A couple of simple but important and helpful hints

The other day my wife and I received an enquiry from a couple in Spain about a possible home exchange.  Sadly we had to decline.  Why?   The exchange being proposed was for a whole year, starting this year in July!   Sorry,  but..... When we plan to be away from home for such long period, we need time to prepare.   Lately we have been getting quite a few of these enquiries for shorter periods of time but with imminent time-lines.  When approaching someone,  be realistic and try to put yourself in his or her shoes at the other end.  Unless they are single with no children and are able to venture forth without much concern, most people will feel obliged to turn down a request when the time delay is so short.

Once  a home exchange has been negotiated, be sure to stay in the communication loop.  Let your hosts know how your time-line is progressing, when you expect to arrive etc.  It's a practical courtesy you should expect too if you are the waiting host.

Once a home exchange has been negotiated,  the details can vary immensely.  In one case, we were present for a couple of days to welcome the couple at the airport and get them acclimatized,  They in turn had asked their family in Europe to do the same for us.  Details regarding the use of a car, care of pets,  operation of the telephone and tv system,  peculiar details  about the house you live in etc all need to be discussed.   

Regarding the latter, we thought we had covered the details...... On the side of our bed is a push button which is connected to the security system and brings the police running when activated.  We had overlooked to mention this little detail to our new guests with alarming results.  During the night, looking for a light switch, they pushed the fatal button.  Thanks to our efficient police, they were confronted by two men in uniform within minutes.    

Just one more thought:  When you arrive, have something in your bag that is unique about your country and which you can present to your hosts as a small gift.  In our case, we often bring a container of maple syrup which is especially treasured elsewhere.

Four Overnights in San Francisco for $80 ?

My wife and I recently visited the beautiful city of Adelaide in Australia, toured the vineyards of the Barosa Valley and paid only $80 for our four overnight stay.  We paid the same amount for four nights in San Francisco while neighbours stayed a month in Melbourne and spent only 4 nights in a hotel.  Sounds impossible? Not really.  The Affordable Travel Club makes it possible. 

This is how it works.  As members of the ATC we receive an on-line list of other members around the world who have agreed to host or be hosted.  In our case, we emailed members in San Francisco and Adelaide and enquired if they would be willing to host us.  They were more than happy to extend such hospitality.  Generally, the overnight ATC fee is $20, although in cities like Paris it could be $30 per night.  This includes breakfast!  In most cases more than breakfast is offered, such as a glass of wine in the evening or even a BBQ dinner.   Of course the possibility always exsists that we might get an unexpected call or email asking us for hospitality. 

It is expected that you will not overstay your welcome.  Arrangements for a single night to four nights are reasonable.  On a rare occasion you can arrange to stay longer in which case a more generous fee than the usual $20 can be offered.   In our experience we have nothing than the most pleasant memories of our stays with friends of the ATC.

Mobility is Important

Mobility is very, very important when on a home exchange venture.  These scenes above could not have been captured unless we had been able to drive around in our own vehicle.  In Ireland this is especially problematic because rental companies do not rent to individuals over the age of 65.  In most cases too, rental with an automatic transmission is prohibitively high. When traveling on the continent in Europe, Renault and Peugeot offer an excellent alternative:  "Euro Drive".  If you plan to stay more than 17 days, you can purchase a vehicle from these companies and sell these vehicles back to them when you leave.  You get a new car model of your choice, delivered at the airport, for a rate which does not exceed the usual rental per diem rate and return it upon your departure.  The companies then sell these vehicles to a waiting line of customers who are getting an almost-new vehicle at a substantially reduced cost.  But, you the traveler, benefits as well:  the usual age-limitation does not apply, as long as you have a valid driver's license from your home country and you have had the luxury of driving a brand new car of your choice.  When purchasing the vehicle the cost is tabulated on a lease-basis so that you don't actually have to pay the actual purchase price of the vehicle.  It is mere paper work.

In the case of a home exchange, the situation is even easier:  you negotiate a car exchange as part of the home exchange.  It is important in this case to notify your insurance company and inform them of the arrangement.  We did this recently with a couple from Turkey who used our car in  Canada and we theirs in Turkey, without a single hitch or problem. 

Seeing your own country the affordable way

The two photos above span the width of our country, Canada from Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia to Vancouver in British Columbia.   When we think of affordable travel, we tend to think of going to a foreign country.   However, there are many members of the Affordable Travel Club and Home Exchange who offer hospitality or an exchange to individuals and families within their own country.   We have traveled extensively in Europe and Asia.  Some of our most rewarding experiences however have been when exploring our own country. 

Make Sure you are Insured

I had a heart attack while hiking in the foothills of the Pyrenees in France.   The picture above was taken in Turkey, but it could have happened there too.   If you are going to have a heart attack anyway, France is probably the best place in the world to have one!  French medicine is equal to none, thanks to a highly developed socialized system.  The ambulance, with an MD on board,  had to come from a distance of 45 minutes and was there in about 20 minutes.  For the next 5 days I had the attention of top specialists at the clinic in Bayonne and, upon departing, was given a huge file containing the print-outs and photographs of all the tests that had been performed on me during the stay.  The total bill came to $15,000 would you believe?  In the US , and without insurance in Canada, I probably would have had to remortgage my home to pay the bill!  But even that modest bill of $15,000 would have put some strain on my retirement pension, had it not been for the fact that I had travel insurance and had made sure that all my disclosures to the insurance company had been up to date and accurate.  I cannot overstate this point:  do not leave anything to chance and make sure that any changes in the prescription of drugs from your physician have been stated when you apply for insurance.  Even a reduction of a dosage must be stated and indicated as a change in medication. 

Live like a local

Recently we participated in a home exchange with a couple from Instanbul in Turkey.  We even exchanged vehicles!  It was a wonderful, problem-free experience.  While our Turkish friends were at our home in Canada, we were being entertained by their family in Istanbul.  The second picture below was taken in their apartment in Istanbul with grandmother, brother and sister in law.   The first picture shows their friends at Mordogan where they have a weekend retreat.  This is what home eschange is all about:  "living like a local",  meeting family and friends in their own settings and discovering what it is like to "be a local".  Only home exchange makes it possible for that to happen.  

About Hurling and Curling

We have just returned from The Republic of Ireland.  Loved it!  This morning I found myself back in Canada on the curling rink and was vividly reminded of the conversation I had with an Irishman in a pub about the mysteries of Curling and Hurling.  He had no idea what curling was and how one could spend a Winter throwing a large stone across the ice.  I tried to explain that it is a bit like lawn bowling played on ice and that seemed to make a bit of sense of to him.  But I was equally intrigued by the game of Hurling which I had just been watching on TV when Kilkenny won another All Irish Championship over Galway.  Being a patient man he was happy to explain the intricacies of hurling, its history and rules.  

During the course of our conversation with both learned something about each other:  what makes us as Canadians excited and what makes Irishmen exited.  We also learned something about other issues that preoccupy us in these times:  the economy, religion, family life etc.  The kind of conversation we had is  why we travel and visit other countries.  It may be possible while sitting on a cruise ship but is less likely to happen in that kind of setting.  When you take advantage of the benefits of the Affordable Travel Club or Home Exchange,  allowing you to stay for extended periods of time and "living" the culture and country you are visiting, this kind of encounter is happening all the time.