Over the past month we have been traveling around visiting different destinations having booked no accommodation due to lack of funds. This is quick guide for anyone that ever ends up in a similar situation.
Well to start with you need to plan your trip having not booked any accommodation or even researched anywhere to stay, this saves a lot of stress and hassle before your trip.
The rules.
Make sure you begin the evening within a tight social scene, this is good for networking and could lead to a bed for the night. But be careful, over zealous networking could hinder your chances of broaching a deal.
Although gender has an influence on who you talk to during the evening, often the female could take friendly banter the wrong way, you have to explain early on that ' I am not talking to you with an alter motive in mind'.
As time goes on it is important to make head way with these conversations, dropping hints about the fact the campsite was fully booked and how the hotels are very expensive around here.
If you succeed with this technique then that's great, the bed is yours, wonderful.
OK imagine the conversations during the evening fall on deaf ears and a group of people you started with gradually gets smaller as night draws in, this could be a major problem. If this happens it is important to keep your cool, don't panic and start dropping in lines like ' I think I've lost my hotel key
is your room close by' or 'you have amazing eyes and I'd love to stare at you all night'
this will only cause problems for future nights, don't limit your options.
There are a few things you could try, head towards a group of guys you know pretty well and ask if they have room on their floor, you can usually sneak by the front desk and get up to the room. Using a towel as a pillow works well and there is usually a spare sheet kicking around you can use as a duvet.
Option two is find a car park with a grill that blows warm air, you can sleep on this grill to keep warm, it is important to keep your clothes on otherwise you will wake up looking like you've spent the night on a large BBQ.
OK a quick guide on the do's and dont's
Do's
1. Share your time amongst males and females as it is important to keep your options open.
2. Make up a jovial story about the fact you have nowhere to stay, say something like your tent was squashed by a heard of wild cows that had escaped from a near by field.
3. Offer people a round of drinks, this will raise your likeability factor.
4. Get talking about a trip to your country or town, and how they are more than welcome to crash at your place, and you'll take them boating.
5. Talk to as many people as possible and look interested in what they have to say.
Dont's
1. Don't limit your age range, often the elders will take pity on you, and if your lucky they'll also get your breakfast.
2. Don't show off about how the last time you were at Lyon you did the biggest air screw ever!
3. Don't get to drunk, often this will back fire.
4. Don't be to confident, no one likes arrogance. You will never succeed.
5. Don't drop in to many hints about the fact you have nowhere to stay, people will start to figure out what your plan is and once one person finds out it will travel like wild fire.
An example of mediocre accommodation.
