a question for our American cousins (or anyone whos visited America)
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I've been saving up for a while to go on a holiday to America and finally have enough money. I've noticed however that the prices for a single person are always a lot more expensive than those for more than one sharing. Am I going to have to find a friend to go with me so I don't have to pay so much or is there a cheaper way for a single person to stay in the US. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
Personally, I don't use travel agencies that add on a single person suppliment. The price in the end is probably the same, but I prefer to use agencies that say "this is the price of a room and it has a double/twin bed in it". No figuring out the real price of the room with that. Of course, if it is a twin/double room it would be cheaper with a friend to share the cost. I use expedia.co.uk[^] for most of my travel bookings. (But obviously not for easyJet, et al, because they don't deal with travel agencies) Anyway, my recent trips to the US have all involved me booking the first couple of nights in at a hotel then I just play it by ear. You can often pickup discount books at highway service areas. For example, I once phoned ahead to book in at a Days Inn at Niagra Falls. While driving along the I-90 I stopped for lunch and discovered a discount book for money off vouchers for just about every chain motel and hotel along the I-90 in New York. When I arrived at Days Inn I just presented the voucher and got my $139 per night bill more-or-less halved. My Dad has a great trick also. He just fronts up and asks "what discounts are available?". The receptionist will then real off a list of discount packages such as US Military, Triple-A (some will hotels accept your AA or RAC membership), Senior, etc. He once managed to convince the hotel receptionist to give me the senior rate despite the fact I was very obviously in my mid-20s at the time and standing right in front of the guy. I hope this helps.
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I've been saving up for a while to go on a holiday to America and finally have enough money. I've noticed however that the prices for a single person are always a lot more expensive than those for more than one sharing. Am I going to have to find a friend to go with me so I don't have to pay so much or is there a cheaper way for a single person to stay in the US. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
Camp![^] (Sorry I could not be of more help but camping often is a great way to travel around cheaply.) regards, Paul Watson South Africa PMW Photography Gary Kirkham wrote: The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the cliché...Star Trek had it in spades.
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Camp![^] (Sorry I could not be of more help but camping often is a great way to travel around cheaply.) regards, Paul Watson South Africa PMW Photography Gary Kirkham wrote: The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the cliché...Star Trek had it in spades.
Camping is quite easy in the US. I went camping years ago in Cape Cod, Mass. It was great fun.
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Personally, I don't use travel agencies that add on a single person suppliment. The price in the end is probably the same, but I prefer to use agencies that say "this is the price of a room and it has a double/twin bed in it". No figuring out the real price of the room with that. Of course, if it is a twin/double room it would be cheaper with a friend to share the cost. I use expedia.co.uk[^] for most of my travel bookings. (But obviously not for easyJet, et al, because they don't deal with travel agencies) Anyway, my recent trips to the US have all involved me booking the first couple of nights in at a hotel then I just play it by ear. You can often pickup discount books at highway service areas. For example, I once phoned ahead to book in at a Days Inn at Niagra Falls. While driving along the I-90 I stopped for lunch and discovered a discount book for money off vouchers for just about every chain motel and hotel along the I-90 in New York. When I arrived at Days Inn I just presented the voucher and got my $139 per night bill more-or-less halved. My Dad has a great trick also. He just fronts up and asks "what discounts are available?". The receptionist will then real off a list of discount packages such as US Military, Triple-A (some will hotels accept your AA or RAC membership), Senior, etc. He once managed to convince the hotel receptionist to give me the senior rate despite the fact I was very obviously in my mid-20s at the time and standing right in front of the guy. I hope this helps.
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I did a similar thing last year here in Scotland. Just got in the car and headed north, stopping at one of the tourist centres to see what accommodation was available. I'm tempted to do the same thing this year however its different when its another country especially one to which you've never travelled. I do think your idea of booking the first couple of nights is a good one though. May try that, see what happens. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
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I've been saving up for a while to go on a holiday to America and finally have enough money. I've noticed however that the prices for a single person are always a lot more expensive than those for more than one sharing. Am I going to have to find a friend to go with me so I don't have to pay so much or is there a cheaper way for a single person to stay in the US. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
A few suggestions: - Go off season. In America, this means go after September 6 (our labor day) - Almost everyplace in America has a website containing links to attractions, hotels, etc. - Shop around. Rates can vary by a factor of 3 or 4. P.S. - Where are you going in America?
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I did a similar thing last year here in Scotland. Just got in the car and headed north, stopping at one of the tourist centres to see what accommodation was available. I'm tempted to do the same thing this year however its different when its another country especially one to which you've never travelled. I do think your idea of booking the first couple of nights is a good one though. May try that, see what happens. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
Suzanne Boyle wrote: I do think your idea of booking the first couple of nights is a good one though. May try that, see what happens. I think that is a good idea too. Especially if you want in the country. You are required to have at least your first night's accomodation sorted out before you arrive so you can enter the details on the immigration form. Oh... And please don't laugh at some of the questions. The immigration service are very serious especially when they ask you "Between the years of 1933 and 1945 were you a member of the Nazi party of Germany?" I got asked that a few years ago despite them already seeing that I was born in 1974. "Are you carrying with you, either on your person or in your luggage any item which could be used in the construction of a neclear device?" I remember my dad having to bite his tounge at that one because he always carries a screwdriver set on holiday - This was a throwback to his honeymoon and they discovered the hotel only had single beds and had them screwed to the floor. Anyway, once you are in the USA and have your hire car travelling is really really easy.
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I've been saving up for a while to go on a holiday to America and finally have enough money. I've noticed however that the prices for a single person are always a lot more expensive than those for more than one sharing. Am I going to have to find a friend to go with me so I don't have to pay so much or is there a cheaper way for a single person to stay in the US. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
You are single :doh: Okay, so make some single friends in America and stay with them :-D
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Camp![^] (Sorry I could not be of more help but camping often is a great way to travel around cheaply.) regards, Paul Watson South Africa PMW Photography Gary Kirkham wrote: The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the cliché...Star Trek had it in spades.
Paul Watson wrote: (Sorry I could not be of more help but camping often is a great way to travel around cheaply.) Last fall I took a two week vacation, national parks and native american history tour. I camped half the time, and stayed in motels when I just didn't feel like putting up the tent. I had the money to never camp, but actually prefer camping in some places. Waking up on the north rim of the grand-canyon is great no matter how you do it. _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
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A few suggestions: - Go off season. In America, this means go after September 6 (our labor day) - Almost everyplace in America has a website containing links to attractions, hotels, etc. - Shop around. Rates can vary by a factor of 3 or 4. P.S. - Where are you going in America?
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I've been saving up for a while to go on a holiday to America and finally have enough money. I've noticed however that the prices for a single person are always a lot more expensive than those for more than one sharing. Am I going to have to find a friend to go with me so I don't have to pay so much or is there a cheaper way for a single person to stay in the US. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
Suzanne Boyle wrote: Am I going to have to find a friend to go with me so I don't have to pay so much or is there a cheaper way for a single person to stay in the US. Tough choice. I travel alone now. go hiking, touring the national parks within driving distance once a year. I did go once with a friend, she was in Arizona for a wedding so she asked if I wanted to split the costs and show her around the southwest. It worked out pretty well, though you would have to ask her if it worked out well for her. I was a perfect gentleman (wether that is good or bad). Sharing with a friend can work, depending on what you expect (or don't expect) from the friend. Ultimately, if I waited to do something until I could share it with a friend I would miss out on most of life. I just do it myself, go where I want, when I want. If you don't have a friend, don't miss out on what you want to do. And if you need a friend, I was voted most likely to take Christy Brinkley to a drive-in move (and watch the movie) in high school. Find someone boring like me. :) _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
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I'll be going at the end of September so thats sorted. As for where, either San Francisco or Las Vegas. They are the 2 places I've always wanted to visit. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
The hotels and casinos in Las Vegas always have discount deals going. If you are paying anywhere close to standard rates, you are paying too much
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I've been saving up for a while to go on a holiday to America and finally have enough money. I've noticed however that the prices for a single person are always a lot more expensive than those for more than one sharing. Am I going to have to find a friend to go with me so I don't have to pay so much or is there a cheaper way for a single person to stay in the US. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
Couch Surfing ... ? http://www.couchsurfing.com/[^] Steve T
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I did a similar thing last year here in Scotland. Just got in the car and headed north, stopping at one of the tourist centres to see what accommodation was available. I'm tempted to do the same thing this year however its different when its another country especially one to which you've never travelled. I do think your idea of booking the first couple of nights is a good one though. May try that, see what happens. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
Just one word of caution. About a month ago, I was returning from Denver and decided to spend the night in the middle of nowhere in Kansas -- which is itself in the middle of nowhere. At the town we stopped by, there was not a single hotel room available. The explanation was that there was a softball/baseball junior league tournament going on. We drove for another hour before we found a hotel room. The same thing had happened a year earlier in Kansas, except that it was a different small town and that time it was a bass fishing tournament. Booking ahead sometimes is a good idea. You get Internet-only rates. You can google for nationwide chains such as Best Western, Days Inn, Knights Inn, (why not?), Red Roof Inn, Motel 6, EconoLodge, call them on the phone and put in a reservation. Generally, you can always cancel as late as 4 pm the day of your stay there. You can also just check under "Hotels in Podunk, Iowa" and get all the mom-and-pop hotels too. We ran into the Blue Sky Motel in Delta, Colorado run by an Englishman! Of course, you can also google for high-end hotels like Hyatt, W (hopefully, it is NOT named for our current President!), etc., too if that is more like your style. Have fun in the US.