Personally, I love travelling! Seeing and experiencing different landscapes and cultures makes me feel relaxed and happy, yet excited and interested at the same time.

As far as accommodations go, I've stayed in a variety of them, from a converted castle to smelly cheap hotels and motels. Luckily (or maybe amazingly) I have managed to escape any truly horrific lodging.

Of course, travel has recently slipped to the bottom of most people's 'to-do' list. The shaky economy is making a lot of people scared to spend their money on anything but necessities. While that is completely understandable, for those who still want to travel, this is a good time to get hotel travel deals. Besides that, there is always cheap hotel accommodation available if you know where to look.

Like I said, it's not hard to find budget travel accommodation. The question is, what are your deal breakers when it comes to choosing a place to lay your head? Are you okay with staying in a cheap hostel as long as they offer an internet access service? Is the travel discount hotel that you've booked enough of a deal that you're willing to overlook a few cockroaches? See what I mean? It pays to know what to look for.

There are basic items on most people's list of cheap travel accommodation criteria. Most folks want to spend their vacation in at least reasonably clean surroundings that are free of bugs and other gross things.

Safety is usually an issue, as well. This can be tricky if you are taking your holidays overseas or somewhere else far from home. You don't know the area and without research, you pretty much have to take somebody's word for it that you will be in a safe atmosphere. If I'm taking a trip to a foreign country, I make sure that I have jotted somewhere, the address of the consulate for my country that is located where I am going. Better safe than sorry. I've never run into trouble but if I do, I am prepared and can get help.

I won't repeat the bit about cleanliness and safety. If you've read the above, it would be redundant and besides, you all look for those things anyway, don't you?

Here are a few tips of things worth considering when seeking budget travel accommodation.

Cheap Hostels

With thousands of hostels worldwide, it is easy to find a cheap hostel in almost any country. Many a backpacker has spent their holidays moving from one to the other.

Often run by non-profit organizations, hostels provide inexpensive lodging accommodation and are usually plain, yet comfortable enough if you just want a place to sleep, wash and rest. Some have a communal kitchen and dining area. You do your own cooking but it's a great way to meet others and experience the local fare.

Things to Consider About Staying in a Cheap Hostel

• Location. It costs more if the hostel is conveniently located, but keep in mind the additional public transportation costs of staying in a cheaper place further away from conveniences
• Curfews and lockouts. Be sure to ask whether or not the hostel has a curfew. You don't want to come back after a night out and be unable to get in.
• Security. Does the hostel have lockers with secure locks so that you can rest easy about your valuables?
• Atmosphere. You're going to be spending the night with a bunch of strangers. Does the hostel have a warm and inviting feel, or does it make you uncomfortable?

A great place to get the low down on a cheap hostel (or any hostel) is backpacker sites. They frequent these types of places and have first-hand experience of the environment and surrounding area.

Cheap Hotel Accommodation

As with the cheap hostel, cheap hotel accommodations are not hard to find, either. Having said that though, I do recommend checking online reviews and/or talking to people who have stayed in the place that you're thinking of booking. If all seems okay, you can easily get a travel hotel discount, although you may need to contact the hotel in question and ask for one. If you don't already have a travel date selected, keep an eye on the hotel's website for promotions.

Of course, the easiest course of action is to use a site that only deals with places that offer cheap rates.

Things to Consider About Staying in a Cheap Hotel

• Location. Same considerations as above. This is pretty much standard across the board. No matter what type of accommodation you stay in, safety and convenience vs cost comes into play.
• Seasonal Stays. Going on vacation during the off season is a great way to get travel deals, even from hotels that are inexpensive to begin with. However, depending on the location, local sites and attractions may be closed down or have reduced hours.
• Amenities. This is an easy one to miss. If you you need coffee before you can open your eyes in the morning, you're going to want to make sure that there is a restaurant in or near the hotel or a coffeemaker in the room. Same applies for anything that you might need. Remember, we're talking about a cheap hotel which can sometimes mean that bells and whistles are missing in order to keep the prices down.
  

I hope that this bit of information is helpful to all of you who are travelling this year and beyond.

I'd be happy to add any tips/things to consider about cheap travel accommodation that you want to share.