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