Cheap Summer Lodging in Toronto

If you choose to visit Toronto this summer, it is good to know that there is inexpensive accommodation available right downtown on the pleasant camput of the University of Toronto. There is in fact a wide choice of residences with different types of room choices, starting as low as $21 at New College for a single.

It is also possible to rent a room for a week, a month or longer, and accommodation is offered at the university's campuses in Mississauga west of the city and Scarborough east of the city, if you prefer not to be downtown. To get an idea of the options available, consult www.housing.utoronto.ca/summer/2014-Summer-Residence-Guide.aspx. Most residences offer rooms to travellers from early May to late August.

I have stayed in one of the residences, I believe it was University College, and found it clean and appealing. At that time they served a good hot breakfast in the dining room.

Toronto, like most Canadian cities, is relatively pricey, but choosing residence housing can make a big difference in your budget. There is an article in the Huffington Post (www.huffingtonpost.com) on other ways to save, including eating in Chinatown or Kensington Market, or at the places in the Distillery District where chain restaurants are banned.

University and college residences are one of the little-known secrets of budget travel. Unfortunatley there doesn't seem to be any central source of information on them, perhaps because policies can change frequently. But if you are visiting any city in Canada, the U.S. or the U.K. during the summer, it is worthwhile checking to see if this type of housing is available. The residences are a particularly val;uable resource in London, where other accommodation is usually expensive.