Visit on a Shoe String Budget (Austin: rental car, rental, hotels)

[a bohemian muse]

hi everyone,

stumbled across this great forum (thank you thank you thank you) - all these posts have been so helpful.

thinking about relocating to austin. actually, visiting next week for 3 days (don't have a place to stay yet, but still looking) to get a feel for the city.

was wondering if anyone could give me a few pointers on visiting austin on a shoe string budget - what i mean by shoe string, less than $400.

i'd like to stay close to downtown, possibly walking distance to good (cheap) eats, maybe some eclectic shops & pretty sights (well, as much as you can see being in urban sprawl). i'm 34 & have no problems with hostel style arrangements.

i will have a rental car so if there isn't anything inexpensive downtown, i could drive, though i keep reading on posts that traffic can be horrendous.

any info for this excited bohemian who suffers from wanderlust would be so greatly appreciated.

peace -

[AustinTraveler]

Do you mean $400 for hotel, or $400 total for everything?

A good place to stay would be the Austin Motel. You could easily walk to restaurants and all kinds of funky shops. It's in the SOCO District downtown. The cheapest room there is $75 a night (includes tax).

Here's the website if you're interested: http://www.austinmotel.com/

[gigi927]

your other option is to priceline a hotel. a few others on here suggest going to biddingfortravel.com first to check out what successful bids have been on various hotels. Maybe you can get something for cheap! Good luck and enjoy your trip!

[a bohemian muse]

Originally Posted by AustinTraveler

Do you mean $400 for hotel, or $400 total for everything?

A good place to stay would be the Austin Motel. You could easily walk to restaurants and all kinds of funky shops. It's in the SOCO District downtown. The cheapest room there is $75 a night (includes tax).

Here's the website if you're interested: http://www.austinmotel.com/

thanks for the website & info - i was thinking $400 total for the entire trip. i already have airline tickets, just needed some ideas on places to stay, eat, visit, do the tourist thing, etc. any good suggestions on 'must see' when i arrive? i'm sure the list is lengthy, but if you throw a few out there for me, it would be a great start.

[a bohemian muse]

Originally Posted by gigi927

your other option is to priceline a hotel. a few others on here suggest going to biddingfortravel.com first to check out what successful bids have been on various hotels. Maybe you can get something for cheap! Good luck and enjoy your trip!

thanks gigi927 for helpful info - yes, priceline is a great tool. not familiar with biddingfortravel.com, but will definitely check it out. any places you might recommend to stay away from?

[artichoke63]

Originally Posted by a bohemian muse

hi everyone,

stumbled across this great forum (thank you thank you thank you) - all these posts have been so helpful.

thinking about relocating to austin. actually, visiting next week for 3 days (don't have a place to stay yet, but still looking) to get a feel for the city.

was wondering if anyone could give me a few pointers on visiting austin on a shoe string budget - what i mean by shoe string, less than $400.

i'd like to stay close to downtown, possibly walking distance to good (cheap) eats, maybe some eclectic shops & pretty sights (well, as much as you can see being in urban sprawl). i'm 34 & have no problems with hostel style arrangements.

i will have a rental car so if there isn't anything inexpensive downtown, i could drive, though i keep reading on posts that traffic can be horrendous.

any info for this excited bohemian who suffers from wanderlust would be so greatly appreciated.

peace -

I was just in town. The cheaper hotels are out on I-35, but that freeway is an armpit. If you can get something in town, you'll be better off. Sometimes you get good deals on hotwire.com but beware once you pay for a hotel, you are stuck with it.

[a bohemian muse]

ah, freeway = armpit. thanks for the head's up artichoke63. i'll try to steer clear from I-35 then. never used hotwire.com, but i'm always up for something new these days. thanks again for the helpful tips.

[artichoke63]

Yeah, I went for the cheap hotels. I mean, all you need is a bed and some running water, right? I even slept in my car one night.

Artie

[AustinGuy]

Originally Posted by artichoke63

I was just in town. The cheaper hotels are out on I-35, but that freeway is an armpit.

Yes, I-35 especially from the 290 interchange south through downtown IS an armpit. It's best you see it when you visit since if you end up moving here, you're most likely to spend some quality time on that beautiful strip of highway.

[a bohemian muse]

Originally Posted by artichoke63

Yeah, I went for the cheap hotels. I mean, all you need is a bed and some running water, right? I even slept in my car one night.

Artie

lol...yes, bed & running water (clean toilet would be nice too). if need be, i could sleep in the rental car, though i'm sure the rental agency wouldn't appreciate that, but it's do-able!