lodging while roadtripping
March 29, 2010 12:10 AM Subscribe
My wife and i are going on a cross country road trip in just two weeks. Shall we book hotels in advance (thus bounded by all the check-in deadlines), or just "wing it" (thus may have to pay dearly for some last minute reservation)?
Can anyone who has done a "no-booking" road trip share some advice/experience? Mostly I am interested in:
1. any particular hotel chains that are very accommodating to "walk-ins"?
2. some negotiation tactics to bring down prices when walking in a motel?
3. Secrets of finding a reasonably priced (& decent) lodging facility in a strange town?
All other lodging related advices are highly appreciated as well.
Can anyone who has done a "no-booking" road trip share some advice/experience? Mostly I am interested in:
1. any particular hotel chains that are very accommodating to "walk-ins"?
2. some negotiation tactics to bring down prices when walking in a motel?
3. Secrets of finding a reasonably priced (& decent) lodging facility in a strange town?
All other lodging related advices are highly appreciated as well.
Wing it. It gives you the chance to be spontaneous and go places you might not plan for in advance. When I drove cross country I didn't plan in advance and didn't have any trouble. It saved the stress of making a deadline or driving when I was tired to make it to particular hotel.
posted by sharkfu at 12:28 AM on March 29, 2010
posted by sharkfu at 12:28 AM on March 29, 2010
Book along the way. Two ways I did this on my last cross-country road trip:
1. When I started to feel like I would be ready to stop in a couple of hours, I'd pull over at a rest stop and pick up one of those freebie circulars full of hotel deals, call one of them up and book a room.
2. Do you have a cell phone with Internet? If so, then you can use it to look up reviews for the hotels with good reviews *and* to check for even better deals on hotels.com.
I never paid more than $75/night this way and stayed in nice places. My understanding of the hotel business is that you usually get the best deals booking last-minute.
Caveat: this was all in the relatively densely-populated Midwest and northeast. You might need to plan ahead a bit more in the mountain west or prairie states. But even in those areas, you can probably decide the night before in your hotel room and make reservations then.
One more thing: unless there's a place you really want to stay (for nightlife or whatever) stay at least an hour outside of major metropolitan areas and international airports.
posted by lunasol at 12:28 AM on March 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
1. When I started to feel like I would be ready to stop in a couple of hours, I'd pull over at a rest stop and pick up one of those freebie circulars full of hotel deals, call one of them up and book a room.
2. Do you have a cell phone with Internet? If so, then you can use it to look up reviews for the hotels with good reviews *and* to check for even better deals on hotels.com.
I never paid more than $75/night this way and stayed in nice places. My understanding of the hotel business is that you usually get the best deals booking last-minute.
Caveat: this was all in the relatively densely-populated Midwest and northeast. You might need to plan ahead a bit more in the mountain west or prairie states. But even in those areas, you can probably decide the night before in your hotel room and make reservations then.
One more thing: unless there's a place you really want to stay (for nightlife or whatever) stay at least an hour outside of major metropolitan areas and international airports.
posted by lunasol at 12:28 AM on March 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
On a previous roadtrip from Houston, TX to Seattle, WA my family pre-booked all the hotels since we stayed in a couple of obscure places (like Mexican Hat, Utah) and I assumed that our choices would be quite limited.
Last September, however, while on an eight-day roadtrip through New England, we were able to book a few hotels through Hotwire.com an hour or so before showing up to our respective city and got to stay in some good four-star hotels for about $120/night. We booked everything over a phone with Internet and never actually "walked in" a hotel, but I was curious as to whether Hotwire.com was really such a good deal. When I asked what the price for our room would be for walk-in guests, the clerks would typically name a price in the $300-$500 range.
posted by halogen at 12:38 AM on March 29, 2010 [3 favorites]
Last September, however, while on an eight-day roadtrip through New England, we were able to book a few hotels through Hotwire.com an hour or so before showing up to our respective city and got to stay in some good four-star hotels for about $120/night. We booked everything over a phone with Internet and never actually "walked in" a hotel, but I was curious as to whether Hotwire.com was really such a good deal. When I asked what the price for our room would be for walk-in guests, the clerks would typically name a price in the $300-$500 range.
posted by halogen at 12:38 AM on March 29, 2010 [3 favorites]
My wife and I took a road trip starting from Minneapolis through North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and back. We were hitting the national parks one summer.
We first decided where we wanted to spend a day or two exploring. For example, our first planned stop was Glacier National Park, and we decided to stay at the Many Glacier hotel. It is usually expensive to do a walk-in there, and so we booked ahead of time.
Similarly, we booked hotels near Yellowstone, and Two Tetons: places where walk-ins might be expensive or difficult to find when in season. Each time for a couple of nights. The driving in between from place to place, we just slept in whatever motels/hotels we found when we got tired.
So, that is what I would advice, make some planned pitstops, and wing it the rest of the way. This is possible if you have some targets and an overall schedule for your trip.
posted by hariya at 12:39 AM on March 29, 2010
We first decided where we wanted to spend a day or two exploring. For example, our first planned stop was Glacier National Park, and we decided to stay at the Many Glacier hotel. It is usually expensive to do a walk-in there, and so we booked ahead of time.
Similarly, we booked hotels near Yellowstone, and Two Tetons: places where walk-ins might be expensive or difficult to find when in season. Each time for a couple of nights. The driving in between from place to place, we just slept in whatever motels/hotels we found when we got tired.
So, that is what I would advice, make some planned pitstops, and wing it the rest of the way. This is possible if you have some targets and an overall schedule for your trip.
posted by hariya at 12:39 AM on March 29, 2010
Don't forget to budget an extra $30 or so for parking if you do end up staying in nice hotels.
posted by halogen at 12:41 AM on March 29, 2010
posted by halogen at 12:41 AM on March 29, 2010
This comment is assuming you're driving across the US... I recently had a great experience on a very long road trip booking stop by stop, as we traveled. We would book hotels no more than one night in advance (using computers at one hotel to book the next), or even booking mid-day on the day of arrival if we were unsure how far we would want to drive. Booking at least one night in advance is advisable in places that might be crowded (potentially popular locations with limited hotel space - we were particularly glad to have reservations when arriving at Cody, Wyoming, outside of Yellowstone, on a night that happened to coincide with a regional art festival). I would, however, recommend using the web (on laptop or smart phone) to research rates and properties before you arrive - just walking into a hotel can get you a wonderful, cheap night, or it can get you a high price in a lousy room. It's best to have some idea what you're in for before walking through the door.
posted by unsub at 1:03 AM on March 29, 2010
posted by unsub at 1:03 AM on March 29, 2010
Also, in response to your enumerated questions,
1) I have no real advice on this, as my last minute bookings were all done via online booking sites, where all chains are as one. The best deal, for me at least, seemed to vary completely from place to place.
2&3) I am not good at negotiation, outside of a bazaar or Central Asian rug boutique. What I have instead in the US is internet research. Importantly: the same hotel will have different rates on different websites (sometimes only $10/night, sometimes up to $40/night or so). And some hotels are only listed on certain sites and not others. So my basic practice was: search Trip Advisor for reviews and prices. Pick out the places I liked best. Then check for alternate prices (and availabilities) on Hotels.com, Orbitz, Kayak, the hotel's own website, and your other sites of preference. Book at the site with the best rate. This may seem time consuming, and yes, it can be. But it got me from Minnesota to California consistently pleased with the places I stayed and prices I paid. YMMV.
posted by unsub at 1:36 AM on March 29, 2010
1) I have no real advice on this, as my last minute bookings were all done via online booking sites, where all chains are as one. The best deal, for me at least, seemed to vary completely from place to place.
2&3) I am not good at negotiation, outside of a bazaar or Central Asian rug boutique. What I have instead in the US is internet research. Importantly: the same hotel will have different rates on different websites (sometimes only $10/night, sometimes up to $40/night or so). And some hotels are only listed on certain sites and not others. So my basic practice was: search Trip Advisor for reviews and prices. Pick out the places I liked best. Then check for alternate prices (and availabilities) on Hotels.com, Orbitz, Kayak, the hotel's own website, and your other sites of preference. Book at the site with the best rate. This may seem time consuming, and yes, it can be. But it got me from Minnesota to California consistently pleased with the places I stayed and prices I paid. YMMV.
posted by unsub at 1:36 AM on March 29, 2010
I drove across the country from Washington, DC to Seattle, WA in 2006. I had no reservations and stopped overnight in four different places (drove 24 hours the first day because, well, I wouldn't do it again but let's just say lots of coffee was involved).
My plan was to get off the highways and find smaller "mom and pop" type places to stay in. Here's the thing though -- they don't exist any longer. They've all been bought out by, AFAICT, Motel 6 and Super 8. And the Super 8 in Blue Earth, Minnesota, the smallest American town I've ever been too, was $49.95 a night plus tax just like any other Super 8. Period.
"1. any particular hotel chains that are very accommodating to 'walk-ins'"
If they have a vacancy, they want to fill it. As mentioned, watch out for local festivals or rodeos and such that will promptly sell-out a given motel. Worse comes to worse you'll have to drive another hour to get to the next decent sized town.
"2. some negotiation tactics to bring down prices when walking in a motel?"
None. Do you want the room or not? Prices are as-is, although if you book on the internet you can find deals. This can be great for bigger cities, but for off-the-highway type places just expect to pay 50 to 75 dollars plus tax.
"3. Secrets of finding a reasonably priced (& decent) lodging facility in a strange town?"
National chains are what they are. Clean, boring, and sometimes you get a free breakfast and coffee which can be nice. They are completely without charm or character. But if you've been driving all day all you really might want is a hot shower and some HBO.
posted by bardic at 2:19 AM on March 29, 2010 [2 favorites]
My plan was to get off the highways and find smaller "mom and pop" type places to stay in. Here's the thing though -- they don't exist any longer. They've all been bought out by, AFAICT, Motel 6 and Super 8. And the Super 8 in Blue Earth, Minnesota, the smallest American town I've ever been too, was $49.95 a night plus tax just like any other Super 8. Period.
"1. any particular hotel chains that are very accommodating to 'walk-ins'"
If they have a vacancy, they want to fill it. As mentioned, watch out for local festivals or rodeos and such that will promptly sell-out a given motel. Worse comes to worse you'll have to drive another hour to get to the next decent sized town.
"2. some negotiation tactics to bring down prices when walking in a motel?"
None. Do you want the room or not? Prices are as-is, although if you book on the internet you can find deals. This can be great for bigger cities, but for off-the-highway type places just expect to pay 50 to 75 dollars plus tax.
"3. Secrets of finding a reasonably priced (& decent) lodging facility in a strange town?"
National chains are what they are. Clean, boring, and sometimes you get a free breakfast and coffee which can be nice. They are completely without charm or character. But if you've been driving all day all you really might want is a hot shower and some HBO.
posted by bardic at 2:19 AM on March 29, 2010 [2 favorites]
I've been on various roadtrips in the Southwest and Northwest US in the last ten years and never booked hotels in advance except for Yellowstone NP and Santa Fe during the Indian Market. It was almost always no problem to find a place to stay the night. There was maybe one night out of a hundred that we had problems finding a room, and all those trips were during the summer, so in high season. Go for it!
posted by amf at 2:49 AM on March 29, 2010
posted by amf at 2:49 AM on March 29, 2010
Yes, wing it!
What's the worst thing that can happen, you end up sleeping in the car for the night?
A long, long time ago (before the internet or cellphones) I drove across the country with a friend. We did have some places planned in a broad sense, we knew we wanted to camp at Glacier and Yellowstone etc, but in getting there we just figured out where to stay day by dy and that was really liberating and fun; the exhilaration of not knowing where we'd end up some night was worth the little bit of anxiety at the prospect of not finding a place.
Have a great trip!
posted by nnk at 3:03 AM on March 29, 2010
What's the worst thing that can happen, you end up sleeping in the car for the night?
A long, long time ago (before the internet or cellphones) I drove across the country with a friend. We did have some places planned in a broad sense, we knew we wanted to camp at Glacier and Yellowstone etc, but in getting there we just figured out where to stay day by dy and that was really liberating and fun; the exhilaration of not knowing where we'd end up some night was worth the little bit of anxiety at the prospect of not finding a place.
Have a great trip!
posted by nnk at 3:03 AM on March 29, 2010
I roadtrip all the time (hate flying). Assuming you're in the US, then I cannot imagine ever booking for a hotel on a roadtrip.
You just keep driving until you start getting tired, then you stop at a motel. Unless there's a special event going on in town, they'll have a room. If they're all booked up, drive to the next one.
All the chain motels are basically the same. They all suck, and they all have beds. They're not cool, they aren't funky. They're a bed and a roof for rent.
If you want a deal, join AAA or the NRA. Or just get in real late and make a face when they quote the rate. Ask for a deal. If it's 2am and there's a room, they'll knock some off the asking price just to fill it.
The hotels are the worst part of roadtrips. I suggest camping instead.
posted by Netzapper at 3:12 AM on March 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
You just keep driving until you start getting tired, then you stop at a motel. Unless there's a special event going on in town, they'll have a room. If they're all booked up, drive to the next one.
All the chain motels are basically the same. They all suck, and they all have beds. They're not cool, they aren't funky. They're a bed and a roof for rent.
If you want a deal, join AAA or the NRA. Or just get in real late and make a face when they quote the rate. Ask for a deal. If it's 2am and there's a room, they'll knock some off the asking price just to fill it.
The hotels are the worst part of roadtrips. I suggest camping instead.
posted by Netzapper at 3:12 AM on March 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
Mrs Usonian and I winged a cross-country drive twice, in 1996 and again in 2002. In our case we were moving to and from California, so our agenda was fairly compressed and we really didn't care how nice the hotel rooms were, as long as they were clean and safe. Because we weren't stopping in big tourist areas, we had no trouble finding vacancies, and I don't think we paid anything more than $80 a night at the time.
The only bad experience we had was a really skeevy motel in Amarillo, TX.
posted by usonian at 4:41 AM on March 29, 2010
The only bad experience we had was a really skeevy motel in Amarillo, TX.
posted by usonian at 4:41 AM on March 29, 2010
I drove across the country (France) recently, well more of a round trip from Paris down south to the Cote D'Azur and back via the Central Massif. We half Booked in Advance / Half Just 'winged it'.
Booked the first half during which we had a pretty locked down itinery and winged it on the last half that was always bit up in the air.
In general we found it was quite easy to turn up into a mid-sized town and just drive around a bit and find a few hotels and there would usually be a room. but then sometimes it was a pain if you'd been driving all day to then hacve to spend another 1-2 hours finding a hotel on arrival - and it might not be as cheap as you'd find if you'd pre-booked.
posted by mary8nne at 4:44 AM on March 29, 2010
Booked the first half during which we had a pretty locked down itinery and winged it on the last half that was always bit up in the air.
In general we found it was quite easy to turn up into a mid-sized town and just drive around a bit and find a few hotels and there would usually be a room. but then sometimes it was a pain if you'd been driving all day to then hacve to spend another 1-2 hours finding a hotel on arrival - and it might not be as cheap as you'd find if you'd pre-booked.
posted by mary8nne at 4:44 AM on March 29, 2010
I say wing it too.
My partner and I winged (wung? hehe) it around Minnesota and Wisconsin last year. Having the freedom to deviate and change plans is more important, to me, than saving a few dollars on the price of the room. We stayed in whatever was the first motel we came to when we became tired, and I don't think we paid excessively. IIRC, none of them were chain motels. We never had a problem finding vacancies.
posted by jonesor at 5:26 AM on March 29, 2010
My partner and I winged (wung? hehe) it around Minnesota and Wisconsin last year. Having the freedom to deviate and change plans is more important, to me, than saving a few dollars on the price of the room. We stayed in whatever was the first motel we came to when we became tired, and I don't think we paid excessively. IIRC, none of them were chain motels. We never had a problem finding vacancies.
posted by jonesor at 5:26 AM on March 29, 2010
Nthing wing it (except possibly in busy national park areas /major cities). I've done 2 road trips this way. And you definately can negotiate.
My strategy: stop in a town with a few motels. Go into one, ask for their rate, then ask "Is that the best rate you can do?" with a smile. If the price goes down, repeat again. If not, then take it or say "I'm just going to go over to xxx Motel across the street to check with them". You can usually get $10-30 off the first rate this way without a lot of kerfuffle. I am the world's biggest baby and hate doing this sort of thing but even I can usually manage to get the rates knocked down a bit.
If you don't like the feel of a place, don't stay there. Sounds simple, but there have been a few times when I've thought "oh, it will be okay" and it wasn't. Chains are usually okay (ones I stayed at most often were Super 8, Comfort Inn, and Days Inn) but you do get the odd really crappy one.
posted by peanut butter milkshake at 5:32 AM on March 29, 2010
My strategy: stop in a town with a few motels. Go into one, ask for their rate, then ask "Is that the best rate you can do?" with a smile. If the price goes down, repeat again. If not, then take it or say "I'm just going to go over to xxx Motel across the street to check with them". You can usually get $10-30 off the first rate this way without a lot of kerfuffle. I am the world's biggest baby and hate doing this sort of thing but even I can usually manage to get the rates knocked down a bit.
If you don't like the feel of a place, don't stay there. Sounds simple, but there have been a few times when I've thought "oh, it will be okay" and it wasn't. Chains are usually okay (ones I stayed at most often were Super 8, Comfort Inn, and Days Inn) but you do get the odd really crappy one.
posted by peanut butter milkshake at 5:32 AM on March 29, 2010
If you don't have internet access, use the old-fashioned method of finding a motel: as you approach every small town you will start to see billboards that advertise their rates and amenities.
If there are certain amenities important to you, then your passenger is in charge of jotting down what you see on each billboard - rate, exit number, free breakfast, pool, cable TV, suites (a DOOR between us and the kids!! and a separate TV!), fridge in room, easy on/off the interstate, closest to the world's largest ball of string, whatever. Pick your favorites and go there. If they don't have a room, go to the next one.
Note that in cheap motel parlance, "suite" often does NOT mean a separate room with a door :( It is usually just a larger room that they charge extra for.
posted by CathyG at 6:23 AM on March 29, 2010
If there are certain amenities important to you, then your passenger is in charge of jotting down what you see on each billboard - rate, exit number, free breakfast, pool, cable TV, suites (a DOOR between us and the kids!! and a separate TV!), fridge in room, easy on/off the interstate, closest to the world's largest ball of string, whatever. Pick your favorites and go there. If they don't have a room, go to the next one.
Note that in cheap motel parlance, "suite" often does NOT mean a separate room with a door :( It is usually just a larger room that they charge extra for.
posted by CathyG at 6:23 AM on March 29, 2010
We winged it on our cross country trip from DC to Seattle and back. Occasionally we stayed at chain hotels, but mostly we stayed at the Patel hotels that advertised $19.95 a night, or somesuch. However, the really cheap rate they advertise is before taxes and double occupancy charges, after which you can end up paying 50-100% more than the advertised price, which makes it less of a deal.
posted by electroboy at 6:28 AM on March 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by electroboy at 6:28 AM on March 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you're talking about the US, there are always cheap roadside motels to be found, except for the core areas of major cities or inside large national parks. "Walk-ins" are the norm, not the exception.
Chains will be predictably mediocre; the mom-and-pop places will be somewhat cheaper and vary a lot more in quality. If anything feels sketchy, you can ask to see the room before you commit.
I've never considered haggling over the room price, but some chains charge a bit more for a "double" than a "single" even though it's the same room -- you could maybe save a few bucks if one of you hides in the car while you check in, I guess.
But the best way to save money is to choose your location: don't spend the night next door to the tourist attractions; instead aim for highway intersections and small towns an hour or two away. Drive in, see what you want to see, then drive back out again and spend the night halfway to the next location.
Places near the interstates will be slightly more expensive; places farther away will be cheaper and quieter but harder to find. If you have a way to google en route, you'll be able to find the more out-of-the-way places; if not, all the highway exits have signs listing the gas and lodging nearby -- just pick one with a lot of logos and you'll find yourself on a street full of chain motels, gas stations and fast-food places. Every town has this street.
Seriously, this is easy. America is designed for winging-it road trips.
posted by ook at 6:44 AM on March 29, 2010
Chains will be predictably mediocre; the mom-and-pop places will be somewhat cheaper and vary a lot more in quality. If anything feels sketchy, you can ask to see the room before you commit.
I've never considered haggling over the room price, but some chains charge a bit more for a "double" than a "single" even though it's the same room -- you could maybe save a few bucks if one of you hides in the car while you check in, I guess.
But the best way to save money is to choose your location: don't spend the night next door to the tourist attractions; instead aim for highway intersections and small towns an hour or two away. Drive in, see what you want to see, then drive back out again and spend the night halfway to the next location.
Places near the interstates will be slightly more expensive; places farther away will be cheaper and quieter but harder to find. If you have a way to google en route, you'll be able to find the more out-of-the-way places; if not, all the highway exits have signs listing the gas and lodging nearby -- just pick one with a lot of logos and you'll find yourself on a street full of chain motels, gas stations and fast-food places. Every town has this street.
Seriously, this is easy. America is designed for winging-it road trips.
posted by ook at 6:44 AM on March 29, 2010
Be careful about "winging it" on Friday and Saturday nights. I've often found it impossible to get a room, even off-season in the middle of nowhere. If you're in more rural parts of the country like the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, etc., then you might find yourself having to drive 50-70 miles to the next town.
I've made road-trips like yours and I highly recommend you bring along a laptop or smartphone. They make it very easy to find hotels/motels along your route and find out their lowest rates. A good tool is Tripadvisor.com, especially if you want to find the "nicest" affordable place to stay. Just type tripadvisor and the name of the town into a search engine.
The discounts you can get with a AAA card can more than pay for the membership. AAA approved hotels and motels are almost always good places to stay, but they may not always be affordable.
Staying at a place that offers a free breakfast can save you a lot of time and money. However, what you get can vary from an excellent full-service breakfast to hard-boiled eggs, off-brand corn flakes and watered-down orange juice. Small independently owned places usually seem to have the worst breakfasts, even if they're part of a national chain.
Don't be afraid to ask for a room away main roads, elevators, and stairways. They're usually a lot quieter.
BTW, I like to stay at Best Westerns. I think they consistently offer the best combination of affordability, comfort, and cleanliness. Although, I haven't always been pleased when staying at some of their motels. They often seem to have the old-fashioned rock hard beds and scratchy linens which you don't really want to deal with after a week on the road.
Super 8s aren't bad either and are usually even less expensive. And I won't pass up a chance to stay at a Hampton Inn or Homewood Suites if I my budget allows it.
One last suggestion. Get a GPS for your car if you can afford one. I didn't think they were that useful until I got one last year for a two week trip through the Southwest. Now I wonder how I managed without one. In addition to directions, they can tell you where the nearest lodging, food, and gas is. Keep in mind though that their databases are not always complete or up-to-date.
Let us know what route your taking and we might be able to make some specific suggestions for you.
posted by 14580 at 6:54 AM on March 29, 2010
I've made road-trips like yours and I highly recommend you bring along a laptop or smartphone. They make it very easy to find hotels/motels along your route and find out their lowest rates. A good tool is Tripadvisor.com, especially if you want to find the "nicest" affordable place to stay. Just type tripadvisor and the name of the town into a search engine.
The discounts you can get with a AAA card can more than pay for the membership. AAA approved hotels and motels are almost always good places to stay, but they may not always be affordable.
Staying at a place that offers a free breakfast can save you a lot of time and money. However, what you get can vary from an excellent full-service breakfast to hard-boiled eggs, off-brand corn flakes and watered-down orange juice. Small independently owned places usually seem to have the worst breakfasts, even if they're part of a national chain.
Don't be afraid to ask for a room away main roads, elevators, and stairways. They're usually a lot quieter.
BTW, I like to stay at Best Westerns. I think they consistently offer the best combination of affordability, comfort, and cleanliness. Although, I haven't always been pleased when staying at some of their motels. They often seem to have the old-fashioned rock hard beds and scratchy linens which you don't really want to deal with after a week on the road.
Super 8s aren't bad either and are usually even less expensive. And I won't pass up a chance to stay at a Hampton Inn or Homewood Suites if I my budget allows it.
One last suggestion. Get a GPS for your car if you can afford one. I didn't think they were that useful until I got one last year for a two week trip through the Southwest. Now I wonder how I managed without one. In addition to directions, they can tell you where the nearest lodging, food, and gas is. Keep in mind though that their databases are not always complete or up-to-date.
Let us know what route your taking and we might be able to make some specific suggestions for you.
posted by 14580 at 6:54 AM on March 29, 2010
During our 2008 trip down Route 66, we made great use of Priceline and enjoyed some really nice rooms at really bargain rates.
What, no charming Route 66 mom-and-pop motels? Yeah, yeah, I know. That's for the next trip down 66.
posted by Work to Live at 7:28 AM on March 29, 2010
What, no charming Route 66 mom-and-pop motels? Yeah, yeah, I know. That's for the next trip down 66.
posted by Work to Live at 7:28 AM on March 29, 2010
Oh right, be aware of national and local holidays. On the first leg of my trip, I futzed around and ended up leaving a few days later than I had intended, which happened to be Labor Day, which resulted in me sleeping in my car in a rest stop outside Chicago. Not an unpleasant experience, but if you're averse to that sort of thing you might want to keep it in mind.
posted by electroboy at 7:48 AM on March 29, 2010
posted by electroboy at 7:48 AM on March 29, 2010
I've also used Priceline (the phone service, not the website) with great success on road trips. The last time I drove cross country I was with my dog and it was nice to be able to call when I was about halfway to the next town and get a really nice, dog-friendly room for about $100. (That would have normally been 2-3x that.)
posted by youcancallmeal at 8:03 AM on March 29, 2010
posted by youcancallmeal at 8:03 AM on March 29, 2010
AAA is your friend. Buy a basic membership, then load up on the Tourbooks that cover the states your traveling (this may also be available online, but I'm oldskool that way).
Pay attention to their "Diamond" ratings, and never stay in less than 3-Diamond places - UNLESS the magical words "Beautifully landscaped grounds" appear in the little 3-4 line review provided. If it's 2-diamond with those words - it's golden. Usually mom-pop, always clean and nice.
I've used this strategy on a dozen long (2000+ mile) road trips over the last 20 years, and it's never failed.
Have a blast!
posted by dbmcd at 9:11 AM on March 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
Pay attention to their "Diamond" ratings, and never stay in less than 3-Diamond places - UNLESS the magical words "Beautifully landscaped grounds" appear in the little 3-4 line review provided. If it's 2-diamond with those words - it's golden. Usually mom-pop, always clean and nice.
I've used this strategy on a dozen long (2000+ mile) road trips over the last 20 years, and it's never failed.
Have a blast!
posted by dbmcd at 9:11 AM on March 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
CT to TX twice and winged it with no problems.
I highly recommend stopping off at the bigger more populated rest stops as you'll likely find travelers coupon books with excellent deals for those last minute reservations. The books will also help you when planning where to stop for the night.
Safe Travels!
posted by doorsfan at 9:31 AM on March 29, 2010
I highly recommend stopping off at the bigger more populated rest stops as you'll likely find travelers coupon books with excellent deals for those last minute reservations. The books will also help you when planning where to stop for the night.
Safe Travels!
posted by doorsfan at 9:31 AM on March 29, 2010
My plan was to get off the highways and find smaller "mom and pop" type places to stay in. Here's the thing though -- they don't exist any longer.
They most certainly do. I've stayed in several over the past few years. Maybe not in towns right off the interstate, but outside of that they do.
And the Super 8 in Blue Earth, Minnesota, the smallest American town I've ever been too
Small or not, Google Maps shows me that Blue Earth, MN, is no more than a mile off of I-90, which would explain why the motels there had been bought out by the chains.
I like TripAdvisor for checking out reviews of mom-and-pop motels, since their quality varies quite a bit, as others have noted. Many of the mom-and-pop motels don't show up on hotels.com, Orbitz, Priceline, etc.; many don't even have internet booking. Only thing I don't like about TripAdvisor is they don't seem to have a "within X miles of" feature; when you search in a given town, you're looking only at that town, and the next town 5 miles down the road isn't included; you have to search for that separately.
I tend to mix booking in advance and just walking in on my trips. As other posters said, book in advance on major holiday weekends or if there are major events going on in the area. Also, if I specifically want to stay downtown in a medium-to-large city, I'll likely book in advance, often with Priceline. Outside of that, I'm a fan of "winging it."
If you are traveling mainly along the interstates (or don't like the idea of mom-and-pop motels), you might want to join the frequent traveler (or whatever they call it) club for at least one chain, so you should be able to get the club discount even if you just walk in without a reservation.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:35 AM on March 29, 2010
They most certainly do. I've stayed in several over the past few years. Maybe not in towns right off the interstate, but outside of that they do.
And the Super 8 in Blue Earth, Minnesota, the smallest American town I've ever been too
Small or not, Google Maps shows me that Blue Earth, MN, is no more than a mile off of I-90, which would explain why the motels there had been bought out by the chains.
I like TripAdvisor for checking out reviews of mom-and-pop motels, since their quality varies quite a bit, as others have noted. Many of the mom-and-pop motels don't show up on hotels.com, Orbitz, Priceline, etc.; many don't even have internet booking. Only thing I don't like about TripAdvisor is they don't seem to have a "within X miles of" feature; when you search in a given town, you're looking only at that town, and the next town 5 miles down the road isn't included; you have to search for that separately.
I tend to mix booking in advance and just walking in on my trips. As other posters said, book in advance on major holiday weekends or if there are major events going on in the area. Also, if I specifically want to stay downtown in a medium-to-large city, I'll likely book in advance, often with Priceline. Outside of that, I'm a fan of "winging it."
If you are traveling mainly along the interstates (or don't like the idea of mom-and-pop motels), you might want to join the frequent traveler (or whatever they call it) club for at least one chain, so you should be able to get the club discount even if you just walk in without a reservation.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:35 AM on March 29, 2010
I usually book in advance, but with rooms that can be canceled without fee for 24 hours notice. Then the day before, I use Priceline to find a discount room in the area or nearby. If it works out, I cancel the pre-booked room. If not, I have the room as a backup.
You can also "wing-it" with priceline and not have pre-booked rooms if you want. I did this from Chicago to NYC and found myself staying in a few chains, but a few random places I'd never have stayed in otherwise. I'd basically just keep pricelining until I found a place, then drove there that day. This works well if you don't have pre-determined stops along the way.
posted by thorny at 12:15 PM on March 29, 2010
You can also "wing-it" with priceline and not have pre-booked rooms if you want. I did this from Chicago to NYC and found myself staying in a few chains, but a few random places I'd never have stayed in otherwise. I'd basically just keep pricelining until I found a place, then drove there that day. This works well if you don't have pre-determined stops along the way.
posted by thorny at 12:15 PM on March 29, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by iamkimiam at 12:25 AM on March 29, 2010