To drive or not to drive?
IVHE- home exchange property listings show whether a car is needed, whether one
would be useful, and whether one is available to the guest. More often than
not, a car will be needed or at least useful. But the exceptions can be
awesome.
A car is not required in many IVHE home swap locations because the property
is centrally- located in a pedestrian-friendly city, or is efficiently served by public
transportation -- subways, metros, trolleys, trams, buses, taxis, tuk-tuks, or
rickshaws.
Home Exchange Property #0228: France, Cote d'Azur – A luxury apartment in the heart of Cannes on Rue d’Antibes – one of the city’s
hottest shopping streets. You don’t need a car to get there, and you don’t need
one to get around. Restaurants, bars, clubs, cinemas, the theatre, train and
bus stations are all in walking distance, as is the famous seafront promenade La
Croisette, where you’ll find more shopping
-- high end luxury items and designer clothes – and an ocean view that
would be amazing if the huge numbers of impressive yachts weren’t so
distracting.
Home exchange property#0749 -- Walk to the gondola from this cool condo in Breckenridge ,
Colorado , USA Copper
Mountain Denver International
Airport
Home swap property #0806 – You couldn’t drive a car to this luxurious cottage
in Ontario , Canada
One of the sweetest deals you can get through an IVHE home exchange is use of a vehicle for a few extra credits; or, in some cases, no credits at all. A host-provided car saves you the hassles of dealing with a rental car company, but you will still need to check out insurance and license requirements, and any special rules of the road -- like braking for kangaroos.
Okay, if you’ve fallen in love with a property for which a
car is necessary, it’s time to say “car hire,” or “car rental.” However you say it, it can still be a pain in
the bumper seat.
Be sure to shop
around on-line and compare more than just rates before you book. Delve into the
terms and conditions and know what is, and what is not, covered by your
personal auto insurance and your personal credit card or bank card in the event
of an accident or damage to the car.
Then, when you get up to the rental counter and the agent
launches into his spiel about the dire consequences of smashing the car without
having paid extra for Collision Damage and Loss Damage waivers (picture
shackles in a medieval dungeon), you can confidently say “no thank you,” or you
can go ahead and sign up for the extra protection you know you might need. When
in doubt, sign up. A medieval dungeon is a terrible place.
Be sure to inventory any dings and dents on your car, and
have the agent make note of them before you drive off.
And, finally, don’t be a fuel fool. Rental companies in some
countries offer you the “convenience” of returning the car without refueling; that
is, return it and they will fill ‘er up for you. And charge you way (double way)
more than the going price. If you have the option of returning the car with a
full tank that you pump yourself, take it. If you don’t, rent from someone who
does. The savings can be significant.
If you have any helpful advice or vacation experiences involving cars, or no cars, please share them with us in the comments section of this blog. We're all ears.
Enjoy your vacation quarters and ground transportation, whatever it may be.
Enjoy your vacation quarters and ground transportation, whatever it may be.
Wishing you a smashing holiday – in a good way.
To find out more about properties in the International Vacation Home Exchange, and how to get to them.
Visit us at www.ivhe.com.
London blankets just a little land region however it is reachable from all corners of the world and the other way around. The city is occupied 24/7, so is the transportation framework; Rails, Buses, Taxis and other ground transport vehicles continue moving in all headings offering a generally joined transport connection to and from London. London Chauffeur Driven Cars is one of the best ground transportation and it’s much better for the status.
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