Travel issues on the way to a sit - what's your backup plan?

[Jenny]

Hello everyone!

Even with the best planning, travel doesn’t always go smoothly, and unexpected disruptions have a habit of showing up at the worst times! If you’re en-route to a sit, having a backup plan is really important.

I see the phrase “Plan B” used on the Forum quite a lot - what’s your Plan B for travel issues? For example:

Do you build in extra travel time?
Do you proactively contact the pet parent or wait until you know more?
Do you pack anything specific for travel emergencies e.g. power bank, charger?

Share your best tips in the comments, and let us know how you handle things!

Jenny

[Chrissy]

I was up in Haworth when there was snow and ice earlier in the month. We didn’t decide for certain the travelling arrangements until the morning of travel in case it was unsafe. The people were staying in Derbyshire at Hardwick Hall and the next day there was 6” of snow and the whole estate was shut most of the week. I had hardly any but it was dangerously icy underfoot so I stayed mostly in their very cosy home with instructions to raid the freezer for anything I needed. I have my own car so I can be very adaptable and once when I was there before I was snowed in for 3 days.

Hardwick Hall

[DieFledermaus]

That sounds rather idyllic! Lovely photos too.

I just build in an insane buffer zone with time. I have my first long-haul sit later this year and plan to be in the country at least a week before the sit starts. I stay at the cheapest hotel I can find. I don’t sit full-time, so I can make sure my budget covers this.

[temba]

Hi @Jenny. It would be great if this topic included hosts as it’s just as important that they have a Plan B.
Perhaps “What’s your back-up plan if your flight is delayed on return?”

[august]

80+ sits and some pretty crazy flights, distance-wise, from one end of the world to another. So far, so good, knock on wood. I always arrive a day early to meet the pets, which gives me 24 hours to spare should there be any delays. Works also fine as Plan B, doesn`t it?

[richten1]

Hi Jenny
Most of my sits have been around Europe so involve flying to the sit. I normally suggest arriving 36-48 hours before the home owner departs and allowing a day after the HO comes back if flying, cruising or relying on public transport.
The worst thing that has happened to me so far on sits is arriving for a sit in Denmark where the HO had only 1 bedroom but a pull out bed. I arrived the day before and the HO had set up their bedroom for me as they were due to leave next day.
Unfortunately a flash strike by their airline lead to their flight getting cancelled. They needed to be in the US for a wedding. The HO had an anxious 24 hours before the airline offered them a hotel near the airport until a new flight 48 hours later was available. They said it was only fair to leave me to it.

[Smiley]

It’s difficult to have a travel back up plan as there as so many eventualities. So far I haven’t needed a back up plan but would look at a situation when it arose.

[Maggie8K]

• For Plan B, I pursue sits only if I can afford to cover a hotel stay in place of any sit that goes sideways. Or I’d be able to return home early in a pinch. I consider it part of self-care to not leave yourself at risk of being trapped or stranded over emergencies or wretched hosts.

• When sitting, I usually arrive at least a day ahead of a sit if flying, especially going abroad. I mention that when applying for a sit.

• To avoid problems, I tell potential hosts during video chats that I’ll make travel arrangements only after I receive their departure and arrival times in writing and after I’ve received their welcome guide (doesn’t matter in what format/platform). Then I send them tentative flight info before booking, to make sure we’re coordinated. That’s also helped me avoid any surprises with hosts leaving later or returning earlier than expected.

• I immediately read welcome guides on receipt, in case of key missing info. Also to avoid unpleasant surprises. Like I immediately canceled a sit when a welcome guide revealed that one dog had to be let out overnight and another was probe to diarrhea, which the host hadn’t mentioned before.

• In welcome guides, I look for emergency info, such as spare key location, emergency contacts, vet account info. And I ask about emergency shutoffs for gas and water if that’s not shared.

• Screen shots of welcome guides also help if you need proof for THS if a host changes info after sit terms have been agreed on. That way, dealbreakers can’t be entered secretly.

• With sits, I also ask about emergency coverage if I and the hosts won’t overlap or if they’re delayed on return. We don’t want pets left without food, water, medicine or walks.

• In case of emergencies when traveling, I carry portable chargers, including a solar one. Also a backup cell phone. Plus, I carry emergency cash and credit cards and store them in separate places, in case of theft or loss. I use Airalo e-SIMs when traveling abroad. Airalo sends notices if your data is running low, so you can top off instantly.

• I store my passport info, credit card numbers, bank contacts and IMEI info (for any electronic devices) in the cloud, so I can access them from any device. That way, it would be easier to secure a replacement or to help authorities or providers to lock a mobile device. I also have all mobile devices set up for “find my phone” locating and I can wipe all devices remotely if needed. And the lock screen on all my mobile devices shows emergency contact in case they’re found.

• I have AirTags attached to my baggage and keys. (I add any rental car and sit keys to that keyring when sitting.) I take photos if checking any luggage, to help with recovery in case of loss (though I usually don’t check bags).

• On my wrist, I wear a QR code that emergency responders could scan. That would bring up my identity and emergency contacts, in case I couldn’t communicate for myself.

• When sitting dogs, I attach engraved tags to their collars, so people can call me if we’re separated. That’s to avoid lags in recovering pets vs. them contacting the hosts while they’re away.

• Also when sitting, I take screen shots of welcome guides before traveling. So then I have address, directions, entry info, security codes, emergency contact info and wifi info on multiple devices, in case I arrive and lack online access for such info. Similarly, I take screen shots of my boarding passes in case of weak cell signals at airports.

• I try to print out boarding passes at the airport, because having physical copies can help in case of flight cancellations or airline technical problems. I also have airlines’ 800 numbers in my contacts, so I could immediately call for rebooking in case of emergencies. If there are say hundreds of passengers needing to rebook, you want to get in front of the phone waiting line immediately if you need human help.

[Crosswords_and_puzzles]

What we do as HOs is to line up friends to take over if our return home is delayed. We apprise them of our sitter’s departure time/day, so we’re covered for an additional day or two – if need be.

As sitters, we always discuss this with HOs during the video chat. In 85% of our sits, we had to leave at the agreed-upon day/time (due to our flights). In two cases we were able to be flexible with the HO’s return, since we were going to continue to be “local” beyond the end date of the sit.

In either role, it is essential to discuss this important logistical detail during the video chat.

After confirming the sitter (or accepting the sit), back it up in writing.

[WeRPAWsome]

Fun topic @Jenny

Our Plan B is really about reducing stress for everyone — and after fourteen years of full-time travel, a few habits have stuck.

Our basics:

• We nearly always arrive a day early if it’s a long or international journey.

• If something looks like it could get wobbly, we let the homeowners know early — even if it’s just “we’re keeping an eye on a delay and will update you.”

• Power bank, charging cables, screenshots of bookings, and offline maps are non-negotiables.

• On long-haul flights, we keep a spare change of clothes, toiletries, and underwear in carry-on — just in case our suitcase decides to take a different route.

• We keep enough flexibility (refundable or easy-to-change flights and accommodation, or points) to self-solve without putting pressure on the homeowner.

Most of the time Plan B never gets used — but knowing it’s there makes everything calmer.

[Maggie8K]

@WeRPAWsome

• If something looks like it could get wobbly, we let the homeowners know early — even if it’s just “we’re keeping an eye on a delay and will update you.”

For me, this is situational. I always ask myself, what could a host do about the situation or would it create needless stress for them to know and I can deal.

I used to pack toiletries and spare clothes in carry-ons, but don’t bother now. I could just buy what’s needed.

[Vanessa_A]

We’re firm believers in having a Plan B (especially for long haul sits), although more recently this has been more about the logistics of getting to and from France and the UK. We take the car ferry, so we always book to arrive a couple of days before our first sit and use that time to visit family or friends, just in case high winds or car trouble disrupt the crossing.

In December, our planning was justified twice over for the first time ever. First, we had a tyre blowout (frustratingly on a brand-new tyre) on the way to family after arriving in the UK. Then, between our final two sits, an alternator belt snapped—both incidents resulting in lengthy recovery delays. Had we not built in a couple of days between sits, at least one of us would have been scrambling for trains to arrive on time.

It’s certainly easier when there are two of you and you’re travelling locally, but our overseas trips have required far more comprehensive Plan B thinking, very much along the lines of @Maggie8K’s excellent list.

Downloading key information from the welcome guide, saving addresses, phone numbers and travel details, and maintaining good communication with homeowners all sit high on our Plan B checklist. With online outages becoming more common, keeping a printed backup file has once again become essential. We have a quick checklist to ensure we’ve got everything needed for both countries, now our residency is overseas - it’s easy to forget one or other important card!

We do believe it’s important to involve homeowners in any sit-specific Plan B discussions. Not only does this flag potential issues from our side that they may not have considered, but it often prompts them to review what they would do if their own travel plans were disrupted through no fault of their own.

Important topic - and one often overlooked until something goes wrong

[Jenny]

Loving these answers! Thank you everyone who’s shared so far.

So far I’m seeing a theme… over-prepare, communicate early, and make sure hosts and sitters have a shared Plan B so pets are always covered.

What else would you add?

@temba - I’m happy for hosts to reply here too - or if there’s not much uptake from hosts in this conversation I can schedule in a topic so we can hear from them too thanks for raising that.

[RedLassie]

Just in recent days, I have had to make a Plan B, at the request of my next Homeowner in rural Perthshire, and for my own safety as a driver. I am their first sitter.

I am due to arrive there Wednesday. She tells me there is a 90% chance of snow that day

There is only a 30/40% chance of snow on Tuesday, could I possibly come on the Tuesday instead? main road to the village will be gritted, as it is a bus route, but the remaining Loch side road will not be, If I can get to the village, husband would drive my car on potential snowy/icy road.

Well, I am on my current sit in East Lothian until 10pm Tuesday night, when owners flight is due in. AARGH, what do I do?

So, I messaged current pet owners, asking could I leave around mid day on Tuesday? They have a friendly neighbour who I met this week, but she goes away on holiday at weekend.

They asked me, can you let us contact our son in Edinburgh, see if he can assist. Of course.

Outcome? Their son will work from home Mon/Tues, will come here to collect the 2 lovely wee dogs Sunday lunchtime, and we will both leave for our homes in Edinburgh, which is a much better result than I could have hoped for.

teamwork. compromises.

[Maggie8K]

Agree that coordination and compromise between sitters and hosts are ideal, especially in unexpected pinches or emergencies.

Personally, I also try to avoid certain situations. For instance, if I sit where snow is likely in winter, I pick cat sits. And I sit only in cities with easy ride shares or taxis, as well as meal and grocery deliveries, so I wouldn’t need to drive during snow (especially during a pet emergency).

As for flying, whether for sits or otherwise, I try to avoid connecting flights where snow is common. That’s to avoid being delayed or stranded.

[temba]

When travelling to the UK, I’m not solely going to pet sit. I always spend a few days with friends at the start and end of my time there. Often my sits are not back-to-back because I build in a day or two in case of unexpected changes. I’m not dependent on sitting as I have funds to pay for last minute accommodation if needed.
Communication is really important between host and sitter and on several occasions we have worked together to achieve a positive outcome.