booking hotels, US and UK

[seldear]

Does anyone know if it's better to wait until the last minute to book hotels? Are you likely to get cheaper deals?

What about for somewhere that's pretty popular, such as Boston in very late October? Better to book ahead, or go risky and try my luck at a last minute deal?

Comments

[dragonlady-gnrd.livejournal.com]

Don't know about the US but in th UK, it all depends on when you're coming & where you're going to be. If it's London November - December, then get booked early, coz of Christmas & shopping/shows etc. Other than that, I'd check out the net for the place you're coming to & see if there are any big events on during that time. That should tell you whether rooms'll be booked up in advance. I know that Lincoln & surrounding area is booked solid months in advance whilst the Christmas market is running, & am thinking other places will be the same during any special events.

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

Hm. Know of anything around the 16th-26th November in London?

[dragonlady-gnrd.livejournal.com]

Not aware of anything major going on, but it is pretty close to Christmas, so it'll be busy with shoppers!

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

Looks like I'll have to start finalising my plans in Europe!

Got any recommendations for cheap airline fares in Europe, btw?

[chiroho.livejournal.com]

In the US there are web sites like hotels.com which claim to be able to get you much cheaper rates than you might otherwise be able to get. Unfortunately I can't verify as to the veracity of this information since I've never used the site - most of my travel is business related and hence has completely different priorities.

If you're looking at Boston in October, I guess it all depends on where you want to stay in relation to the city. Boston, like NYC, is a very expensive city to stay in for any of the big chain hotels - though I know that may not be where you're looking anyway. My recommendation would be to book early if you can, but it's also possible you could get a decent last minute deal. You can also end up paying a lot more - which obviously isn't ideal.

And let me know when you're likely to be in Boston, as we can at least do lunch or something. It looks like I will be travelling on business in the middle of the month, but let me know anyway. Do you have specific stuff planned for your time in Beantown?

[seawench.livejournal.com]

Definitely book early for US hotels, especially if you're planning on staying in a chain. For Boston, depending on what you're doing and where, you might want to look for a Bed & Breakfast. It won't have some of the standard amenities of a big hotel, but they're often charming and cheaper.

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

Are there any B&Bs within easy walk of the city?

That's my main concern: I don't know Boston at all, and haven't the faintest idea of where's a good area to get a room so I can access the things I want to access, and still get to and from Logan Int'l Airport.

I was going to look at a room in the Hostels International hostel in Boston, but they only seem to have dorms right now.

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

I'll be in Boston on the 29th, 30th, and 31st October, flying out on the 1st November.

I didn't have anything specific planned; I was going to check out some of the free walks in the area. And I'll look at hotels.com - thanks! :)

[chiroho.livejournal.com]

As of right now, I *should* be in town those dates, and the fact that they're a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday means that I should even be in the office - I usually work from home on Fridays. And that makes lunch or something a possibility - always assuming you're interested that is. For all I know you may run screaming, or end up with better things to do than try and fit into my schedule.

In terms of walks, the Freedom Trail is probably the best known and the best marked - you just follow the red bricks/red paint on the footpath. You can easily spend a whole day doing just that, especially if you follow it all the way to the Charlestown Navy Yard where the USS Constitution is docked. I've found it very interesting to tour the Constitution - though to be honest you can only see so much of the ship. The guide comes out with some interesting titbits though.

It's also very enjoyable just to walk around things like Boston Common and the Public Garden. Both are pretty, though by the time you come I don't think you'll be seeing much in the way of foliage as it will likely be well past it's peak colours. A walk along the Charles River can also be nice, though you can get a bit of a sharp wind blowing across it when the weather gets colder.

Late October temperatures are usually in around 10C, dropping below 5C at night. There is an even mix of clear, partly cloudy, and cloudy days (or so some site I looked at says), so the weather should be OK. Personally I think Boston is very nice in the autumn as it's a bit hot and muggy for my liking in the summer.

Boston is just a great city to walk around in, and it does lend itself well to that. Be it the North End, full of Italian restaurants and bakeries, the Fanueil Hall/Quincy Market area with lots of shops, the Newbury St and Boylston St areas from the Public Garden to the Prudential Center, it's all nice, and there are often lots of other people walking around. So you'll have plenty to do.

Hopefully you can find something not too far from the downtown area as public transport into and out of the city does leave something to be desired.

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

Hehe. All things considered, you may wish to run screaming! :D

I'm fine to do lunch whichever day you can fit. The Tuesday or Wednesday is probably best, since I have to get out of Philadelphia and into Boston on the Monday.

Right now, I'm angling to stay in a hostel in the city - three nights in a dorm is less than one night in a hotel, and three nights in a private hostel room is about the same as some of the nightly rate for hotels.

Thanks for all the info about the things to see! I've had a quick look online, but there's so much information (too much) and it's difficult to winnow through. You've definitely helped focus the options.