Book hotel in advance or on road?

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Unatuba
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Book hotel in advance or on road?

Post by Unatuba »

For those of you who have driven long distances, what are the pros/cons of booking rooms in advance in cities along the way versus pulling off the highway when there is a nearby motel?
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Re: Book hotel in advance or on road?

Post by vespa50sp »

Pulling off is a crap shoot.

You can look at reviews and find a better room with a AAA or AARP (maybe just me) discount if you take the time to book in advance. I did recently discover that some chains have exec level rooms for about the same price as regular ones, with private lounges and Hors_d'oeuvres.

Just check the cancellation policy so you are not stuck with a bill if you don't make it.
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Re: Book hotel in advance or on road?

Post by bort »

Trupadvisor is an invaluable resource.

Last year, I drove from NYC to Minneapolis round trip about 6 times. The goal was to just get there, and stop when I was too tired.

Before you go, identify a few options for stopping points. The bigger the town, the better, and college towns can be very good with lots of options. Check reviews, and don't trust the name of a chain. They are all independently owned and operated.

I stayed regularly at a La Quinta in Ohio that was amazing and cheap. I stayed at another where I seriously contemplated leaving at 3am.

I don't book in advance for road trips, in case I either drive farther or can't drive far enough. Only complication is traveling with my dog. There are pet friendly options, but many hotels are anti-pet.

Not sure I can answer your question better than that, but hope that helps a little.
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Re: Book hotel in advance or on road?

Post by GC »

Amen to TripAdvisor. It has saved me from making a lot of mistakes and I rarely have major problems with hotels they recommend.

I'm not fond of the crapshoot method. The worst day I ever had driving was pulling into Twin Falls, Idaho at 12:30 am after 15 hours of driving, thinking there'd be room in town because there are so many motels in such a small town, only to find out that there wasn't a vacancy anywhere. I had to drive another hour to find a decent motel, got the last room, and just happen to ace out another unlucky traveler who got there as I was signing in.

Often I make a work list of suggested motels and book through the motel's web site the night before. It keeps you out of trouble if you have unexpected delays.

A lot of chains and mom-n-pop hotels give decent discounts for AAA, AARP, and the military (active service and often veterans). You can save a significant amount that way.
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Re: Book hotel in advance or on road?

Post by Kevin Elliott »

I did a road trip from California to Massachusetts back in October. There were a few planned nights that I spent with friends but mostly I just drove several hundred miles each day and pulled off in the nearest town once I felt satisfied with the amount of driving I had put in.

If you know the exact time and date that you'll arrive in a given city, sure, go ahead and make reservations in advance but if you have no hard and fast itinerary in place, take a chance and find a motel/hotel in whatever town you happen to find yourself in when you decide to stop for the day.

Unless you're in the high season in very popular tourist destinations with limited lodging options (Yosemite and Yellowstone, for instance), you'll almost certainly be able to find a place to lay your head for the night anywhere in the US.
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Re: Book hotel in advance or on road?

Post by bort »

Worst night I ever had on a road trip was spent sleeping in the front seat of my friend's car at a rest stop near Cleveland. Cold, uncomfortable, and we thought we'd get robbed. Nothing bad happened, but we were very stiff and sore the next day.

Any hotel I've ever stayed at was better than that.
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Re: Book hotel in advance or on road?

Post by opus37 »

We like to do the stop when we are tired program when traveling long distances. We have found that you can book a room while you are traveling with several apps on your phone (I'm assuming you are not traveling alone so the passenger is using the app). We stick to known chains near the major freeways and have excellent luck.
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Re: Book hotel in advance or on road?

Post by PaulMaybery »

A few years back on a tour in New England, four of us were returing to the mid west. After the Sat eve gig we drove from Maine as far as we could and made it to Vermont. All the rooms were booked. Our fearless driver (who was from Chicago) approached the desk, began rolling out 10 dollar bills and kept saying: "I know you have rooms that may be off the grid for repair or remodel. We need a place to crash for 6 hours. Towells are not even necessary." For 80 bucks we got a double room with no wall paper, but nice beds. We crashed. Used the toilets and were out the door at 6AM. The guy at the desk made 80 bucks unter the counter and we were able to drive safely the next day. If we knew where we were going I suppose we could book ahead. By come on. We're musicians, not fortune tellers.
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Re: Book hotel in advance or on road?

Post by Unatuba »

Great!
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Re: Book hotel in advance or on road?

Post by Michael Bush »

Clearly the improvised approach is working for a lot of people.

I like to have a plan. The Priceline "Name Your Own Price" tool has gotten me some nice rooms at great prices pretty often, especially if I wait until a day before the stay to use it. (That may seem like a short term plan, and it is, but I know where the goal line is and that there is a room at an agreed price there when I reach it.)
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