The hotel you plan on staying in while traveling is a rather important factor to consider during the planning of your trip. Ideally, you would be spending a lot of time in the new city, exploring the sights, activities, and culture. As such, you don’t want to spend too much money on a room if you’re barely going to be in it. On the other hand, this room will be where you can rest and relax after a long day of exploration, so you don’t want to return to a shabby, low-end bedroom. It would help if you had a place with good bang-for-the-buck, ideally in the city center, and offers enough amenities to relax at the end of the day. This guide will cover the main aspects you need to keep in mind while booking a place to stay, so your vacation can be more enjoyable.
1 Book according to the destination
When you’re traveling to a new city, you won’t get the chance to explore every little nook and cranny. The best method to ensure you get the most out of your vacation is by making a list of places you’d like to see and booking a hotel closest to those destinations.
For example, if you’re going to Las Vegas, you’d want a pretty close hotel to the major casinos. But, on the other hand, suppose you’re exploring nature in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountain National Park. In that case, you may want your abode to be near one of the trekking trails in a town like Sevierville or Gatlinburg. After all, it’s not hard to find hotels in Sevierville TN, but you might have to dive in deeper with your research to see how close the rental is to the mountains you plan on climbing.
2 Plan your budget
It’s great to stay close to the main attractions, but this does come with a downside. These hotels are usually more expensive because of the convenience they offer. Now, this doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. There are often 3-star hotels located in the city center that can be nice enough to stay in without charging too much per night. At the same time, there might be some even more affordable options one or two bus stops away.
While you’re figuring out your budget, you need to balance the expenditure of the hotel against the possible spending on intracity travel. There is no point in saving a hundred dollars on a hotel far from your favorite attractions if you’re going to spend more than that on taxi fare. Another factor in the budget is which amenities you can’t live without. For example, you might need a hotel that offers free Wi-Fi and late-night room service, but perhaps you can sacrifice guided tours or fancy toiletries.
3 Live like a local
It’s almost an unspoken rule that anything meant for tourists is needlessly more expensive than it is for the locals. The best way to avoid excessive expenses while traveling is to live like a local.
If you’re traveling internationally, don’t bother with overpriced roaming charges. Instead, you can pick up a prepaid SIM card without needing to offer too many documents. This allows you to have uninterrupted data access for your trip at a much lower cost. In addition, some countries will be selling these SIM cards right at the hotel or airport.
Similarly, get a weekly bus pass instead of dealing with cabs and tourist agencies. You can see all the exact locations at 1/10th of the cost. Moreover, explore on odd days. In any city, these attractions are more crowded and less enjoyable during the weekends, so you should try going in the middle of everyone’s workday to take in the sights truly.
4 Plan your activities
Of course, you’ll already have a list of things you want to see and do in the new city, but you must try to schedule them. Making a list of entries on your calendar app can help you figure out what you’ll be doing each day. This way, you won’t waste the morning looking up different places to go to. It allows you to plan for travel time and discover any special offers.
For example, Oslo often has daily passes to its museums, so you can pay for only one pass and access all the museums instead of buying individual tickets. These sorts of packages are usually only available for a limited time, so you want to ensure you research any deals you might be able to avail.
Another benefit of planning is to prevent yourself from going overboard. When you go to a new area, you might want to do every activity possible, but this could be counterintuitive. For example, if you plan for too many outings, you’ll be stressed and spend your time checking items off a bucket list instead of enjoying the moment. So prioritize the places you want to visit and plan accordingly.
5 Learn important phrases in the foreign language
If you’re going to a country with a different first language, you will be speaking to locals who can’t communicate well in English. Sure, the staff at the hotel is usually multilingual, but what if you need to ask a passer-by for directions or need to grab some snacks at a kiosk? You might have to use Google Translate, which can even use your phone’s camera to translate signboards, but that could pose its shortcomings. Of course, the translations aren’t always perfect, and they require an active internet connection.
Often, the main tourist spots don’t have the best signal reception, so it’s essential to be prepared. There are a few common phrases that can help you out. Know how to ask for directions back to your hotel. Learn some common words regarding money, such as asking for change or bargaining. It would also help if you learned the name of items you’re likely to buy, such as water bottles, tickets, etc. And of course, know how to say please, thank you, and sorry. It always helps to be polite.
Conclusion
Traveling is one of the most fulfilling adventures one can partake in. You explore new cultures, taste fresh foods, and speak to people from a completely different lifestyle. It can expand your way of thinking while also giving you the chance to make memories and relax. This guide is here to make the logistical aspect of traveling less burdensome. With these tips, you will be able to plan your trip out faster, but you might save some money, which can then be used to go on another vacation later.
