How to Sleep Cheap, From Cruises to Convents

· Expedia.com. Spokeswoman Erin Krause says the company offers A&O Hostels and Hotels in Berlin, Dresden, Hamburg, Munich and Prague. All have single and double rooms, as well as dorms. A&O Hotel Friedrichshain in Berlin has doubles for $79 in May, with breakfast.

· German Youth Hostelling Association, http://www.jugendherberge.de/en. Has an extensive network of lodging, most with family rooms. In Oberammergau, bed and breakfast costs $27.50 a night; with all meals, $37.

· Hostel World, http://www.hostelworld.com. With thousands of easy-to-read listings in all European countries, plus travelers' reviews and ratings, this is a good one-stop shopping place.

· EuroCheapo, http://www.eurocheapo.com. A good source for hostels and budget hotels.

· Some universities rent dorm rooms during breaks. For example, London King's College ( http://www.kcl.ac.uk/kcvb), near Covent Garden, has doubles for $116 on Great Dover Street. Contact individual universities in your destinations to inquire. Sometimes train station information desks and tourist bureaus can direct you.

Rent a Room

In some train and bus stations and ferry docks in Eastern and Central Europe, private residents with rooms approach travelers. You have to trust your gut. Never fork over money before you've seen the room and neighborhood. Insist on being shown the location on a map, and ask about transportation. Still, these rooms can represent real bargains, with cultural immersion as a bonus. If you feel safer using a broker, many airport, train and bus stations have information desks or tourist office branches offering information on private rooms.

Memorize the term for room vacancies. In Germany, for example, it's "zimmer frei"; in Croatia, "sobe." In Austria, you might stumble upon a "pension" sign at a farm whose workers are on vacation, such as during Easter week.