Since I was a child I have loved to travel, and thankfully I have a job that is flexible enough for me to continue doing so. I am often limited by my budget though so the reality of that is I look for the best possible deals I can. Even though I want to travel cheap, I want to have quality accommodations. I also want to dine on foods that I am going to remember as I savor each bite.

After plenty of hit and miss experiences in various hotels during my travels, I decided to give a bed & breakfast a try. Well, my first experience was a great one so I decided then and there that I was done with hotels. If I can find a bed & breakfast in the area I will choose to stay there. I want to be able to have a personal experience and not just be another person that approached the counter to check in. I also don't like the long lines at most hotels.

That is why I decided to give up hotels and pursue quality bed & breakfast locations. Many of them are among the best kept secrets in the world. Of course you will find some that are poorly managed, but anyone that wants to have a good business in this area needs to take care of the customers. I enjoy being greeted when I arrive, getting information on events and attractions in the area, and feeling like I can approach the staff with any questions I may have.

I also love the home cooking. When you travel as often as I do, you quickly tire of greasy foods from fast food restaurants and I really don't like to dine in a restaurant alone. I have eaten a variety of different foods at bed & breakfast locations. I have also had the pleasure of meeting some really great people - both the staff members of the bed & breakfast and other guests.

I don't want my delightful time at a bed & breakfast to be ruined because it isn't ran properly. This doesn't mean it isn't clean or comfortable, but if the owner doesn't offer a personal touch then it is really no better than those hotel rooms from my past that I avoid staying at. Since I don't want this type of experience, I carefully do my research online.

How do I decide which bed & breakfast locations to stay at? I generally come up with my travel destination first. This could be a place I really want to go or somewhere I have already been but they have good sales on airfare so I return for more adventures. I get most of my information from the internet.

Not the way most other people do though as I completely skip the advertisements. Anyone can sell you on their business if they have a well written campaign. Instead, I take a look at the various forums and blogs. I find out information from other people that have stayed at the bed & breakfast. If I only find a review or two on a particular one then it can peak my interest to check it out.

I steer clear of those that have a constant report of not living up to expectations. After all, why waste my money on an unpleasant experience? Those that get rave reviews go onto my list so that when I travel that way I can stay there. Of course the price is a factor for me as well but I find if I travel during the week I get better rates than on the weekends. You can be sure I return home to post my own reviews of the various bed & breakfasts that I stay in as well.