If you are in the process of booking your next holiday and you're thinking about alternatives to hotel accommodation, you will be pleased to note that there are a host of options, which can reduce the need to stay in a hotel, give you more room to move and enable your entire family to stay in one place.
One of the disadvantages to staying in a hotel, especially when traveling as a family or group, is that you all end up in different rooms. This is common when hotels do not have large enough family rooms. The other thing that may happen is they place some extra beds in the room and put you all in one confined space, which can also be a negative when trying to have an enjoyable holiday experience.
One of the leading options when looking for an alternative to hotel accommodation is short term rentals. You can rent an apartment for a set period of time. These rentals are usually for a few days to a few weeks and provide you with your very own home away from home. Many of these apartments come with all the conveniences you would find at a hotel from information on the area, tour information, sightseeing experiences and some will even provide you with airport transfers. In addition to this, the majority of these apartments come with housekeeping services, so you can sit back and relax during your holiday.
The benefit to holiday apartments over hotels is that they are more affordable. Because you are renting them as self-catering, you do not have an expensive per night rate to pay. You pay one weekly rate, which is often flexible dependent on how long you book for.
Another common choice, which is ideal if you are traveling alone or as a group of friends is a homestays. Homestays gives you the ability to live with a family for a few days. This enables you to explore the local area and live like a local for a while, while you eat and live with the family in their home. Of course while this may appear fun and exciting, you are restricted by the family's rules and regulations, which can leave you frustrated and wanting to return home sooner rather than later.
House swapping has grown in popularity through the world as an opportunity to visit a new destination without the expensive price tag. While this provides you and your family with a host of benefits, there are a few disadvantages to consider. With house swapping, you move to another family's home for a period of time, while they move into your home. While you may end up in a beautiful home in a country you have never visited before, you need to have peace of mind that there is a family that has moved into your home, is using your kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.
There is always bed and breakfasts and guest houses. There appears to be a stigma attached to these, but there are nice ones available. These are similar to hotels in that you will only be provided with a room with the basic necessities, there are instances where you may have to share a bathroom with another room, which is not always ideal. Further you will probably pay the same that you would pay in a hotel. The difference is that because these are smaller establishments, you are likely to receive a more personalized service.