Bed and breakfasts can sometimes be a cheap but romantic alternative to high priced hotels. Smaller hotels often have a more personal feel and the owners can be a good local resource.

Hostels sound hostile but they aren't. Frequently you share a room with a bunch of fellow travelers. Many hostels also offer single or double rooms at a slightly higher price, but that price is usually cheaper than a hotel's rate. Sometimes hostel stay includes a continental breakfast. They might ask you to do a chore or help with housework.

College campuses will often rent out dorm rooms to tourists during the summer. Inquire with the colleges in your destination area.

If you are going to be away for more than a few weeks, consider participating in a house swap. You and someone in the country you are visiting agree to swap houses for a few weeks. Obviously you'll have to lock away your valuables, but in most cases, people who try this approach don't have many complaints. For more information enter the words "home exchange" in your favorite search engine.

There are people who have timeshare condos or vacation homes that are desperate for someone to fill in that week. The trick is finding them. Check out the Timeshare Users Group at http://www.tug2.net.

Retreats of all religions from the Amish to Zen will sometimes allow visitors to stay for a week or more of religious contemplation. While some ask you to obey their rules, others can be more free form. Retreats have the unadvertised benefit of being located in some of the most beautiful areas of the world. Try it; even if you don't find enlightenment, at least your vacation bill won't be heavy.

Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn...
When you are calling local hotels you want to get the manager or someone who is empowered to deal on the other end of the phone. You increase your chances by calling during the slower times before 10am or after 4pm. And, your best chance of getting a good rate is to pick up the phone. Once you are in the hotel lobby, the desk clerk knows that you're unlikely to lug your bags out of the hotel in search of a better bargain.

If you arrive in town without a hotel room, make a few calls from the airport. Or, if you're already in town, call from a pay phone to check the rate and negotiate. If you just show up, they will quote you the highest room rate they can, but if you call ahead, they often quote a rate 10-25 percent lower than that.

When you arrive at the hotel, "read" the parking lot. If there are a lot of empty parking spaces, you know that you have increased negotiating leverage. Try to knock another 20 percent off the price.

Once you get to the desk clerk, ask "Don't you have anything better?" Be shameless, if it is your birthday or anniversary; ask for special discount or a room upgrade. Often the clerk will do it with a few keystrokes without even bothering the manager.