Other Accommodations
If a type of accommodation is offered to travelers, you can probably find
at least some sources for that accommodation type on the Internet. In
virtually all cases, the Internet sites provide directories along with price and+
location information. Few if any, however, offer any special Internet dis-
counts or reductions:
• Hostels: The American Youth Hostel (AYH) affiliate of Hostelling
International, through which
you can locate and book hostels throughout the world.
• Campgrounds: Kampgrounds of America, the largest commercial
campground operator, through
which you can locate and book campgrounds.
• National parks, national forests, state parks: You can locate (and
often book) in-park hotel and lodge accommodations and camp-
grounds through the sites maintained by the individual resource
organizations .
• University accommodations: Many universities rent out their dor-
mitory rooms when school isn't in session. The best way to find
them is to use a search engine to check individual university or col-
lege sites.
• Castles: If you've ever wanted to stay in a castle or palace, you can
find some of them on the Internet.
• Dude ranches: Several sites have compiled listings for individual dude
ranches.
• Pet-friendly spots: Several sites catalog hotels and motels that
accept pets.
A few specialized accommodations were not yet on the Internet as of
early 2000. Among them are directories of monasteries that accept tran-
sient visitors, and retreat houses. For information on these and other
obscure categories, you must still refer to guidebooks.