Even if you are on a tight budget, you can find clean, convenient and affordable options. It’s not just about a cheap hotel; it’s about how to find value without sacrificing comfort, opting for budget chains with money-saving perks and exploring vacation rental alternatives.

Watch as Travel Correspondent Alyssa Caverley shares the five essential tips for finding good accommodations during peek travel days.

Check back next Friday for another Know Before You Go. We’ll give you money-saving advice through the entire 2012 holiday travel season.

For more holiday travel references:

• Watch Peter’s Video Travel Tip on Vacation Rentals
• Thanksgiving 2012 Holiday Flight Tips and Hotel Deals
• Daily Deal: Holiday Hotel Savings in San Francisco
  

By Alyssa Caverley for Peter Greenberg.com

Shot using a Sony HDR AX-2000 HD camera.