How to plan a cheap vacation

Three years ago my friends Judith and Joc quit their corporate jobs and decided to move to the South West of France. This was a huge decision considering they had two young children and didn’t know anyone in France. In the Loire Valley, not far from Cognac and Bordeaux, they bought a dilapidated farmhouse and renovated it into a country inn with private cottages that have fully equipped kitchens and in the main building, they created a bed and breakfast that has rooms and Common areas with the same charming charm of the French country.

They have done an amazing job creating an intimate environment where their guests come to vacation again and again. They have eloquently named their bed and breakfast, Domaine de la Porte (The House of Doors). Each cabin and guest room has been meticulously decorated. Breakfast and dinner are served family style for good reason; my friends want you to feel welcome in their home and part of the family. Their approach has been wildly successful, so much so that they now attract family reunions, destination weddings, and even off-site business meetings.

I had the luxury of spending six weeks with my friends last spring and what I discovered was a gem of an idea. Thanks to Judith and Joc, I can give you a great idea of ​​how you can have a vacation for free or almost for free. As you can imagine, running a bed and breakfast requires a lot of money to start and keep running.

Every week during my visit new people arrived. Most were paying guests; others, however, were guests who bartered for their vacations. This cheap vacation idea really interested me.

The intricate gardens with each local flower in its place were designed and implemented by a professional landscape architect. How could they afford this beautiful setting? I wondered. When I asked my girlfriend, she told me her bartering secret. The professional landscaper spent a week creating the gardens for this beautiful property in exchange for a week’s vacation at a later date.

Website photography and event photography for weddings, vow renewals, and family reunions were also professionally done by a professional photographer who traded his services for vacations.

As I dug deeper, I found out that my friends had actually taken advantage of this bartering concept and exchanged vacations for the following services:

1. Local vineyards provide wine
2. Computer network specialist
3. The bicycle repairman maintains his fleet of bicycles
4. Cleaning and service waiters
5. electrician
6. Construction workers
7. Interior Designer
8.Laundry services
9. Website design
10. Musicians
11. Landscaper
12. Auto Mechanic

I’m sure the list goes on and on, but in my brief tenure these are the barter arrangements I’ve witnessed. With a little imagination, you and your family can create a very cheap vacation package by finding an innkeeper willing to barter.

Where have you always wanted to visit but didn’t think you could afford it?
or The Florida Keys?
or The French countryside?
or The British Isles?
or The Rocky Mountains?
Australia? Brazil? Thailand?

Pick your desired vacation spot and make a few calls to local private bed and breakfast establishments. Explain your interest in exchanging your service in exchange for travel to your bed and breakfast. You may be surprised to learn that the owners of this fine establishment will exchange your experience for some R&R! Cheap vacations can be yours with a little creative planning.

What a great way to see the world on the cheap!