only goal is to save money then you might want
to look into this. However, I would much rather stay at home then take the
chance. It's your life...you only live once...do what you want but these
are not the Accommodations that I'd ever want.
Pop-Up Trailer:
A camping adventure is a great idea and your on
the right track. However, if you want to avoid the elements then you
should invest in either a
better tent, rent an
RV, or stay in a cabin. These inexpensive tow-behind units are a nuisance
which offer very little reward.
|
This picture was taken at 1:00 am in Alaska during a
recent Land Safari trip. |
|
View from a 3-1/2 star hotel window in Louisville,
KY ($35.00)! |
After you get your accommodations taken care of, you need to figure out what type of activities you'd like to do on your trip.