As a connoisseur of cheap, Sandra Gustafson has ferreted out affordable lodgings and eateries from Paris to Hawaii.

The pursuit began in 1982 when she was living in Paris and compiled for visiting friends a pamphlet of her favorite inexpensive restaurants. A mention of it in a San Diego newspaper garnered orders for 650 copies she didn't have, Gustafson recalls.

A cottage guidebook industry was born. Gustafson now spends six to seven months at a time on the road searching out contenders for her Cheap Eats/Sleeps series. The latest, Sandra Gustafson's Cheap Sleeps in Prague, Vienna, and Budapest (Chronicle Books, $13.95), and a companion Cheap Eats volume bring the series total to nine. Others cover Hawaii, Paris, Italy and London. Here, she talks with USA TODAY's Jayne Clark about strategies for finding hotels and restaurants that are good and cheap.

Q: You personally visit all the hotels recommended in your books, but do you actually stay in them?

A: No. I tried that and all I was doing was moving from one hotel to another. I've gotten so I can size up hotels really fast. I can tell almost as soon as I walk in the lobby if I'm going to like a place.

Q: What are some of the indicators?

A: I size up the general look of the place. Does it need a paint job? Are the plants alive or dead? And then when I get inside, I glance around the lobby. Are the chairs sagging? Who's behind the desk? Are they watching TV and smoking and minding their business so they can't take care of mine? Then I ask to see rooms in all categories, front-facing and back-facing.

Q: What other characteristics are important?

A: I firmly believe you should stay in a centrally located place. Why commute to save $5?

Q: Cheap is a subjective word. How do you define it?A: There's no dollar limit on it. Travelers should ask themselves what is their bottom line of acceptance. It has to be a place where you feel comfortable and safe and not out of sorts. A bad hotel can color your whole vacation.

Q: Is there a particular category or type of lodging that you believe generally offers the best value?A: I don't evaluate anything above three-star hotels. My books include everything from a tent you can pitch in the Bois de Bologne in Paris to university dormitories in London, which I consider a great value, to ''holy hotels'' -- convents you can stay in if you don't mind an 11 p.m. lock out.

Q: Any favorites?

A: I think the best B&B on the face of this earth is the Bulldog Club (an agency that rents accommodations in upscale private homes) in London. You stay in great homes -- no two are alike. I also know of two countesses who rent apartments in Florence. One owns a fabulous palazzo she's divided into luxury apartments. The other was kind of bored so she started buying property. She loves to decorate, and the rooms look like Architectural Digest is going to arrive any minute to photograph the place. They rent for one to three week minimums, but they start at about $125 a night, with all the amenities.

Q: How do you select restaurants?

A: From hot dog stands in Wenceslas Square (in Prague) to big-splurge places in Paris, the same criteria apply: value for money. I try to stay away from the tourist places. I look around. Who's eating there? If it's full of locals, I'm onto something. If you read about it in a guide, you're 20 years too late.

Q: When on a budget, how important is it to make a plan and stick to it?

A: If you're on a very tight budget, planning ahead is the key. The reason to make reservations is you know what your expenses are upfront. You won't run the risk of taking (a room) that wrecks the budget. But it does take away the spontaneity of seeing a great place and deciding to check in.

Q: Do you have some tips for the thrifty that transcend locales?

A: In restaurants, always order the prix fixe, or set, menu. You get three courses, and it can include bread, wine, tax and service. Or order the special of the day. It's going to be fresher. I recommend travelers make a trip to the local market. Look around and see what's available, and when you see it at the restaurant, you'll know it's fresh. I also recommend eating your main meal at noon because that food will cost you up to half what it will in the evening.

Q: Any other suggestions for getting a decent, low-cost meal?

A: Stay within the limits of the kitchen. If you're in a bar or mom-and-pop place, don't order something beyond their capability. If you're in a fish-and-chip place, don't order a hamburger. Also, standing at the bar is always cheaper than sitting at a table and much cheaper than the terrace. Don't eat breakfast at the hotel. Have coffee and rolls with the locals. Have a picnic once a day.

Q: A lot of solo travelers are uncomfortable dining alone. Are you?

A: I've gotten over that. My favorite trick is to make a reservation for two and arrive and say my party will be joining me in a minute. Then I look at my watch and say, ''Well, he -- I always use he -- said he'd be here.'' I get fabulous service. I have covered 11 cities in seven countries, and it has never failed.

Q: Some women traveling alone feel somewhat restricted because of their status. Do you?A: No. But I look purposeful. That's how you don't get hassled. Blend. Fit in.

Q: I guess that means you don't wear jogging suits in European capitals?

A: Absolutely not. I wear black. You can always accessorize. But leave the expensive jewelry at home.

Q: You've talked about great hotel finds. Any unforgettable stinkers?

A: Boy, I've had some. One of my favorites was in Czechoslovakia. Czech hotels are ranked in A, B and C categories. This had to be minus Z. I pulled open the curtain of what turned out to be a communal shower. A shower curtain on the other side led to the next room. I slept with my purse.

Q: After a long period of checking out cheap digs, don't you just want to check into a five-star resort and order room service?

A: Yes. I always have one treat along the way. Maybe not a five-star hotel but a place where I can relax and regroup.

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Favorite places to sleep

Guidebook author Sandra Gustafson shares some of her all-time favorite hotels (prices: double rates).

* Fraterna Domus in Rome is a ''holy hotel'' run by Catholic nuns. Its 15 simple rooms have private baths, it's near the Spanish Steps, and it has a good restaurant. ''An excellent choice for budget cheap sleepers.'' From $60 with breakfast; 011-39-06-688-02-727.

* Casa Stefazio on the outskirts of Rome is the ''Rolls-Royce of Italian B&Bs.'' The owners also will prepare gourmet meals and plan trips. $180 with breakfast; 011-39-06-8712-0042.

* Contessa Rimbotti apartments in Florence, Italy, consist of a dozen units ranging from a studio in a tower to a five-terrace spread with splendid views. Rentals are for a minimum of two weeks and ''make fabulous sense for a family.'' From $888 a month (available only through Rentals in Italy and Elsewhere); 800-726-6702.

* Pension Dientzenhofer near Prague's Kampa Park overlooks the Certovka River and has seven simple rooms and wonderful breakfasts. Book well in advance. From $80; 011-420-2-53-16-72.

* Residence Nosticova in Prague is an all-suites hotel furnished with magnificent Italian and French antiques. From $150; 011-420-2-57-312-513.

* The Cloister Inn/Pension Unitas in Prague is in the former residential prison run by the secret police. The inn (from $100) is nice; the pension (from $35) caters to budget travelers. Smoking and alcohol aren't permitted but dogs are; 011-420-2-23-24-833.

Cutline from photo(s) printed with this story:
Staying on budget: Sandra Gustafson, author of the new 'Cheap Sleeps in Prague, Vienna, and Budapest,' finds comfort in palazzos and convents.

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