Factors you should consider before choosing your holiday accommodation

It's not always easy to pick the right type of holiday accommodation. If you're planning to take a break in the near future, here are two of the most important factors you should take into account when deciding where you'll stay.

Your budget

Most people can only afford to spend a limited amount of their holiday fund on their accommodation. If this is the case for you, it's important to make sure that the accommodation you choose is not only suitable for your personal requirements and preferences but is also within your budget.

It's not necessarily always best to opt for the cheapest accommodation available; in certain circumstances, this approach could actually end up costing you more overall than if you were to stay somewhere more expensive. If for example, you choose to book a cheap hostel that's in a remote location with poor public transport links, you may find yourself spending far more than you had anticipated on taxis in order to reach the town or city's main sights and attractions. In this example, it would probably be wiser to look for higher-priced, but more centrally-located accommodation.

It's also worth looking into alternative forms of accommodation, rather than booking a standard hotel or hostel. Holiday parks, for instance, are a fantastic option if you're on a tight budget; in these type of facilities, you can usually opt to stay in a campsite (where you can park a caravan or pitch a tent) or in one of their cabins. You'll get to enjoy a level of privacy similar to that found in a hotel, without the high price tag. 

The length of your stay

The length of your holiday should also be a determining factor in what type of accommodation you choose. For instance, if you're planning a brief three-day getaway to a city and intend to spend most of your time visiting museums, dining out and bar-hopping, then a no-frills hostel or three-star hotel will be perfectly adequate, as you'll be spending very little time there throughout the duration of your holiday.

On the other hand, if you're going on a two-week break with your family and you have young children, you will probably need accommodation that not only has a wide range of facilities (such as wifi, a babysitting service and a swimming pool) but which is also very comfortable; if you're travelling with little ones, you will probably spend a considerable amount of time in your accommodation, as your children may need to take naps during the afternoon and go to bed quite early in the evening.

Similarly, if you intend to spend a month or more exploring a specific town or city, then it would probably be best to stay in either a self-catering holiday apartment or in a holiday park. These options would be far more economical than a hotel and provide you with a lot more privacy than you would have at a hostel. Furthermore, self-catering accommodation enables you to prepare your own 'homemade' meals, which, if you're going on a month-long holiday, will save you from incurring the enormous expense and hassle of dining out on a daily basis for weeks on end.

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