How To Save Up to 75% Of the Cost Of Traveling to Almost
Anywhere
How would you like to visit Paris in the spring? Sample local
wines in Tuscany in September? Enjoy the English countryside in
the summer? Sound like a dream? It doesn't have to be.
You can travel to some of the world's most exotic and beautiful
locations, and stay in an Italian villa, a Parisian
pied-a-terre, or an English manor and you'll only pay for
airfare, dining out and tourist attractions!
How? By using a housing exchange service. Some of these
companies have been around for 50 years, and are widely used in
Europe, Asia and Australia.
It works like this. You pick what country you want to visit,
when you want to go, and how long you want to stay. Arrangements
are made, and you exchange homes with someone else.
This is a wonderful way to drastically cut costs, and yet see
exciting, wonderful places. By staying in a home, you're not
paying the high cost of hotels (which can run upwards of $125 a
night) or dining in restaurants, saving you hundreds, if not
thousands of dollars!
Plus, you get the added benefit of living like the locals do.
You enjoy total immersion into the culture, and rather than
being treated like a tourist, you have the opportunity to make
new friends and participate in your surroundings as a member of
the community. With a "homebase" you have the choice of how you
want to explore the region.
You also have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that
your home is being carefully looked after, your plants are being
watered, and your pets are taken care of.
So, how do you get started? Do an Internet search for "housing
exchange." Find a company that you're comfortable with. Sign up
and join the housing exchange list. (Some companies have over
10,000 members!) Decide where you want to travel, when and how
long you want to stay. Then, with a click of your mouse, you can
find information of other, like-minded travelers, who want to
visit your area.
You can look at pictures and read short bios about the homes, to
help you make your decision, and then contact the owners to
reach an agreement.
Here are some of the things you'll want to agree on: Total
number of adults and children staying in the home Use of the
vehicle and it's maintenance What linen will be provided in
house, and how will it be cleaned? Care of pets Long distance
phone calls
Don't worry though. Your housing exchange company can help you
put together a list, and give you ideas for preparing for your
guests.
Instead of going to a cold, impersonal hotel room, you go "home"
and are welcomed by your next door neighbor, who gives you the
house keys and invites you to dinner the next evening, telling
you to call them if you have any questions.
When you enter the front door, there's a bottle of wine and
fresh flowers on the table to welcome you. You find a note on
the fridge, telling you how to heat the light meal that's been
prepared for you. On the kitchen counter is a pile of brochures
and maps, giving you insider information about where to go and
what to see.
Over the next week, you visit the places you've only dreamed
about during the day, making new friends and building memories
that will last a lifetime. And every night when you come "home"
you get to relax and unwind, without stress or worrying about
anything.
You can have the vacation you've always dreamed about, and save
thousands of dollars at the same time! Bon voyage!