Staying in Philadelphia for cheap

[spamuell]

I will be going to Philadelphia in March next year for about 3 weeks to visit a friend in college (Bryn Mawr). I haven't been away on my own before, I've been with friends but they have sorted stuff out and I just pay them.

Does anyone know if I would want to stay in like a hotel or motel or hostel or something else? I am completely clueless about this, I want to have my own room and I don't rats running around or anything terrible, obviously. Other than that, I really don't want anything else, like freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast or a pool or anything that will cost me more money.

Also, I have a valid EU passport. If I'm coming for three weeks, are there any visa or international issues that I need to worry about?

I really have no idea how to go about this so I would really appreciate any help/advice that anyone has.

[Homer]

Do they even have hostels in the US? Anyhoo, given that you're staying for three weeks, your best bet is probably an extended stay hotel. You can stay here at one of the Malvern locations (~15 miles away from Bryn Mawr) for $52.99/night, which is almost certainly cheaper than any of the area hotels, and probably much nicer. The King of Prussia location (~7 miles away) is $66.99/night, but is closer, so maybe that makes it worth the extra money.

-- Homer

[spamuell]

Thanks a lot Homer, that site was really helpful.