Trade Homes: Travel Free by Helen Bergstein People who travel by swapping homes are dedicated to the lifestyle and have a list of reasons as long as a hotel bill why they love it so. When Nancy Cross Shimmel, freelance editor and member of the Digsville Home Exchange Club, was asked what the top advantage of home exchange was to her, she had an answer at the ready: * * * * * * * * * I can think of no greater single application for home exchange than traveling with children. For those of you who don't know about home exchange (and your numbers are dwindling), let me first briefly describe. What is Home Exchange? The short answer is: you stay in my home while I stay in yours. This arrangement can be anything from a month-long stay half-way around the world, to a weekend retreat a short drive from home. The dates and length of stay are mutually agreed upon, arrangements are made (usually with neighbors or friends) to pick up keys and you're off! Now that you have a clearer idea of the big picture, let your imagination take you on a vacation that's kid friendly and anxiety-reduced. Here's how: Over-Excited Kids on Vacation (sound familiar?) You've done a full day of museums and landmarks and the last thing you want is to dress up and cart the kids to a restaurant where mayhem is certain and the cold stares of the wait staff is your personal, private hell. You do what any normal family would do--order take-out. The fun part? This take-out's in Morocco, and the food is great because your home exchange host has left you a list of his favorite spots! Another scenario: your four-year old had an unhappy mix of chicken chow something and a revolving ride at the theme park and your two-year old has responded sympathetically by forgetting all of her toilet training. No problem for the home exchange traveler. Even far from your own home, a washing machine and dryer await you back at the exchange house. And at 3:00 am when the eldest child has recovered her appetite and demands her favorite juice drink, you are not at the mercy of a room service that can't accommodate you anyway. Get What You Want -- Exactly When you enter a home exchange community such as Digsville, you're given the opportunity to exchange homes with people who share common interests with you. Digsville also provides you ample opportunity to be very specific about yourself and what you seek in your your exchange. This ensures amenities (and necessities) such as child guards on windows, stairs, and cupboards, toys designated for sharing, sports equipment and videos. Phone numbers of babysitters, physicians and other service providers are also commonly swapped. The Other Bottom Line But these things simply address the convenience factor and that represents only a fraction of the benefits to be had. The gold is in the cultural experience you can offer your family. When you bring your child to a real home in a real neighborhood 180 degrees away from what they commonly know, you bring them the world. Go ahead and leaf through the restaurant folder your exchange partner left of her personal recommendations and treat your family to dinner in your chosen exotic destination. This vacation you'll not only feed the body, you'll nourish the soul. Helen Bergstein is President and Founder the Vacation Home Exchange business called Digsville.Com. A life-long home exchanger herself, Helen is an acknowledged expert in the field and has authored many surveys, articles and newsletters on the subject. Regularly featured in major media worldwide as an expert on traveling the 'home exchange way', Helen helps travelers discover the travel lifestyle where you never again have to pay for a hotel room! Helen Bergstein may be contacted at http://www.digsville.com or helenb@digsville.com Staying in Discount Hotels by Smooth Hound Copyright 2005 S Wander Discount hotels can be wonderful places to stay, while allowing you to save money on your hotel stay and have more to spend sightseeing or on other travel adventures. If you think that you might be interested in staying in a discount hotel it is important to do your research to make sure you select the right hotel, and get the best deal possible. Most discount hotels are discounted through a particular club or organization, and are discounted primarily for its members. If you are a part of any types of groups or organizations check with them to see if they have any deals set up with hotels, and if so what types of discounts those particular arrangements will supply you with. In many cases you can get a discount if you stay a certain number of nights in the hotel, or if you stay in a particular type of room. If you choose the wrong combination of those things however, you can often be denied the right to the discount. Make sure you fully understand what is required for you to get the discount before you make your reservation. Often times if you do one thing incorrectly, such as book the wrong type of room, or stay one day less or more than is required you can forfeit your right to the discount. Pay careful attention to the rules, and make sure to tell the hotel that you plan on using the discount when you make your reservation. That way, if you are doing something incorrectly the hotel can possibly catch it before it’s too late, and the hotel clerk can make a note that you are getting the room reservations for a reduced rate. Another type of discount hotel, will offer discounts through coupons or just in general to all of their guests should they choose to come visit the hotel during certain times, or stay in certain rooms. In some cases a discount hotel will always be discounted, but it will also lack some of the things that you might have become accustomed to in their hotels. By discounting the price of a nights stay, they also take away some of the perks of staying in a hotel. What you don’t gain in amenities however, you will gain in discounts. Just like any other hotel stay you will want to make your reservation at a discount hotel as early as possible. Discount hotels have superior rates to other hotels, so in many cases they will book up more quickly than other similar hotels in the area. As soon as you know that you are going to take a trip to a particular area and would like to stay in a discount hotel, go ahead and give the hotel a call and try to make a reservation. In some cases you may be able to get a much better rate for booking your reservation early rather than later, and you will also be able to finalize your plans knowing that you have a place to stay. Discount hotels can be a great way to save money while traveling to locations that you would like to visit. If you are planning a trip, give a discount hotel a call to see what kind of rates and accommodations they can offer you. Always ask any hotel you call if they have an specials, or discounted rates. In many cases what you are currently being offered is not the absolute best that you can get. You might be surprised at the savings that you can receive, and the types of locations you can travel to, while staying at a discount hotel. Smooth Hound offers affordable hotel and guest house accommodation throughout the world. Smooth Hound may be contacted at http://www.smoothhound.co.uk Search FAXTS powered by FreeFind Visit 44 forums on ... www.Paradise-Love.com ... Friendly members, specials features and much more ! Discussions on everything such as vacations, websites, blogs, MSN, hobbies, lifestyle, music, movies, advice, columns, graphics, beauty & fashion. 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