When planning a vacation, there are many things to consider: where to go, how to get there, and where to stay.
Holiday accomodation is one of the deciding factors for a successful and enjoyable trip. It can set the mood for your entire vacation, so it is good to know your options before you go. The most commonly used option is the hotel. This form of lodging varies in price and is often evaluated on a 5 star scale system. The higher the star count (5), the more extravagant and expensive the hotel will be. A 1 star hotel will have fewer commoditites and a lower price than a 3 star hotel and so forth. There are many websites to help find high star hotels for cheap prices. These sites usually work with the hotels to fill cancelled reservations for a fraction of the cost available to the average consumer. Another option for holiday accomodation is to participate in a time share program. These programs require a monthly or yearly fee in exchange for the use of their facilities. Members accrue points based on the amount of money they pay and the time since their last stay in one of the program's locations. These points can be redeemed towards a vacation. Time share programs usually offer the option of a hotel suite or a cabin to stay in and usually include more than what you would receive in a hotel. For example, they might include a washer and dryer, a stocked kitchen or a living room. When using this option, however, be sure to plan your vacation far in advance as the most popular destinations usually fill up quickly. A third option is Couch Surfing. This alternative form of holiday accomodation is fun and will provide you with a different experience than either of the above mentioned options. In couch surfing, you choose a family or an individual from a couch surfing website and send them a request to stay with them. By doing this, rather than booking a hotel, you can see parts of a new city that tourists might not otherwise get to see, and you might make life-long friends in the proccess. Be sure to use common sense and don't disregard your safety. Make sure that you trust your host and have a back-up plan if things don't work out.