How to Sleep Cheap, From Cruises to Convents

But you can also plan in advance. Online resources include:

· Chambredotesfrance.com, http://www.chambredhotesfrance.com, and Chambres d'Hotes.org, http://www.chambresdhotes.org. In France, chambres d'hote (host rooms) dot back roads, and most can be found online. For example, Ferme Auberge de la Rhonie in France's southwest is a farm with 10 rooms, with doubles from $92.50 ( http://www.chambres-larhonie.com).

· Uptown Reservations, http://www.uptownres.co.uk. In London, empty-nesters rent spare bedrooms with private baths in upscale locations through this company. Doubles with breakfast close to tube stations start at $190 a night; family rooms (two bedrooms) are $270.

· StayPoland.com, http://www.staypoland.com. This Warsaw-based travel agency helps Americans with tours and accommodations. A double at Paryzanka guest house outside Zakopane, in Poland's Tatra mountains, is $62 (breakfast included) in May.

Stay in an Indie Hotel

In the United States, about 75 percent of hotels are part of chains and about 25 percent are independently owned; in Europe, it's the opposite. The bedspreads and curtains may not match. Rooms may be small, and breakfast may be served on long tables under photos of Grandma with her clan. You have to embrace the quirkiness.

In France, smaller hotels listed with Logis de France ( http://www.logis-de-france.fr) often are family-owned places with a restaurant, especially in the countryside. Many offer half-board (breakfast and a meal). For example, L'Aragon, in the heart of Roussilion wine country, has 10 rooms from $76. At 18-room Le Tassigny in Corbieres, a double costs $65.

Some budget hotels don't accept credit cards. They also may charge for parking, breakfast, even heat and air conditioning -- if it's available. Many places don't have central air. For example, the Paris Hotel de la Porte Doree ( http://www.hoteldelaportedoree.com), a 20-minute ride from center city, costs $95 a night and charges about $15 extra for AC.

We found similar hotel deals on online booking sites, including city tourism sites. Rates vary; shop around.

· In Lausanne, Switzerland, where the dollar and franc are almost equal, the four-star center-city Hotel Minotel Crystal ( http://www.minotel.com) costs from $124 a night; it's $111 on http://www.hostelworld.com. And the three-star hostel Hotel Jeunotel Lausanne in nearby Vidy ranges from $59 to $192 on various Web sites.

· In London, the 22-room Enviro Hotel ( http://www.envirohotel.com) near Victoria Station averages $94 a night.

· In Budapest, the Hotel Papillon ( http://www.ohb.hu/papillon), a 10-minute walk from Buda Castle, is $85 through Priceline-europe ( http://www.pricelineeurope.com). And Booking.com ( http://www.booking.com), part of Priceline.com, is based in Amsterdam and contracts with hotels in all price ranges throughout Europe to offer discounts.

Scott Booker, vice president of customer marketing for Hotels.com, says promotions are posted on the site on Fridays. And any time you see a really low rate, he says, "Be a little suspect . . . make sure you look at guest ratings and reviews."

Consider a Budget Chain

Budget chain hotels may not have much character, but most have air conditioning. France has more budget chains than other countries. Among them:

· Accor Hotels ( http://www.accorhotels.com) has 13 brands, including Formule 1 ( http://www.formule1.com), Etap ( http://www.etaphotel.com), Novotel ( http://www.novotel.com), Mercure ( http://www.mercure.com) and Ibis ( http://www.ibishotel.com).

Formule I rooms are small and basic, with TV, sink and double bed with a bunk above for a third person. In Dijon, France, a double is $48.50 for up to three people -- a bargain by any standard. An Etap hotel in Hamburg is about $58 in September. Mercure hotels have more amenities. The 84-room, stylish three-star Mercure Nice Grimaldi is $146 in Nice.

· France-based Campanile, Premier Classe and Kyriad are part of Louvre Hotels ( http://www.louvrehotels.com). Campanile ( http://www.campanile.com) has more than 380 hotels in nine countries, with promotions such as stay two nights, get the third free. In September on the Riviera, a double near Cannes costs $96 -- and it's still warm enough to swim. At Campanile Beaune in September, a double or triple room is $108.

· For other budget options, including Mister Bed and Fasthotel, see Eurapart ( http://www.eurapart.com), keeping in mind that prices are approximate. In Strasbourg, France, at the very basic Mister Bed, a double costs $48. In the U.K. and Ireland, Travelodge ( http://www.travelodge.co.uk) is located along motorways, with rooms starting from under $40 per night offseason.

· If you prefer U.S.-based hotels, check out properties with chains such as Choice Hotels ( http://www.choicehotels.com), which has Comfort and Clarion inns. Also check budget properties on Web sites of large multinational chains, such as Holiday Inn and Intercontinental Hotels; with AAA or other discounts, you might get a better hotel at less than you'd expect.

Go Camping

With a sleeping bag, you can sleep cheaply. Some tourism offices compile tent site and caravan (trailer) sites. Countries such as Poland forbid camping in national parks. And in many countries, "wild" camping -- tenting on a farmer's field or overnight at a roadside pull-off -- is illegal. Although camping is regulated with minimum standards enforced in some countries, in others it's not.

In Poland, small family-run campsites are more common. In Lubuskie, a village near the German border about an hour from Berlin and Poznan, a site for two people with a car is $15 a night ( Mini Camping Poland, http://www.minicamping.pl). In Paris, the Hotelliere de Plein Air is a campsite near the Seine in the Bois de Boulogne. Although most campsites can accommodate RVs, there also are tent sites, plus cabins to rent: from $17 a night for two in your own tent, or rent one from $3. If you have an RV, sites can be found at http://www.mobilhome-paris.com. To the east in Paris near the Bois de Vincennes is a similar campground ( http://www.campingparis.fr).

Some sites provide the tents and beds. In Rust am Neusiedlersee, Austria, Camping Rust ( http://www.gmeiner.co.at), a lakeside resort 23 miles from Vienna and 122 miles from Budapest, offers a bed in a six- to eight-person "tipi" tent -- canvas with a wooden floor -- starting at $7 (plus about $6 to park the car).

Web sites with camping tips and links include Karma Bum ( http://www.karmabum.com/index.htm) and Camping Compass.com ( http://www.campingcompass.com). Camping.com ( http://www.camping.com) lists camping options through Europe as well as mobile home and house rentals in 16 countries.

And Finally, Pray

Some convents and monasteries have guest rooms, but some prefer guests making spiritual retreats. If your itinerary includes bar-hopping, forget it. Check curfew time; it could be early. Write or e-mail far in advance of your trip to ask about availability.

Italy has many religious accommodations. In Rome, for example, Casa D'Accoglienza S. Spirito convent near the Vatican charges about $62 for two beds with breakfast, $54 for a three- or four-bed room. Curfew is 11 p.m. in summer, 10 p.m. in winter. Write Casa D'Accoglienza S. Spirito, Suore Francescane dell'Addolorata Borgo S. Spirito 41, 00193 Rome, or e-mail ssmsanpietro@libero.it.

Not all religious places are sinfully cheap. Zefiro World Tour Operator lists more than 300 convents, monasteries, abbeys and castles throughout Italy that are really upscale hotels ( http://www.go-to-italy.com/English/Religious.htm). For example, at Villa Domenico, a monastery-turned-hotel in Siena, a double costs $150 a night without breakfast.

In Reading, England, Douai Abbey in the Berkshire countryside has 22 rooms for guests on retreat. There's no curfew and no requirement that you participate in the Benedictine monks' services, guestmaster Christopher Greener explained in an e-mail, "although we expect guests to recognize the fact that we are a monastery and be respectful." The suggested daily charge is $80, which includes meals ( http://www.douaiabbey.org.uk).

In Paris, the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur's ( http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com) guesthouse Ephreum is next door. It welcomes those "who wish to pray or some on pilgrimage," writes the Benedictine Sister of the Sacred-Heart of Montmartre in charge. You're expected to "take part in the adoration at the Basilica (night or day) and to take part in the liiturgical celebrations." A segregated dorm is about $15 a night, and you can stay two nights. Curfew is 9:15 p.m. The guesthouse closes Sunday evening through Tuesday morning. E-mail montmartre.adoremus@wanadoo.fr.