Hello!
I’m Valerie, a sitter from Lake Tahoe(Happy tails, Happy trails!) I am new to the forum, and have already gleaned so much wisdom from many posts. I’ve only done two sits with TrustedHousesitters, although I have taken care of many of my friends pets for years. I had two German shepherd dogs and I’ve had various numbers of cats during my life. I am recently retired and so I’m looking forward to traveling a lot more. I don’t consider 10 or 12 hours to be a very long drive, but beyond that would probably fly! I need tips on international travel, as I would like to approach that adventure this year.
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Hi @Petloves 
Welcome to the THS forum! It’s great to hear you have learned a lot of new information from the many posts on the forum. The forum covers a variety of helpful topics and is a great place to connect with fellow THS members.
I LOVE the Lake Tahoe area, it is so beautiful out there. I also see from your pictures that you were in San Diego visiting the Hotel Del. How did you like San Diego?
I’m from San Diego and I absolutely love it here. We are actually having a TrustedHousesitters member meetup next month in San Diego if you will be around? It is on February 26th at the dog friendly brewery Kairoa We would love to meet you in person and hear more about the sits you have already done and exchange helpful tips for future sits!
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Hi Julie @Julie_A
Yes, I was in San Diego again. I love it too! I graduated from Coronado and UC San Diego I was at my 50th reunion at UCSD. I stayed in Coronado with a friend from Northern Nevada, who has moved down there with her husband. I would love to meet up right now. I don’t have a sit yet during that time. I applied, but didn’t get one…still looking!
Thanks so much for the invite! If I don’t get to meet you this time, maybe next time. Sounds like fun.
All the best,
Valerie
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Hello @Petloves and welcome to the Community Forum 
I grew up with German Shepherds myself, I absolutely adore them and we are hoping to find a sit somewhere caring for them so I can still get my German Shepherd fix! 
Do you have any specific destinations in mind where you would like to sit? 
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Hi Samox24,
I get it for the big dog fix! Although small are precious,too.
I’m open to many places. West coast sits are closest to me. I love the desert and the beach. International night, I’d like to go to Paris and the south of France, and just about anywhere in Italy, Spain, or Portugal, then I’d also like to go to the Czech republic. I see lots of sites in England, and I would be open to going there again. What are your favorite places and why?
Thanks for the welcome!
Valerie
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Welcome! I’m new to this forum too, but I’ve traveled to 35 countries, so if you have specific questions about international travel I’m always happy to discuss. My favorite advice is to pack ridiculously light (I go all over the world with one slightly undersized carryon), and get a global phone instead of messing with sim cards. It’s hard to know what else to advise beyond that, but if you ever have a question I’m here!
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Hi Georgetownpets!
Thanks for your email. It is so kind of you to offer me advice, and I will contact you. 35 countries …wow! Do you have favorites?
@petloves
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@Petloves yes I agree, I love all dogs whether big or small… they all steal our hearts
You have many fabulous destinations on your list… all of them are very beautiful and unique in their own way
I have so many favourites having visited 53 countries so far (although I’m still on catch-up with hubby as he has so far visited 93!) 
If I had to choose then the place that has my heart is the West Coast, the areas of Carmel and Monterey in particular. I love The States in general too though, I have now visited 19 States so far and hope to visit all of them! … I love Costa Rica and Brazil for the amazing wildlife. 
Japan is amazing, I would certainly love to explore more there and Singapore is beautiful, (hubby would agree with this because he lived there when he was a little boy). India is another place I love, Jaipur in particular and the food and people are amazing. I love South Africa, stunningly beautiful and again amazing food and wine 
… Iceland will always be a place that I return to, my first ever visit there was 30 years ago and it took my breath away and still does now!
If you visit the UK you should visit the Cotswolds, we live here so I am slightly bias but it’s full of charming English villages. Paris is beautiful, I have now visited there over 50 + occasions and always fall in love with the beauty on every visit. Venice is another unique place, San Sebastián in Spain is fab! The food here is just sublime! Porto in Portugal I love, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro… my list is endless… everywhere has a reason to visit so I think you are spoilt for choice!
As @Georgetownpets mentioned, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions on international travel or any particular questions about specific countries or places you might have, we are always happy to help
…. Enjoy your travels!
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Thank you so much, @Samox24 ! I’ve recently been watching your television program on a channel called DABL. It’s called escape to the countryside and it shows people who are looking to buy a home in different places in England. One of my favorites has been the Cotswolds. It’s on my list!
I have lived in Monterey and visit Carmel often. Carmel beach is my favorite beach around there. I guess that visiting 53 countries perhaps is like trying to see every state in the United States. I’ve been to 48 states, but there are always new places within those states to get to see also. I would also like to visit Japan. My friends just came back from two weeks there and it is so beautiful.
One thing you might be able to help me with: when I’m looking at places in France and other countries, the name of their town or hamlet, is not one that I’m acquainted with. So it takes me some time to look it up on a map and figure out how close it is to a large airport. I also am trying to figure out if I really need a car or if there is a train nearby. Usually, it takes me a while to figure all that out and then they’re already reviewing applications as I’ve been looking. Do you have any suggestions for streamlining that process , would you fly to Paris and then take a train to the south of France or?
Thank you for your time. I’ve most enjoyed reading your response!
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@Petloves you will certainly love the Cotswolds, if you DM me I can give you recommendations for places to see/things to do.
Yes you are right, every time we go back to a country/place that we have visited before there are still so many new things to explore and do.
When you go to Japan it’s a learning curve trying to navigate their subway system!
It depends where you will be flying in from, if from the States then yes fly to Charles de Gaulle airport which is 23km (14 miles) northeast of Paris, it’s just over half an hour by train to reach central Paris. From there you can take the train to the south of France, they have SNCF which is specified to the French National Railways. The TGV trains are the fastest, they will certainly reduce your journey time or you could take an internal flight. The French Railway system is widespread and efficient so you don’t necessarily need a car depending on where you will be and what you want to do. However if you want to explore, I would certainly advise to hire a car, many places can be remote and some places will certainly be harder to reach without a car and will require a certain amount of planning, it just really depends where you will be staying and what you would like to see and do whilst you are there.
If you are flying to the UK first before heading to Paris you can take the Eurostar train direct to Paris which unlike the airport is actually in central Paris and so much more convenient than flying in and then you connect from Paris to whichever location in the south of France you want to travel to.
Please DM me anytime if you need any advice or assistance, more than happy to help.
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@Petloves yes please let us know if you make it back to San Diego in time for the meetup, we would love to meet you in person
Wow @Samox24 you and your husband have been everywhere! What an exciting life, you must have the most amazing stories. I also spent some time in Iceland, did a roadtrip around the island in a camper van and fell in love with the place. There is no place like it. I can’t wait to go back one day.
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@Julie_A haha not quite everywhere, still many, many places on the “to do” list yet! … and yes definitely many interesting stories!
Wow, that sounds like you had great fun exploring Iceland in a camper van… what was your favourite area or a particular place you visited whilst there?
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Welcome!
You’ve landed on a global community so if you post a specific question, I’m sure you’ll get loads of great feedback. Get the passport ready and your wishlist too!
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I loved the almost 24 hours of daylight! We were hiking and enjoying beautiful views of a waterfall at midnight! I LOVED the natural hot springs sprinkled around the island. The black sand beaches, the horses, the people. I loved so much! What was your favorite part @Samox24 ?
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@Julie_A i loved hiking a mountain to sit and watch the Northern Lights… wow!
I agree with you the black sand beaches are just so pretty and I love the Blue Lagoon 
Plus the fabulous food!!
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Beautiful! I only had the opportunity to visit Iceland in the summer. I would LOVE to go back again and see the Northern lights!
I went to Iceland for a long weekend at the end of November to specifically see the northern lights. I had a fantastic time seeing the glacier, swimming in the blue lagoon plus very social evenings out … but sadly, I did not see the northern lights … we travelled well out of town, on the one potential evening and we thought they may appear! But sadly not. It can sometimes happen, so do plan your timing well for when they are most likely to be dancing. I still loved my trip though.
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@Therese yes sadly this has happened to us a few times too. You can also check the activity level or (Kp number) using the Aurora Borealis Forecast for future trips which might help 
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My favorites are Italy and India. My advice is pretty basic compared to some of the others on here who have been to more places, but don’t believe too much of what you find on the internet. I found that it seemed geared to the big-bucks travel industry, such as Tripadvisor… meh. I stay out of restaurants and pick food up at farmer’s markets or in grocery stores. There is a whole, alternative world of people who travel free or cheaply (Wwoofing, Servas, monasteries, etc.), and don’t have to live in their vans, either.
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