- Cheap Travel
- Quick Tips
- Posted: 26/07/2023
Booking Cheap Accommodation
Jenna Carr
The Travel Mum
Finding Cheap Accommodation
Dreaming of traveling more but worried about your tight budget? I’m guessing you have seen the rise in popularity of DIY travel bookings, but like many you have no idea where to start. Finding cheap flights should always be your first task, shortly followed by booking cheap accommodation. There are other complexities to the DIY booking process such as ensuring you book your holiday safely, but we cover these elements elsewhere on the site.
Your main goal when booking cheap accommodation is finding somewhere that meets your needs while staying within your budget. It may sound obvious but many people get caught up on facilities they don’t necessarily need. Do you need a 5* resort with gym, spa and multilingual staff? If you aren’t going to make use of certain facilities, you really don’t want to pay for them.
By changing your perspective and only getting what you need, a whole new world of travel possibilities opens up.
Here we’ll share some tips to help you book cheap accommodation that allows you to make the most of your trip whilst sticking to your tight budget. Use the below button to start planning your trip. Our search makes it easy to look for cheap flights and cheap hotels simultaneously, saving you time and money.
What do I need?
Consider staying in a hostel…
Should I be reading reviews?
Definitely! But don’t always let the numerical score put you off. ‘One (wo)mans trash is another (wo)mans treasure’. People’s opinions can vary widely based on personal preferences and experiences. A hotel with a low score might have specific complaints that don’t concern you, making it a great budget friendly option despite the lower numerical rating. A hotel may receive a poor score from one guest due to it being loud, but a great score from another for being in the centre of the nightlife. What people have to say is much more useful than the number. You may be willing to tolerate a specific negative aspect for the lower price tag. All of the accommodation we source for you here at The Travel Mum are well rated options that fit within your set budget to ensure a great value trip.
Where should I stay?
Selecting the right location for your accommodation depends on the transportation options available at your destination, but also how you plan to spend your time there.
Planning to rent a car and explore? Then consider peripheral accommodation that will likely offer free and easy parking. Visiting a city with a good public transport system? Then you could look for more peripheral budget-friendly hotels close to a bus or metro stop.
If you prefer to be at the heart of the action and don’t have lots of time for travel, you could opt for more basic options but in central areas. When you search on our system we are only selecting hotels in great locations, so you don’t need to worry about ending up in the middle of nowhere. This also saves you time by not having to research where you specifically want to stay.
When should I travel?
Should I pay for free cancellation?
The sensible answer here is yes! Even when booking cheap accommodation, you are often spending hundreds of your well earned money that you likely can’t afford to lose. Not all cancellation periods are equal, some will allow cancellation until the day of check in, others may only offer it up to 14 days in advance, so make sure you know what you are paying for.
The price difference between the non-refundable rate should be taken into consideration. Personally, if the price difference is huge and we can’t foresee any issues arising, we have been known to go for the much lower non-refundable price. It is always a gamble when you do this but by booking on a credit card and buying travel insurance immediately after booking you will still have protection against many problems that could prevent you from travelling. We go into more detail on how to book a safe trip here.
A great benefit of free cancellation is that you can simply decide not to go – something not offered with traditional package bookings. It is also useful if the price of the room drops, if you keep an eye on the live prices you can then cancel and rebook if the price falls. Hotels.com offer a price guarantee so even if your booking is non-refundable, if you find a better price they will give you vouchers to the value of the difference to use on a future trip. Learn more about this and submit a claim here.
What star rating should I look for?
Take the star rating of a hotel with a pinch of salt. The requirements to reach a certain number of stars varies massively across countries. A 4* hotel in one country may not be equal to a 4* in another. Governments set the standards and it often relates to things like the hotel having a pool, a gym, 24 hour bilingual reception staff, conference facilities – it isn’t simply a measure of how ‘fancy’ a place is. Filtering accommodation by the star rating can help you find relatively nicer accommodation options, and is how we source our ‘Bargain Lux’ deals for you, but it is one part of many other things you should be looking at. Don’t be put off by a 2* hotel rating, this doesn’t mean the place is awful, it just means it lacks certain facilities. Use the reviews, location and photos to work out if the place would work for you.
Do I need a credit card?
If you are planning on travelling regularly, a travel specific credit card is a really useful thing to have. Any bookings you make over £100 will be protected under Section 75 of the Credit Consumer Act, so it is always sensible to book your travel using one. It also has benefits when spending abroad, the exchange rates you get when spending on a travel credit card will be near perfect. On top of the savings and protection it offers, it is usually essential to have one when booking car hire. Read our blog post on ‘How to hire a car abroad‘ for more information on doing this.
Consider house sitting. (And use our 25% off code!)
House sitting is a great way to get away on the cheap. Memberships start from around £99 and allows you to use the site all year to source house sits. We currently have a 25% off code that you can use, making it even better value. We have a specific post on our housesitting experience which you can read for more information and to find the discount link. Essentially you look after someones home and pets in exchange for the free stay. We have stayed in some beautiful houses by doing this. You can find the website we use here.
So, what are you waiting for?
Traveling on a tight budget is easy with the right mindset and smart planning. By understanding your needs, booking cheap accommodation to meet these, leveraging reviews and timing your travels wisely, you can embark on more travel adventures without breaking the bank.
Gone are the days of settling for expensive package holidays just because it is easier. DIY planning is often overlooked and can unlock the cheapest possible trips for a tight budget. With our search feature, you take full control of your own journey whilst we handpick the best flights and accommodation to suit your needs. We believe that travel should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their budget, and that’s why we’ve designed this powerful tool to maximise your savings without compromising on quality.
Forget endless hours spent browsing numerous websites for the best deals. Multiple tabs open looking for flights, hotels, blogs open looking for recommendations and the best locations… We’ve streamlined the process, making it easy and efficient for you to plan your perfect trip. As a premium Travel Max member you can also enjoy access to personalised deals that cater specifically to your preferences and interests, and we send these deals straight to your inbox.
Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. We only promote things we genuinely love – Jen
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Written by: Jenna Carr
The Travel Mum
Our little family is passionate about helping you save money. We are real people who understand the need to make your budget go further. With The Travel Mum we have created a vibrant community of over 650k budget savvy travellers who want to travel more while spending less. No problem is too big or small, together we will do everything in our power to make sure you are making the absolute most of your well earned budget!
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This is a great family holiday option. There are a variety of themed onsite hotels at Portaventura and also peripheral hotels that often include tickets.
Comment “Spain” and I’ll send you a DM with some links. For a lower budget option, look at peripheral hotels. We loved the onsite Colorado creek but it is on the more expensive side of how you can visit.
Links we send are affiliate links. We aren’t asked to post or promote particular places.
#thetravelmum #portaventuraworld #themeparkholiday #familytravel
Apr 15
This is a great family holiday option. There are a variety of themed onsite hotels at Portaventura and also peripheral hotels that often include tickets.
Comment “Spain” and I’ll send you a DM with some links. For a lower budget option, look at peripheral hotels. We loved the onsite Colorado creek but it is on the more expensive side of how you can visit.
Links we send are affiliate links. We aren’t asked to post or promote particular places.
#thetravelmum #portaventuraworld #themeparkholiday #familytravel
There are some fab holiday deals for May half term this year, usually it’s a super pricey time to travel! The code SAVEONSUMMER currently gets you another £100 off Jet2holidays - this can be used with our link that gets you a £50 voucher too!
The links we share are affiliate links.
We have lots of great family holiday deals over on our website thetravelmum.com
#thetravelmum #jet2holidays #holidaydeals #familytravel
Apr 14
There are some fab holiday deals for May half term this year, usually it’s a super pricey time to travel! The code SAVEONSUMMER currently gets you another £100 off Jet2holidays - this can be used with our link that gets you a £50 voucher too!
The links we share are affiliate links.
We have lots of great family holiday deals over on our website thetravelmum.com
#thetravelmum #jet2holidays #holidaydeals #familytravel
The first thing we noticed online is how many “regulars” this place seems to have. People don’t just go once, they return year on year. The best sign of a great place. And after visiting we can see why. Although it is expensive, you get what you pay for. The ease of everything already being covered means the holiday feels like a holiday. We didn’t have to say no to the kids when they wanted to do an activity, they could do whatever they wanted.
To help you with the cost I’ve got you a discount code for £100 off per person! Which is a huge saving for a family. Comment “potters” and I’ll send you the code and more info. You need to book this month for either May bank hol, May half term, or the summer hols.
We were invited for a PR visit but had no pressure to post. I always tell brands that we won’t promote something if we don’t think it’s fab 🫶🏻❤️
#pottersresort #thetravelmum #allinclusiveresort #uktravel
Apr 13
The first thing we noticed online is how many “regulars” this place seems to have. People don’t just go once, they return year on year. The best sign of a great place. And after visiting we can see why. Although it is expensive, you get what you pay for. The ease of everything already being covered means the holiday feels like a holiday. We didn’t have to say no to the kids when they wanted to do an activity, they could do whatever they wanted.
To help you with the cost I’ve got you a discount code for £100 off per person! Which is a huge saving for a family. Comment “potters” and I’ll send you the code and more info. You need to book this month for either May bank hol, May half term, or the summer hols.
We were invited for a PR visit but had no pressure to post. I always tell brands that we won’t promote something if we don’t think it’s fab 🫶🏻❤️
#pottersresort #thetravelmum #allinclusiveresort #uktravel
Which is your favourite Merlin theme park?!
If you buy a ticket to any park before the 19th April, you get a second ticket for free. That can be at any of the other parks.
I’ve put the links to redeem this offer in my linktree which you can find in my bio - the links we share are affiliate links.
#themeparks #thetravelmum #thorpepark #altontowers
Apr 7
Which is your favourite Merlin theme park?!
If you buy a ticket to any park before the 19th April, you get a second ticket for free. That can be at any of the other parks.
I’ve put the links to redeem this offer in my linktree which you can find in my bio - the links we share are affiliate links.
#themeparks #thetravelmum #thorpepark #altontowers
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