I have problems applying to sits where ‘’ not accessible by public transportation’’ is mentioned. Most of the time I’d be very interested in those sits, but this clatification is essential to me.
When this is the case, how do you move? Dp you rent a car or use Uber?
Raffaella
Hi Raffaella, it will depend on the sit. We are one of those sits and you would need to rent a car as Uber is not very available in the area either. In general I much prefer someone to come back to me and say “I note a car is needed and I will have a rental car/bring my own” but increasingly with car rental being so expensive and sitters being hard to find we are open to the possibility of leaving our car for a sitter, so it may be worth asking if that is a possibility.
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That’s a very broad question. It depends where you are sitting. We use our own car for a lot, public transport for others, and taxi’s if we need to, or perhaps an owner is kind enough to let you have their car if you manage to get there by yourself originally.
But if it is too expensive for you to get to certain locations, then it simply isn’t the sit for you, there will be others more suitable out there for you.
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Hi @Raffaella
What this means in reality will vary from sit to sit. In the UK, for example, it could mean that the sit is in a small village that doesn’t have a regular bus service, but you may have facilities such as a village shop and a pub, beautiful walks on your doorstep, and be able to arrange an online grocery delivery. But it could also mean that the sit is perched halfway up a mountain, 10km from the nearest village, and that you’d need a 4x4 to access it.
It’s worth checking firstly in the ‘amenities’ section of the listing, as sometimes a car or bike is offered as part of the sit. If this isn’t the case, and you want to hire a car, things I would take into consideration are whether you’d be allowed to transport pets in the hire car, and whether the property has tarmac to the door, or whether you’d have to go ‘off road’ to access it, as this will often invalidate the insurance on a hire car, especially if you damage the underside of the car in doing so. Sometimes, remote sits offer limited use of a 4x4 to get you as far as a main road or village, or for emergency use only.
Depending on what the immediate surroundings are like, and what you plan to do whilst you’re there, you may not need to hire a car. But then you’d need to consider how you’d get a pet to the vet in an emergency, and also how you’ll make your way from a train station/airport to the sit in the first place. Technically, it’s your responsibility to get yourself to and from the sit, but I have often researched how close I would be able to get using public transport, and then asked whether the homeowner would be willing to collect me from there.
Just ask plenty of questions, as this will help get a feel for what the sit will be like, and whether it’s the right one for you. Good luck!
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Possibilities:
• See whether the host will lend a car, bicycle or other transportation.
• Take Lyft, Uber, cabs or such.
• Stay in the neighborhood and walk everywhere. Some have limited amenities, such as food. Otherwise you might order delivery of groceries or bring them with you.
• Catch occasional rides from neighbors if you’re comfortable with asking. Some hosts might be willing to make intros if their sit is isolated and they get few applicants.
• Get rides from family or friends who live nearby.
• Skip the sit, because no sitter will be a fit for all sits.
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It’s the first thing I look at and if it’s not accessible by public transport I move on.
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We just don’t apply on sits where there is no public transportation available. We moved back to the city a few years ago and I haven’t driven since as I can walk and ride public transportation everywhere. My husband continues to drive but we’re not interested in renting a car on sits. I’m also an avid walker so enjoy being able to walk to shops, restaurants, etc.
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This has been mentioned before and I, together with others, commented that there maybe local public transport. The home owners just don’t know about it.
If you are interested in the listing, google public transport. Often , especially in the UK, you will find cute little buses that may run a couple of times a day or week. They are great fun
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@Raffaella
To add to all the previous comments it can mean that homeowners will be happy to pick you up from nearest airport/ station but that you would need to be content to stay in the location for the sit .
Some sitters are looking for peaceful secluded locations to escape from a hectic city life . If it’s a peaceful scenic place a vehicle may not be necessary during the stay . However the issue of how a pet could be transported to the nearest vet if an emergency arose would need to be discussed. It’s something you can discuss during a call with the homeowner before agreeing to sit.
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I was not referring to the arrival or to the end of the sit - in which cases I either took a taxi or the hosts picked me up), but generally during the stay, i.e. going to the grocery stores, local trips, touristic destinations in the area, etc.
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If you are interested in a sit I think it’s always worth speaking with an owner and if it looks like things are progressing just ask them for the name of the street, suburb, village so you can do your own research. A lot of people who rely only on cars have actually no idea what the nearby public transport situation is while those of us who rely on public transport are usually pretty good at sniffing out alternatives to get from A to B. I had a suburban sit recently that indicated the place was inaccessible by public transport …there were three bus lines stopping either an 8 minute walk up the road or a 4 min walk through the back gate. There was also a major bus station 15 min walk away and a train station 20 min away. It was plenty accessible by public transport in my opinion but then there will be people who consider anything over 90 seconds too far.
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As I am European, don’t have a car (but have a drivers licence), and like public transport, my experience after 9 successful sits, is that the transportation topic could use a bit more detailed approach by most homeowners. Both the statement that a location is accessible and the statement it does not need more details. There is a difference between not able (or very difficult) to get to the house and/or so remote that you need a car for shopping or going anywhere. But i have also had sits which said they were accessible by public transport, which was correct for arrival or departure, but where the bus schedule was a disaster in the evening or on a Sunday. Homeowners might also consider more alternatives, like whether is there a bike available that you can use. At home, I go everywhere on my bicycle (I live in Belgium). Car hire can be expensive, especially if you do not intend to use the car every day for trips.
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I think it’s the best move!
Whether traveling with my spouse or solo, I look mostly for two kinds of sits: Ones in cities with public transportation where a car won’t be necessary. The other in more rural or small town areas we can drive to with our car.
I’ve thought about sits we would need to fly to and then rent a car. I haven’t ruled this out, but I haven’t applied to any either as I think it would just stetch our budget too much. I know many nomadic sitters rely on borrowing cars from petparents, but I don’t think I’d be comfortable even if it was offered.
We have an upcoming sit where we’ll be doing a one day car rental to a bucket list attraction a little over an hour’s drive not accessible by mass transit . It worked out as I had a free day rental from the rental company I use on vacations. We’ll both bus it to the car rental place, pick up the car, go to the site, spend a couple of hours, and get back in time to give the cat lunch!
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Honestly, I tend to just not apply or turn them down if we talk and it’s clarified then.
Some allow use of their vehicle which is nice.
But usually I just don’t apply/turn it down.
This most recent time of looking over potential sits I kept public trans/walkability as a key part of my search, but also flexible to an extent that for an absolutely-perfect one I’d consider renting a car if it didn’t mean I’d be spending more than I would have for a place to stay where I wouldn’t need one.
I’m willing to rent a car, but anymore the cost of that can greatly outweigh what I’d be saving by sitting and how that location matches with a better location in it.
But, admittedly, my lifestyle as a nomad is different from someone planning a very specific vacation destination. I can shop a general area or choose where I go based on the sits in a region/city/country/continent. So my input may not even apply…
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If in UK, I take my own car. Abroad, I simply don’t apply for such sits
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I travel far, often overseas, and cannot take my car. But thank you for sharing your experience.
Thank you for sharing. I will follow your advice and - before excluding the application - I will ask for further info about transportation. I would prefer not to take the hosts’ car, especially in UK and Australia where they keep the left, when driving. R.
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This is a precious piece of advice. Thank You.R.
Thanl you. R