Whether you are in the market for a budget tour of Italy, or you're currently looking at cheap Gran Canaria holidays , you will be well aware of the fact that travel is not a cost effective business. However, it is possible to minimise your expenditure as long as you follow a few, simple guidelines regarding accommodation.
As a budget traveller, you will already know that you need to avoid certain, upmarket hotels. These four and five star establishments will sap your bank balance leaving you no money to do interesting holiday activities, sample the local cuisine and buy souvenirs to take home with you.
If you are keen to stay in a hotel, you will need to look at the lower end of the spectrum. Stick to three star accommodation if you can; these establishments are not overly basic, but they don't cost the earth either. You may also want to consider browsing through self-catering apartments and holiday flats.
These are invariably cheaper than even the lowliest hotel, and they offer you a great deal more comfort for your money. Instead of making do with a cheap but Spartan two star hotel, why not live a little more comfortably in a villa or apartment kitted out with great furnishings and all the mod-cons?
As a budget traveller, you will know that accommodation is a major expense, and that it needs to be negotiated intelligently. One way to do this is simply to avoid hotel living in general and to rent a holiday flat for the duration of your trip instead.