| Don Nadeau, the president of BidonTravel.com, | | | | before heading over the Golden Gate Bridge. |
| often discusses how to bid on Priceline | | | | |
| hotels, but here he talks about location as | | | | That night, you could even end up dining at |
| another powerful way to save on hotel rooms. | | | | one of the many fabulous San Francisco |
| | | | restaurants using money |
| When you’re planning to | | | | you’d saved on hotels! |
| spend some time in or near a place like | | | | You’d be staying in San |
| Boston, Zurich, London, or San Francisco, you | | | | Francisco two nights. |
| can save by not staying in the same hotel | | | | |
| every night. | | | | After your last night in San Francisco, you |
| | | | wouldn’t need to head out |
| And, even if you’re just | | | | right away. You could still spend most of the |
| spending a couple of nights, you can | | | | day exploring the city. |
| sometimes save as much as 50 â€" 70% | | | | |
| by choosing the right hotel location, as | | | | Then, timing your drive before or after any |
| explained below. | | | | rush hour traffic, you could take scenic |
| | | | southbound Interstate 280, which runs in a |
| Let’s say | | | | greenbelt along a ridge, giving you views of |
| you’re a couple planning a | | | | San Francisco Bay. Near San Jose, |
| trip to the San Francisco Bay Area for a | | | | you’d switch to State |
| special occasion. | | | | Highway 85 and then U.S. 101, and continue |
| | | | toward Carmel and Monterey. |
| You would like to spend the week: visiting | | | | |
| wineries, hiking in Point Reyes National | | | | In the Carmel and Monterey area, you would |
| Seashore and Muir Woods, exploring Big Sur, | | | | have a choice: You could either use some of |
| Carmel and Monterey, and experiencing the | | | | your hotel savings to stay in a fantastically |
| highlights of San Francisco. It would be | | | | romantic place, such as the Tickle Pink Inn |
| simple for you to book seven nights in a San | | | | along the shore, or continue to save by |
| Francisco hotel. After all, you would be | | | | booking a quality place inland. For the |
| within an easy day’s drive | | | | latter, the ultimate hotel money saver in the |
| of everything you want to see. | | | | Carmel and Monterey area is the nearby town |
| | | | of Salinas. |
| However, seven nights in a San Francisco | | | | |
| hotel would be expensiveâ€"and even | | | | The Grapes of Wrath no longer haunt John |
| more so as you probably want an especially | | | | Steinbeck’s Salinas. |
| nice place for this trip. And, on top of | | | | It’s become a pleasant |
| that, you would have to pay about $30 | | | | working-class town with a center city that |
| â€" 45 a day for parking in a safe | | | | people enjoy in the evening. |
| area. | | | | |
| | | | Salinas puts you a mere 25 minutes from |
| Instead, why not spend the first three nights | | | | Carmel, but in a different price range |
| closer to the Wine Country and the national | | | | altogether. |
| seashore? | | | | |
| | | | So, what have you done here? |
| You could book a very nice resort-style hotel | | | | You’ve had three nights in |
| in or near Santa Rosa for a fraction of the | | | | Santa Rosa, two in San Francisco, and two in |
| cost of a similar hotel in San Francisco. | | | | the Monterey area. |
| | | | |
| You would end up really close to many of the | | | | Not only have you saved a lot on |
| finest Napa Valley wineries, the Calistoga | | | | hotelsâ€"even if you splurged in |
| hot springs spas, and even the exceptional | | | | Carmelâ€"you’ve |
| restaurant of the Culinary Institute of | | | | also saved a lot of time commuting from a San |
| America. Moreover, you’d be | | | | Francisco hotel. This is time |
| just a few minutes from beautiful Point Reyes | | | | you’ve been able to use |
| National Seashore. | | | | visiting fun and memorable places, rather |
| | | | than on the road. |
| Then, after your last night in Santa Rosa, | | | | |
| you could enjoy a scenic drive along the | | | | When saving money helps you have a better |
| Marin County coastline toward San Francisco, | | | | vacation, you have travel savings at its |
| with stops in charming Sausalito and the | | | | finest. |
| redwoods of Muir Woods National Monument | | | | |