Hotels & Motels

Sometimes weather, geography, or you body will make camping an unrealistic option on your travels. There are a few basic categories of other lodging options, those being 'cheap' chain motels, 'nicer' chain hotels, and independent motels and bed & breakfasts. Hostels may be viable, but are far more common in bigger cities, where you probably won't find yourself too often when you're out on a motorcycle trip.

Cheap motels, for the most part, are fantastic. If they're part of a large corporate chain, they usually have some kind of minimum standard to maintain, which is often good enough that you'll be able to get clean and appreciate a nice bed after several days of sleeping outdoors. Usually you can at least get some free coffee, though the breakfasts are probably worth skipping (danishes and greasy muffins usually aren't the best way to start your day). The most common of these are Super 8's and Motel 6's, but it's always worth calling around and seeing what the options are when you get to a new town.

Nicer hotels are exactly that, and are worth staying at every now and then to give yourself a nice recharge. The breakfasts are often good enough to serve as an actual meal, which will save you some money, and you can commonly find laundry facilities as well. In-room refrigerators can also save you some money by letting you have an extra meal in the room. These factors can make the extra cost well worth it, but probably not every night.

Independent motels can be great or terrifying - be sure to look the place over a bit beforehand (cars pulling up, meeting with guests and driving away several times in a few minutes is probably a bad thing), and try to look at the room before giving them any money. You might get a great deal, but you don't want to risk a day of dangerous travel because you slept badly. Bed & breakfasts will generally be great, but expensive - some are located in historical buildings, and aren't too unreasonable if you're traveling off-season. They can provide some wonderful, memorable experiences, serve great food, and are often located in convenient locations, but can really throw off your budget if you haven't accounted for the extra expense ahead of time.