Planning: Lodging

When you are planning a trip, the "getting there" is only the first step. You also have to plan where you are going to stay when you get there. Some people stay with friends or relatives, at a hotel or a youth hostel, or even rent a house or apartment. 

Lodging Options 

Stay with Friends or Family: This is usually the cheapest option, if you have friends or family living at your destination. We will be staying with Raja's parents, which is very nice. Indian families consider hospitality to be very important, and usually take good care of their guests. If you do stay with friends or family, it's good to remember that you are staying in someone else's home, and to be kind, careful, helpful, and polite.  Because this is hard sometimes, especially when you just want to relax and have fun, some people find it easier NOT to stay with family or friends.

Youth Hostel: Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, sometimes a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available. Hostels are generally cheaper for both the operator and the occupants; many hostels have long-term residents whom they employ as desk clerks or housekeeping staff in exchange for free accommodation.

In a few countries, such as the UK, Ireland, India, and Australia, the word hostel sometimes also refers to establishments providing longer-term accommodation where the hostels are sometimes run by Housing Associations and charities. In the rest of the world, the word hostel refers only to properties offering accommodation to travelers or backpackers.

(From Wikipedia )

Hotel: A hotel is a nice option if you are only going to stay somewhere for a few days, want privacy, and have some money. The nice thing about India is that there are some decent (if modest) hotels that don't cost a lot of money. I have researched prices in Northern India and have found nice, well recommended hotels  (like the Hotel Pearl Palace See it Here) for as little as $15.00 USD (dollars) per night. You can stay in very expensive 5-star spa hotels in India, too, which are packed full of every luxury. They can be very expensive, up to $5,000 USD per night. A slide show of the most glamorous and expensive hotel rooms in India can be found here: Fancy Pantsy

House or Apartment: There are programs and arrangements where people actually trade houses or apartments for vacation purposes. For example, I would go stay in someone's house in Madrid, Spain while her family comes and stays in my house in Seattle, Washington. You can also look into renting a place in the town you're visiting, especially if you are staying for several months. I found a fully furnished 2-bedroom house advertised in Chennai with kitchen, hall, dining/study room and all the modern conveniences (including 24-hr water...a real selling point!) advertised for 17, 500 rupees a month. That's about $395.00 USD. The average rent for a modern 2-bedroom house in Seattle is $1,085 per month (about $100.00 less than for a 2-bedroom apartment there. Strange, huh?) 

Questions/Challenges:

1. Is it important what kind of place you stay in when you travel? Why? What amenities ("comforts of home") do you want to have in your lodgings?

2. If money were no object, how much would you want to spend on lodging? Where would you stay? What if you were on a tight budget?

3. In planning your trip, research the types of lodging available in the area/s you plan to visit. Choose where you would like to stay. Keep in mind your other needs, such as distance from and need for transportation to and from sights and activities, the cost/availability of dining, comfort, who you are sharing your space with, and (of course) your budget.