Sam

Two young people are in need of cheap lodgings and casual work from end September. If you are local or have travelled in the U.S., please help. We are aiming to start in New York and work our way across the country. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Madeline

Hi, Why not try B&B accommodations, it will cost you less than a hotel. E-mail
with arrival and departure dates, and what you mean by cheap lodging. I have two friends that are agents.

Kim

I don't really agree with the B&B suggestion. B&Bs in the U.S. are usually more high-end accomodations, not like B&Bs in Europe. I don't really have experience with hostels in the U.S. But those or camping (when feasible) are probably your best options. Or lower-end motels (in or near cities you may be able to find accomodation for around $60/night-less further away from the city and about half that in more rural areas). Not usually any real character, but if all you're doing is sleeping, you don't need it.

delilah

You don't say how long you plan to stay in any one place, but suggest that if you are heading west during winter, you take a Southern route. First snows in Great Lakes area can be as early as Oct.

If you plan to go city-to-city, suggest checking into YMCA accommodations (only in larger cities, usually). The further you get from the coasts, the cheaper the motels, but also more sparse outside cities.

Suggest you also check the Let's Go -- USA/Canada tourbook, written by students for students/low-budget adventurers. They also have a website with forums -- you could get help there, too.

Mary

If you contact Hosteling International (www.hiayh.org) you can obtain a membership with your credit card. They can send you a listing of all the hostels in the US.

Hope this helps.