Rethinking usefulness of timeshare for Europe

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

I have used timeshare for a number of years as a base for touring in Europe. My current thinking, however, it that this is often not a very efficient approach. In most instances, driving point to point and using hotels, b&b's, and such works better. I have found I see more in the alloted times on that type of trip.

The problem is the time and gas money (no small consideration these days) in driving out and back from a base location.

Now, to consider using timeshare as a touring base, I look to see that I can occupy all of my days in trips of 1 hour or less from the resort.

Big cities would still be practical to use timeshare for ones first trip there, but since I have been to all of the major cities in Europe multiple times, I don't think I would really spend an entire week in any one at this juncture.

Similarly locations where one will be enjoying something like the beach or skiing or a canalboat trip would be an exception, since much of ones time would be spent around the resort on those activities.

I have struck off a number of places that were on my exchange list, but now seem better as point to point trips with hotels, like Sicily, Cyprus, Denmark, and Crete. My wish list for European exchanges is pared down considerably. Another consideration is that I am presently concentrating on eastern Europe before the euro arrives and prices skyrocket, and there are fewer timeshare options there in the first place.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

This is a well thought out post and it really highlights the pros and cons of owning a European timeshare.

Further to Carolinian's points, a city timeshare, one where there are lots of attractions and having a home base, is practical. I've been to London ten times now and haven't seen it all. It's an incredible trader, but I've never traded it except to friends.
From my experience of having a London timeshare, financially, it has made sense. I bought it for $4k when the dollar was strong (many moons ago). It's a one bedroom, week 20, (they let owners trade in-house) Allen House. The MFs are slightly steeper than my others as the dollar is weak against the pound, but I can count on about ~$700. For this, however, I get a wonderful location, full kitchen (and this is a tremendous savings when in London.) Making your own breakfast and packing an occasional lunch and having a glass of wine in your own place sure cuts down on expenditures in a costly city.
Just having returned from Ireland, Knocktopher Abbey (in a small country town) was great, but for me, it wouldn't be practical as a home base.
Beags

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

this is one reason I keep putting off our Ireland trip. Seems that we'd be driving too much if we stay in a t/s, and seems a big hassle to travel with the kids to B&Bs, small rooms, moving every day or two... sigh...

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

In my recent trip to Italy we did more driving in 3 weeks than we would do here in 3 months. Using the TS for a base is a must unless you are in an area that you can not really drive out of like our week in Posatano. We stayed in Assisi and honestly it killed me that we had to lose days to go else where but since we were more northern it was to easy to drive only 2 hours to go to Siena for the day then drive another 2 hours to end up in Pisa and sleep there. Next morning We drove to Florence from Pisa then headed back to home base of Assisi. We also took the train in from Assisi to Rome. We had also booked a room in Rome just to freshen up from our trip Assisi to the Almafila Coast and to make the flight out to Venice from Rome a Little more convenient. In my trip to Italy we used 3 weeks of Timeshares and booked 3 nights in hotels 2 of which were in Venice.

[short Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close short]

Custom tour itin and cruises

As much as I like staying in timeshares with a kitchen and seperated rooms, when traveling internationally, time is money. I originally bought a timeshare of a quality that I thought would exchange well in Europe but now am rethinking that idea. One of our families best vacations was traveling in Italy in B&B's, with drivers, and our own tour guide who came to our room to pick us up and drop us back off. The tour was just our family of 4. Much more intimate and infomational. An expensive trip but worth every penny.

I was reading an article in National Geographic Traveler about custom tours. I went to the one for Norway and they have a Heritage tour where they will find out where you ancestors resided and take you to their family farm or that area. I though wow. This would be really interesting to do. I'd like to go to Norway but I don't want to spend a week at a ski resort out in the middle of nowhere in October.

I also saw a D day tour that starts in London, travels across the channel and tours Normandy. That sounded lots more interesting and focused than taking a timeshare in France and trying to find the D-day sites and a tour guide.

I am thinking now that spending more money when we go and seeing more in a week or 10 days would better. Also now that we are empty nesters were taking only 2 instead of 4.

Short

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

I have used timeshare for a number of years as a base for touring in Europe. My current thinking, however, it that this is often now a very efficient approach.

I suspect now is a typo and should be not. Amazing how just one character can change the entire meaning of a sentence.
I think the general answer to 'Is a single base the best way to see an area'' is "It depends" If the t/s is central to the areas you want to visit, then circular day trips often work very well. If however you find yourself spending hours getting to where you want to be and having limited time at the destination it really isn't working.
Travelling time can certainly be a problem for some of the Scottish t/s resorts. Forest Hills and Loch Rannoch are 2 that come to mind where you have an 'out-and-back' section every time you leave the resort. If your main aim is relaxation and walking they are both great resorts.

[Laurie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Laurie]

Now, to consider using timeshare as a touring base, I look to see that I can occupy all of my days in trips of 1 hour or less from the resort.

I have struck off a number of places that were on my exchange list, but now seem better as point to point trips with hotels, like Sicily, Cyprus, Denmark, and Crete.

I have mixed feelings myself sometimes, and have become pickier about exact locations of timeshares. Some of my best travel experiences have been b&b, not only for maximizing time and itinerary, but also for the kinds of local people and travelers we meet.

But what I do like about a decently-located resort is not having to preplan an itinerary so closely, so the time is more like a vacation in that we go where we feel like going, whenever we feel like it. A decade ago I was fine to get in the car and take off without necessarily having advance reservations, and things generally worked out very well, but now I get more antsy when I don't know where we're staying that night. So time saved in driving becomes time spent in researching and making reservations, and packing, repacking, and lugging stuff.

Eating out gets old for me too, it can become time-consuming to choose and locate restaurants, and for me it can be a relief to eat in, and have groceries and a refrigerator - again a time- and money-saver unless eating out every day and night is a highlight of your travel experience (which it is for many).

These days we have come to prefer a slower pace, less time rushing around to "sight-see" the major sights, more time walking and hiking - seeing the scenery that cars and trains can't get to. We get "castled out".

Carolinian, fyi I was very pleased with our exchange into Rageleje Klit in Denmark this past summer. Copenhagen was a bit over an hour away by train, especially coming home in the evening when they didn't run as frequently - but it was easy to get to, and there were plenty of other things to see and to do in a relatively small geographic area. And long days! Actually I liked the town of Helsingor better than Copenhagen, and it was closer. There are beautiful beaches nearby too. So you might not want to write that one off your list yet, or combine it with some b&b time. (Denmark looked like a small country and I thought we'd see much more of it than we did, speed limits are low!)

The Ireland b&b program sounds great, where there is a network, and many of the operators know each other, and can call ahead for you or recommend someone else if they're full.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Beags,

A timeshare in London would be a perfect timeshare to have because there is so much to see and do there and everything is very expensive in London from what I hear.

The Marriott has a timeshare not too far from Paris but it takes time to go to the center of town which is a complete waste of time when you only have a week. When I was in Paris the last time, I found a hotel two doors down from my girlfriend's tiny flat and it was 20 minutes walking to the center of Paris or a few minutes only going by Metro. It was wonderful and the hotel room was very clean and with a private bath and it was not expensive. There was a very good breakfast available for about the same price we pay here at home. There are many little hotels like that in Paris so why stay one hour away from the city? I like the little hotels in or near the center of the old cities in Europe.

When we took our tour in England and Wales, we used the National Trust and found some very nice old hotels and quite a few old and very quaint B&Bs too. Trying to match up timeshare weeks for a tour like that would have been almost impossible and so stressful to do. Give me the flexibility of booking small hotels or B&Bs in Europe. Here is the web site of the National Trust.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-index.htm

[Arb Member Find all posts View Profile Close Arb]

Spain touring

We just returned from a week in Barcelona (hotel) and a week at the Marriott Playa Andaluza. The Marriott was just great for seeing an area we'd never visited.
While staying there, we drove to and toured Gibraltar, Ronda, and Grenada (Alhambra). We also drove to Marbella and Benahavis for dining and walking around.
Nov 4 we flew to Madrid, where we stayed at the Airport Sofitel Hotel. We walked to a nearby restaurant for a lovely farewell dinner.
Now, we're back at home and have no regrets about the way we traveled. It was fabuous.
Carole