One sit starts the same day the other ends. Will I be allowed to accept both or will THS prevent me from doing so saying I will be busy with another sit? Thank you.
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Sits that start the same day another one ends are not considered overlap and you should be able to apply.
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@Bcooley you can accept both sits - we did this twice last year so I can vouch that it’s possible .
To make things go as smoothly as possible for the hosts and yourself , discuss and agree with both hosts your departure and arrival time before pressing “Accept “
Plan sufficient time for a handover and travel between the two sits . This will avoid any misunderstandings and contribute to everything running smoothly on the sit end/ start day .
#Iloveitwhenaplancomestogether
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@Bcooley - Yes you will, and no they won’t
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I had this same situation occur earlier this week for a sit in May. I spoke to both pet owners on phone, double checked it was doable, and accepted 2nd sit. Original sit (A repeat sit) I am arriving in the evening and they go away for their holiday next day.
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I have a few the last couple of months and arrival and departure times are critical. I am able to leave very early this sit and drive 90 miles to my next sit, where I have to arrive early.
Similar for us on our current sit. Fortunately for us, the current sit’s HO told us we can leave before they arrive home and the dog is fine for around 4 hours, although he won’t be alone quite that long. Our next sit starts the same day as this one finishes 95km away, but the hosts are happy for us to arrive in the afternoon as we have already visited them and the dogs and been over lots of details. HO leave very early the next morning. Definitely a good idea to confirm exit and entry times with both HO.
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Early in my sitting experience, I ended one sit early one morning, took a short flight, rented a car, drove for about 2.5 hours and started a second sit the same day. My hosts and I had agreed on departure and arrival times and we were in contact as needed. Not a big deal. Everything went fine.
And you should make sure that your hosts have emergency backup folks, so if you or they are delayed, the pets still get care.
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I accepted two sits this summer with out having figured out the transport between. One is fairly close together but public transport is the long way around. and the other is fairly far western Scotland to western France. This is a learning curve for me. I think it means leaving early and getting there late. Or canceling one or the other. It is something I won’t do again.
@Nikaa if one sit ends and the next starts on same day this sounds like a logistical impossibly !!
I’m not sure that it’s even possible in less than 12 hours by public transport ( flights , trains, coaches, ferries ) and even if you are driving I would estimate that the journey time will be more than 12 hours when you add in the ferry crossing time .
If you are travelling by public transport (and depending on the precise locations ) it could be quite an expensive journey .
Even if you can make it to your next destination by leaving early in the day ( which seems unlikely ) the hosts may need to make plans for pet cover if they are arriving back later in the day and the next hosts may also need you to arrive early for a handover if they are departing early - so it’s always best to discuss all these details before accepting a sit as sits should only be cancelled in extraordinary circumstances.
Maybe your hosts have planned a days overlap in the listed dates in which case it could work … please discuss with all the hosts the travel arrangements asap . If you need to cancel they will have time to find a replacement sitter . The hosts may also wish to cancel if they are concerned about any delays with flights , ferries , trains etc….
The ferry crossings from U.K. to Western France are 5-12 hours and you would need to travel from Scotland to the South cost of U.K. which is around 5 hours by train ( will cost from £159 to £400+) or up to 10 hours by coach - then you need to add on your transport in France to your destination . You maybe able to take two flights plus transportation either end and allow for time to connect between the two …
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and detailed response. Yes I agree it is a logistical impossibility. I spent a day and half trying to create alternative routes to no avail. I will reach out to the sit in France and explain the situation. The sit is in the fall. The HO mentioned flexibility so I will start with a clear explanation and if the delay is unacceptable I will cancel. Now I have a better concept of the distances. The ferry sounds like a wonderful option at some point. I have reached out to both hosts. This forum is wonderfully helpful.
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@Nikaa, fun times. Same day end-sit starts are absolutely possible. Even international. We’ve done a bunch. For example, this year we zipped same-day sit from Hungary to Austria, and from France to Switzerland - careful planning but all doable. But viability depends on timely travel so only works when can leave a housesit early in day and arrive at new sit later same day.
Pet parents often request/offer that we arrive a day early or leave a day late. This can make a big difference to same-day logistics.
Keep learning!
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I have back to back sits May through mid July. But all in the same region, within an hour or two of driving.
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Earlier this year, we ended a sit in Paphos, Cyprus in the morning, and started our next sit, In London, UK on the evening of the same day.
Long distance same day sits can work but it’s important the hosts of the sit due to start are aware of the tight schedule and have a plan in place should you have any travel delays.
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ferries from the Western Isles of Scotland, INNER/OUTER HEBRIDES if this is where you meant, can be cancelled last minute due to the weather. As someone who holidays there annually, taking groups of foreigners with me, I always tell them, don’t book your flights from Edinburgh or Glasgow to home (mainland Europe) for same day that we return to mainland, as I cannot guarantee getting you back in time by car.
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