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Spring Break Budget Travel (Part 2)

On any vacation with a limited budget, getting there may only be half the battle. In a follow-up to last issue's article on getting to a spring break destination, below are some of the best options for budget accomodations and tips to make them even more affordable.

Hostels are a mainstay for many student and budget travelers. Similar to dorm rooms, hostels allow travelers to pay only a fraction of the cost of a hotel room in exchange for sharing a room and bathroom with other travelers. Some hostels also offer smaller and more private rooms at a slightly higher rate.

Hostels can vary widely in quality and ammenities, often even within the same city, so it is best to do some research before making a reservation. A handy online guide to hostels can be found at Hostels.com. Most of the listings include user submitted ratings of cleanliness, location, etc. Hostels.com allows direct booking for many properties, but it can still pay to search for the hostel's own website since rates may vary and many run specials periodically. If traveling with a companion, keep in mind that some hostels seperate men and women into different rooms.

When traveling with companions, hotels can sometimes work out to be the more economical choice. Since hotels usually charge by the room instead of per person as hostels do, sharing a hotel room can end up being cheaper overall.

A variety of websites offer tools for finding and booking hotel rooms at a discount. Sites such as Travelocity.com or Expedia list multiple hotels at major destinations and prices can vary widely from one site to another. Even visiting the various major travel sites can quickly turn into an overwhelming chore.

For help narrowing down the myriad of hotel options, visit TripAdvisor which offers user submitted reviews as well as links to hotel write-ups in various online guidebooks. In addition, a company called Travelaxe has developed a free Windows software program which queries more than 20 hotel booking sites at once.

Still another alternative to consider when booking hotel rooms are the two "opaque" booking sites Priceline and Hotwire. Both sites offer deep discounts on hotel rooms but withhold certain specifics of the hotel until after a room has been paid for. The best deals, often at half the rates found elsewhere, can usually be found on higher-end hotels in or near large cities.

Two additional sites, BiddingForTravel.com and BetterBidding.com have sprung up to help users get the best deals when using opaque sites. Both sites offer bulletin boards where users can share information about specific bids in order to help fellow budget conscious travelers bid more wisely. Each site also offers step-by-step guidelines and caveats to help new users navigate the bidding process.

While doing research and booking your accomodations ahead of time will help you free up precious last-minute packing time, waiting until the last minute can also have its advantages. Both Last Minute Travel and Site 59 specialize in discounted last minute booking. In addition, many airline and hotel companies offer mailing lists which send out weekly emails containing last-minute specials. Rather than subscribing to each of the many lists, visit SmarterTravel.com, which consolidates all the various weekly emails in a section called "Last-Minute Web Rates."

For the most adventurous of budget travelers the Internet offers an information age equivalent of crashing on a friend's couch. By signing up to host guests in their own homes, via so called "hospitality" sites such as CouchSurfing and The Hospitality Club, travelers can tap into a worldwide network of free places to stay. Though the prospect of opening one's home to strangers may seem a bit daunting at first, keep in mind that very few people would travel around the world to cause trouble for someone who has gone out of their way to be kind.

This spring break, a tight budget shouldn't keep you from getting out and experiencing the world. With a can-do attitude and a willingness to plan ahead, your dream trip can become a reality.