If you’re planning to take a reinvigorating vacation, whether to London, Edinburgh, or elsewhere, the most important thing you can do to save money is find cheap hotel prices. Consider, according to BBC News, there are more than 120,000 hotel rooms in London alone. With London being the sixth most expensive city in the world, saving even £10 a night can mean seeing extra attractions and enjoying better food on your trip. If you’re traveling to Europe in the coming months, you need to narrow your hotel search to find high quality, affordable lodging.
Where to Focus Your Hotel Search
- Local Establishments
- Travel Agencies
- Travel Meta-search Sites
USA Today suggests that all travelers take a good look at local establishments when they are traveling to a new city. Whereas hotel chains offer the comfort of familiarity, single building establishments often offer better holiday deals to draw their customers in. While it’s true that these smaller establishments will often lack the amenities, e.g. a bar, that their larger cousins have, they just as often offer more personalized, more affordable service.
Would you be surprised to know that, as LearnVest points out, travel agencies still generate more than a third of the U.S. travel industry’s $284 billion annual revenue? Because travel agencies continue to have relationships with credit card providers, hotel chains, restaurants, and travel agencies, they are able to offer some of the best prices on hotel reservations and other travel arrangements found anywhere. In fact, according to Forbes, it’s not uncommon to save as much as $500 on your travels when you book with a travel agency.
Travel meta-search sites represent the most convenient way to find discount hotel rates. Many of the best services now offer mobile applications so you can implement your hotel search on the go. As The New York Times writes, it’s not unusual to find a deal saving you and your family thousands when you use a meta-search. Kiplinger suggests that Kayak is the best online hotel search engine as it allows you to search other big players, Priceline, Expedia, etc., all from one site, making it exceptionally convenient for comparing prices.
Whether you’re headed to London to experience the wonders of Harry Potter or you’re heading to Dublin to taste Guinness as it’s meant to be, narrow your hotel search using these three tips. Doing so could mean the difference between pinching pennies and being able to enjoy everything your destination has to offer. Reference links.
I’d love to head to the Guinness brewery in Dublin. Where do I sign up?