Ys and Wherefores of Lodgings and Tours

One option for young travelers searching out budget accommodations is the lodging centers operated by the YMCAs and YWCAs in North America and abroad. The centers in New Orleans and New York City even offer do-it-yourself sightseeing packages, and the rates for them will be increased slightly for 1997. In Vancouver, Canada, a 12-story YWCA hotel/residence was opened just one year ago.

Jazz and blues lovers, or those who want to see the romantic mansions of Southern plantations, are offered economical three- and four-day Discover New Orleans packages. They include accommodation at the Y’s centrally located International Center, in single and double rooms that have air-conditioning and color TV with shared washroom facilities down the hall. The center also has a restaurant, athletic facilities and a self-service laundry.

The three-day packages include two nights’ accommodation, two breakfasts, a plantation tour, a New Orleans city tour, a historic Mississippi River cruise and a tour of the Louisiana Superdome.

The 1997 package prices are $150 for solo travelers in single rooms or $140 per person for sharing a double.

The four-day version of the Discover New Orleans package includes three nights’ accommodation, three breakfasts, the same sightseeing opportunities, plus a visit to a restored Victorian home--the Historic Gallier House.

The cost is $170 single occupancy and $165 per person, double occupancy. Both rates will rise $5 for 1997.

Y’s Way New York City packages are available from three to eight days. Accommodations are at the Vanderbilt or West Side Ys.

The New York City four-day package includes three nights’ accommodation, three breakfasts, a dinner in Chinatown and a double-decker city tour. The 1997 prices for travelers staying at the Vanderbilt will be $198 single or $152 per person for two sharing a twin room. At the West Side Y, the cost will be $196 single or $149 per person, double occupancy in a twin room.

The New York Double Decker Tour, which is included with this package, is ideal for those who prefer lots of freedom and flexibility. The tickets allow passengers to stay on board for the complete two-hour narrated tour, or to get on and off as many times as they want at stops along the route. Stops include the Empire State Building, Greenwich Village, Chinatown and Little Italy, the World Trade Center, Battery Park for the Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty Ferry, the United Nations, Central Park and Rockefeller Center.

The Y’s Way program booklet gives further details on these packages, plus advice for novice travelers who might be arriving at JFK airport in New York after an international flight.

The booklet says there is a YMCA counter in the customer service area of the International Arrivals Building between American Airlines and Travelers Aid that provides information on student accommodations and transportation. It warns that if the counter is closed you should go to the ground transportation counter in the main lobby of the IAB and agents there can tell you how to get to Manhattan. “Do not rely on information offered by ‘helpful strangers.’ They may not know the best alternatives and some may be trying to overcharge you,” says the booklet.

Before you book into any Y, research it in a budget travel guidebook. Here’s what “Let’s Go: USA,” which is researched by Harvard students, has to say about the New York City Vanderbilt Y:

“Convenient and well-run, with vigilant security. Clean, brightly lit lobby bustles with internationals touting internal-frame backpacks.” It says the rooms are quite small, but guests can use the athletic facilities, safety deposit boxes and airport shuttle service.

It also points out that the center is not open to New York City residents. Some Ys, like the Vancouver YWCA, open their residences to both travelers and local residents in need. The Vancouver YWCA, which opened its 12-story hotel/residence in a contemporary-designed building in the heart of the city last year, is a major source of funding for local community service programs. The hotel/residence always reserves three rooms for refugees, offers reduced rates for families of heart and stroke patients treated in Vancouver, and provides emergency shelter for women and children.

The Y at 733 Beatty St. has 155 single, twin, double, triple and quint rooms. Room rates range from $32 to $64. The residence offers TVs in some of the rooms, plus TV lounges, shared kitchens and laundry rooms. Guests have free use of the YWCA Health & Wellness Center, a 15-minute walk away.

The Y’s Way booklet includes a listing of 25 Ys, or affiliated lodgings, in North America and five foreign countries that offer accommodations for travelers. Not all Ys offering accommodations are listed, so if you need information on a city that is not listed, check with the local tourist information offices. You’ll find that YMCAs and YWCAs accommodate both men and women. This booklet also includes information on the Y’s Way reservation service, which enables you to book a room in any of the listed facilities. The booking fee is $3 for reservations within North America and $5 overseas.

For a free copy of “The Y’s Way Accommodations & Reservations Guide,” contact The Y’s Way International at 224 E. 47th St., New York, NY 10017. Include a self-addressed envelope.