How can I find a good hotel rate in Minneapolis?
Also, a AAA card only costs about $30-50 [more if you get AAA plus] so even if you don’t have a car, if you think you’ll use it and its 10% discount more than a few nights a year, it might be worth the investment. I generally find cheap motels by checking sites for backpackers/travellers like The Rough Guide and Lonely Planet, some of which have message boards where people swap good info on cheap places to stay. Sometimes hotel-ish, sometimes more like hostels. Also worth knowing is that in many big cities, you can reserve a private room for two at a youth hostel which is much cheaper than a hotel, but comes with a bathroom down the hall. I’ve been surprised how nice many of these places I stayed were. If you’re travelling solo and don’t mind room/house sharing, sites like Servas, CouchSurfing.com and others give you a chance to stay with a person or family which is a good way to get to know the area, but maybe not what you are looking for. Lastly, there’s just the MeFiBrainTrust. Chan
