Finding a room at the Inn.
#1
04-17-2013, 02:50 PM
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Dallas Oregon
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Finding a room at the Inn.
I have always been a planner. Destination and route all picked out, reservations made weeks or even months ahead, etc. This summer I want to just get on the bike and go to ? and maybe spend a couple weeks to get there. My problem is due to medical issues I can't just pitch a tent somewhere, I will need to get a room. Now my question...am I going to be able to do that, i.e. get a room where ever I happen to end up for the night. Want to try and avoid big cities and freeways and do secondary roads. Am I still going to have to have a plan? Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
#2
04-17-2013, 02:55 PM
Road Captain
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Greeley, CO
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I have traveled cross-country a number of times and never made a reservation. I like to drive until I don't feel like driving anymore then stop and find some dinner and a room. In all the times I have traveled I have only had one time where there wasn't a room available in the town I wanted to stop in as there was some big convention going on. I just rode about 20 miles to the next town and got one with no trouble. Note the one time was in a city, I have never had a problem in suburbs or smaller towns.
I don't feel like there is a lot of freedom in having a set destination to shoot for every day.
I don't feel like there is a lot of freedom in having a set destination to shoot for every day.
#3
04-17-2013, 02:58 PM
I've been doing 5-10k summer trips since 2004 with barely a plan and never a reservation for a room. Only once have I been unable to get a room.
#4
04-17-2013, 05:59 PM
You will be fine with no plans.
-Been traveling all over the country for over 36 years, never make reservations unless I'm traveling with my Wife. I tend to stay in nicer hotels when she is with me. I myself will stay in the smallest, cheapest, flea-bag hotel I can find. So will my riding buds.
Any smaller town you end up in will likely have a room.
Just go, and stop when you feel like it!
Have a great trip, and let us know how it worked out!
-Been traveling all over the country for over 36 years, never make reservations unless I'm traveling with my Wife. I tend to stay in nicer hotels when she is with me. I myself will stay in the smallest, cheapest, flea-bag hotel I can find. So will my riding buds.
Any smaller town you end up in will likely have a room.
Just go, and stop when you feel like it!
Have a great trip, and let us know how it worked out!
#5
04-17-2013, 06:08 PM
Road Master
Like the others have said, It's usually is not a problem. Just might not want to wait till the last minute to check on a room incase you need to go to the next town. Have a nice trip!
#6
04-17-2013, 06:12 PM
Best way to travel as far as I'm concerned. I love to camp but if I'm not I very rarely make reservations. Usually my last meal stop of the night I take out my smart phone and search/call around while I'm eating. The rationalization behind this is that I can't predict where or when I'm going to be at a certain place. Some days I want to ride into the night and some days not. Weather and traffic also play a role in travel time.
#7
04-17-2013, 06:16 PM
No me neither. Never had a problem finding a room, sometimes you have to ride for a bit till you find one though. We've had times when we pull into a hotel and find no vacancy, but usually they will call around on your behalf to find you a place.
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#8
04-17-2013, 06:42 PM
You will be fine with no plans/reservations... Been XC MANY times with no reservations and never had to sleep on the bike though I have had to ride a few extra miles to find a place...
One suggestion; If you have a friend (at home/not on the ride with you) who knows where you are heading/where you will end-up for the evening, they can call-ahead/make reservations for you... There have been times when, during certain segments of a long/XC trek, I have needed to 'make time' and asked a friend to monitor my progress and set me up with a room in the evening so that I could focus on the bad WX/laying down some serious miles/Et al...
Go for it...
One suggestion; If you have a friend (at home/not on the ride with you) who knows where you are heading/where you will end-up for the evening, they can call-ahead/make reservations for you... There have been times when, during certain segments of a long/XC trek, I have needed to 'make time' and asked a friend to monitor my progress and set me up with a room in the evening so that I could focus on the bad WX/laying down some serious miles/Et al...
Go for it...
Last edited by user_1534GD; 04-17-2013 at 06:44 PM.
#10
04-17-2013, 07:12 PM
When I am by myself, I never make reservations in advance. However, I have only made the mistake twice of relying on Lady Luck to help me find a room at the end of long hard day of riding; both times were not fun.
What I do now is some time around 2 in the afternoon (sooner if I know I am going to be in the boonies) I stop and make a reservation. By then, I know where I want to call it a day and it beats driving around looking for vacancy signs. A few times, I have changed my plans because no rooms were available, plus it is much easier to get a good rate this way. Also, it beats the rest of the crowd that waits until the last minute to start looking for vacancy signs.
A lot of neat places are not online however and I have missed out on staying at some cool places by staying at a franchise motel. It's just a bed and a shower to me though, so I really don't care that much. More important to me than how neato a hotel is, is how close the Denney's or Waffle House is.
What I do now is some time around 2 in the afternoon (sooner if I know I am going to be in the boonies) I stop and make a reservation. By then, I know where I want to call it a day and it beats driving around looking for vacancy signs. A few times, I have changed my plans because no rooms were available, plus it is much easier to get a good rate this way. Also, it beats the rest of the crowd that waits until the last minute to start looking for vacancy signs.
A lot of neat places are not online however and I have missed out on staying at some cool places by staying at a franchise motel. It's just a bed and a shower to me though, so I really don't care that much. More important to me than how neato a hotel is, is how close the Denney's or Waffle House is.