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5 offbeat paths to foreign travel deals |
| By Erin Peterson
• Bankrate.com |
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You can enjoy a unique style of foreign travel inexpensively -- or at least get a hefty tax break -- if you're willing to volunteer your time, your home or your knowledge.
With the lowered value of the dollar, many would-be international travelers are looking for ways to stretch their budgets. Discount hotels and cheap restaurants are typical places to save, but you can save big bucks and enjoy a really different vacation experience through a cultural organization -- or even the federal government.
There are hundreds of organizations -- many accessible online -- that provide valuable travel services, but it's important to do your homework
before you sign up, says Kam Santos, director of communications at Cross-Cultural Solutions.
"There are a number of questions to consider when you're choosing (an organization)," says Santos. Make sure you know about the organization's credentials and how fees are allocated, for example. Try to get references to see how other participants feel about the program.
For programs that include staying in other people's homes -- either with or without hosts -- safety and trust is important.
"You want to find out if the accommodations are comfortable and secure," Santos says. "Who will you be living with?" Some organizations do in-person interviews to vet all prospective hosts and travelers; others require you to do your own due diligence, but provide tools that allow you to talk not just with the hosts directly, but with others who have stayed with particular hosts or in particular homes.
If you're content with high prices, tour buses and impersonal accommodations, these trips might not be for you. But if you're looking for something new and are willing to give a little, you're likely to get back a lot, she says.
Here are five ways you can experience unique travel in a foreign land while minimizing your costs.
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| 5 ways to travel abroad for less |
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| Hospitality networks |
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Share your life experiences with hosts in 125 countries. |
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Sample organization: Servas. |
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Where: 125 countries worldwide. |
How it works:
After being interviewed by a Servas representative, answering a few essay questions, collecting two recommendations and agreeing to a set of basic rules, you can link up with hosts around the world. In general, hosts agree to provide a place for travelers to stay for three days and two nights; other arrangements can be made on a case-by-case basis.
Benefits:
Well-vetted host and traveler lists mean you'll have safe, friendly interactions wherever you stay. And with a long hosting list, you'll have lots of choices. The organization expects hosts and travelers to make diligent efforts to share their ideas and experiences, and many report lifelong friendships as a result. Though not required, hosts often go the extra mile to accommodate their guests, says longtime Servas traveler Shel Horowitz, owner of Frugalfun.com and author of "The Penny-Pinching Hedonist." "In practice, most visits include breakfast, dinner and time to socialize," he says.
Drawbacks:
The enrollment process is more complex than some other programs. If you like privacy and don't want to share much with your hosts, this may not be a program for you. Even the most gregarious folks rarely do more than a few Servas visits back to back: "After two or three (Servas visits), it's nice to recharge your batteries," says Horowitz.
Costs:
A year-long membership costs $85, plus a refundable deposit for host lists.
Other notes:
Servas was founded in the 1940s.
Also check:
Couchsurfing.com is an organization where hosts offer up their couch (or guest bedroom) for weary travelers. There is no monetary exchange, but travelers usually offer to take on small household tasks or pick up a dinner tab.
HospitalityClub.org, one of the earliest online hospitality networks, is a Germany-based volunteer organization that has members in more than 100 countries willing to share their homes with visitors.
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