Everyone to go on Peru vacations once in awhile. Whether it’s a family holiday, romantic getaway, or even if just exploring the world on your own, there are many tips you can use that will save not only time and money, but a lot of headaches as well.

There are two areas where most of your budget is spent right away, food, and lodging. While camping is certainly one cheap way to really to keep a roof over your head, not everywhere you go is going to have a campground. If you are traveling with family and friends, you are all crammed into a small space and the longer the vacation, the more those people will start to get on each other’s nerves.

A hotel is an alternative, but there are many disadvantages to staying at a hotel. These include lack of privacy, meals, as well as the cost per person. Even if a hotel offers a breakfast of some kind, there is lunch and dinner to consider. Food can take a big chunk out of your wallet, and the more people you have, the more it’s going to cost. If you must stay at a hotel, find one that where kids eat free, especially if you have children twelve and under.

With location and budget in mind, here are the main types of Peru lodging available:

Free Peru Lodging

There are hospitality exchange programs available in several parts of Peru, especially in the bigger cities like Lima, Trujillo, Arequipa and Cuzco. Members of these programs let travelers stay at their homes for free. Sometimes the host will offer things like meals and city tours besides a room to stay. This can be somewhat limiting as members of hospitality exchange programs may be few in numbers, or located well away from tourist attractions, but it will save you money and offer you an inside look at the culture. Couchsurfing.com is one of these clubs you can join.

Cheap Peru Lodging

There are a few backpacker hostels in the bigger cities. At hostels you’ll share a room with other travelers and therefore pay less for accommodation. Hostels are not too common as hospedajes or hostales usually cost about the same as hostels, sometimes they are cheaper. Hostales are available in virtually every city in Peru. In most cases there are several of them every few blocks. They are very basic and almost never include additional services, but only cost around $7 to $30 a night.

Inexpensive Peru Lodging

Affordable hotels are abundant in the principle cities, especially in the tourist areas. These range from the basics of a television, a telephone, a bathroom, a bed or two and a desk, to extra services like meals, internet, a swimming pool, laundry service, tour information and other useful amenities. Prices generally range from $30 to $100 per night. If you have extra time, an alternative to staying in a hotel is to stay with a host family. This is similar to the hospitality exchange programs except that there is a fee. However, you will also receive home cooked meals, you’ll get help with your Spanish, make new friends, be invited to take part in activities and gather a lot of information and cultural experience. Most host families are located in Lima, Arequipa and Cuzco. Prices are about $60 to $150 a week. One Peruvian home stay organization is hostfamilyinperu.com

Expensive Peru Lodging

High class and luxury hotels are available in the major cities and around certain tourist attractions like the beach in Miraflores, Lima and Machu Picchu near Cuzco. These offer bigger, better furnished rooms. Many also include or offer restaurants, gyms, business centers, casinos, shows, swimming pools, Jacuzzis, room service, guided tour services, souvenir shops, beauty salons and other things of comfort and entertainment. When on a packaged tour with a travel agency your hotel accommodations are almost always included in the price. A nightly stay costs from $100 to over $1,000.