For many people, home exchange has solved the troubling idea of not bringing an important member of the family on their vacations: their pet. But sometimes, the possibility of travelling with your pet doesn’t solve a major problem, how can we avoid the trip being a bad experience for them? Your pet may be used to short distance car drives or you can train your pet for a long distance drive by taking trips of longer distance every time and even check with your vet for advice to make the trip an enjoyable one, but what if you need to take a long distance flight to your destination?

Well, for this particular issue, there’s a new solution called “Animal Airways” that provides many pet travel services. Their idea is to help people make the best arrangements to assure their pets will travel as comfortably as possible. For example, they can advise you on the most suitable airline and route for the particular destination you’ve chosen. It seems as their service was first intended for people relocating, but it may as well help people travelling for a different purpose.

Here is their basic service description:

“1. Tell us your plans - talk to us or fill-in your flight, pet and personal details, so we can identify the most suitable solutions for your family and pet travel plans.
2. Explore your options - Our representative calls to talk with you about your plans and explain the different options.
3. Choose your flight - After taking into account your comfort, budget, and your pet’s safety, our flight managers assist in choosing a flight that’s just right for you.
4. Get ready - We inform you of all regulations and how to prepare yourself and your pet for the flight. We prepare all the necessary documents.
5. Fly! - Sit back. Relax. Enjoy your flight.
6. Support - Our 24/7 call center is available to answer your questions and put your mind at ease.
7. Settle in - We confirm that you and your pet have arrived safely and give advise on how to ensure a healthy stay for your pet.”

They have other solutions so if you want to learn more about them just visit Animal Airways, and to find your next home exchange visit HomeForHome.

We just found another directory that could help you plan your next trip, whether long term, work related, a family vacation or a backpacking journey, you can find relevant information in the Travel Directory. It covers worldwide travel related resources and it would also be a good place to search for a good destination if you are undecided about what to choose in the HomeForHome search tool.

The Travel Directory hosts a number of travel related websites, with some unusual categories, like “Working Abroad”, and where you can find commercial websites, organizations and even chats and forums for travellers looking to exchange their experiences, find fellow travellers with similar interests or just learn about wonderful places around the globe. Here is the complete list of searchable categories to give you a peek:

Adventure Travel - Backpacking - Business Travel - Disabled Travel - Eco-Tourism - Family Travel - Insurance Services - Language Schools - Lodging Europe - Lodging USA - Lodging Worldwide - Photography - Safari - Ski - Sports - Tours - Transportation - Travel Chats & Forums - Travel Guides (Europe) - Travel Guides (Worldwide) - Travel Health - Travel Tips and Advice - Travelogues -  Working Abroad

As you plan your next home exchange, take a tour through the Travel Directory, you may find that extra touch to make your trip a magical one or you can find tips to turn that business trip a little more enjoyable.

The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics came to an end yesterday, and a couple of weeks of ice and snow everywhere (not only on TV!), were once again a reminder of the top destinations for 2010 discussed in January. Why? Well, Encyclopedia Britannica Blog had Iceland wining their bronze medal. Let’s discover a why Iceland deserved such a prize.

After a moment searching through the Internet and viewing some pictures of Iceland you would agree that, in a few words: Iceland is amazing. The country’s natural beauty is just fascinating. They have geysers, volcanoes, glaciers, lakes, geo-thermal pools and waterfalls of marvelous beauty. Iceland’s natural scenery is accompanied with modern infrastructure and services to present a great alternative to travellers. Bird-watching, glacier trekking, hiking, whale-watching, cultural events, unique golf tournaments involving midnight-sun teeing off and spectacular northern lights are among the activities that will have a special touch of uniqueness when enjoyed in Iceland.

Icelanders are modern and friendly, most of them are fluent in English and they will probably help you have a pleasant stay. The economic crisis hit Iceland very hard, but this means there’s an extra advantage for foreign visitors: exchange rates are favourable. So, it really seams like breathtaking Iceland deserves a place among the top destinations for 2010.

The best months to visit Iceland are coming soon. May, June and July are the driest months with the high season extending through August as well. A fun fact is that today, March 1st, Iceland celebrates an interest success since it is Beer Day. Beer with more than 2.2 percent alcohol by volume was prohibited by law from 1915 until 1989, so the anniversary of its legalisation is celebrated accordingly.

In case you are already wondering, there are home exchange opportunities in Iceland, so don’t waste any time.

You can learn more about Iceland at http://www.visiticeland.com

An important part of building your presence in HomeForHome is how you present the attractive things going on near your location. Some lucky people are located in touristic “hot-spots” like downtown London, romantic Paris, the timeless channels of Venice, the Mediterranean coast… But those who need to make their location more appealing must add extra information to catch more people’s attention and receive more home exchange requests.

In view of helping these last people find attractive things to add to their home descriptions, and focusing on the “Points of interest near your home” field, we have the following websites:

BritEvents.com - hosts a calendar of events taking place in Britain. There’s a chance an event taking place in your area is listed here because they seem to have just about everything: sports events, shows, plays, exhibitions, conferences, concerts, gigs, art & craft, and even a section of bizarre events which is presented “From World Gurning Championships to The Biggest Liar Competition, and The Coopers Hill Cheese Rolling Championship to the Bog Snorkelling Championship, we Brits are renowned for devising some of the oddest, most bizarre events imaginable to keep us entertained”. So, give it a chance and you may find an event that “spices up” your location.

enjoyEngland - in their own words “you’ll find everything you need to plan a day out or short break in England. Explore the map for top locations around the country, find inspiring ideas on where to go and what to do or use our day trip planner to find great events happening near you.”

These websites will also be appealing to those looking for a particular event or activity, or those who are not sure what would their next adventure be. Whichever your situation may be, you’ll stay there the cheapest way using HomeForHome.

In a previous post, when 2010 was just starting, we wrote about the top travel destinations for this year. Among the places selected by the cited specialist websites there were two local ones: London and the Isles of Scilly, both in England. Well, London has worldwide reputation and needs no further recommendation, but what is great about the Isles of Scilly? Let’s explore…

The Isles of Scilly are an archipelago 45 Km off the Cornish peninsula, the southernmost mainland point of the UK. They were designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1975, so with that title you can’t go wrong. Peaceful, beautiful and uncrowded are probably the most fitting adjectives to describe this paradise. The “outstanding natural beauty” of the isles is protected by the local community by attaining sustainable practices and the establishment of a “visitors Code of Conduct” where mostly green travelling tips are recommended to preserve the natural beauty of the islands and decrease the carbon footprint left behind by those who choose them as their holiday destination.

Photo by Tom Corser

The five larger inhabited islands are Bryher, St Agnes, St Martin’s, St Mary’s and Tresco, and they are surrounded by several smaller rocky islets. Natural tourism is the main economical activity, followed by fishing and early-flower production. Bird-watching is one of the high points of the islands, due to the presence of rare migrant species mostly during October. But don’t let the relaxed spirit of this barely touched gems give you the idea that there are not exciting things to do in Isles of Scilly: golf, tennis, biking, snorkeling, diving, horseback ridding, sea safaris, kayaking, windsurfing and shark-fishing are some of the activities that can give you a sense of adventure as well.

So if your HomeForHome quest sets you off to the southwest for a home swap you may want to include a visit to the Isles of Scilly in your tour and explore an area of sandy beaches, clear waters and undisturbed nature.

For more information, you may visit:
* http://www.ios-aonb.info/
* http://www.simplyscilly.co.uk/

Travelling can be such a pleasant activity, but planning a great vacation takes a certain time. The most time you invest in taking care of the little details the least chance things won’t turn out as you originally wanted.

As HomeForHome is intended to make home exchange an easier alternative for our users, we are constantly looking for ways to help you plan your perfect vacation. That means not only providing you with tips about home exchange itself but also about travelling in general. That’s why we have often posted reviews of places to visit, trends, opportunities, activities, etc. But we are not a specialized travel resource so, what can we do to compensate that? We present you with specialized websites where you can find all the relevant information to prepare your trip. Today, we introduce you to a comprehensive directory for the UK traveller: travelfromHere.com

travelfromHere.com tries to make your travel related web search easier by presenting you the best possible selection of relevant sites from the Web. By following the provided link, you will access travelfromHere.com’s thorough directory of accommodation, transport (including airlines, airports, car rentals, coaches, trains and flight specialists), holidays, cruises, attractions, insurance, travel guides, travel Internet communities, and much more. How can travelfromHere.com make your travel planning a little easier? Just as an example, they have links to organisations that could assist you to obtain a visa, which could save you hours of Internet search to find the requirements, hours spent waiting in lines to get forms or get documents and, above all, the headache of arriving at your destination without the proper documents.

So check it out, and of course HomeForHome is there too!

Everyone deserves to spend time relaxing once in a while and that’s why vacations should be planned so that they are as unique as the person that needs to relax. Some people need excitement to get away from their daily duties, some people need to spend their vacations quietly, maybe sleeping more than they usually do, or reconnecting with family and friends, or just a combination of sun, sea and sand.

What about you? Are you looking for an exciting vacation? Do you prefer quiet destinations to unplug from the city rush? Are you counting the days to get to the beach? What about a romantic escapade to an uncrowded small village? No matter the preference, the right place is accessible through home exchange.

Whether you are planning a family vacation, a few days by the beach, a touring time in the city, an adventurous vacation trekking, mountain biking, kayaking, etc., there is a home in HomeForHome with all you need to complete your custom made “vacation pack”. Even a romantic honeymoon trip may be waiting for you in a home exchange. What would be more romantic than having a complete house for two? No crowded hotel or resort. Just a couple, having their first morning breakfasts in the kitchen with no schedule or timetable, moonlight dinners in the terrace or garden, if you can imagine it you can have it in your swap.

Combinations are also possible. For example, you may have a romantic getaway to an important city, combining the tranquility of a residential area for your “alone” times and the proximity of downtown areas, easily accessible, with cultural attractions, nightlife and entertainment. Get ready to swap and enjoy!

Home exchange has been around for a while now and many people have made it their favourite travel choice. It is quite simple after you get into it, all you need are your communication skills to help you get through. First, you need to write a description to present your home to other users and to present yourself. Your personal information is as important as your home’s. Would you trust a person with your house if they don’t share anything about themselves? This is your presentation card. It should be neat and sincere. You don’t have to make it appealing to everyone, but do make it appealing to those you would like to receive in your home.

You will need to use your writing skills a little bit farther along the way: describe your home. We offer many check-boxes to help you list your facilities, services and home features, so you may want to use the description fields to let people know something else about your home. Is there anything nearby that deserves being mentioned? Maybe the beach is just a stroll away, or a delightful little market/restaurant, or your home’s location provides easy access to transportation, whatever you can think that makes your home stand out should be considered to be included. If you want to get some ideas, look around and check which homes from the listing you find more attractive and mimic their style, what do they provide that makes you consider them good choices? Does your home have any of those characteristics?

There are yet more opportunities for you to use your communication skills, one is contacting other users. If you find a home that you like, don’t be shy, send the owner a message and ask them to check out your own home. That’s a good way to start a “conversation” about a possible exchange. If the other user’s home is exactly what you are looking for, then send an exchange proposal instead. Communication is the key here, it’s the foundation on which the system is built, we just provide you the mean to know who to contact.

Image by Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Does it seem clear by now that communication is very important? Well, the final step is probably the most sensitive one: making the exchange arrangements. You should always try to talk with the other end of an exchange at least once, of course you can use HomeForHome’s built-in contact options, a chat service, e-mails and all kinds of written messages to discuss details but there are so many free PC-to-PC call applications that it shouldn’t be a problem to talk (at least once) to get a direct idea of what the other user expects and feels about the exchange.

Image by Yaron Jeroen van Oostrom / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One of the main advantages of using HomeForHome as your home exchange site is that the registration is completely free. Many people write our Help team asking how does the system work because they can’t believe they don’t have to pay anything. Unlike many other free services, quality is not compromised in HomeForHome and we are always looking for ways to improve the service we provide to our users. We care for every member that joins the community and we try to make it as easy as possible for them to become successful swappers.

As our community expands, we keep looking for ways to improve the site’s functionality and we welcome comments about any details that could make the service we provide a better one. We have our team checking the forums to answer your questions about the service or technical problems, replying to every message you send using the “Contact us” feature, and reading carefully your suggestions so that whatever mean you choose to express your thoughts, your voice is heard. We care.

We have a very important concern right now and it is the fact that some users are not taking care of their accounts as we expect them to. By this we mean that requests and questions from other users are not being answered, which is disrespectful, inconsiderate and wastes time from users that want to make home exchange their main mean of travelling. To find a proper solution to this situation it is important to consider as many ideas as we can and we want to hear your suggestions. We will look into every idea to find the choice that helps the community grow stronger and makes HomeForHome live up to your expectations. We look forward to hearing from you.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all our home swappers! The most romantic day of the year is here, a time to let your loved ones know how much you care about them. Now, are you having trouble writing a card? Well, we won’t write the card for you, but to get you in a better mood we have a selection of humorous quotes about love. We chose humour because even if you don’t have a card to write, you will have some fun anyhow.

“Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That’s relativity.” — Albert Einstein

“No man is truly married until he understands every word his wife is not saying.” — Anonymous

“You can’t buy love on eBay.” — Anonymous

“Men aren’t necessities, they’re luxuries.” — Cher

“If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?” — Anonymous

“There are three kinds of men who do not understand women: Young, old, and middle-aged.” — Anonymous

“To laugh often and love much… to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to give one’s self… this is to have succeeded.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“We cannot really love anybody with whom we never laugh.” — Alice Reppler

“Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love.” — Albert Einstein

“What the world really needs is more love and less paperwork.” — Pearl Baile

“Love doesn’t make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” — Franklin P. Jones

We hope you enjoyed our selection, and remember if you want to find a romantic home exchange deal visit HomeForHome. Our listings include homes in the most romantic cities around the world. If you haven’t registered yet, you can do it in just a couple of minutes (registration is FREE) and you can start contacting other users right away!

By graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net