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Top 5 Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Exchange
December 24, 2009 by Fractional & Shared Ownership Property News & Reviews · Leave a Comment
If you own a timeshare or fractional interest, you probably also have a membership with an exchange company so that you can trade all or part of your time to travel elsewhere in the world.
But the entire exchange industry is founded on the concept of supply versus demand, and sometimes – especially on short notice – timeshare and fractional owners encounter challenges when trying to get that special vacation they
are longing for. While there are plenty of units in many of the world’s greatest destinations, it seems everybody wants to enjoy surf and sand in the summer and fine, white powder in the winter.
Croatia is an up-and-coming destination that people are just now discovering as a desirable vacation option
So, here are the top-five tips to help you get an amazing vacation from your trade.
1.Consider the Off Season.
Many timeshare and fractional owners are bound by school schedules and look forward to time off in the summer and
semester breaks. Because of this, summer is a high-demand time just about everywhere you go. Would you like to spend the Christmas holiday in Paris? How about ringing in the New Year at Disney World? If you said yes to those two
questions, you’re not alone. The idea of celebrating a major holiday in a sought-after travel destination is on most everybody’s wish list. That’s why vacation interests at fractional and timeshare resorts that include Christmas and/or New Year’s tend to be the most expensive. And most people who buy these weeks look forward to enjoying them. Sure, there are holiday weeks that pop up in the exchange systems – but the demand is far too great to hold any expectations of attaining such a week.
The off season can be a great time to travel. Not only is the off season in lower demand, but oftentimes you’ll find fewer people at the destination – which translates into smaller crowds and shorter wait times at tourist attractions, easier-to-obtain dinner reservations, and in some cases off-season prices on everything from car rentals to souvenirs.
2. Consider a Lesser-Known Area.
Ah, skiing in the French Alps … how wonderful! But if you’re not an Olympic skier, do you really need to ski in the Alps? There are other areas throughout the world that offer great skiing and their own unique definition of winter wonderland. There are ski destinations throughout Europe and North America, all offering something different.
And that beach you want to lie on – does it have to be on Maui? The Earth’s surface is 75% covered with water – and that means there are plenty of warm, white-sand beaches on which to laze. Try the Dominican Republic – you won’t have exactly the same experience, but you’ll have beautiful beaches and warm sun nonetheless.
3. Think in Terms of Activities
Rather than Destinations. This ties in nicely with the previous point. When you’re planning your vacation, try to think in terms of the experiences you want to have instead of the places you want to go. Do you want to visit museums in a centuries-old city? Do you want to spend all your time shopping? Do you want to glide through the air on a parasail?
Once you figure out what it is you’d most like to do, you can find different places at which to do those things. And you
might be surprised at where they are.
We almost missed the beauty and history that Tulum has to offer
4. Be Open to Try Something
New. Emerging areas – like parts of Eastern Europe – tend to offer exciting experiences that have a novelty to them because it feels like you’re discovering something no one else has done. Imagine showing pictures and telling tales of a place none of your friends has been to. Admit it: When you bought your vacation interest, didn’t you at least toy withthe idea of seeing the world? There’s much more to this diverse planet than Disney World or the nearest beach!
5.Be Flexible.
Twenty years ago, my wife and I were a young couple looking to use her parents’ timeshare week for our honeymoon. Their fixed week did not fall anywhere near our wedding date, so an exchange was necessary. Coming off a typically cold Philadelphia winter, our young hearts were set on going to Orlando. Well, the exchange company said it wasn’t going to happen because no inventory was available.
After weeks of holding out, hoping space would come available (which, incidentally, is not a good idea), we called back willing to go anywhere in Florida (and we naively thought that was a big concession!). But nothing doing on that exchange request either. A few weeks later we called again, and an exchange-company representative suggested Cancun. My wife and I looked at each other blankly. It wasn’t what we had wanted. But the time for our post-nuptial trip was now quickly approaching, and we didn’t want to lose out on having a condo to stay in.
So we said yes, reluctantly.
Do you know what happened? We loved Cancun. Sure, we wanted to go to Epcot and the Magic Kingdom, but instead we had a terrific time snorkeling, exploring ancient ruins and lazing by the beach. If we had only been more flexible from the beginning …
By Matt McDaniel, Editor
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