Cheap Travel Made Easy

Budget Travel Isn't Just Backpacking Anymore!

Vacation. The one thing millions of us look forward to. We work aimlessly to earn enough time to take a week or two away from the jobs that stress us out. The problem is once we have the time, getting out of town isn’t always affordable. Well maybe it is more affordable than you think!

First and foremost, decide what your limits will be. Of course you have to know how much you are willing to spend. However, don’t forget to take the other end of the spectrum into consideration. Are you comfortable with staying in a hostel, or does the thought of sharing a bathroom with a bunch of strangers make you ill? If you want to stay in a hostel, do you want to stay in a European style hostel? Do you want to stay in one of the more “modern” Hostelling International locations? Can you deal with the basics of a budget hotel, or is a good deal on a major chain more your style? Remember if you go too far out of your comfort zone, you may be quite miserable during your trip.

Once you have set your limits, do your homework. For instance, lets say you are going on a trip to Chicago. If you do a search on Hotwire or Expedia, you will find that three and four star hotels are much more expensive than hotels of the same quality out by O’Hare airport. While the O’Hare hotels are further from many of the attractions you may want to see, this really isn’t too big of a hardship. If you pick a hotel with a complementary airport shuttle, you can ride the shuttle and pick up the Blue Line. The Blue Line will take you downtown in about forty-five minutes. The Chicago Transit System is pretty effective, and it is much cheaper than driving and trying to find parking.