My Love-Hate Relationship With Hotels
May 30, 2008 by Darren Alff
It’s easy to point out the benefits of staying in a hotel when on a bicycle tour. On the other hand, it’s a little more difficult to point out the drawbacks.
Hotels provide a number of amenities that are important to the traveling cyclist. When staying in a hotel you have a toilet, shower, drinking water, shelter, television, possibly a free meal in the morning, and a whole host of other amenities. But hotels also have some negatives.
First of all, hotels often times cost a lot of money! Unless you are able to obtain your lodging for free, you can easily spend hundreds or thousands of dollars when staying in hotels on a bike tour.
Secondly, I find it much more difficult to get up in the morning when at a hotel. I tend to sleep in late, watch TV, and procrastinate on checking out until the very last minute. This is especially tempting when the weather is bad and the last thing you want to do is get back on your bike and hit the road.
Finally, staying in hotels can take the adventure out of your bicycle tour. On my 4th bike tour down the Mississippi River I stayed in over two dozen hotels along the way… and while the cycling was great and I had a lot of fun, that tour just doesn’t measure up with my other bicycle adventures because it was simply too darn easy!
Photo provided by: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Anyone who likes a roof over their head should cycle through Vietnam!
I spent six weeks in February/March 2008 and while it was sometimes tough (100km+ daily and steep hills in the North and Central highlands) I always had a roof over my head and warm shower or bath to look forward to.
Camping is illegal, so you have to stay at government-registered accommodation.
Homestays, guesthouses and mini-hotels were wonderful and never more than $15 twin-share. In the tourist hot-spots a four-star hotel with all the trimmings was $35-50. All included breakfast – pho and delicious french bread through to full-on buffets in the hotels. Mmmmm!
I never had a problem getting up in the mornings because I was so well rested and ready for another day cycling.
Vanessa. Thank you so much for sharing. Vietnam. Another place I really want to experience. Did you travel alone while you were there I wonder? Either way, thank you for the comment. You’ve got me dreaming of a a Vietnamese adventure.