Lodging when traveling abroad needn't cost an arm and a leg, if you're careful. In the United States, Bed & Breakfast Hotels or B&Bs are generally much more luxurious than the average B&B abroad. For instance in Europe, a bed and breakfast is usually looked at as an economical place to stay, much more so than conventional hotels. Most of these B&Bs are small family run hotels (most often the family in question has quarters right on the premises) and often include breakfast with the price of the room.

Where can you find such lodgings? Once you've roamed a European city for even a day or so, you'll see them everywhere, but that doesn't solve the problem of where to go on the first night when you've arrived after a long overseas flight. If you haven't planned in advance, many airports have hotel booking service desks, such as those runs by Thomas Cooke (they also do currency exchanges, although not necessarily at the best rates). You let the booking service know what price range hotel you are looking for and in which area; they, for a nominal fee, find a room that will meet your needs (within reason).

If you take the time to plan a little in advance, you can avoid the necessity of using a booking service and thereby avoiding the nominal (about $5.00 - $15.00 ) fee. In the digital age many Mom and Pop hotels and B&Bs have websites. Go to a good search engine like Google.com and look for hotels and B&Bs in the area you'll be visiting. Between online mapping sites and email you'll be able to secure a room in an area near where you want to be. There are also several travel websites that specialize in budget hotels. Again, your best tool to find what you're looking for is a good internet search engine and city maps.

Here are some other tips and things to be aware of when staying at small family run hotels and B&Bs:

• Be aware that the facilities are likely to be clean, but basic. The furnishings and decor will usually not be fancy, but they will be clean and functional.
• The rooms can be quite small and closet space is often limited or non-existent.
• Don't expect the linens to be changed daily.
• While it's often included, some hotels do charge extra for breakfast. If the breakfast is good, it can be a great deal, if it's stale toast and warmed over coffee, you might find better value elsewhere. The point is, it's always better to ask in advance. A lot of hotels will automatically assume you will be having breakfast and add it to the room charge, so if you don't want it, speak up (politely) ahead of time.
• The most expensive rooms in these small hotels will have bathroom facilities, including a tub, in the room.
• A room that comes equipped with a shower, will usually be less expensive than one with a bathtub.
• The least expensive room will offer bathing facilities down the hall. Each bathroom will be shared by the lodgers of several rooms. This really isn't as inconvenient as it may sound and will save you significantly on your hotel bill.
• Rooms with one double bed are usually less expensive than rooms with twin beds.
• If you're driving, be aware that there is almost always an extra charge for parking.
• Get familiar with a map of your city and the areas near where you'd like to visit. Be sure the hotel you choose is near or easily accessible to those areas. It also helps to know you'll be near reliable public transportation, if you don't plan on renting a car.
• When checking room rates, make sure the price you are quoted includes any applicable taxes or fees.
• Travel writer Margo Classe has written a great series of budget hotel guidebooks that cover France, Spain, Italy, England, Scotland and Ireland. These guides are invaluable for finding quality hotels for low cost. The author personally checks out each and every one of the hundreds of hotels listed. For more information, visit Margo's website at www.helloeurope.com.

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