Where are housesits available?
The most common places you'll find house-sitting positions is in countries where English speakers have second homes. Places like France and Spain are more common in Europe, and there is a rich housesitting network in New Zealand and Australia. House sitting positions in places like Scandinavia are much less common, if not unheard of. If you have your heart set on a destination in which there are few or no house sitting positions available, this might not be the venue for you. But if you're willing to 'hang loose' and go where the situation takes you, you can see how other people live in places you otherwise might not be able to visit.
Steps to Success: Landing The Best House Sitting Opportunities
It's all about the references
So you've decided that housesitting in Europe is the answer to your budget vacation dreams? How can you ensure that you'll get the house sitting job you really want?Having references in hand when you apply will give you a leg up on your house sitting competition. A popular listing in a coveted vacation destination will net hundreds of applicants and those who offer their references up front will definitely have a better chance at landing the prime house sitting jobs. This is especially true if the house sit opportunity is in the very near future.
Imagine that you apply for the house sitting job of your dreams, and when you contact your references they are on vacation or too busy to assist you. One week can make all the difference.
Make a list of people you can use as references, including former landlords or roommates. Many home owners have a pet or three who need to be cared for and if you have references for petsitting, you stand above the crowd.
If you've never cared for someone else's pet - why not do it now? That pet sitting reference could make the difference between a free month in France and staying home. Offer your services to friends or family, or put an ad up at the vet's office or on craigslist for your area. Get a letter of reference from that pet owner when they return.
If you have informed all your contacts that you'd like to use them for recommendations, the matter is simple once your home owner asks for the references. Forward the pre-written letters to the home owner and drop a note to all your references telling them that they may be contacted.
It's important to have more references than you need, because if you only have two and they're unavailable than someone else's references, you might lose the house sitting job you really want.
While you might not get every house-sit you want, with a little forethought and organization you could be on your way to a popular vacation destination and saving money. Get those references today!
Low Budget Travel Tips - Step Down Your Dreams And Enjoy
Low budget travels could be enjoyable provided you make a little bit compromise on your dreams. If you are filthy rich with thousands of extra bucks in your bank, do not read further. Most of us are full of dreams and always short of cash. Fortunately, there are means of enjoying a vacation that fit your tight bank balance. All you need is to go a step down in your dreams.
Travel tips for low budget travels
• Go to a cheap destination
Countries with low cost of living are ideal destinations for low budget travels. Unless you want to boast to your colleagues about your travel, choose a lesser-known destination. There is not much difference in the seashore of Europe and Latin America or Asia or Africa, other than the cost of living. You will get the same relaxation to your body and the same cool breeze. The hotels, transportation, food and beverages are economic in lesser-known destinations.
• Go one-step down for hotels
The other mantra of low budget travels is "do not pay for those things that you do not need to use". With almost same facilities, a 5-Start hotel will charge twice what a 4-star hotel will charge. Most travelers use hotels for sleeping in night. So there is no point to pay for many facilities such as swimming pool when you do not intend to use them.
• Friendship with localities
Try to be friendly with the local people and you will get travel tips for cheap stuff everywhere. Talk with people about the country and get some cheap travel tips about the room rates and hotels. A taxi driver will guide you to cheapest hotels if you tip him a dollar. However, cheap is not everything, make sure that the location of the hotel and the hotel itself is safe.
• Local travel agent compared to travel agent in US
For low budget travels you can directly deal with travel agents of the country of your destination. Plan your trip with a local travel agent in the destination country. There are many websites offering huge discounts on packages. Local agents have better contacts and they can offer cheaper packages. Most US travel agents are business partners of the local agents offering same packages at higher rates.
• Airline and hotel combo offers
Many airlines are offering free stay at some airports with their tickets. If you have a short trip as if for one week, you can prefer to travel with the offering airlines. Make sure that the airport is not far off from the town; else, you will end up in paying your saved amount on the hotel bill to the taxi drivers.
Travel tips for low budget travels
• Go to a cheap destination
Countries with low cost of living are ideal destinations for low budget travels. Unless you want to boast to your colleagues about your travel, choose a lesser-known destination. There is not much difference in the seashore of Europe and Latin America or Asia or Africa, other than the cost of living. You will get the same relaxation to your body and the same cool breeze. The hotels, transportation, food and beverages are economic in lesser-known destinations.
• Go one-step down for hotels
The other mantra of low budget travels is "do not pay for those things that you do not need to use". With almost same facilities, a 5-Start hotel will charge twice what a 4-star hotel will charge. Most travelers use hotels for sleeping in night. So there is no point to pay for many facilities such as swimming pool when you do not intend to use them.
• Friendship with localities
Try to be friendly with the local people and you will get travel tips for cheap stuff everywhere. Talk with people about the country and get some cheap travel tips about the room rates and hotels. A taxi driver will guide you to cheapest hotels if you tip him a dollar. However, cheap is not everything, make sure that the location of the hotel and the hotel itself is safe.
• Local travel agent compared to travel agent in US
For low budget travels you can directly deal with travel agents of the country of your destination. Plan your trip with a local travel agent in the destination country. There are many websites offering huge discounts on packages. Local agents have better contacts and they can offer cheaper packages. Most US travel agents are business partners of the local agents offering same packages at higher rates.
• Airline and hotel combo offers
Many airlines are offering free stay at some airports with their tickets. If you have a short trip as if for one week, you can prefer to travel with the offering airlines. Make sure that the airport is not far off from the town; else, you will end up in paying your saved amount on the hotel bill to the taxi drivers.
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