Lodging Alternatives

Lodging Alternatives

Apartment Rentals

For a home base that's roomy enough for a family and that comes with cooking facilities, consider renting furnished "flats" (what apartments are called in Britain). These can save you money, especially if you're traveling with a group. If you're interested in home-exchange, but don't feel like sharing, some home exchange directories list rentals as well. If you want to deal directly with local agents, get a personal recommendation from someone who has used the company; there's no accredited rating system for apartment rental standards like the one for hotels. In addition to the options listed here, the London Tourist Board has accommodation lists.

International Agents

At Home Abroad (163 3rd Ave., No. 319, New York, NY, 10003. 212/421-9165. 212/533-0095. www.athomeabroadinc.com). Hideaways International (767 Islington St., Portsmouth, NH, 03801. 603/430-4433 or 800/843-4433. 603/430-4444. www.hideaways.com), annual membership $145. Hometours International (1108 Scottie La., Knoxville, TN, 37919. 865/690-8484 or 866/367-4668. thor.he.net/~hometour/). Interhome (1990 N.E. 163rd St., Suite 110, North Miami Beach, FL, 33162. 305/940-2299 or 800/882-6864. 305/940-2911. www.interhome.us). Vacation Home Rentals Worldwide (235 Kensington Ave., Norwood, NJ, 07648. 201/767-9393 or 800/633-3284. 201/767-5510. www.vhrww.com). Villanet (1251 N.W. 116th St., Seattle, WA, 98177. 206/417-3444 or 800/964-1891. 206/417-1832. www.rentavilla.com). Villas and Apartments Abroad (183 Madison Ave., Suite 201, New York, NY, 10016. 212/213-6435 or 800/433-3020. 212/213-8252. www.vaanyc.com). Villas International (4340 Redwood Hwy., Suite D309, San Rafael, CA, 94903. 415/499-9490 or 800/221-2260. 415/499-9491. www.villasintl.com).

Local Agents

Acorn Apartments (103 Great Russell St., WC1B 3LA. 020/7813-3223. 020/7813-3270. www.acorn-apartments.co.uk) cost from £90. The Apartment Service (5 Francis Grove, Wimbledon, SW19 4DT. 020/8944-1444. 020/8944-6744. www.apartmentservice.com). Landmark Trust (01628/825-925. www.landmarktrust.org.uk), for London apartments in unusual and historic buildings.

University Halls of Residence

University student dorms can be ideal for single travelers as well as those on a tight budget who want to come to London in summer when deals on other lodgings are scarce. Walter Sickert Hall has year-round lodging in its "executive rooms" (six single and three twin), and breakfast is even delivered to your room. Beds are usually available for a week around Easter, and from mid-June to mid-September in all the university accommodations around town. As you might expect, showers and toilets are shared, and there are no bellhops to carry your bags or concierges to answer your questions.

Universities

City University Hall of Residence: Walter Sickert Hall (Graham St., N1 8LA. 020/7040-8822. 020/7040-8825. www.city.ac.uk/ems) costs £60 for a double year-round and includes continental breakfast. London School of Economics Vacations (020/7955-7575. 0207/955-7676. www.lsevacations.co.uk) costs £38 for a double without a toilet to £62 for a double with a toilet. You can choose from a variety of rooms in their many halls of residence around London. University College London (Residence Manager, Campbell House, 5-10 Taviton St., WC1H 0BX. 020/7679-1479. 020/7388-0060) costs £35-£40 for a double and is open from mid-June to mid-September.

Home Exchanges

If you would like to exchange your home for someone else's, join a home-exchange organization, which will send you its updated listings of available exchanges for a year and will include your own listing in at least one of them. It's up to you to make specific arrangements.

Exchange Clubs

HomeLink International (Box 47747, Tampa, FL, 33647. 813/975-9825 or 800/638-3841. 813/910-8144. www.homelink.org); $110 yearly for a listing, online access, and catalog; $70 without catalog. Intervac U.S (30 Corte San Fernando, Tiburon, CA, 94920. 800/756-4663. 415/435-7440. www.intervacus.com).; $125 yearly for a listing, online access, and a catalog; $65 without catalog.

Hostels

No matter what your age, you can save on lodging costs by staying at hostels. In some 4,500 locations in more than 70 countries around the world, Hostelling International (HI), the umbrella group for a number of national youth-hostel associations, offers single-sex, dorm-style beds and, at many hostels, rooms for couples and family accommodations. Membership in any HI national hostel association, open to travelers of all ages, allows you to stay in HI-affiliated hostels at member rates; one-year membership is about $28 for adults (C$35 for a two-year minimum membership in Canada, £14 in the United Kingdom, A$52 in Australia, and NZ$40 in New Zealand); hostels charge about $10-$30 per night. Members have priority if the hostel is full; they're also eligible for discounts around the world, even on rail and bus travel in some countries. Members of the Boy Scouts may want to consider London's useful Baden-Powell House, which offers rooms for as little as $25 a night for Scouts and their families. Non scouts must pay a bit more.

Organizations

Baden-Powell House (65-67 Queens Gate, London, SW7 5JS. 020/7584-7031. 020/7590-6902. www.scoutbase.org.uk/hq/bph/index.htm). Hostelling International -- USA (8401 Colesville Rd., Suite 600, Silver Spring, MD, 20910. 301/495-1240. 301/495-6697. www.hiusa.org). Hostelling International -- Canada (205 Catherine St., Suite 400, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 1C3. 613/237-7884 or 800/663-5777. 613/237-7868. www.hihostels.ca). YHA England and Wales (Trevelyan House, Dimple Rd., Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3YH, UK. 0870/870-8808, 0870/770-8868, or 0162/959-2600. 0870/770-6127. www.yha.org.uk).