Expectations….

Before you commit to your Vacation Home Exchange, you will want to think about what you want to do in that particular location. Sightseeing?  Enjoying local amenities such as boating, beaches, swimming, golf, horseback riding, or? Look carefully where the town is located so you will have enough to do. When I decided to go to Aguilas, I had not looked carefully at what the area had to offer. While l  did enjoy my exchange there, it was really off the “beaten path”, and there was not really much to do nearby.

Once you have committed to the Vacation Home Exchange, you will need to decide what you will use for transportation. In a major city, you would probably want to use public transportation. If you rent a car, then you need to decide what kind of car to rent, what company to use, etc. (For car rentals in Europe, I like http://www.autoeurope.com/. It is based in Portland, Maine and will ususally match prices from other rental agencies.)

Frances Mayes explains in her book A Year in the World how she and her husband took a year to travel around Europe. As they travelled, one of them wanted to sample different cheeses along the way, and the other one was trying desserts. By the way, this is a great book for travelers to read with wonderful descriptions of all they see! It certainly  made me want to follow their itinerary!

Whatever your expectations might be as you set off on your trip and exchange, you know that there will be many totally unexpected pleasures!

Next post will talk about the friends you will make when you do a home exchange!