To get a real taste of the free-wheeling Amsterdam zeitgeist, consider staying at one of the legendary Flying Pig Hostels.

With an outdoor pool, free coffee and tea all day, free WiFi and a common kitchen, Todd's Hostel Las Vegas is a poor man's Ceasar's Palace

In response to growing numbers of truly eco-sensitive tourists, hotels, airplane manufacturers like Boeing, Mexican destination villagers, and even the United States Government are getting into the show

Hostels might be a great choice if you're in New York City and don't have friends you know well enough to crash on their sofa

Jazz on the Park is the hipster's hostel, with house music blaring in the art-filled lobby, weekly barbecues in summer for just 5 bucks, movie and poker nights when the weather's colder, photos of great jazz musicians in the hallways, and a color scheme in the rooms that is taken straight out of the Wizard of Oz

The budget Central Park Hostel is a top bet for your next New York visit

This family-run hostel in Cuernavaca is a great place to stay for the road-weary backpacker or older traveller on a budget. Clean, comfortable and very friendly.

For a friendly place to stay in Mexico City, pick the Hostal San Sebastian located just north of Zona Rosa in the Colonia Veronica Anzures.