We are experienced housesitters who have successfully completed sits in the UK and Australia. Now, we want to try sitting in the US but before we do we’d like general advice, particularly regarding the meaning of “Accessible by public transport”. Does each county/state/city/person have a very different interpretation of this phrase? We don’t have a car and I can see getting around could be an issue.
Any tips for us on what to look for and how to break into this new market greatly appreciated.
As merely visiting the US I would say apart from big cities US is a very much car based country. Even for suburbs, and shorter distances, going to the grocery/ baker or similar that one in many other countries would expect to be able to walk.
Do you have a drivers licence?
You can check a place by looking at Google maps. But often the listing does not give precise enough information about the location of the sit. The owners will almost everywhere be completely relying on a car (for doing groceries and everything, even for walking the dog).
I am from the US and unless you are looking at a sit in a major urban area, it is a good idea to get some more specific details as far as transportation options to get there, what is within walking distance of the home, transport options within the town, etc… Ride share apps are also widely available in most places barring somewhere particularly rural.
The thing about some places is that they may be accessible by public transport, but actually getting around the area would be a different story.
For example, I am from a suburban town in New Jersey and you could easily get there with the state-wide bus system (or the train that would take you the next town a very short drive away), but in most areas, there wouldn’t be much within walking distance. There wouldn’t be a way to get around the town with public transport.
The ‘accessible by public transport’ tag was a helpful addition, but I think there also needs to be a way to note whether you can get around the actual area without a car. There used to be a ‘sitter needs a car’ tag. It seems the former replaced the latter, but being able to reach a destination without a car doesn’t automatically mean you can navigate the area easily without one.
@Rosemary before heading off or accepting sits in the USA, I would also strongly suggest you read up about being a potential housesitter there insofar as border control is concerned. You don’t want to accept sits only to be caught out at immigration as has happened to many. Won’t go into detail, you are probably already aware of the “possible” pitfalls, but if not please ask further. Not saying it will happen but you need to be aware.
In my experience, the availability and reliability of public transport can vary greatly depending on the city you visit. Larger cities such as New York and Los Angeles can have greater access to public transport, and that still depends on the area that you are staying. In general, I personally find it challenging to be in the US without a vehicle. In addition, I have learned that HO’s vary in their idea of what “Accessible by public transport” means to them personally. One HO might feel a mile walk to the nearest station or stop is to them considered “accessible”. During the interview I ask more questions on this topic to get clarity on exactly what I can expect. Joyful and Safe travels to in the US!
I’d concentrate on cities such as these if you won’t have a car. Alternatively, you also could search for sits that offer use of a car, if you’re able to drive.
Tangentially, if you’re open to exploring renting an RV (recreational vehicle), it can be expensive normally, but there are exceptions such as these, where you can dead-head them, meaning get deals when a rental company needs people to drive them to certain places to drop off for the company’s logistical needs.
That’s from here: Relocation Out of Phoenix - $9 Night | Cruise America.
Note: I’ve never rented one of these, so I don’t know how good the deals really are once all is said and done. (I own an RV, so no need.)
Separately, some extended visitors to the U.S. will buy a used car and then resell it once they’re about to leave, because that can be cheaper than renting a car for a long time. CarMax might be useful for that, because they buy and sell used cars nationally and it’s quicker than trying to buy and sell on your own. They also have a huge selection. You’d still have to buy insurance, of course.
Most places in the US lack good or even adequate public transport. However, some cities have great public transportation systems. If you are exporing rural America you will absolutely need a car. Some homeowners offer one, but many are reluctant to do so because any accident even a minor one will cause the insurance premium of the owner to go up or be cancelled and usually there are substantial deductibles. Car rentals can be expensive. If you are willing to drive, look for places that offer that.
A simpler option is to consider sits in US cities with good public transportation. Here is a brief list of cities worth seeing where a car is not necessary. There may be more. The website rometorio is probably a good place to check or just play with google maps:
Some small cities may also have adequate bus systems, but getting to surrounding areas can be tough. Uber and other apps like Lyft are used in most places in the US including small cities that don’t have great bus systems. Rural areas general have nothing. If you wanted to take a break and see the Grand Canyon for instance, your options are an amazing bike trip, or bus tour, or a car. (There are bus shuttles in many national parks once you enter the park.)
Getting from one city to another could involve flying or in the East Coast hub (NY, Philadephia, Boston, DC) Amtrak - the national train service. There are also lots of very inexpensive bus options. Again rometorio is a great site to find them.
Some sits in the suburbs of major cities may offer very good train or bus service to get from the home to the city centers. Others might not so it’s a good idea to check with the owner and ask if they have ever actually used the option they’re suggesting and how far the home is from the station.
Some cities have particular quirks. Boston, for instance, has small separate cities around it that make up the area and are well connected by their metro – the T and a great bus system. New York is connected to all its boroughs (except Staten Island) by the subway and is also connected to suburbs by Metro North, and to some small cities in New Jersey by a separate subway system – PATH and some buses. It’s entirely possible to take a cat sit in Hoboken NJ and come into NYC every day as many commuters do.
For an alternative service to Amtrak (train), you might want to check this out for travel among major cities. It can be significantly cheaper and faster, depending on where you go.
I live in a very rural area, we dont even have a bus, uber, lyft, etc here. Definitely need a car. You’ll want to do alot of research and ask as everyone else has suggested. What areas of the US are you looking at visiting?
I am the rare American (who has not lived in New York) who has never had a driver’s license. It is indeed a car-based country. One of the things not mentioned yet is that people who mostly drive/do not regularly take public transit often do not actually know much about their area’s transit. I visited a friend in Minneapolis, who said there was “no transit” in her neighborhood - but I found a stop for a major busline 2 blocks from her house.
I agree with focusing on the cities mentioned above - and another vote for Portland OR, their transit is good - and to see if there are local blogs for those cities or visit their transit authority’s website, to give you an idea of what neighborhoods have better transit options, as that can also vary greatly. Generally speaking, the further from the city center, the less robust transit is likely to be.
Also be aware that sometimes people say their home is in a city, when it’s actually in a suburb.
@Rosemary, welcome to THS Forum. Sounds like you are considering quite the adventure. We completed 4.5 months of US housesits last year (all west coast). Mostly 3-6 week duration housesits. Was super fun. But we had our own vehicle. Two Pet Parents kindly offered use of their vehicle - given US, we got them to write a simple form to authorize our use of vehicle and confirm insurance coverage.
Agree with comments from other housesitters - cities offer better transit than rural. e.g. San Francisco offered numerous methods of transit.
Separately, we took special care to ensure good health insurance for duration of US housesitting. Definitely not a place to get sick.
BTW, depending on the host’s policy, it can be reasonable to cover someone under their existing insurance in the U.S.
For instance, I checked with my insurer at one point and my coverage automatically includes people I loan my car to. That was for short-term house guests. (I have bundled auto and homeowner coverage — such policies can offer greater flexibility.)
By contrast, when I hosted a foreign exchange student for about a year, I instead signed an older car over to them, as if I had sold it, except I didn’t charge them. Then they went and got their own insurance policy, unaffiliated with me.
When they were done with the car, they signed it back over to me. I then resumed insurance on it for ourselves. We had the spare car for a vacation home and it was worth only a few thousand, because it was old, though in good condition.
I mention a case like that, because someone might consider something like that for a long sit.
Separately, some U.S. cities have light-rail or subways that run to the airport, which can be convenient when arriving and getting to certain parts of the region. Among such cities: Atlanta, Portland (in Oregon, not the one in Maine) and San Francisco. In Portland and San Francisco, you can then connect to some other lines, whether by other rail services or bus lines. Or you could take a cab or ride share, or the host picks you up.
Thanks Maggie8K. Great list and even better idea to use AI.
Maggie8K Again, thank you for specific link. Much appreciated. I do drive and subject to the cost of insurance am open to driving in the US.
Marion Wow, thanks for this. I’d forgotten about Rome2Rio…which is an Australian company. Will definitely bring them into the planning mix.
SoloGal Our daughter has applied for a six-month research placement on Long Island so we’'d like to be within visiting range, at least for our first round of sits.
Lots to explore there! Hope it works out for you.
GotYourBack Love the idea of a simple signed document re car usage and insurance.
