Australia Travel and Vacation Guide

Your Lodging Choices are Very Important

Your selection of accommodations can contribute to the success of your vacation to Australia. In some cases, it can even be the high spot of the vacation.

Do not ignore the fact that choosing the right hotel can make your trip memorable, while staying in the wrong hotel can ruin your vacation to Australia!

Fortunately the Web today supplies a huge selection of resources, reviews and details about the best hotels in Australia, in addition to the best deals that can be had.

We always start our hotel research with a reliable booking and information site, such as Hotels.com. Not only does this prevent wasting a lot of time, but it allows us to see an extensive view of what accommodations are available in Australia and can very easily see which ones are good candidates filtered on prior visitor reviews.

How to Select the Right Kind of Hotel

In advance of taking a holiday, we encourage you to ask yourself a few key questions that will help you select the right lodging at a desirable price.

• Is it important to you to spend minimal time getting to and from sites and events?
• Are you willing to spend more time on public transportation and taxis in order to save on lodging? If this is the case you can normally get a better price on a hotel room on the periphery.
• Are you seeking a place steeped in local culture? Smaller independent hotels are often some of the most historic and lovely ways to enjoy the local culture.

These are important questions to ask before selecting your accommodations. We would suggest that you think about how you might use your accommodations to receive the most out of your Australia vacation experience before making your decision on where to stay.

When seeking accommodations it is also important to determine the type of accommodations and conveniences that accommodate your preferences and requirements. If you won’t be spending much time in your room, and hence you likely care less about the creature comforts than you do about the location, then we encourage looking for a hotel in proximity to the sites in Australia that you would like to visit.

Our favorite accommodations reservation site is Hotels.com, which offers more than 70,000 properties around the globe, supplies detailed lodging reviews, pictures and provides a price match guarantee. There are many other sites, but we have not seen one that is as comprehensive and simple to navigate.

Stay at a B&B for a Quaint Lodging Experience

If you revel in the company of strangers and a traditional meal then consider staying at a Bed & Breakfast in Australia. These accommodations offer an experience very much like staying with a friend’s relatives and frequently the owners have a wealth of knowledge and tips on the local sites, customs, and dining options. And likely the breakfast provided will be gourmet style.

When we are looking to reserve a B&B, we favor using BedAndBreakfast.com. Its search engine spans a worldwide network of bed and breakfasts, country inns, farm stays and guest houses.

Understand that these properties are usually located in more rural places and may not be near to public transportation. If you will be getting around by car then this is a lovely choice.

How About a Home Exchange Program?

If you saw the movie “The Holiday” then you probably have an idea of how attractive swapping homes can be.

If you plan to remain in Australia for a length of time and you yourself live in a desirable vacation location (or you own a second home in a enviable location) then you might give some thought to swapping your home with someone in Australia who is interested in visiting your location.

Staying in someone’s home in Australia allows you to live like a local (not a tourist) and can often times cost you nothing. You will commonly have full use of kitchen and laundry facilities and enjoy the comforts of staying in a cozy home and neighborhood. This alternative is also considered environmentally wise because it does not require additional local resources to provide for foreign visitors. And an often disregarded benefit is that while you’re in someone else’s home that someone else is in your home–potentially watering your plants, picking up your mail, and generally dissuading thieves which prey on vacant homes.

Check out HomeExchange.com for access to their international network of homes for exchange. A 1-year membership is required but they guarantee that if you do not find an exchange within your 1st year they will extend your membership for another year. If you are interested in learning more about the particulars of choosing and communicating with potential home exchange candidates Home Exchange Academy supplies a special reference guide.

When you are already paying dearly for flights exchanging your home with another traveler can be a great way to limit the total cost of your trip. If you are thinking you just can’t afford that trip to Australia you may want to reconsider!

Lodging for the Super Tight Budget

If you are on a tight budget (perhaps you are a student) and needing to get the most economical accommodation (given that it comes with a bed and bathroom) then you should consider what are known as hostels. Hostels are quite common in many countries and often offer separate quarters for senior citizens and/or couples. There are several hostels available in Australia to choose from. These may be reserved via HostelWorld.com.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 4:17 pm and is filed under General Travel & Vacation, Planning Your Trip. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.