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House Sitting Abroad – How to Use House Sitting to Travel

This is a beginner’s guide to using house sitting to travel the world .

You might think that traveling the world is a dream that you can’t quite reach because it costs too much. That’s why house sitting is a great solution. It allows you to stay in a home for free and explore a new destination.

I managed to house sit in over 10 countries including Thailand, France, Italy, Spain, Ireland, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Montenegro, Greece & the Caribbean.

Below we’ll delve into the world of house sitting abroad and I will give tips and insights on how to make the most of this opportunity so you can travel wherever you want to.

So, to start with let’s define what house sitting is. House sitting involves taking care of someone’s home while they’re away. It may include responsibilities such as caring for their pets, gardening, caring for indoor plants, upkeep of the property, and looking after the pool. In exchange, the house sitter gets to stay for free.

Start Your International House Sitting Journey

1. Choose A Platform

There are several websites you can use to find house sitting assignments.

Trustedhousesitters.com is the most well-known platform for international house sitting, but there are several other websites including AussieHouseSitters.com.au and Housecarers.com.

On each of these websites you can find people looking for house sitters in different places, and for different lengths of time.

Some of these websites are more suited to specific locations, and they all provide different benefits. They also vary in price a lot (yes, you pay a fee on these platforms), so it’s worth looking at this helpful comparison , to help you research which house sitting website suits your needs.

2. Work On Your Profile

Whichever house sitting platform you choose to sign up with, you’ll have to create a profile to be able to start applying to house sitting opportunities.

Your profile should highlight your experience and how you will meet the homeowner’s needs. It’s worth sharing any relevant experience you have in gardening, pets, pet care, pool care, and home maintenance.

3. Work On Your References

When getting started as a house sitter the biggest issue is references. Just like when you’re a teenager trying to get your first job you hope that someone will take a chance on you.

But what if I told you you didn’t have to wait for someone to take a chance on you? What we did when we were getting into house sitting was take screenshots of our Airbnb reviews, so that we could show social proof to homeowners.

This helped us land our first house sit. And after your first few house sits it becomes much easier to land new house sits as you will have a few references under your belt.

So Why Choose House Sitting For Travel?

1. It’s Cost Effective

The most obvious benefit of house sitting abroad is the savings you can achieve on accommodation while experiencing a new location.

It makes traveling long term or short term much more feasible on a limited budget.

Note: getting paid to house sit is uncommon. You receive a free place to stay and the home owner has someone to look after their house and pets while they are away.

If you’re lucky, they might leave you with a well stocked fridge and sometimes you’ll be able to use their car or bicycles to get around. It all helps to travel on a budget!

Also Read: How to Save Money While Traveling

2. You Get The Comforts Of Home

You get access to a fully equipped home including a kitchen, washing machine, etc. This can make travel much more comfortable as well as cheaper.

You can cook at home which means you can use local ingredients, explore the local markets, and try some of the regional recipes.

I personally also really appreciate having a washing machine so that I don’t have to search for laundry services and pay for it every time.

3. It’s an Immersive Experience

When you’re house sitting you’re more likely to be living in a local neighborhood rather than a touristy hotel district. This can provide a much more authentic experience ; you get to truly experience the culture and community in a new location.

We were often introduced to neighbors and friends of the house owner which also helped give us that community feel.

4. You Get to Care For Animals

It is hard to have pets of your own when you’re traveling and pet sitting can then be the perfect solution. Getting the companionship of an animal while abroad is a really nice experience.

You could either explore the local area with your new furry friend or relax on the couch with them.

Some Of Our International House Sitting Experiences

Below I will outline two of my favourite house sits.

House Sitting in Greece

We house sat in a beautiful little seaside town 45 minutes out of Athens , for six weeks.

This was a wonderful house sit where we cared for two beautiful dogs and a cat.

The home had lovely views over the sea and we were able to walk to the beach within 5 minutes. There were beautiful little cafes, bars, and bakeries nearby and this was a great base to be able to explore more of Greece.

House Sitting in Provence, France

Looking after 2 beautiful cats for six weeks in Provence was a dream. We were in a lovely little village where twice a week there was a market. From this location we were able to explore so many cities and towns in Provence. Each day was a new adventure!

The homeowner also shared a list of her favorite restaurants, cafes, and bakeries for us to visit which was a great way to explore the local culture and food.

Finding the Right House Sit

If you want to use house sitting abroad, or to travel around your own country, you’ll start by registering on one of the house sitting platforms I mentioned before. But, there are a few other tips I want to share to make the most of house sitting.

1. You Need To Be Flexible And Open-Minded

The more flexible with your location and dates the more opportunities you will have.

You can’t expect to want to house sit in New York for a particular week and land a house sit during that exact time. You can set up alerts that will send you an email when a certain house becomes available but still, you need to be flexible with your time and location.

2. Understand The Responsibilities

Each house comes with a different set of duties and you need to make sure you’re comfortable with them.

Make sure you understand what the homeowner expects you to do. You need to talk about this before accepting the house sit.

They may be looking for someone who works from home and can be with their pets a majority of the time. If that doesn’t work with your schedule you should not commit to this house sit.

However, you may also find homeowners who are looking for someone who can water the plants and weed the garden twice a week and you might decide that’s more what you’re looking for.

3. Find The Right Location

It’s worth deciding if you want to explore a bustling city or relax in the countryside, be in the mountains, at the seaside, or in the suburbs.

We like to make a list of places we want to visit and then set up alerts to let us know when houses come up in any of those locations.

4. Duration Of A House Sit

You might prefer doing house sits for a week, or maybe you like being at a house sit for a few months.

Think about how long you’d like to be in one place and make that one of your criteria when searching through the available house sits.

Considerations And Challenges Of House Sitting

Finally, as much as I like using house sitting to travel, I do want to mention some of the challenges to keep in mind.

1. Unexpected Situations

In house sitting sometimes things don’t go as planned. You’ll need to be flexible and be able to solve problems on the go.

For example, you might be booked in for a three-week house sit and then just a few days before the start of your house sit the homeowner gets sick and cancels. It happens.

So now you’ll have to quickly find a different place to stay or apply for a last-minute house sit somewhere else.

And when pet sitting, things can of course happen to the pets. You might find yourself taking a dog or cat to the vet unexpectedly.

2. Homesickness

Many people who use house sitting internationally do this because they want to travel for months or even years.

When you’re traveling for extended times it can lead to homesickness.

Make sure you stay connected with friends and family. And if you’re considering house sitting full time, it might be worth planning in some trips home before your calendar fills up completely with house sits.

Using House Sitting to Travel – Final Thoughts

Yes, there are some challenges to house sitting. And finding the right house sits abroad might take you some time.

But house sitting internationally is a wonderful way to explore the world at a slower and more affordable pace . I hope you’ll give it a try!

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How to House Sit Your Way Around the World

Amy Hornsby is a freelance writer from the U.K. who writes about travel, yoga, and more. Amy has contributed to Lonely Planet, the Calvert Journal, and other publications.

House Sitting Sites

• Applying for Your First Sit

Important Things to Consider

House sitting has become increasingly popular in recent years, combining temporary accommodation, travel, and animal companionship all in one. In exchange for taking care of somebody’s house and, more often than not, pets while they are on vacation, you get to stay in their home. 

House sits can range anywhere from a few days to several months. Available worldwide, they are a fantastic way to travel to many different places; many use it as a way to slow travel, meaning you spend a lengthier time in each area and focus on more of a local experience rather than a jam-packed weekend of sightseeing. There is more to house sitting than simply free accommodation, however, and this guide can help you get started.

The best and easiest way to secure house sits is through a subscription site. There are many to choose from, depending on the location you are aiming for, your budget, and how often you want to use them. These are just a few of the most popular sites.

Trusted Housesitters

Trusted Housesitters is often at the top of the list of sites to use, although for $129 a year, it runs at one of the highest membership fees to sign up as a sitter. If you know an existing member, it’s easy enough to obtain a referral fee for a 25 percent discount, opening up a variety of available international house sits. The interface is easy to use with plenty of filters to help refine your search, the ability to build your profile, and quality support 24/7. Although international, it’s mostly useful for the U.K., Europe, and North America.

MindMyHouse

Started back in 2005, MindMyHouse was one of the very first house sitting sites. The "mom and pop" business has fewer options than others, but as membership is $20 for sitters and free for owners, it's a great option to have. The sits are mostly within Europe and the U.S., although there are more than 80 countries listed on the dropdown search. The interface is basic but easy to use, and the site remains popular within the house sitting community. 

House Sitters America

If you’re staying within the U.S., House Sitters America is arguably your best bet. The annual membership fee is $49, for which you can search nationwide with an extensive list of filter options including region and locale, house type, amenities, sit length, and type of pet. House Sitters America has been up and running for more than 12 years, and has established itself as one of the top house sitting sites for the U.S., with a huge variety of available sits.

Running on the higher end of membership fees at $89 per year, Nomador comes with the added benefit of a free trial that’s good for up to three applications. Originating in France for European house sits, it now operates globally with a focus on Europe and the Americas. 

Kiwi House Sitters, Aussie House Sitters

If you’re heading to New Zealand or Australia, these house sitting sites are recognized as some of the top in their respective countries. Members of House Sitters America will find the exact same layout and search functions on these two associated sites, which provide multiple filter options and a large choice of sits in all areas of each country.

Applying for Your First Sit 

Once you’ve signed up, it’s important to spend time on your profile. Add plenty of photos that represent who you are, and because you will likely be taking care of pets, include as many as you can of you with animals. Then, fill out the rest of your profile fully, verifying your ID through the site, and adding a description about who you are and why you want to house sit. If you have prior experience taking care of pets or houses, get a reference and add it to your profile.

Before applying for a sit, read through the details completely, making sure that you fit the requirements, which may include gardening, taking care of multiple pets, and sometimes having a car. Craft your message to the homeowner and show that you’ve read their post; ask questions, point out a common interest, outline any relevant experience you have, and mention where you are currently located. 

If the homeowner is interested, the next step is to organize a video chat, or at the very least a phone call. Housesitting is a two-way system, so it’s important that you both get a good vibe when you talk to each other. Think of this as an interview, for them and for you, and ask all the questions you have about the home, pets, your responsibilities, and the area. Trust your instincts: If there are red flags or you get an uneasy feeling during the call, don't be afraid to pass on an offer.

It’s not free accommodation: If you’re looking for a way to get free digs while you travel, this isn’t it. House sitting is an exchange and you are selected as a responsible person to take care of someone’s house and pets. This means keeping the house secure and clean, taking in mail, and treating it as you would your own place.

You must love animals: While you can find house sits that come without pets, for the most part, people are looking for someone to take care of their beloved animals. This can mean taking dogs out for daily walks, administering medicine for an elderly cat, or cleaning up bird poop—being an animal lover is paramount.

Communication is key: Stay in contact with the homeowner, even after you’ve secured the sit. Keep an open line of communication where you and the homeowners can stay up to date, share photos of the animals, and ask any questions—especially for longer sits. Be honest about anything within the house that has broken or gone wrong so that there are no surprises when they return.

Not all house sits are alike: There are many variables within house sitting—not only with the type of house and pet you may be taking care of, but what the owners are flexible on. Some welcome couples, families, and people traveling with their own pets. Others even offer payments, which is more likely to happen when you're looking after multiple pets or a garden that requires meticulous care.

Be adaptable: Be prepared for anything, whether it’s a cancellation, a change in dates, or a pandemic! Always have a backup plan and maintain communication with the homeowners so that if things change, you can talk things through.

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7 tips for picking the perfect airplane seat every time

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

Whether you're a window fan or prefer the aisle , your airplane seat can make or break your flying experience. While we'd all prefer to jet around in business or first class every time we travel, picking the perfect seat when you're booked in economy is even more important -- especially if you don't want to end up stuck in the dreaded middle seat . Here's what you should do to make sure you get to sit exactly where you want when flying.

Related: The 7 best starter credit cards

1. Decide where you want to sit

Deciding where you want to sit isn't always an exact science. For example, you could be a diehard window seat person, or maybe you really only like to have the window on red-eye flights when you prefer to sleep and otherwise prefer the aisle. If you're flying a route you know has turbulence, maybe you'd prefer to sit over the wing. Or, if you have a short layover, you may want to sit closer to the front to deplane first. And if you're traveling with a group, you'll have to consider not only your needs but also the preferences of your family members or friends, too.

Richard Kerr , TPG's Loyalty and Engagement Editor, prefers a seat in the back when flying with his family . That way, his family of four (including young children) are close to the lavatories and flight attendants. And, if the kids happen to have a meltdown, they're less likely to bother other passengers way in the back.

Travelers with babies may want to sit in the bulkhead where bassinets are available.

Personally, I'm always an aisle person, especially since I frequently travel alone. I'm restless and like to stand up and walk around -- even more so on long-haul flights.

Whatever your preferences are, decide where your dream seat is for your particular flight. Take into account the aircraft type, route, class of travel, the time and length of flight, travel companions and any other personal factors that could affect your seat choice.

2. Use SeatGuru

SeatGuru allows you to view the seat map for your aircraft and read reviews for the seats. Once you enter your airline, date of flight and flight number, a color-coded map of your aircraft will appear.

The colors indicate which seats have mixed, good or bad reviews. You'll also find other important factors that could impact your experience in that particular seat, like extra or reduced legroom or recline; exit row seating; proximity to galleys; and more. You can also determine the seat's pitch or width and if there are inflight entertainment screens and outlets to charge your electronic devices. The seat map shows the location of the lavatories, galleys and windows -- and allows travelers to upload photos of their seats.

Using SeatGuru can help you determine exactly where on the plane you'd like to sit in order to be near (or far from) a lavatory, if that exit row is worth paying extra for, or to keep you from selecting a seat without a window or with limited recline. We're hoping that somehow, in the future, it can tell us where babies are seated too, like the JAL seat-selection map .

3. Leverage status or credit cards for free seat selection

Once you've decided on your personal preference and checked out SeatGuru to get an idea of what you have to work with, see if you can select your seat for free. Take inventory of what elite status you have and see if any of your cobranded airline credit cards offer priority boarding, which can help you access unassigned seating faster.

For example, American Airline's policy for elite members states that elite members (and up to eight traveling companions ) can select complimentary Main Cabin Extra or Preferred seats for free. This policy doesn't apply to Gold members, who get access to these seats at check-in.

Seating on Southwest isn't assigned, but elite members get first dibs via priority boarding. And being a Southwest credit cardholder could also earn you the right to select your seat ahead of everyone else. Having the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card gives you four priority boardings a year, meaning you can board with the A group to get first pick of seats.

Related: How to score the best seats when flying Southwest Airlines

4. Decide if you should pay for your seat

Some airlines allow you to choose a seat for free, while others require a fee. Start by managing your booking online. The airline should specify if seat selection is free and which seats are still available. If seats aren't free, fees should be listed and may vary depending on the seat.

Seat selection fees can run from just $2 per seat on short-haul flights with low-cost European carriers such as Ryanair, to over $100 for preferred or premium seats on international routes with major carriers like American.

Keep in mind that seating on many partner airlines or international routes may vary regardless of your elite status. If you aren't able to select a seat online or are seeing a very hefty fee, it never hurts to call and ask.

Consider the following when deciding whether or not to pay for your seat:

• How much is it?
• Can I afford it?
• How upset will I be if assigned a middle seat?
• How badly do I want to sit next to my travel companion?
• Will I need to frequently stand up during the flight?
• Do I require a bassinet?
• Am I traveling with kids?
• Do I need an exit row, bulkhead or extra space due to my height or another circumstance?
• How long is my flight?
• Is this an overnight or red-eye flight during which I'll need to sleep?
• Will I be working during the flight and need space for my laptop?
• Will having my preferred seat help me relax?

Depending on the answers to your questions and the price quoted to pick your specific seat, you may choose to pay extra for your preferred seat. It's always worth phoning ahead to find out what the airline representatives can do for you, especially if you have any extenuating circumstances. They may consider your personal situation (think: a broken ankle, traveling with an elderly family member, large family or baby, pregnancy) and assign you a seat free of charge — or for less than it's quoted online.

5. Be friendly at check-in

If you've decided not to pay extra to reserve a seat or you've simply forgotten to do so online, being friendly to the check-in agent may help. If you approach the agent with a smile and kindly make your request, it may just be granted.

6. Book with an airline that blocks middle seats

Let's face it: Most of us are looking to book either aisle or window seats. A great way to ensure the likelihood of this happening is to book with an airline that is blocking middle seats . This has become a common practice among domestic carriers since the pandemic. At the very least, it narrows your chances of having a truly terrible seat (i.e. one in the middle).

7. If all else fails, ask on the plane

If all other attempts have failed and you can't manage to sit next to your travel companions or get the seat you want, it's always worth asking other passengers or the flight attendants if a swap is possible. While few people will give up their window seat for your lowly middle seat, there may be other circumstances where passengers may not mind swapping with you, especially if the flight isn't full. Remember: the nicer you are, the better your chances are of getting what you want.

And on the other side of things, if you've spent hours researching and selecting your perfect plane seat, and maybe spent 46 minutes waiting to speak to a representative to get your seat swapped, and another passenger asks you to move, you can always politely decline.

Feature photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images.

Additional reporting by Ariana Arghandewal

Jetsetting Fools

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International House Sitting: How To House and Pet Sit Worldwide

Welcome to JetSetting Fools, here you will find our best travel tips for destinations worldwide. Some of the links on this site are Affiliate Links and if you use them to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. For more information, read our Disclosure Policy .

International House Sitting changed the way we travel – in an extremely positive and substantial way! By becoming international house sitters, we eliminate the expense of accommodations while experiencing some of the world’s best destinations!

We became pet and home sitters in 2015 – and we have heaps of advice on house sitting international. We have taken care of houses – and pets! – in more than 20 destinations around the world…from Sydney to  Singapore and Phuket to Paris .

That said, being home sitters comes with a huge responsibility. It is certainly not for everyone…but it might be for you! Before we get ahead of ourselves and jump to our steps for how to become house sitters internationally, let’s talk for a minute about what it means to be pet & house sitters.

What is International House Sitting?

Housesitting is when a person (or couple or even a family) stays in someone else’s home when the owner is away. Housesitters are tasked with general care of the home (like cleaning, bringing in the mail and watering the plants) – and, more often than not, the housesitter looks after the owner’s pets, too.

In most cases, house and pet sitting abroad works as a trade. Sitters offer free housesitting services in exchange for staying in the home rent-free. There are however, paid house sitting jobs, but for the purpose of this article – we are talking about exchanges.

Housesitting Internationally just means that people are caring for other people’s houses and pets outside of their home country. Anyone can become an international house sitter – from vacationers to digital nomads to retirees to long-term travelers.

Based on our positive experiences, we are revealing top tips for how to house sit abroad…but first, let’s chat about the Pros and Cons of international pet sitting jobs.

Benefits of International Pet Sitting and House Sitting

There are many benefits to house sitting overseas. We are highlighting a few of the top reasons why house watching and pet sitting in other countries is advantageous. 

Free Place to Stay for Traveling Pet Sitter Jobs

The cost of accommodations – especially in big cities – can account for a big part of any travel budget. Therefore, one of the benefits of becoming international house sitters is that you get to travel the world – and live in someone’s house for free! 

For example, if you agree to an assignment for pet sitting in Europe for a week – let’s say in Amsterdam – then rather than shelling out $200 a night for a hotel (which for 7 nights is a hefty $1400), you stay with the pets in the owner’s home for zero cost. 

Free accommodations is the most obvious benefit of taking on international and Europe house sitting jobs. That said, it is just one of the many advantages of house sitting abroad.

Meeting People While Being House Watchers

One of the things we like best about international housesitting is that we get to meet people from around the world. In fact, many of the homeowners we have housesat for have become our friends. We have stayed in touch long after the house sits are complete – and we now have an extended network of friends that spans the globe.

Furthermore, home owners often provide sitters with insider tips – like their favorite café or a local event – that travelers would not otherwise seek out. Some owners take extra steps to introduce sitters to next door neighbors and their close friends or family, helping traveling sitters establish local connections that are priceless. 

For us, the personal connections and local recommendations are some of the best things about travel pet sitting. 

Live Local on Long Term House Sitting Jobs

Another reason to take international house sitter jobs is to experience a foreign place as a local. Living in a home – and taking care of a pet – can give travelers a sense of stability and community. While this might not be a benefit for vacationers pet sitting overseas, it is fantastic for digital nomads and long term travelers. 

When you take jobs house sitting, the houses are often located outside the touristic city center (sometimes even in quaint villages and remote locations) where travelers can truly immerse themselves in the local culture.

Rather than tackling the top sights with a checklist in hand, international pet sitters can get to know somewhere by walking a dog through different districts or meeting the neighbors for a coffee at a corner café.

Responsibilities as International House Sitters

While there are numerous benefits to house and pet sitting international, there are also many responsibilities that come with a pet sitting house exchange. Owners typically welcome housesitters into their home for a couple of reasons: To look after pets and to care for the house – both of which are significant obligations for the housesitter.

Caring for Pets during House Sitter Jobs

While many travelers are excited at the prospect of obtaining free accommodations, international dog sitting and cat watching is a big responsibility. 

House pet sitters are expected to step in and take care of the animals just as the owner would. This means adhering to the pets’ normal exercise routines, feeding schedules and pet interaction that the owner outlines.

For example, some pets can only be left alone for a limited number of hours or need to be walked multiple times a day. Pet care is a priority – and it can have an effect on sightseeing and exploration.

Additionally, sitters need to be willing (and prepared) to get care for the pet if they get injured or sick. This means having a plan – and flexibility – if you need to make a trip to the vet.

Keeping Up with the Home on House Sit Jobs

While most homeowners only expect basic home care, the responsibility of management and maintenance will fall on the sitter during their stay. If something breaks or goes awry during the housesit – like a plumbing issue – the sitter will need to be able to communicate the issues and be on hand to help resolve them.

And, unlike staying in hotels or an Airbnb apartment while on vacation, sitters need to thoroughly clean the house (or spaces used) for the owner’s return.

How We Became International Pet Sitters

When we initially started traveling full time in 2014, house and pet sitting was not part of our plan. I have never been a pet owner and it had been years since Kris had pets. However, we heard of other digital nomads who were house sitting in Europe – and we were fascinated by their stories. We finally came around to the idea of – and now we can’t imagine our travels without housesitting.

To be honest however, after we decided to try international house sitting, it took a while to get our first housesit. The house sitting website we use is a platform that connects homeowners and sitters – but they don’t actually make the assignments. It is up to us to get in touch with homeowners who were searching for housesitters – and make a good impression so that they would choose us over other applicants. International house sitting jobs have become very competitive in recent years.

London Housesitting

After applying for numerous international house sitting opportunities, we landed our first house sit in London . We had spent time in London before, so our visit was 100-percent about Woody – the adorable dog that was in our care. We had two weeks in the London housesit – and our focused attention paid off, because the owners gave us a glowing review (which is oh-so-important  for future jobs house sitting!).

Housesitting in Australia

We accepted our second housesit in Melbourne, Australia shortly after our London gig ended ( thanks to that rave review !). The 7-week stint with a spirited Jack Russell named Tess was perfect for us – as we were able to spend time both working and exploring Melbourne – plus we got to really know the neighborhood and the neighbors (some of who we are still in contact with!).

Another House Sit in Europe

After our successful long-term housesit with Tess, we were on the hunt for more long house sit jobs. We eventually took on an even longer two-and-a-half-month housesit in the Nijmegen, Netherlands with a wonderful dog, Berus. It was our first time house sitting in Europe over the holidays – and we absolutely loved it!

Read more about Housesitting for the Holidays !

Travel as an International House Sitter

After our third time housesitting abroad – and our third shining review – we found it was much easier to get subsequent housesitting jobs.

We have been housesitters on five continents in more than a dozen countries. In fact, we have been fortunate to be housesitters in some of the world’s most famous cities – like Singapore , Dublin , New York City , Amsterdam , Lisbon and Tokyo . And, while we still use a housesitting website to find new opportunities, we have been invited back to housesit by previous homeowners, as well.

How To House Sit Around The World

If we have piqued your curiosity on how to become a house sitter and see the world, use our following tips to find house sitting jobs worldwide!

Step 1: Decide Which House Sitting Websites To Use

If you have decided that you want to sit houses, the first step to becoming an international house and pet sitter is to join a house sitting network. The house sitter website we use is Trusted Housesitters . It is the house sitting site that offers the biggest inventory of international housesits, plus it is incredibly easy to use.

The house sitting service is membership-based; you pay an annual fee and can use the site as much as you want to find jobs for housesitting. Compared to other international house sitting sites (that are not as robust), the fee is a bit high (but is still less than the nightly cost of a hotel room in London – so we think it is well worth it!). 

BONUS: Save 25% of the membership fee when you use this link ! 

Like most house sitting sites, Trusted Housesitting is simply a platform to connect homeowners and sitters. The homeowners post a pet sitting opportunity – including dates, location, pets and other responsibilities – and housesitters choose which housesits to apply for based on their timeframe and interests.

The Trusted Housesitters platform is designed as an exchange of services; the housesitter jobs are not paid employment. 

Other International House Sitting Websites for Traveling Pet Sitting Jobs

While Trusted Housesitters is the only site we use to find housesitting jobs, it is not the only international house sitting website. When choosing between the different house sitting platforms, it is important to consider where you would like to housesit – as some platforms are more popular in certain countries or regions. We like to search for opportunities worldwide, so Trusted Housesitters works best for our needs.

That said, we are featuring a few of the other highly rated house sitter websites. 

Nomador Housesitting for House Sitting Jobs Europe and Global

While Nomador is a worldwide house sitting website, the site seems to have a more specific focus for housesitting in France and Europe. 

House Carers to Pet Sit Abroad Worldwide

At one time we found that House Carers had more of a focus on New Zealand and Australia house sits – but they now have a global presence with opportunities for house sitting Europe, USA and…everywhere! 

Rover for House Sitting Travel in US, Canada and Europe

Rover is different in that it is a petsitting website that offers paid jobs for house sitters from the local community (mostly in the US and Canada, but now in the UK and Europe, too).

Step 2: Create Your Profile

A solid profile is essential to getting house sitting jobs internationally. Like a resume, we thoroughly completed sections of the form detailing who we are, why we want to housesit and what experience we have.

Because we were new to the platform (and, therefore, did not have any reviews), we asked for recommendations from everyone we could think of – friends, old roommates, bosses, landlords – to vouch for our competence and bolster our profile. Basically, we needed people to attest to the fact that we are responsible individuals who owners could entrust with the care of their pets and home. On Trusted Housesitters, there is now even the option to link your Airbnb or LinkedIn profiles.

In addition to the 10 external references, we also opted to obtain a criminal background check (at an extra fee) – just to give the homeowners peace of mind that we are upstanding citizens.

Step 3: Search For Housesits

Once your profile is complete, start searching for international house sits!

Actually, with Trusted Housesitters , you can search for housesits before signing up – but you will not be able to contact the owners until you become a member.

On Trusted Housesitters, any homeowner in the system looking for a house sitter can post a housesitting opportunity, but you can use filters to help narrow down your search. You can enter a location (city, country or continent) where you want to housesit – or use the map feature.

Other filters housesitters can use to pare down the results are Dates, Length of Housesit, as well as Pet and Home Types.

Click on any of the housesitting opportunities to expand the listing and find out more about the housesit. Owners can provide as much (or as little) information as they want, but generally, they will provide an introduction, location and home information, the responsibilities and a list of pets.

Previous sitter feedback will also be visible, which can be helpful in determining what that housesitting experience might be like. 

Step 4: Apply For Housesits

If you find a housesit that you want to apply for, the application process is fairly easy. Simply click the Apply Now button and send a personalized note to the homeowner.

Housesits in popular cities – like New York City , London and Paris – can get dozens of applications within the first hour after posting. Therefore, it is important to set yourself apart from other applicants in your letter (especially if you don’t have any reviews!). We curate and often update our application and profile – and also add in a few key details to personalize each submission.

For the most sought after housesits, being timely is also critical – so we recommend checking the Trusted Housesitters website frequently.

Step 5: Be Patient…and Keep Applying

Getting your first housesit is typically the most difficult – at least it was for us! Once we had our first housesit and a positive review, the next ones came easier. We have more than 20 5-star reviews now, which helps significantly when applying for new housesits. If you get passed by on your first few applications, keep searching…and applying.

Pro Tip : A great way to get a first review is by housesitting in your own city or region. Because Trusted Housesitters is international, there may be nearby short-term housesits in your own neighborhood. Housesitting closer to home for your first housesit is not only be beneficial to gaining a first review, but it can help ease you into the role of housesitter so you will be ready to go international!

More Home Sitting Considerations

In addition to our outlined steps for getting a job housesitting and the pros and cons of being a house sitter that we outlined above, there are a few more considerations that should be contemplated before accepting house sitting jobs overseas.

House Sitting: No Pets or Pets

Many people seek out opportunities for house sitting without pets, which is possible – we have done it! In our case, the homeowner was weary of leaving the house unattended over Christmas (as pipes had broken during their previous winter trip) and they wanted their house ‘lived in’ so it wasn’t a target for thieves.

That said, it has been our experience that very few homeowners are looking for home sitting services if there are no pets involved…but it never hurts to look! (On the Trusted Housesitters website, there is a filter for No Pets to help sitters seek out those specific opportunities.)

The Cost of Free House Sitting

While sitters can get free accommodations when pet sitting worldwide, the other costs of travel should be considered. If, let’s say, you live in the United States and want a Sydney, Australia housesitting gig, you would need to factor in the cost of the flight, local transportation and, perhaps, lodging costs (if you need to arrive a day early, which we highly recommend). The cost of visas is also something to keep in mind.

In some rare cases, homeowners may request that sitters pay for certain utilities. This, of course, should be discussed and agreed to in advance – but it is another cost to be considered.

Length of Stay for House Sitting Jobs Abroad

House sitting holidays range from a single night to several months. Both long and short stays have pros and cons. While two nights of luxury housesitting in a central London flat with one cat is appealing, the cost of getting there from abroad may not be worth the effort.

On the other hand, agreeing to a long term housesit of a couple months can impede other travel plans that might pop up during the sit. Before applying for long term housesits abroad, make sure to do some prior research and check entry requirements, too!

Read more about why we love Long Term Housesitting !

Sightseeing Limitations While House Minding & Pet Sitting

We have already touched on this under Responsibilities, but we feel it needs to be emphasized. When you offer house sitting services in exchange for a free place to stay while traveling, the house and pets take precedence over sightseeing adventures. That is not to say that you won’t be able to enjoy and discover the destination where you are housesitting, only that your house and pet responsibilities need to be top of mind. 

We think of housesitting as a job…and a pretty cool one, at that! In our experience, settling into a new home and being a pet sitter is extremely rewarding – and it might be for you, too!

Housesitting is not our only resource for accommodations…we use Airbnb, too! Read our Top Tips for Airbnb Guests here !

Start planning your next International Trip ! Search for the lowest airfares , the best accommodations and fun things to do …then start packing !   Want more travel planning tips? Head over to our Travel Planning page for more information and tips on traveling – and for country-specific information, take a look at our Travel Guides page !

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The Ultimate Guide To House Sitting Abroad

If you’re an adventurous sort you might be interested in taking up temporary residence in a foreign country. Have you considered house sitting abroad?

The opportunity to live like a local in a small Nicaraguan community or in remote British Colombia might at first sound appealing but once you begin to consider the logistics the thought may become a little overwhelming.

In 2011 I joined TrustedHousesitters, created a profile and began applying for my first house sitting stay . Unfamiliar with the concept I was a little unsure how to approach the task of responding to home owners who had shown interest in my profile.

A week after I sent my first application I received a reply from a family in Costa Rica. They were visiting relatives in the USA and required house and pet care for a period of six weeks.

I pay annual membership to TrustedHousesitters and have used their platform to secure sits in amazing destinations like New York, Las Vegas, Sydney, Barbados, and St Kitts & Nevis.

If you choose to purchase membership through a link in this article a percentage of your payment will go to me. Thank you in advance for your support in helping to keep my blog online!

House sitting abroad – foreign house sitting stays

Now Costa Rica was somewhere I’d come across during my school geography lessons, this I was sure. However I was having a hard time racking my brain for any further snippets of information about the country.

The inhabitants spoke Spanish, I did not. They experienced two seasons, I was used to four. The country was in sunny Central America, I was in cold and rainy England. Unfortunately my knowledge dwindled into speculative musings at this point and my internal panic alarm went off.

Accepting the assignment I booked a flight and threw myself in head first. Since then I’ve looked after over 30 homes in 11 different countries and have collated my own check list that I consult before accepting any opportunity. As such I feel I’m now relatively qualified to share my experience and hope this provides a useful tool to consult as you plan your own house sitting adventures.

Visa requirements and considerations for foreign house sits

If you’re going to be living in a foreign country your first consideration should be whether or not you will require a visa for your stay. Do not assume that your tourist visa will cover you for the duration of the sit.

Jump online and find out from your embassy exactly what your options are. Most countries automatically provide a tourist visa to foreign visitors however the length of stay varies dramatically. Find out exactly how many days you’re allowed to remain in the country on the tourist visa and do not push the limit and extend your stay without authorisation or you could be faced with a hefty fine and have your re-entry to the country restricted.

Consider how you will get the visa. Will it be granted on arrival or will you need to apply before your departure?

Decide if you will need to work during the assignment to fund your stay. If so be aware that you will need to apply for the relevant employment visa. Make the homeowner aware of your intention to work. It may be that they require someone to be at the property 24/7, if so this may not be a suitable sit for you.

Transport and pre-sit considerations

Find out what transport options will be available to you during the sit. Some homeowners leave a vehicle for your use whereas others will expect you to provide your own or utilise public transport.

Investigate the local area. Find out how close you are to the amenities you require and whether you can get yourself around with ease. A remote house sit may sound appealing on paper but if you have to travel three hours by bus to do grocery shopping you may decide it isn’t the opportunity for you.

Join TrustedHousesitters and enjoy house sitting abroad next time you travel!

Financial commitments when house sitting abroad

• Consider the logistics involved with travelling to and from the sit. Factor in your airfare as well as ground transport once you land. Consider public transport, vehicle hire and any additional layover accommodation costs .

READ MORE HOUSE SITTING GUIDES FROM WANDERLUSTERS

• Protect yourself. NEVER TRANSFER MONEY TO A HOME OWNER AS A DOWN PAYMENT on utilities or to secure the sit. If asked express your concern and ask to pay in full once you arrive at the property.

Personal safety when house sitting

• Take the time to research the local area, just because the homeowner chooses to live there doesn’t mean you would . Keep up to date with local news and find out the weather patterns for the duration of the assignment.

Chat with the homeowner before you accept their sit

• This is a vital tool for any house sitter. Without the ability to communicate with the outside world you can find yourself in a pickle. Find out what telephone and internet package you will have access to. It is vital that you can contact the relevant assistance should an emergency occur .

Understand the homeowner’s requirements

• Generally all the requirements of the sit are detailed on the homeowner’s advert however I like to confirm exactly what my responsibilities will entail before accepting a position. I feel it is vitally important to spend as much time as you can conversing with the homeowner before committing to house sit .

Consider the location

While I have left it until now to mention this I know that for most of us location is the driving force behind our decision to house sit. We want to experience areas of the world that interest us and quench our thirst for wanderlust.

Whether it is as an affordable accommodation option when staying near family, a relaxing break from a 9 to 5, an escape to the city or an opportunity to spend time in that particular country, there is a reason you apply for some house sits and not others. Don’t forget this initial consideration.

The thought of a beach house on a remote tropical island can make even the most logical of us weak at the knees however make sure that any opportunities you are offered suit your schedule and requirements .

Discuss all contractual agreements before you commit

A number of homeowners have asked me to sign a short contract on arriving to house sit. In short, it can detail whatever is required of you as a house sitter by the homeowner. Ensure that you read and understand anything you are asked to sign fully and only do so if you agree to all the terms laid out in the agreement.

Don’t be afraid to ask for additional terms to be added to cover the ‘what ifs’ or extreme scenarios of any responsibilities you have been given.

Spend time researching the local area

A small amount of time spent typing your destination into a search engine can save you the irritation of being stuck somewhere that you don’t enjoy.

House sitting is an opportunity to explore far from the well-trodden tourist trail, it provides the opportunity to experience life living as a local, take advantage of this and apply for assignments accordingly.

Travelling and living abroad can be a daunting prospect for some, yet with a little research and the patience to ensure you find out as much information as possible the experience can enrich your life.

Had you have told me two years ago that I would have learnt the basics of Macadamia farming and alpaca herding, lived in the tropical Costa Rican jungle and the icy cold winter of British Colombia all as a result of house sitting I’m not sure I would have believed you.

But here I am six years assignments later, a seasoned sitter sharing my own house sitting tips and advice. I can highly recommend joining TrustedHousesitters and starting your own house and pet sitting adventures. If you have any questions not covered in my post feel free to leave a comment or get in touch via my contact page .

INSPIRED? PIN THIS TO YOUR TRAVEL PINTEREST BOARDS!

Have you ever taken on a foreign house sitting assignment? Perhaps you’re dreaming of a desert island house sit! Share your comments with me below.

Great info. We are planning to do some house-sitting in South America. You are so right, we need to set up the exact time of our travel in the first place and then start looking around. I’ll check out the website and get registered. Thanks a lot!

House sitting in South America sounds like great fun. It’s on our list and we are always tempted to apply for assignments that pop up over there. You’ll have to let us know how you get on!

Very interesting post Charli. Are there any websites you recommend better than others? In your experience, is house sitting more work than free time or the other way around?

Hi Federico, thanks for your comment. There are quite a number of websites however we have had the most success with trustedhousesitters.com – If you’re looking for well cared for homes on and off the tourist trail then THS have a superb portfolio and offer one of the most user friendly interfaces with which to connect to home owners.

I would suggest doing some research into the areas you want to house sit, there are also websites that offer more specific assignments. ie farm stays, tourism property management etc more of a business exchange.

House sitting has provided us with some fantastic opportunities and we can’t imagine travelling any other way!

House-sitting abroad would be wonderful! Thanks for sharing.

Hi We are on the same page. Love your easy to understand information.Have been looking into this for a while now. Its the visas that is going to be the hardest to organise and getting on going sits as airfares from Australia are steep!! Thanx for such a great blog cheers from Tasmania 🙂

My wife and I are currently house sitting around Australia and looking to go internationally in 2015. THank you for the great advice.

John http://www.housesittingtravels.com

Thanks for the tips!

Great article, we thoroughly agree. We have been housesitting around the globe during the last two years. It is a great way to get a in-depth feel for a new place.

We are fans of slow travel and this is the best way to explore the globe in search of your perfect abode.

Thanks for your insights on creating a house sitting profile. We think it is a good idea to set up a small informational blog to direct potential homeowners. This way we are able to provide more photos and informational and a video. This can easily be done these days on sites such as wordpress.com and blogger and it can be done for free.

Costa Rica is actually one I’ve been hearing a lot about for house sits… from what I’ve seen posted online there is more sits than sitters which is great for me as it’s somewhere I’m looking at going.

Your advice is sound, I think I’ll check back here when I have my first house sit offers to make sure I can cross off a few of these things and make sure I’ve covered the important stuff.

How do we get started? Did you go through an agency? Do you get paid most of the time? My husband and I recently retired and would love to do this. We’re wanderer at heart but have worked hard and raised 4 children. Time to wander. Can you direct us? Donna

Hi Donna, there are a number of house sitting platforms online that connect home owners with people like you and I who are willing to house sit. We recommend joining Trustedhousesitters.com because they have the largest portfolio of assignments all over the world. Google search house sitting and the destinations you want to visit and see which sites offer assignments there. Best of luck!

would love to hear more of your stories, we are thinking of doing this in the future when we retire

We’re currently half way through our 26th house sitting assignment and have so many memorable moments from the last 4 years of sits! I hope you have an enjoyable time when you start house sitting yourself! It has totally transformed our experience of travel!

Someone tell me how to get started. We just retired and would love to get started. Please help. Thank you. Donna

Hi Donna, great to hear that you’re keen to give house sitting a try! Take a look at these two posts. I’ve collated some great info regarding the basics of house sitting, and how to go about joining an online platform and how to create an engaging house sitter profile. Wishing you the very best of luck!

https://wanderlusters.com/how-to-create-a-successful-house-sitter-profile/

https://wanderlusters.com/successful-house-sitting-application/

I would like to join the “free housesitting” so that I can travel to another country to do housesitting or petsitting.

So interesting! I might try this in the US for a little bit before going abroad (we plan to study abroad in Germany next year). My main concern is what house sitters can expect in regards to protection for cancelled house sits. I’d be devastated to book a flight somewhere only to have the home owner cancel on me, and then be left scurrying to find last-minute accommodation at an exorbitant rate. Is that just the risk that comes with house sitting?

We’ve secured almost 30 assignments to date and we have had 2 home owners who have had to cancel for reasons beyond their control. I don’t think its something that should stop you from accepting an assignment however. We have had some fantastic adventures when our plans have changed last minute, and have found that the home owners have been very keen to help us rework our plans. I wish you all the best n your search for sits in the USA this summer! What a great way to see your home country and get some valuable references for when you’re applying to house sit abroad!

As my youngest finishes high school, I’m looking for something for me, some way to travel the world, see new places, meet new people and cultures. Would really enjoy guidance.

Hi Shannon, thanks for leaving a comment. House sitting would certainly be a great option for you. As you find the freedom to travel house sitting can take you to off the beaten path places and reduce the cost of your adventures! Take a look at my guide to setting up a house sitter profile for more information.

Wishing you all the very best!

Very interested in learning more about this opportunity. My wife and I live in the states and are nearing retirement. We are physical fit and in good health. Question: What is the best accredited institute to receive a certificate for home sitting? I want one that will give merit to our portfolio since we would starting out with no past experience. Any help. Thanks, John

Hi John, thank you for your comment, great to hear that you’re considering having your house sitting adventure.

To be honest I do not think anyone need worry about being an accredited house sitter, there is no course or training you need spend money on before applying to house sit for a home owner.

House sitting involves being respectful of others’ property, following instructions to the letter, and using common sense. If you are a contentious and respectful person who understands that by house sitting you are agreeing to step into someone else’s shoes and live as they do whilst they are away from home, then you are more than qualified.

If you are keen to gain some experience I would suggest asking friends and family to task you with the responsibility of their property and/or pets for a day or two. This will give you a feel for house sitting and allow you to provide a reference when first applying for a house sit.

Have you registered with a house sitting platform and created a profile? I highly recommend TrustedHousesitters.com, they have lots of great information for first time sitters 🙂

Very helpful, thank you.

I am a single Mom with a 2-year-old and we are looking at housesitting, as a way to travel. Do you know if having a child will be a problem with securing assignments?

Hi there, each assignment is unique and each home owner will list a different set of requirements. Don’t be put off, just make sure you consider any factors that would affect your position when applying for house sits ie. you probably wouldn’t want to be caring for a menagerie of animals, animals that do not like children, or homes unsuitable for little ones.

Hi there, I am also a single mom looking to travel. Have you made any plans yet? 🙂

I need to convince my husband to do this…leave his full time job, sell our house and home school our two girls 9 & 6 years old. Thoughts to talk to him about??? I am serious. WE need to check out of the rat race!!!!

Thanks for stopping by! I think taking the plunge and becoming full time nomads is an exciting thought, but it definitely has to work for you all. I can yarn on for hours about the incredible education travel has provided me, but I had already completed my schooling when I gave up the reality I knew and pursued a life of adventure. I would suggest reaching out to travelling families like the Benders – travelwithbender.com or the Makepeace family – ytravelblog.com with questions regarding home schooling and travelling with children – all I can say is that full time travel has enriched my life far more than I could ever have imagined!

Very interesting article and informative. I’m thinking of starting out in the United States.

Planning on doing some house sitting in the future as we scale down our working lives.

Not easy to get started as a beginner with so much competition. I wish the websites would offer a free membership until you get your first assignment!

Would appreciate good info….thanks. I’m a retired Landscape Architect and Environmental Planner.

If house/pet sitting is the only type of work I plan to do while abroad is it necessary to have a work visa for the country I’m house/pet sitting in? Planning a trip to the UK and would like to house sit, but not sure if I have to have a work visa to do this. Thanks.

Howdo I get a such housesitting job it seems difficult to get started If there is one thousand housesitters on one house care employer then why would one pay a fee when the chance of getting one is so small

Great checklist Charli! I am leaving for the first of 6 house/pet sitting assignments over the coming months. I’ll get to spend most months in warm weather areas, but in October and November I’ll be in the UK. My research (and knowledge) tells me to expect cooler/wetter weather, so I’m prepared to swap out my warm travel luggage for my winter travel luggage.

I’ve compiled a few options for services that transports luggage to wherever you are, but do you recommend any other options for dealing with the challenges of toting around or having appropriate weather clothing stored or transferred to where you are staying?

I plan to have a small luggage left behind here in my “home city” of Vancouver, then when it gets closer to my first date to be in the UK, I would have it sent there to my first house sit and have my warmer clothes sent back until I hit the warmer climates again in my itinerary.

Any tips for traversing between world climates and the challenges of lugging all those clothes around?

Ed Digital Nomad/Newbie Housesitting World Traveler (I work in my digital agency as a strategist and in business development, anywhere I can setup my laptop and have internet connectivity!)

What you’ve outlined sound like a great idea Ed. I wasn’t in a position to have luggaged shipped ahead of me when travelling between climates so I found that I’d literally just ditch and/or switch my wardrobe. I would utilise sites like Ebay and Gumtree to buy second hand clothes on the cheap if I was dipping into a new climate for a short time, or ditch my cold weather gear and buy new warm weather gear to refill my suitcase with! I think it depends how frequently you are switching climates another option would be to travel with a half-and-half suitcase of cold and warm gear! It means being very frugal but with multi-way wear items this can work well.

I recently checked a solo trip to Australia off my bucket list. The combination of an insanely cheap RT fare between Chicago and Sydney and a very favorable exchange rate was very beneficial to my budget, but I really wish I’d considered also housesitting on the trip! I’d like to try it for future trips, and I was wondering whether it took much effort to get your first housesitting gig after joining TrustedHousesitters. Given that it costs $120 to join, I’m just a bit concerned about how easy it is to actually land something and establish yourself. Thanks for the help!

Thank you for your comment! Sounds like you managed to bag a great deal on airfares over to AUS. I wish it was more affordable to travel there from the UK!

In response to your question regarding TrustedHousesitters, I have to say that when I joined the platform was less than a year old and so due to the fact that there were less sitters registered I found that I secured a sit very quickly.

I have noticed that in recent years it is now more challenging to secure sits in the more popular destinations, however if you can be flexible on your choice of location and dates this is a big advantage. I think creating a really stand-out profile and getting verified helps a lot. As well as actively applying for sits in a range of places, and really tailoring each application.

Hope that’s helpful! Best of luck.

Hi there! I am very interested in this type of lifestyle. But have absolutely noo idea how to get started. I am a single, college grad who has student loans to pay off. I am a people person and very much enjoy traveling! I have worked in a variety of locations doing a variety of jobs and house sat in the USA several times this year. I am interested in positions where I am able to use their vehicles during my stay as well make money that covers my travel costs to the home (flights, taxi’s visa’s), as well as pays me an income outside of home mantenance so that I would be able to travel while there as well as make payments on student loans and build my savings. Could you please contact me about the best way to get started on a lifestyle like yours 🙂 thanks so much.

Charli, I was wondering whether or not being located overseas, i.e. not in the same country as the housesit, has every hindered your application? I am looking at a few housesitting opportunities in San Francisco over the Christmas period, but, living in Australia, I am not sure if my application will really get a look-in. Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks for your comment, I’m thrilled to heat that you’re considering house sitting as a way to travel. In my experience it is completely down to the owner as to whether they are comfortable accepting applications from overseas. I myself have had great success applying for abroad and would suggest that it is more about your application than your current proximity to to the owner’s home. I would suggest making sure that your sitter profile is tip top, and if you haven’t already received any reviews, look to take on some local sits in order to gain both experience and credentials that will appear on your listing. Lastly, you should always send a tailored, thoughtful application message, make mention of the owner’s pets by name and give basic details about any relevant experience. Best of luck!

Do you find that more of your housesitting assignments are free places to stay or paid jobs?

Hi Chandler,

All of my house sitting stay are an exchange for free accommodation. Websites like TrustedHousesitters only provide a platform for this kind of arrangement because they are not an agency. There are agency services out there so I would suggest searching online if you feel that payment is something you would ask for in order to house and pet sit.

Best of luck!

Thank you for the insight. Looking forward to reading your blog

I am very interested in house sitting but I have a therapy dog. Do you know anything about therapy dogs being able to join the sitter? I have done a lot of traveling but would want her to join in the adventures. Thanks

I have owned my own houses, cleaned and maintained my own pool, mowed my own yard, and took care of many cats:) I just sold it all and it’s time to go live an adventure!! Having been a homeowner, and hired my own house sitters, I know what is expected! Keep the pool clear, and the animals happy:))

I’ve been interested in learning more about house sitting internationally- I just can’t get myself to pay the initial fee to get signed up! This was a great post- lots of good information!

How do you support yourself financially while doing all this?

Have you done it also lately? After 2020? I don’t hear of it too much as of lately.

2011 was also the year when I first heard of housesitting – 13 years later, I still haven’t tried it (apart from helping a few friends over the years).

Thank you for generously sharing your expertise with us. Your article has been incredibly enlightening, offering valuable insights and recommendations that have significantly eased my abroad journey preparations. I’ve been a dedicated follower of your blog for some time now, continually impressed by the depth and quality of your content.

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Rachel and Chris are perfect hosts! It was a bit of a last minute decision to come and we’re SO glad we did. The whole family made us feel at home rig...

by Victoria & Lan , 7 May 2024

Hi Nada, Exploring the city with you was fantastic, and your guidance made it even more enjoyable. While I regret not being able to teach you Turkish...

by Elchibay , 7 May 2024

Magical! My experience here was by far the best volunteering experience I ever had. The place is breathtaking - little houses and gardens spread over ...

by Jan , 7 May 2024

To be with Sinead was like being at home, at ease, warmly welcomed. She gave me the freedom to discuss matters at hand and in just a very short time w...

by Letja , 6 May 2024

Registering as a Host

Registering as a host with workaway.info is completely free of charge.

Workaway.info has been set up to promote and encourage exchange and learning. Hosts on Workaway should be interested in cultural exchange and sharing experiences. They should be able to provide a welcoming friendly environment for visitors as well as offering accommodation and food.

Workaway benefits

House sitting with Workaway

Can you see yourself soaking up the sun on a sun bed by your own pool in an island villa? Or walking a dog through the early morning mist along a deserted beach? Popping down from your flat to pick up some bagels in a trendy neighbourhood? Setting up your computer catch up with work by a window with a great view? These might seem like images from someone else’s life, but they could be yours for a while if you volunteer to do some house sitting while you’re travelling!

So what is house sitting exactly?

House sitting is what a volunteer does when someone asks them to live in their home while they are away on holiday or travelling. The house sitter can stay in the property for free , in exchange for taking on a combination of responsibilities. Usually the main reason an owner wants a house sitter to look after their house for free is to look after their pets and to keep the house secure and occupied. However the house sitter may be asked to do other jobs too, like simple maintenance (including looking after the pool and watering the garden), and generally making sure that everything runs smoothly, just as if the owner was at home. All of the facilities in the house, such as cooking utensils, washing machine, TV and Wi-Fi, are available for the house sitter to use free of charge.

Sounds like a great arrangement, doesn’t it? It’s certainly a fantastic way to volunteer and travel the world, saving you heaps of money on accommodation. But let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of house sitting, before looking at some tips on how to find house sitting opportunities on Workaway.

What are the advantages of house sitting?

• Free accommodation – paying no rent is obviously a huge advantage when travelling, and will save you lots money, meaning you can travel for longer.
• Home comforts – sometimes even travelling can get a bit much, and it’s nice to set up home for a while. You can enjoy all the things you dream of when you’re fed up with hostels: doing your laundry, having regular access to Wi-Fi to catch up with your emails, cooking your favourite meals in your own kitchen, and having private space to hang out in that isn’t just a bed.
• Getting a glimpse of other people’s lives – house sitters can enjoy all the details of someone else’s home, the art and décor, the different books and music on the shelves, the garden and pool...
• Connecting to the locals – setting up your life in one place for a while means you can be a regular at local shops and bars, talk to people, and find out much more about the region than you would otherwise. Plus you get to meet the neighbours. Don’t forget to ask your host for introductions and recommendations to make the most of your stay.
• The company of animals – most travellers don’t have pets, or if they do, they’ve had to leave them at home. As a house sitter you can enjoy the cold wet nose of a loyal dog or the warm purrs of a friendly cat, all without the permanent responsibility.
• Routine – this can be great for a while amid the unstructured chaos of travelling: walking dogs, feeding cats and watering the plants can provide a gentle routine that allows you to recover your energy, catch up on work and travel plans, or on sleeping, reading or writing, work on special projects, or even binge watch all the television series you’ve been missing.
• Making a dream come true – maybe you always wanted to experience life in a new city but it just seemed too expensive. Imagine having the time to visit every art museum in New York, to walk both ‘rives’ of the Seine in Paris, or to get to know the trendiest neighbourhoods of Madrid. House sitting lets you hang out in one place that little bit longer so you can get to know it better.
• Having some time to yourself – volunteering with Workaway usually involves an exchange of 4 or 5 hours of work a day in exchange for food and accommodation (find out more here ). Although you might be asked to do a bit of watering or patio sweeping on a house sit, you will be free of major household tasks, leaving you with so much more free time to explore the area.
• Escaping tourist areas – like other volunteering opportunities with Workaway, house sitting enables you to discover places you would otherwise never know existed. It’s a great way to go off the beaten track, explore, have new experiences and enjoy the places other people have fallen in love with.

Once you start checking out housesitting opportunities on Workaway, you’ll soon find out that it usually isn’t the house that you have to think about – your responsibility is really for the pets. Of course Workaway hosts want someone who will care for their home, but mostly they want your loving care and undivided attention to go to their beloved pets, or possibly their precious plants. It’s important to know this before embarking on your adventure and to think about the implications of this responsibility. And there may be other aspects of house sitting that don’t suit you.

What are the disadvantages of house sitting?

• You have a responsibility to the pets – this will restrict your lifestyle. Forget overnight trips, you’ve got to be home in the morning to feed the dogs and take them for their walkies.
• Things may be a little quiet – you are likely to be visiting off-season, since that is when home owners will be choosing to travel. Think about the weather and seasonal closures and make sure you are ready to enjoy the delights of a cold and deserted beach resort.
• Things will go wrong – you might need to fix a broken shower, look after a sick animal, sort out a power failure, get to distant shops without a car to stock up on heavy tins of dog or cat food… It’s all your responsibility and there may not be anyone to help you.
• It’s not completely free – you might have some expenses, depending on your agreement with your host: groceries perhaps, bus fares and meals out for sure. Remember to discuss these things in advance – you’ll be saving your host a lot of money, because cat and dog kennels are expensive, so utilities should be paid for by the homeowner. But what about your food? And what happens if their pet needs a trip to the vet? Settle this in advance.
• The big unknown – you won’t know what the owner’s house or neighbours are like until you get there… Check out photos, look at maps, have a Skype or phone call and ask lots of questions before you commit yourself!
• You’ll need to be flexible and competent – no matter how good the instructions are there will be things you have to figure out for yourself. Try to have a few days overlap with your host to get to know the house before you are left to your own devices. And if you’ve never lived alone, this is probably not the time to start trying it out.
• Difficult pets – even if you love animals there are some that may try your patience!
• Isolation – house sitting is very different to staying in a hostel, where you’re surrounded by other travellers all the time. It’s also different to other volunteering opportunities where your host and even other volunteers will be around at mealtimes and in the evenings. If you’re travelling alone and want to socialise and make friends, house sitting may not be the perfect volunteering opportunity for you. However if you and your partner want to settle down to some intimacy for a week or two, it might be just the thing!

So you’ve heard stories of people house sitting in amazing properties rent-free. And after reading the pros and cons of house sitting, you're interested in trying it for yourself. Here are some tips for finding house sitting opportunities on Workaway and some FAQ about house sitting.

How to find a house sitting opportunity on Workaway – the next steps

Workaway is the world’s leading community for volunteering and cultural exchange. Lone travellers will find plenty of opportunities to meet and connect with the locals, but Workaway also offers many opportunities for couples, friends and families. Workaway has more than 50,000 opportunities and many of them are looking for house sitters – this is the perfect way to make travelling affordable anywhere in the world, or to allow you to travel for longer. Whether you want to visit coastal paradises, inland cities or farms, or get right off the beaten track and immerse yourself in wild nature and local life, the perfect host is waiting to hear from you. It doesn’t matter whether you are exploring during your summer holidays, or seeking a gap year adventure, the volunteering opportunities are almost unlimited and will guarantee you have the time of your life.

Like other volunteering opportunities, Workaway house sitters save money on accommodation, while traveling on vacation, or when living nomadically. House sitters can experience living like locals in different countries and cultures around the world, for anything from a few days to several months, or sometimes even longer. Although there is not a separate list of hosts looking for house sitters, there are plenty of house sitting opportunities available all over the world that can be found on the Workaway site. When using the Workaway search tool, just enter “house sitting” in the text box on the host search page and start choosing from hundreds of hosts currently looking for house sitters all over the world. Some of these are one-offs but others are more regular, since ex-pats often return to their mother countries regularly to visit family members.

Who can become a Workaway house sitter?

If you’re very young, or look like a violent criminal, you’re probably going to find it hard to get a place! But if you’re responsible, trustworthy and a genuine animal lover, you stand a good chance of becoming a house sitter.

Competition can be steep, as many volunteers like the idea of some independent time and more and more people are learning about the money-saving benefits of house sitting. So when you write to your host looking for a house sitting opportunity, make sure you give enough information to inspire confidence. It will help if you can offer a testimonial or reference, and don’t forget to ask Workaway hosts that you’ve already stayed with to give you a review.

Remember, although all volunteering opportunities are based on trust and part of the sharing economy , house sitting involves even more trust than usual, because you will be left in charge of the owner’s beloved home and animals.

How long do Workaway house sits last?

House sits can last from a couple of weeks to a few months. Usually they cover people’s holidays, so one to two weeks is common.

Do Workaway house sitters supply their own food and household items?

This will depend on your agreement. Some hosts will provide your food, but others will expect you to do your own shopping. Make sure you discuss this. Pet food should obviously be paid for by the house owner, and the owner should also make sure items like toilet paper, cleaning sprays, clean cloths and dishwasher tablets are fully stocked up before the house sit begins.

Do Workaway house sitters need their own car?

It isn’t essential to have your own car, but you might find it difficult to live without one in a remote location. Ask your host about public transport and shops before committing yourself to a house sit.

Does the volunteer house sitter need to clean the house?

Again this will depend on the agreement you make with your host. The house owner’s main concern is usually the welfare of their pets, but it would be very strange behaviour to stay in someone’s house and leave it dirty. If you haven’t agreed to do more, then a basic clean up is advisable before the owners return. If you’ve been sleeping in the owner’s bed, it’s also nice to wash the sheets and make the bed for them, especially if they’ll be getting back at night. Both the house owner and sitter should leave the home clean for each other out of basic courtesy. And remember, if you get good reviews, you will find it easier to get other house sitting opportunities!

What jobs will you have to do as a volunteer house sitter?

House sitting duties vary hugely from job to job; you could have an easy-maintenance cat that just needs dry food and water topping up (quite rare though), or a whole zoo of animals that require medication, multiple walks and even special meals, along with a list of household jobs.

Volunteer house sitting and healthcare

If you are planning to visit any country as a volunteer and not as a tourist, you must have the correct visa. To find out about the latest requirements, you need to contact the Embassy in your home country before travelling. And please don’t forget to take out appropriate insurance to make sure you qualify for healthcare!

House sitting can be a fantastic way to travel and to get to know a new place at a low cost. For house owners, it’s a brilliant way to keep their pets happy while they’re away. If you’re ready to expect the unexpected, enjoy someone else’s home and kitchen and love someone else’s animals, then house sitting could be perfect for you. Why wait any longer? Join Workaway and get planning your trip! And once you’re there, making yourself at home, remember to get out and visit the area as much as possible – you’re still a traveller after all!

Become a part of the community as a host

Looking for some extra help and a cultural exchange? Workaway has many people looking to share their skills and experience in return for a place to stay.

Forgotten your password?

Workaway has committed over $20,000 USD from the Workaway foundation to help refugees from Ukraine.

Upon request all workawayers based in Ukraine will have their accounts extended for free until further notice.

Hosts in Ukraine have been temporarily disabled for safety reasons.

If you are a host and are able to take in refugees please add the information in your account and you will be added to our last minute host list .

Should you wish to donate and help please click here .

Planning an Overseas Trip? Here’s What You Should Do

Preparing for an overseas trip is an exciting but daunting task. From deciding where to stay to understanding which currency to use, much work goes into planning for the perfect trip abroad. With many trips under our belts outside our home country of the United States, we’ve compiled many top travel tips on traveling outside your home country.

We will cover various tried-and-true tips to help you ensure you have everything taken care of before you jet off on your journey. It’s our ultimate guide to planning an overseas trip . 

The Places Where We Go contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you when you purchase using one of these Amazon links.  Read our disclaimer and privacy policy for more information.

Table of Contents

Travel documents, itinerary planning, financial information, communication, photography, prepare your home for departure, prepare yourself for departure, frequently asked questions – faq, planning an overseas trip.

If you travel out of the country, ensuring a valid passport is a priority. You may need this document when you’re booking your flight. We encountered this situation ourselves recently.

If you don’t have a passport, give yourself plenty of time (at least three months) to obtain one.  If you have less time to arrange for a passport, some services can expedite getting a passport in just a few days. We had done this many years ago.  It will cost money.  Still, you’re much better off not waiting until it’s too close to a planned trip to arrange for a passport.

If you have a passport, don’t assume it is still valid.  Passports can be valid for ten years. That makes it easy to believe your passport is still good, but you don’t want to be surprised to learn it is too close to a renewal date.  

Many countries require that your passport expiration is at least six months after the date you plan to leave the destination country.  So, as an example, let’s say you want to travel somewhere next July, and your passport expires just a couple of months later in September. Authorities might deny your entry into a country if your passport has less than six months of validity on your passport.

In addition to having a valid passport, be sure to check that you have free pages left in your passport for immigration stamps.

Next, you’ll want to check if your destination country requires a valid visa. 

United States and United Kingdom passport holders can travel to many countries without a visa and, in some cases, obtain a visa upon arrival.  However, it’s best to do your homework on visas before your trip – and prepare as your destination country requires.

If you need a visa, be prepared to wait a month or more. And be sure that it will be valid for your stay.

Child Consent Form

If a child travels internationally with only one parent or a non-parent adult, the immigration officer may ask to see a Letter of Consent.  The Minor Travel Consent Form has become more common as child abductions, custody cases, and human trafficking have risen.

International Drivers License

If you plan to drive outside your home country, you’ll want to arrange for an International Driving Permit (IDP). For United States drivers, permits are available through the American Automobile Association.  The International Driving Permit is typically valid for one year and requires an annual renewal.

U.S. residents who are members of the American Automobile Association (AAA) can also get information and assistance in obtaining an International Drivers License through their offices.

Click for link to check International Drivers License (IDP) requirements

Expiration Dates – Travel Documents

In addition to your passport, check the expiration date on your other forms of identification – including your driver’s license (both domestic and international) and other documents subject to renewals.

Vaccination Documentation

Over the past few years, we’ve become accustomed to understanding that many places require COVID vaccination proof.

In addition to COVID, certain countries also require immunization against specific diseases. The most common on this list are vaccinations against yellow fever, malaria, meningococcal disease, and polio are most common on this list.

You’ll want to know what vaccines, if any, are required and how soon before your arrival to get the vaccine.  Certain vaccines are required within a few weeks of your arrival.  And if you need multiple shots with a few days in between, you’ll want to schedule these accordingly.

Keep records of your vaccinations and be prepared to show an official International Certificate of Vaccination, also known as a “yellow health card,” when traveling.

You can learn about vaccination requirements by visiting the CDC website .

The fun part – trip planning and developing your itinerary.  Once you’ve selected where you want to go, you’ll want to plan for several other things:

Length of your trip – we say, if paying for a flight, get as much time as you can from that investment

Must-see locations (for you). Identify the places you want to visit and activities you want to do during your travel. And check if the place you want to visit is open on the day you plan to visit. For example, many museums in Europe are closed on Mondays.

Sources – we use TripAdvisor and Atlas Obscura . Today, even a growing number of AI tools can help you craft a personal itinerary. If you use one of these, we suggest you double-check the validity of the output.  Our experience is that it’s common for fine-tuning to be required when using AI.

If you enjoy pre-packaged tours, companies like Viator and Get-Your-Guide are great sources to book structured experiences.

If traveling over multiple time zones , plan a light schedule for your first day to allow you to acclimate.

We also will check crime statistics for the area we are considering visiting – this can help decide if you want to go to a place in the current environment or where you may wish to stay or avoid staying.

U.S. Citizens can register with the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program or STEP. It’s a free program that provides safety updates and puts you in contact with local embassies and consulates in an emergency.

Plan only a few things per day – leave time for travel from one destination to another, and plan buffer time for unforeseen circumstances.

Buy advance tickets for popular attractions.

Many destinations offer city passes which provide discounts on attractions and transportation.

Planning dates – check your calendar to see if there are dates you want to avoid being away from home (e.g., special family events, etc.)

Check with your country’s embassy for any travel advisories on the destinations you’ll be visiting.

Itinerary Documentation

It’s a good idea to have backup copies of essential travel documents.

Email a copy of your itinerary to yourself and a loved one.

Your phone is one place to keep such copies as photos, images, or PDF documents.  Consider adding copies of your passport pages, visa, personal identification, travel itinerary, airline and transportation info, birth certificates, and tickets purchased for tours and events.

You’ll have another way to access your information if you set up your copies on the cloud using a service like DropBox or Google Docs . We always travel with our itinerary stored in Google Docs – so much easier than the old-school paper copy method – though we still sometimes bring print-outs too.

Store Google off-line maps on your phone for places you plan to visit.

Transportation

Plan how you will get from the airport to your hotel and from every train station to your hotel if planning multiple cities. This includes how you’ll get from your home to your initial airport and what you’ll do to store your vehicle.

In Los Angeles, we have a place called The Flyaway, where we could leave our vehicle for $6 per day. Plus, The Flyaway offers reasonable shuttle services from their location to Los Angeles International Airport. Explore if you have similar services available near your home.

Become familiar with websites such as Rome2Rio – it’s an excellent tool for learning about route options in other parts of the world. We’ve used this in Europe to plan public transportation routes on trains, subways, and more. It’s also helpful for planning your transportation budget.

If you plan on driving at your international destination, review rental car options. Check out our post on Essential Rental Car Tips .

Whether you’re funding the trip of a lifetime or seeking how to construct a budget travel adventure, we all need to pay attention to the cost of our holidays.

Check for points from your credit card and travel companies (e.g., Expedia , airlines, and hotel plans) for opportunities to save money.  We used points from a credit card to pay for a 2-week European cruise fully.

Please keep in mind your credit limit – and how much is unused. It can be a shock to land in a foreign country and find out on day one that your credit card has passed its limit. (How do we know this? It was our first major learning moment over three decades ago in international travel).

These days, you don’t necessarily need the currency of the country where you’re going. We just did one month in Europe and paid over 90% of our expenses by clicking Apple Pay on our cell phones.

Call your credit card compan y to advise where you’re going and when. We’ve had our credit card frozen on our first day of international travel when our credit card company didn’t know it was us traveling out of the country.

Also, check to see what benefits your credit card offers for travel. Travel credit cards are known for their features that suit people who love to travel. For example, the Chase Sapphire Credit Card offers travelers many benefits. For instance, your card may offer travel insurance, ATM fee waivers for ATM transactions, rental car coverage, and more. Not all countries offer easy access to ATMs. However, electronic financial instruments are changing – rapidly.

Before you leave, pay upcoming bills in advance. Also, consider setting up automatic payments where possible.

Travel Insurance

If you are making a significant investment in a trip and there is any chance that something can disrupt your plans, consider travel insurance .  The overall cost and investment can be substantial for international trips, so we nearly always use travel insurance once we devote several thousand dollars to an upcoming vacation plan.

Check if your credit card offers any travel insurance.  And if using a travel agent, double check if they’ve added travel insurance before booking your own.

We use World Nomads as our travel insurance provider.

Airline Cost and Air Travel Tips

When booking your flight, check if you have points available to use for saving money. Use websites like Expedia or Google Flights to research cheap flights if saving money is a personal criterion of importance. And don’t forget to select seats shortly after you book your flight; otherwise, you might not get to sit where you’d like.

Check the airline website for your reservation before your trip. On our recent Europe trip, we received no communication from the airlines. Still, upon randomly accessing our reservations through their portal online, we came across quite a few documentation requirements that were being requested before our travels.

Seat Reservations : Many of us have particular places we prefer to sit on an airplane. It might be a window seat, while others want the aisle. Some choose the rear of the plane, while others want to be in an exit row or the first row of a section in the aircraft. If you have seat preferences, log into your airline’s portal to reserve your seat selection. When using an aggregator like Expedia, this often is an extra step you’ll need to do separately from booking the flight ticket.

Layover : We purposely book long flights to include layovers . Generally, we like to break up our international flights with a stop midway.  As a benefit, we can stretch our legs and get better food than we’ll typically encounter on the plane ride (if any food is served at all). Plus, you’ll find that layover flights cost less than direct flights.

Consider if your connections will be direct from a transportation center to hotels or if you’ll end up walking with your packed items during portions of your trip.

For example, we. or hotels by quality (8.5+ on Expedia ), then by walking distance from tube stops, first searched from lodging to places we were likely to visit (as we would rely on public transportation). Our last filter to book accommodation is for price.

We used our new Chase Sapphire Credit Card points on a recent UK trip to cover five nights in London.

Chase Sapphire Preferred  – Earn  60,000 bonus points  after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Click to learn about the current promotion offered by Chase.

Make a packing list of essential items. Take inventory of what you have well before your trip. Purchase any items you don’t have.

We recommend packing early to minimize the stress of procrastination, especially before an extended overseas trip.

A few other things that proved helpful in our overseas international travel: Compression socks – Compression socks are touted as a great way to ease the discomfort associated with long flights. Not only do they provide extra comfort, but they also help promote circulation and reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis. Compression socks can be especially beneficial if you have an extended layover between flights, as sitting for longer can lead to swelling and discomfort in the lower legs. If you are prone to swollen ankles or feet, they can help reduce swelling and relieve aching muscles. Investing in a good pair of compression socks before your next trip can help make it more comfortable and enjoyable. Hiking/Travel pants – with lots of pockets Walking shoes that would work well on cobblestone streets (Europe) – know your terrain TSA locks for luggage Travel Cubes – these great organizers save space and are a great way to pack many clothes into small spaces.

You can Google for average temperatures during the time of your vacation.  For example, don’t assume it will be warm in your destination just because it’s summer.  We experienced cool weather and rain on our summer trips to Alaska, Montana, and European countries in the Baltics and Scandinavia – even during the summer months.

Do your research on handling medical situations out of the country if needed. Check with your medical insurance provider to understand how to cover situations if they arise out of the country.

Medications – ensure you have enough for your trip and carry a copy of your prescription.

Carry your medication on your person (versus storing it in luggage on the plane) in case luggage gets lost.

If you are under special care or receiving special treatment, carry copies of medical records if you need medical attention while traveling.

In Europe, we do a lot of walking, averaging nearly 24,000 steps daily. That can place a lot of wear and tear on the feet. We find having moleskin is extremely helpful when our feet start having issues. Keep some with your packing supplies. 

Language Preparation – it’s helpful to learn some basic phrases when traveling to a country where people speak a different language. We’re big fans of Duolingo.

Emergency contacts listings – have phone numbers available (and not just on your phone – just in case it gets lost or stolen).

Travel with contact information for financial institutions, travel agents, hotels, etc.

International Cell Phone Service – Check with your mobile phone provider to see what arrangements will be needed for you to use your phone when traveling internationally. For our Verizon Wireless plan, we paid $100/month per phone to stay connected with our cell phones during international travel. Some people rely only on wifi to stay connected with people back home, and that is another option.

VPN – some websites and social media apps are blocked in certain countries. So using a VPN can help you access sites and protect your information online.

Smart Phone apps – review helpful apps for your travel – for example, transportation apps popular in your destination country

Noise-canceling headphones are fabulous on long flights. We travel with Bose QuietComfort headphones .

Battery charging packs – consider getting one or more for access to power if you’ll have long days exploring.

Electric adaptors – you may need a variety of adapters when visiting countries other than your own. Expect electrical outlets to take a different type of plug than you use at home.

If you plan to use devices on an airplane, ensure your cables are of the standard USB type on one end. On our recent trip, I brought my super go-fast iPhone charger and didn’t catch that the end of the cable was USB-C. The airplanes we traveled on did not offer this type of connection.

Confirm charging is activated – We’ve had this experience too many times at airports. We find charging stations and plug in our devices to catch up on email or do some work. Only later do we see our battery level going down because the charging stations at the airport are not supplying any power. So our tip here is when plugging in your devices at airports and anywhere during your travel, take a moment to confirm that charging is occurring.

Photo gear can take up space – so plan what you’ll want to bring. On many trips, we might only use our iPhones and a GoPro . Sometimes we’ll bring a small point-and-shoot. We have one that works underwater for destinations like Mexico and the Caribbean.

We have a Nikon SLR that takes excellent stills – especially in low light.  It’s hit-and-miss if we bring this – though leaning more toward including it at least with a 35mm lens for future trips. If you bring an SLR or mirrorless camera, then also do some research on what lenses will be best for your getaway. You’ll choose differently if going to Africa on Safari adventures versus exploring ancient churches in Rome.

For our recent month-long international trip, I got by with my iPhone on the belt and my GoPro in my pocket. In retrospect, I could have also brought along the Nikon DSLR – however, knowing our time in the Baltic region was likely to have quite a bit of rain, I decided to leave that camera at home. I’ll not be making that same decision, though, for future trips.

This was the topic of our Episode 98 podcast .

Download our free “ Prepare Your House For Vacation Checklist ” and reference it before future travel adventures.

Jet Lag Adjustment – We aim to adjust our sleep about two weeks before our travels. This helps us be up and running when we land in our destination country.

Indulge Yourself – Julie makes an appointment at the nail salon to get a special nail treatment before our big international trips and cruises. It adds to the special feeling that accompanies the excitement of travel. When she comes home with colorful nails, that often indicates the next big trip is imminent.

Pack Food – These days, you’re likely to encounter cross-country flights where you are not served a meal; food at airports can be pricy.  You might even have special dietary restrictions. We recommend bringing snacks and even some prepared food for your long flights. Our appetites have been saved with Clif Bars, trail mix, homemade wraps, etc.  

We recommend planning most trips up to 12 months in advance, especially if you will be traveling during the peak season (summer months).  The further in advance you plan, the more time you’ll have to research money-saving opportunities, get tickets for popular activities, and ensure all documentation is in order.  Additionally, it is always wise to purchase trip insurance in case any unexpected issues arise during your journey.

The best time to book international travel is usually during the off-season. This is typically in late fall and winter when prices are at their lowest but availability of flights, accommodation, and attractions may be more limited. It’s also a good idea to watch for special offers or discounts that airlines may offer throughout the year. You can almost always find a great deal by being flexible with dates and shopping around. Book your flights a few months in advance for even better prices.  Also, consider booking during shoulder seasons (spring or fall) when prices may be lower than peak season, but the weather might still be pleasant. You’ll also have more choice of where to go as many popular destinations may be less crowded during these periods. Careful planning and research can help you find the perfect balance between price, availability, and weather conditions! 

The best time to book an international flight is usually 6-8 weeks before the departure date. This window allows travelers to find flights with competitive airfares while giving them enough time to plan their trip and make necessary arrangements.  More tips to help you find good deals include subscribing to email updates, using comparison sites, and booking one-way flights instead of roundtrip. Please remember that prices for international flights can change significantly within a short period, so it’s essential to act quickly once you find a good deal. 

The short answer is it depends. Travel agents can access exclusive deals and discounts that you may not find if you book directly with the airline. They also have experience finding the best possible combination of flights at competitive prices. Ultimately, booking through a travel agent may help you save money on international flights if they can get you a better deal than what’s available. Additionally, if something goes wrong with your flight, a travel agent can often help sort it out more quickly than if you contact the airline directly.  If you have time to research, it’s worth shopping around and comparing prices before you decide. While booking through a travel agent may not necessarily be cheaper in all cases, they may offer other benefits that make it a worthwhile option. 

Closing Thoughts for Planning an Overseas Trip

Be flexible and have a positive and open mindset . The longer you are away, the more likely that only some things will go 100% to plan. Be prepared to go with the flow. Mindset matters.

Traveling overseas can be exciting – but there can be lots to think about and do. Just do your homework and plan well in advance, so you can give yourself time to unload the stresses as you get closer to your adventure.

Podcast Episode – Planning an Overseas Trip

Thanks for reading. We hope to see you at the places where we go!

Julie & Art

#travelplanning

More Travel Tips

Stopovers versus Layovers – Planning Guide for Airline Trips

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Art Dobrucki is a travel writer and podcast host for The Places Where We Go. With his wife Julie, they bring their travel stories to curious travelers to inspire adventures. Art is also a composer and keyboardist with several albums to his credit. Check out more information on our About Us page.

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Eligibility:.

SIT undergraduates who are Singapore Citizen (SC) or Singapore Permanent Residents (SPR) going for their Overseas Immersion Programme (OIP) or Overseas Exposure Programme (OEP).

Each student is entitled to receive the OSP loan only once during the course of study.

Student must not concurrently hold other loans or aid that covers the full cost of the OIP / OEP.

Guarantor Requirements:

One guarantor between 21-60 years of age:

Must not be a full-time student or an undischarged bankrupt and must be gainfully employed.

Must not be an existing guarantor for more than two (2) Students' loan concurrently.

Guarantor must be a Singapore Citizen.

The following interest rates will be applicable from 1 April 2024.

The interest rates will be revised on a half-yearly basis based on the 3M SORA 1  published on the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) website   on 1 March (for the period 1 April to 30 September) or 1 September (for the period 1 October to 31 March of the following calendar year) 2 . You can visit DBS website for the applicable interest rates every 1 April and 1 October.

Interest will start accruing on the 1st day of the 4th calendar month following graduation / withdrawal. For graduates / withdrawn students with remaining National Service (NS) obligations, the same interest commencement date will apply.

Example of interest commencement date: If you have graduated in June, interest will commence on 1st October of the same year. If you have graduated in December, interest will commence on 1st April of the following year.

1 SORA is the volume-weighted average rate of borrowing transactions in the unsecured overnight interbank SGD cash market in Singapore between 8am and 6.15pm. The 3-month compounded SORA is the rolling compounded average of daily SORA over the past respective period.

2  If 1 March or 1 September falls on a weekend and/or a public holiday when the 3M SORA rates are not published by MAS, we will take the 3M SORA published on the MAS website on the last preceding business day in Singapore. For example, if 1 September is a Saturday, we will take the 3M SORA published on MAS website on 31 August.

Repayment of loan can be in one lump sum or by equal monthly instalments commencing not later than two years from the date of graduation or upon securing employment, whichever is earlier.

Payment of monthly instalment shall be made on the 1st working day of each month.

The minimum amount of repayment is S$100 per month and the maximum repayment period is 5 years (for SC) / 3 years (for SPR).

At the end of the OIP, if there is an unutilised loan amount, the student has the flexibility to return this amount to the bank as part of the loan settlement.

In the event that the student leaves SIT without completing the programme of study, the loan outstanding will immediately become due and payable.

Usage of PSEA for Repayment of Approved Loan Schemes: 

PSEA holders may utilise the funds remaining in their respective PSEA to repay the OSPL after successful graduation from the programme, i.e. PSEA holder must have left the institution of study prior to using the PSEA for the repayment of any approved loan scheme. 

The PSEA can be used to repay the principal loan amount, and any interest charged in respect of the loan or financing scheme that is payable by the PSEA account holder as part of the outstanding loan. 

PSEA holders can only use their own PSEA for the repayment of approved loan schemes, minimum withdrawal amount is $100, as per the minimum monthly repayment sum for the approved loan schemes.

For more information on the usage of the PSEA for repayment of approved loan schemes, please click here .

The Loan Repayment Application Form is also available here . Students are strongly encouraged to understand the rules of usage of the PSEA prior to submission of the form.

Terms and conditions apply. **Students will be notified of the application period nearer to the date of their OIP / OEP.

How To Apply

Students who wish to apply for the OSP Loan are required to complete the OIP / OEP Financial Assistance Form found in In4SIT .

Successful applicants will receive an OSP Loan Eligibility Letter in their SIT email accounts.

Students are to bring their OSP Loan Eligibility Letter and OSP Loan application form to the bank with their guarantor during the application period.

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In order to make study abroad more accessible, SIT’s partner colleges and universities may charge home school tuition fees for their students participating on an SIT Study Abroad program. If your institution has an agreement with SIT and charges fees different from those assessed by SIT, please contact your study abroad advisor for more details. The SIT published price is the cost to direct enroll in the SIT program. Tuition fees may vary for students based on your home college’s or university’s billing policies with SIT.   SIT Study Abroad is committed to ensuring that international education is within reach for all students. We believe in the transformative power of immersive, intercultural experiences and are dedicated to supporting students in their educational journey. Our Scholarship awards, ranging from $500 to $5,000 for semester programs and $500 to $3,000 for summer programs, reflect our dedication. This year, SIT will award nearly one million dollars in scholarships to SIT Study Abroad students. Applying for a scholarship is simple: simply express your interest in a scholarship when completing your admissions application and follow the provided instructions.

Social Movements and Human Rights

$ 20,856.00

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• Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

House Sitting Abroad

House sitting abroad: discover the world with trusted house sitters.

House sitting abroad offers an exciting and rewarding way to travel while enjoying free accommodation. Experience the world like a local and immerse yourself in authentic cultures.

Explore House Sitting Abroad Opportunities

House sitting abroad offers an exciting and rewarding way to travel while enjoying free accommodation. Experience the world like a local and immerse yourself in authentic cultures. 

Why Consider House Sitting Abroad?

International house sitting is a win-win arrangement with benefits to both house and pet sitters and home and pet owners.

• Explore fascinating destinations worldwide and take part in local customs and traditions.
• Live in diverse and beautiful locations, from bustling cities to serene countryside retreats.
• Enjoy the warm camaraderie of local communities and forge meaningful connections.
• Provide invaluable home and pet care in exchange for a place to stay.
• Homeowners gain peace of mind, knowing their properties and beloved pets are in safe hands.

A review on TrustPilot from one of our travelling housesitters from Australia, Robin. He sums up the discovery of new countries by house sitting.

New experiences, new places, new friends. This is my second pet sit with Housesitmatch. My first was in a small town in the south of France, and my second in Buckinghamshire, UK. Initially, I was mostly interested in spending time with the animals I was going to be looking after while traveling and working, but during my time I realised it was also a unique opportunity to visit places I hadn’t been to, test a new lifestyle away from the city and meet new people. Lamia is always there to help, and the members are thoroughly screened, making for a great community of both pet owners and sitters.

What is a House Sitting Assignment?

House sitting assignments are opportunities for house sitters to provide home and pet care, either in their native country or abroad.  These assignments are posted by homeowners on trusted house sitting websites like HouseSitMatch.

The Assignment Process

• Home and pet owners register on HouseSitMatch, posting house sitting assignments that require house sitters’ services.
• House sitters browse through the available assignments and apply for the ones that suit their preferences and experience.
• The arrangement typically involves a fair exchange of services: free accommodation for home and pet care.

Types of International House Sitting Engagements

• House Sitting: Homeowners seek sitters to ensure their properties are well-maintained until their return.
• Pet Sitting: Care for adorable pets, from dogs and cats to unique and characterful animals.

How to Become a House Sitter Abroad

Photo courtesy of Alecia Caine

If you have property and pet care experience, house sitting abroad can be a fantastic opportunity for you. Follow these steps to get started:

• Gain local pet and property care experience, such as volunteering at a pet rescue shelter or taking a pet first aid course.
• Build a reputable profile on HouseSitMatch to showcase your expertise and positive reviews.
• Search for house sitting abroad in desirable locations.
• Apply for assignments that match your preferences and experience.
• Get ID and police checked online as part of the registration process on HouseSitMatch.

House sit abroad

House sitting in another country is definitely worth considering because house sitting and travelling overseas can be exciting. It is a rewarding way to see the world, as you feel you are contributing to your journey by earning your keep, giving back while you stay for free in someone’s home. In general housesitting by exchanging free home and pet care services for free accommodation offers authentic ways to experience travel. It is a fair exchange. It sits in the Sharing Economy arena.

Wherever you go it enables you to live-like-a-local absorbing the authentic experiences of the location.  A couple of our housesitters Andrew and Christopher ‘the Global Wanderers’ explain what it is in this video. Click either housesitting video picture to view Christopher and Andrew’s winning video –

What is house sitting abroad?

How do I become a house sitter abroad?

If you have property and pet care experience, with or without previous housesitting references, you may consider the opportunity to housesit abroad. You could also do some research by reading industry publications like Housesitting Magazin e.

All you need to consider is do you have home care and pet care experience to offer in exchange for free accommodation. If so you could be lucky and find luxury house sitting assignments in fabulous locations.

Have you cared for pets and property?

Most of us in our lives have cared for a home and garden. We may have been involved in pet care of some description for friends, family or neighbours. You can prepare for pet sitting perhaps by taking a pet first aid course, or volunteering at a pet rescue shelter. Both will help you to gain experience of a wider range of animals.

With some local experience and good reviews on a housesitting platform like Housesit Match you can then progress to international house sitting.

Housesitting membership networks like HouseSitMatch exist to serve house sitters and petsitters wanting to find suitable assignments at home and housesitting abroad. However, at HouseSitMatch we can also help new sitters get started on their journey.

A marvellous opportunity to indulge a love of pets and travel There has never been a better time for anyone who loves pets to travel. I have been travelling for my whole life and honestly housesitting is the best way I know how to learn about a new location, especially when travelling overseas. You are living in someone’s home, you have the advantage of their detailed knowledge of their location and recommendations for all the best places to visit. And you have the company of fun pets while you’re there. I’ve met wonderful homeowners keen to show me the brilliant local attractions near their home, friendly neighbours which have included a variety of people from retired chefs and ambassadors keen to share their latest local farmers’ market finds and their own travellers tales. Really housesitting is a extraordinary way to travel. Each one is memorable for all kinds of reasons. Lamia Walker – Founder – HouseSit Match 

Photo by Lamia Walker

If you have property and pet care experience, house sitting away from home in another country can be a fantastic opportunity for you. Follow these steps to get started:

• Search for house sitting placements in desirable locations.

What does a house sitter do?

One of the things you may be not realise is that if you have cared for a home and pets you have great house sitter experience. So what does a house sitter do ? A housesitter will care for your home, and if asked any pets resident in your home.

If you want to become a house sitter then you need to do some preparation to optimise your opportunity. We offer advice, top tips, contacts in the housesitting community. Here you will find full time housesitters who can advise based on a wealth of community knowledge and years of experience in housesitting and pet sitting activities.

Learning from the community can help you prepare to become a highly rated housesitter. This community specialises in supporting and nurturing reliable housesitters. It is easy to register as a housesitter. You get ID and police checked online as part of the registration process through HouseSitMatch. Once registered you can build a housesitter profile and specify the countries in which you would prefer to housesit.

International pet housesitting

House sitting and pet sitting through a recognised trustworthy network can provide fantastic international opportunities for house sitting and pet sitting your way around the world, for example by pet sitting like a friend in exchange for free accommodation.

Jill and Gavin are long term full-time Australian housesitters. They enjoy house sitting away from home and especially abroad. They were once home owners themselves,. They’ve been travelling for seven years, visited five continents and housesat in 18 countries.

Starting as international pet sitters

Since their first assignment nearly a decade ago they’ve answered housesitting adverts saying sitters required from the Czech Republic to Western Australia. They’ve taken jobs abroad outside of their native Australia following tourist trails to North, Central and  South America.

They’ve done long term housesitting in Europe taken a dog sit looking after house and pet, to multi pet sits with dogs cats, birds, guinea pigs and all kinds of other animals as their video will show. Click to watch this entertaining video story of why housesitting abroad is so rewarding by international housesitters Jill and Gavin…

Travel agents also do house sitting abroad! 

Dianne and Mike are a professional Canadian couple who decided last year to take a grey gap year , so they sold everything at home in Canada and started housesitting through the HouseSit Match network.

Based in the United Kingdom HouseSitMatch is a house and pet sitting network that can offer you international house sitting assignments.

They joined our network as new sitters. However, they had tested the waters by doing local housesitting in their home town to see if they liked it. After a while they decided housesitting and pet sitting suited them and they would enjoy travelling by house sitting for free accommodation.

International house sitting

How they started international housesitting.

By submitting to an ID and police check, building a good profile online, offering descriptions of their pet and property experience, their motivations for housesitting they have been able to secure a house sitting assignment and have travelled throughout the United Kingdom and across Europe.

Some of the most popular housesit assignment are for housesitting in Spain .

In just over a year they’ve paid very little for accommodation. Just a few days here and there in hostels between housesits. They’ve even extended their grey gap year. They took the TEOFL exams and so they teach to supplement their portable professional income as travel agents.

House sitting adventure

Extending a grey gap year.

Their grey gap year is now turning into a long term housesitting adventure across Europe. With every housesitting and petsitting assignment they are building reviews on their profile and a reputation for being reliable housesitters. Dianne and Mike have undertaken many international housesitting assignments now but they tell us their favourites are the pet housesitting placements.

One petsitting assignment was for an Akita dog lover in the UK. They’ve also cared for houses and pets in Spain, Ireland, France and taken on a house and pet sit near Oxford UK. They enjoy travelling and living in a home and pet care is a pleasurable service they can offer in exchange for the opportunity to live in beautiful new surroundings and spend time to explore new tourist trails.

This helps Dianne with her work as a travel agent. They cared for dogs, cats and hens in this English home, and horses, donkeys and lovely cats in Spain. They say that HouseSitMatch is one of their favourite pet sitting websites.

Trusted house sitters

Pet owners with holiday homes abroad use services for house sitting.

The investment of a holiday home or any property in another country comes with benefits and responsibilities. Finding people to help you care for that property requires a degree of trust.

If you keep pets and a garden in your property abroad, their safety, care and maintenance is also an important consideration. According to PetKeepers pet housesitting is one really affordable option to consider.

Free house sitters through a trusted house sitting website

If your property is in another country, then organising house sitters for care maintenance is an important factor in the success of your investment.

House sitters can care for your property and garden. And indeed they also care for any pets you keep in your holiday home. The housesitting is in exchange for free accommodation.

Like old fashioned barter this arrangement is facilitated safely through a website which takes fundamental security precautions.

Second homeowners with multiple properties 

If you’re a second homeowner it can be hard managing both properties when you only live in one.

This is when using a house sitting network to find a house sitter to care for your property is really helpful. Also if you are managing a property portfolio organising house carers and house sitting can help improve security. Care for your properties by ensuring they are occupied as well as cared for. It is important to ensure that gardens are maintained especially if you’re absent as this is a clear sign of an unoccupied and vulnerable property.

Trusted International House Sitters Share Their Stories

Jill and gavin’s house sitting adventure.

Jill and Gavin, full-time Australian house sitters, have travelled to 18 countries through house sitting opportunities. They’ve cared for pets and homes in Europe, South America, and beyond. Their love for pet sitting and exploring new destinations makes house sitting  as a way to travel on a budget an ideal lifestyle for them.

Dianne and Mike’s Grey Gap Year

Canadian couple Dianne and Mike started their house sitting adventure with HouseSitMatch after deciding to take a grey gap year. They sold everything in Canada and embarked on international house sitting assignments across the UK and Europe.

Bragi Jonsson’s Icelandic Adventure

At 60 years old, Bragi Jonsson, an Icelandic security guard and part-time shepherd, embraced house sitting abroad as a way to escape the harsh Icelandic Winter. His house sitting journey led him to Marbella, Spain, where he cared for pets and fell in love with the rewarding lifestyle.

Friends tell friends about a good housesitter

So one house and pet sit led to another, and through the HouseSit Match pet sitting website he answered housesit adverts asking ‘sitters required’. Then two more long term house sitting assignments in Europe were secured. This kept him busy until his return to Iceland in the Spring for lambing season.

Over the years Bragi (aka Bravo on the HouseSitMatch housesitters’ directory) has developed a number of strong relationships with his matched homeowners, and now does the occasional  return housesit .

Photo courtesy of Bragi Jonsson

House sitting in another country

Pet owners who need housesitting abroad .

One advantage of pet sitters from HouseSitMatch is that they exchange their time for free accommodation. This means there is no cost to you other than the membership fee. And rather than take paid house sitting jobs abroad they can travel on a tourist visa if they don’t take payment.

You will have a choice of pet lovers to choose from. View their pet experience in their profile – we make it easy for you to choose a suitable match.

Travel by housesitting

Housesitting offers a way to travel further afield.

He says though he hasn’t yet discovered Western Australia he would like to visit. And friends in the housesitting community suggest that he might enjoy Central America and South America for the climate. As an Icelandic traveller these are all great opportunities for house sitting away from a cold Icelandic Winter that he finds appealing.

If you have pets at your property abroad you may also prefer to have them cared for in the home rather than in a kennels. Our housesitting arrangement will save you the costs of a fee charging pet minder. This is a considerably more affordable option.

Most vets agree that pets cared for in the home experience minimal separation anxiety.  This is important particularly for rescued animals who will often take some time to settle into a new environment.

Read more of our house sitters reviews on TrustPilot .

Why Choose HouseSitMatch?

At HouseSitMatch, we are dedicated to providing a safe and reliable platform that connects homeowners with trustworthy house sitters worldwide. 

Our community of experienced and caring sitters ensures that your home and pets are in the best hands possible. 

Whether you’re a homeowner seeking responsible house sitters or a pet lover looking for free accommodation in exchange for pet care, HouseSitMatch offers a win-win solution for all.

Your House Sitting Adventure Awaits

House sitting in another country is an exceptional way to explore new destinations, experience diverse cultures, and make unforgettable connections with both people and pets.  With HouseSitMatch, you can embark on your house sitting adventure with confidence, knowing that you are part of a trusted network that values integrity, reliability, and genuine care. 

Join HouseSitMatch today and start your journey to house sitting away from home.

If you want to start housesitting use this link .

FURTHER READING ON HOUSESITTING ABROAD

Housesitting makes it easier and cheaper to travel 

9 Tips on how to become a housesitter

House Sitting Australia

House Sitting Canada

House Sitting Europe

House Sitting USA

Pet sitting services

The Best Seats on International Flights

by Kathryn Walsh

Published on 27 Apr 2018

Some passengers step off international flights looking and feeling no worse for wear; others stagger off, exhausted and coughing. The seat you book could play a major role in determining which camp you fall into. First class is preferable in terms of comfort, of course. It's also not an option for many travelers: On an international flight, a premium ticket often costs thousands of dollars more than an economy one. It's possible to get comfortable and stay comfortable even in the cheap seats. Choosing the right one depends on your priorities – but in general, a window seat near the middle of the plane is ideal.

The Best Seats for: Sleeping

This one's common sense: a window seat is the best place to catch some ZZZ on a long flight. No one has to climb over you, and the plane wall provides a place to rest your head. Avoid window seats near bathrooms and flight attendant stations. Check which seats are still available when checking in for a flight. A window seat with an empty seat next to it is the perfect sleeping arrangement.

The Best Seats for: A Smooth Ride

Turbulence is never fun. Six or seven hours of turbulence is downright miserable. There's no way to avoid it altogether on a plane, but sitting near the wings is the best bet. That's the aircraft's center of gravity, and people sitting there should feel a little less movement than passengers sitting in the front or rear of the plane. Exactly which seats are positioned over the wings varies depending on the plane. On the large planes used for international flights, it's usually either premium/business-class seats or the first several rows of coach/economy seats that are located in the very center of the plane.

The Best Seats for: Staying Healthy

A long international flight is a perfect environment for germs to thrive in. In close quarters, sick passengers can easily contaminate others with airborne diseases and viruses. One study done by Emory University and Boeing found that people in window seats have the least contact with those germs. It makes sense; as sick people walk up and down the aisles, passengers in aisle seats are in direct contact with them. Sitting by the window provides a buffer. The other factor is that people in window seats don't leave their seats as often as those in aisle seats, again limiting their exposure. Even a middle seat is preferable to an aisle seat when staying healthy is a major concern.

The Best Seats for: Leg Room

When first class or premium seats aren't in the budget, bulkhead seats – those positioned right behind one of the walls that divide the plane into sections – provide the best leg room. Of course, that also makes them hard to get. If bulkhead seats aren't available, aim for an exit row or look into redeeming any airline points you've accrued for an upgrade to a seat with extra leg room. In most cases, the only way to get more space is to pay for it. Consider doing just that. If there's ever a time to pay extra for more leg room, an international flight is it. More space equals greater comfort, which means you're better rested upon landing. That makes it easier to shake off jet lag quickly and hit the ground running.

Pet Sitting Abroad: How To Travel The World With A Free Stay

Longing for travel but can’t bear leaving your beloved pooch or tabby alone? Or maybe you’ve planned a trip but don’t know where to stay for an affordable price?

This unique opportunity offers a win-win scenario by connecting wanderlust pet owners with like-minded travellers looking for a place to stay.  Trusted House Sitters  is one of many websites that allow pet owners to connect with potential sitters who, in exchange for their pet and house sitting services, get  free accommodation.

Courtesy of Trusted Housesitters

All you pet sitters require for this dream situation is a good rep, and you’ll get to stay in a dream house of your choice. Be it an Italian villa in Tuscany, or a modern bungalow in Sydney, the possibilities are endless! Pet owners can find trustworthy pet and house sitters, while you score a furry friend to keep you company.

Applying to be a pet sitter is basically like applying for a job, but much easier. You’ll need experience, a profile, references, and of course, a strong love for animals.

Gain experience by offering neighbors or friends your pet-sitting or dog walking for a week or so. Or, go the whole nine yards and volunteer at a local animal shelter, or shadow a certified vet. This will not only help give you an idea what to expect, but it also will contribute to building reliable references who can attach a good rep to your name.

Include all your experiences with animals, babysitting or house sitting in your profile. Make sure to add in your background with your own pets. Also, don’t hesitate to include in a few of your unique skills! The ability to speak more than one language, knowing CPR or even organization skills will help to increase your chances of finding a house-sit abroad. Your enthusiasm for travel, dogs, cats or the like, will surely add a common ground with pet-owners and fellow travellers.

Whether you include friends, colleagues, bosses or past pet-owners, references give the people entrusting you with their house and beloved pets a validation that you are responsible, reliable and committed.

While each site requires a membership fee (US$20 – $60), it’s a small price to pay for fully covered accommodation in spectacular dwellings in stunning cities, towns, and countrysides.

Trusted House Sitters is the largest and fastest growing pet-sitting network. It caters mostly to house-sits in the UK and Europe. With a pricier membership fee, this site is the most trusted, and most used house and pet-sit website for travelers.

Mind My House  has the cheapest membership fee (US$20) for pet-sitters and is free for homeowners. With a community mainly based in North America and Europe, it offers a good selection of house-sits for those traveling within the two continents.

Normador , a newer addition to the pet-sit community is all about building trust. It includes an internal messaging system, assessment system, and a team of moderators to help ensure a safe and easy collaboration.

Plan your pet-sitting adventure and score a stay in a deluxe Spanish mansion tending to beautiful horses, or get cozy with a four-legged companion in a picturesque Scotland landscape!

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3 bodies in Mexican well identified as Australian and American surfers killed for truck’s tires

Relatives have identified three bodies found in a well as those of two Australian surfers and one American who went missing last weekend, Mexican authorities said Sunday. Baja California state prosecutors said the relatives had viewed the bodies recovered from a remote well about 50 feet (15 meters) deep and recognized them as their loved ones.

A demonstrator holding a bodyboard written in Spanish " I don’t want to die” protests the disappearance of foreign surfers in Ensenada, Mexico, Sunday, May 5, 2024. Mexican authorities said Friday that three bodies were recovered in an area of Baja California near where two Australians and an American went missing last weekend during an apparent camping and surfing trip. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)

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Locals march to protest the disappearance of foreign surfers in Ensenada, Mexico, Sunday, May 5, 2024. Mexican authorities said Friday that three bodies were recovered in an area of Baja California near where two Australians and an American went missing last weekend during an apparent camping and surfing trip. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)

A demonstrator holding a bodyboard written in Spanish " No more violence” protests the disappearance of foreign surfers in Ensenada, Mexico, Sunday, May 5, 2024. Mexican authorities said Friday that three bodies were recovered in an area of Baja California near where two Australians and an American went missing last weekend during an apparent camping and surfing trip. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)

In this image made from video, Mexico’s police officers stand guard at the Ensenada station in Ensenada, Mexico, Thursday, May 2, 2024. Mexican authorities said Thursday they have found tents and questioned a few people in the case of two Australians and an American who went missing over the weekend in the Pacific coast state of Baja California. (AP Photo)

In this image made from video, Mexican security forces frisk men at a checkpoint in Ensenada, Mexico, Thursday, May 2, 2024. Mexican authorities said Thursday they have found tents and questioned a few people in the case of two Australians and an American who went missing over the weekend in the Pacific coast state of Baja California. (AP Photo)

A demonstrator holding a bodyboard written in Spanish " They just wanted to surf and they were executed” protests the disappearance of foreign surfers in Ensenada, Mexico, Sunday, May 5, 2024. Mexican authorities said Friday that three bodies were recovered in an area of Baja California near where two Australians and an American went missing last weekend during an apparent camping and surfing trip. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)

A demonstrator holds photos of the foreign surfers who disappeared during a protest in Ensenada, Mexico, Sunday, May 5, 2024. Mexican authorities said Friday that three bodies were recovered in an area of Baja California near where two Australians and an American went missing last weekend during an apparent camping and surfing trip. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Relatives have identified three bodies found in a well as those of two Australian surfers and one American who went missing last weekend, Mexican authorities said Sunday.

Baja California state prosecutors said the relatives had viewed the corpses recovered from a remote well about 50 feet (15 meters) deep and recognized them as their loved ones.

Thieves apparently killed the three, who were on a surfing trip to Mexico’s Baja peninsula, to steal their truck because they wanted the tires. They then allegedly got rid of the bodies by dumping them in a well near the coast.

The well was located some 4 miles (6 kilometers) from where the foreigners were killed, and also contained a fourth cadaver that had been there much longer.

Three suspects are being held in connection with the case, which locals said was solved far more quickly than the disappearances of thousands of Mexicans.

The three men were on a camping and surfing trip along a stretch of coast south of the city of Ensenada, posting idyllic photos on social media of waves and isolated beaches, before they went missing last weekend.

Chief state prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez described what likely would have been moments of terror that ended the trip for brothers Jake and Callum Robinson from Australia and American Jack Carter Rhoad.

She theorized the killers drove by and saw the foreigners’ pickup truck and tents and wanted to steal their tires. But “when (the foreigners) came up and caught them, surely, they resisted.”

She said that’s when the killers would have shot the tourists.

The thieves then allegedly went to what she called “a site that is extremely hard to get to” and allegedly dumped the bodies into a well they apparently were familiar with. She said investigators were not ruling out the possibility the same suspects also dumped the first, earlier body in the well as part of previous crimes.

“They may have been looking for trucks in this area,” Andrade Ramírez said.

The thieves allegedly covered the well with boards. “It was literally almost impossible to find it,” Andrade Ramírez said, and it took two hours to winch the bodies out of the well.

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers expressed sympathy for the Robinson family. “I think the whole country’s heart goes out to all of their loved ones. It has been an absolutely horrendous, absolutely horrific ordeal and our thoughts are with all of them today,” he said at a news conference Monday in the capital, Canberra.

The site where the bodies were discovered near the township of Santo Tomás was near the remote seaside area where the missing men’s tents and truck were found Thursday along the coast. From their last photo posts, the trip looked perfect. But even experienced local expatriates are questioning whether it is safe to camp along the largely deserted coast anymore.

The moderator of the local Talk Baja internet forum, who has lived in the area for almost two decades, wrote in an editorial Saturday that “the reality is, the dangers of traveling to and camping in remote areas are outweighing the benefits anymore.”

But in a way, adventure was key to the victims’ lifestyle.

Callum Robinson’s Instagram account contained the following slogan: “If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much room.”

At the news conference, Andrade Ramírez was questioned by one reporter who expressed approval that such a massive and rapid search was mounted for the foreigners, but asked why, when local people disappear in the area, little is often done for weeks, months, or years.

“Do you have to be a foreigner in Baja California in order for there to be an investigation if something happens to you?′ asked the reporter, who did not identify herself by name. ”Every investigation is different,” Andrade Ramírez replied.

As if to underscore that point, dozens of mourners, surfers and demonstrators gathered in a main plaza in Ensenada, the nearest city, to voice their anger and sadness at the deaths.

“Ensenada is a mass grave,” read one placard carried by protesters. “Australia, we are with you,” one man scrawled on one of the half-dozen surf boards at the demonstration.

A woman held up a sign that read “They only wanted to surf — we demand safe beaches.”

Gabriela Acosta, a surfer, attended the protest “to show love, solidarity and respect for the three lives that were lost.” Acosta said that surfers in Baja are aware of the dangers.

“We are women and we would sometimes like to surf alone,” Acosta said. “But we never do that, because of the situation. We always have to go accompanied.”

“I think that what happened to them is just an example of the lack of safety in this state,” she said.

Surfers later performed a “paddle-out” ceremony where they formed a circle on their boards in the ocean.

Baja California prosecutors had said they were questioning three people in the killings, two of them because they were caught with methamphetamines. Prosecutors said the two were being held pending drug charges but continue to be suspects in the killings.

A third man was arrested on charges of a crime equivalent to kidnapping, but that was before the bodies were found. It was unclear if he might face more charges.

The third suspect was believed to have directly participated in the killings. In keeping with Mexican law, prosecutors identified him by his first name, Jesús Gerardo, alias “el Kekas,” a slang word that means “quesadillas,” or cheese tortillas. Andrade Ramírez said he had a criminal record, and that more people may have been involved.

Last week, the mother of the missing Australians, Debra Robinson, posted on a local community Facebook page, appealing for help in finding her sons. Robinson said Callum and Jake had not been heard from since April 27. They had booked accommodation in the city of Rosarito, not far from Ensenada.

Robinson said Callum was diabetic. She also mentioned that the American who was with them was named Jack Carter Rhoad, but the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City did not immediately confirm that. The U.S. State Department said it was aware of reports of a U.S. citizen missing in Baja, but gave no further details.

In 2015, two Australian surfers , Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas, were killed in western Sinaloa state, across the Gulf of California — also known as the Sea of Cortez — from the Baja peninsula. Authorities said they were victims of highway bandits. Three suspects were arrested in that case.

China set to launch high-stakes mission to moon's 'hidden' side

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• China expected to launch Chang'e-6 lunar mission this week
• Chang'e-6 to return with soil samples from moon's far side
• Chang'e-6 mission expected to last 53 days

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German company HyImpulse successfully launched on Friday a candle wax-powered rocket capable of carrying commercial satellites on a test suborbital flight into space for the first time.

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US revokes Intel, Qualcomm's export licenses to sell to China's Huawei, sources say

The U.S. has revoked licenses that allowed companies including Intel and Qualcomm to ship chips used for laptops and handsets to sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies, three people familiar with the matter said.

BigCommerce , the e-commerce software maker that used to be backed by SoftBank Group , is exploring a sale after attracting takeover interest, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

South Korea's Samsung Medison said on Wednesday it is acquiring all of France's Sonio SAS, a fetal ultrasound artificial intelligence software company for about 126 billion won ($92.4 million).

SFO jet bridge collapses on plane during deplaning process

A jet bridge at San Francisco International Airport is under investigation after it collapsed onto a Hawaiian Airlines plane in the middle of passengers disembarking Thursday evening, the airport said.

Hawaiian Airlines flight 42 departed from Kahului in Maui and arrived on time at SFO’s International Terminal A, according to FlightAware . The aircraft arrived without any issues, and the jet bridge began its usual process of positioning itself towards the plane.

Shortly after the jet bridge was positioned, it experienced “a structural failure” with a metal strut and suddenly collapsed onto the plane, according to SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel. 

About half of the 179 passengers had deplaned when the incident occurred, Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson Alex Da Silva told USA TODAY. The remaining guests and six crew members used the rear exit door and steps to disembark.

“All of our guests were able to safely deplane, but our aircraft sustained some damage,” said Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson Alex Da Silva. The aircraft is being repaired before returning to service.

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Problem with your last flight? Here's how airline refunds work.

Bonnie Hayes, a former American Airlines gate agent who operated jet bridges for 33 years and now serves as an expert witness for related lawsuits, told USA TODAY she has “never (seen) the cab of the jet bridge collapse.” 

Hayes said it’s typically the airport's responsibility to perform routine maintenance checks of jet bridges, which commonly occur weekly or even daily. “There’s so many checks that are done on these,” she said. 

“Underneath, it must’ve been stressed,” she said. 

The passenger boarding bridge remains out of service for investigations and repairs, SFO said.

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] . 

Behind strong spring break, Milwaukee airport sees strong passenger totals in March, first quarter

Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport continued its strong start to 2024 as passenger traffic continued to rise.

That’s due to what an airport official said was very strong traffic to international destinations during spring break. The airport also saw a continued increase in available destinations or the restoration of service that was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Passenger traffic from January through March, the most recent available data , showed a 12.4% increase from the first quarter of 2023 – 1,356,532 passengers to 1,519,883 in this year’s first three months. March, when spring break travel mainly occurs, fared even better at a 14.05% increase from last year’s March – 603,547 passengers, up from 529,181.

“That’s certainly great news that there’s about (74,000) more passengers that chose the Milwaukee airport in March,” said Harold Mester, director of public affairs and marketing at the airport. “Some of that is due to the capacity additions that airlines added. When there’s more seats available for sale, there’s more tickets to be added.”

Mester attributed March’s bump to an enthusiastic spring break travel season, with a roughly 19% increase in international passengers . That was likely a record for the airport, with over 26,000 international spring break flights, he said.

The interest showed too, with airport officials at one point notifying travelers that parking lots were near capacity during the spring break travel season.

Flights to Cancun seemed to fare particularly well as Sun Country flew daily flights there at the peak of spring break, along with frequent flights from Apple Vacations and Funjet Vacations, he said.

“I think that was the first time we had modern daily flights to Cancun,” he said.

March also was the strongest month of the year so far , with 603,547 total enplanements and deplanements, compared to 476,547 in February and 439,354 in January.

The strong start to the year also reflected what Mester described as the airport reaching “the final stages from the rebound” of COVID-19. At that point, some flights were nixed as travel cut back.

He said markets like Milwaukee’s, which he described as a “middle-sized market,” have now started to see restoration of flights that were nixed during the pandemic. Initially, airlines focused on larger markets.

Now the airport has seen flights to destinations like Kansas City resume last summer, after 2023’s spring break, and begin to factor into the latest year’s travel statistics. Additionally, Mester said that some airlines like United are flying larger aircraft to some destinations and Delta has increased frequencies, however those could be seasonal changes.

In some cases, that could mean an aircraft that seats about 130 to now using an aircraft that can seat 180.

“Eventually we’re going to have to start comparing our stats year over year,” Mester said. “This was certainly a big March for us.”

While passengers continue to rise, cargo has not followed suit.

For the year, air freight is down 5.2% from last year’s first quarter and 7.48% in March. Mester said they are looking for “long term growth” in that category in the future.

In early March, he told the Journal Sentinel that the airport is in lease negotiations for the 440th Airlift Wing along the airport’s southern airfield to redevelop that into a cargo-specific area. That could help relieve pressure from Chicago O’Hare International Airport by enticing more air freight in Milwaukee, he said at that time.

More: Cheap summer flights from Milwaukee to Dallas set to begin in July through Spirit Airlines

More: What to know about new federal policy requiring airlines to issue refunds for a canceled flight

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Witness testimony in Trump's hush money trial wraps for the day

From CNN's Kara Scannell, Lauren Del Valle, Jeremy Herb and Sabrina Souza in the courthouse

Witnesses walk through how bills were paid at Trump Org. Here’s what happened in court and why it matters

From CNN's Elise Hammond

In the hush money trial against the former president, prosecutors called two witnesses Monday who worked in accounting in the Trump Organization: Jeffrey McConney , a former Trump Org. controller, and Deborah Tarasoff , an accounts payable supervisor.

McConney walked the jury through the paper trail that showed how executives organized and paid back Michael Cohen for the money he sent to Stormy Daniels’ attorney. This is important because at the heart of the trial — the falsification of business records — are the payments to Cohen, which were listed as retainer fees.

Tarasoff described in more detail how checks were paid at the organization and when Trump’s approval was needed for payments.

Here’s what happened in court today:

Jeffrey McConney

• McConney testified that he had a conversation with Allen Weisselberg , former chief financial officer of the Trump Org., about a need to “reimburse” Cohen . McConney then showed jurors 12 checks, each for $35,000 , that were paid to Cohen in 2017. Cohen sent invoices for those checks and asked that the payments be listed as part of a “retainer agreement.” As previous testimony in the trial revealed, there was no actual retainer for Cohen.
• McConney also explained to the jury why Cohen was paid $420,000 in all and how each check was cut, first from Trump's revocable trust and then from his personal account .
• The jury also saw business records relating to the payment to Cohen that are tied to several of the 34 falsifying business records charges against Trump. The records show several rows and columns organized to record the payments.
• On cross-examination, Trump attorney Emil Bove questioned McConney about his knowledge of Trump's role in these payments. "President Trump did not ask you to do any of the things you described?" Bove asked. "He did not," McConney testified. He said he was told to do this work by Weisselberg. McConney also said he did not know if Cohen did legal work for Trump in 2017.

Deborah Tarasoff

• As accounts payable supervisor, Tarasoff said she would get an approved invoice , enter it into the system, cut the check and get it signed. Tarasoff testified that Trump or his sons needed to approve invoices of more than $10,000 and Trump was the only person who authorized checks from his personal account , including during his presidency.
• Tarasoff said Trump would sign the checks by hand. She said they were signed in black Sharpie . Tarasoff said Trump did not always sign the checks, even when Weisselberg approved them. He would “write 'void' and send it back,” she noted.
• Before Trump was president, Tarasoff testified that she “ would cut the check , put it with the backup and bring it over to Rhona (Graff) who would bring it in to Mr. Trump to sign,” referring to Trump’s former longtime assistant. The invoices and the checks were stapled together, she said, with the check on top of the invoice. When Trump became president, Tarasoff said they would mail checks to the White House .
• The jury was shown the voucher form that said "retainer" in the description line that Tarasoff said she obtained from the invoice. Tarasoff also confirmed each of the $35,000 checks with Trump’s signature were sent to Cohen.
• On cross-examination, she acknowledged that she was not present for conversations between Trump and Weisselberg about the payments. She also said she worked with Trump's children Eric, Don Jr. and Ivanka Trump, over the years. Tarasoff still works for Trump Org., which means she works for Eric Trump, who was also in the courtroom today.

What’s next: Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass estimated they still need about two weeks from tomorrow to make their case. He stresses that's a very rough estimate. The defense will also get an opportunity to call its witnesses after that if they choose.

Gag order hearing: Judge Juan Merchan  found Trump in contempt  for violating the gag order again, specifically concerning comments he made about the makeup of the jury in this case. Prosecutors had alleged Trump violated the gag order on four separate occasions . The judge ruled that the three other comments did not violate the order. "Going forward this court will have to consider a jail sanction," Merchan said, noting the $1,000 fine is not stopping him, but he told Trump “incarceration is truly a last resort .”

Remember: Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business record s. Each criminal charge relates to a specific entry among the business records of the Trump Organization, according to the indictment . Prosecutors allege that Trump allegedly disguised the transaction to Daniels as a legal payment and falsified business records numerous times to “promote his candidacy” in the 2016 election.

Prosecutors roughly estimate they need about two more weeks to make their case

Judge Juan Merchan asks the prosecution how they're doing on timing for making their case.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass says they're doing "well," but estimates they still need about two weeks from tomorrow. He stresses that's a very rough estimate.

Trump tapped defense attorney Todd Blanche's arm as Steinglass made the estimation.

What Deborah Tarasoff said in just over an hour of testimony

From CNN's Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle, Jeremy Herb and Sabrina Souza

Deborah Tarasoff, an employee in the Trump Organization’s accounting department, testified for just over an hour Monday about the check-writing process at the company.

Tarasoff helped arrange the 12 checks for $35,000, each signed by Donald Trump and sent to former attorney Michael Cohen in 2017 as reimbursement for the $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.

She testified that after 2015 any invoice over $10,000 had to be approved by Trump or one of his sons. When she created the checks, Trump would sign them, she testified — or, if he disapproved, he would write “void” on them, she said.

"If he didn’t want to sign it, he didn’t sign it," she said. She knew he was the one signing them because, "It was signed in Sharpie and it was black and that’s what he uses."

She testified she had no decision-making authority but followed instructions, including getting invoices approved, entering them into the system, cutting the checks and getting them signed.

On cross-examination, she acknowledged that she was not present for conversations between Trump and former Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg about the payments.

Judge tells jury they'll wrap up early today

"Jurors we're going to stop a little bit early today," Judge Juan Merchan tells the jury.

The jurors are now leaving.

Tarasoff is off the stand

Trump attorney Todd Blanche just wrapped up his cross-examination of Deborah Tarasoff.

There won't be a redirect, and Tarasoff is off the stand

Tarasoff says she doesn't know what happened to Cohen checks after they were mailed but they returned signed

Trump attorney Todd Blanche also noted that Deborah Tarasoff was not present for conversations between former Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg and Donald Trump.

"When Mr. Weisselberg on some of the emails or Mr. McConney told you to go ahead and pay it, generate a check, you didn’t get permission from President Trump himself, correct?" Blanche said.

"Correct," she said.

She clarified with Blanche that all the checks to Michael Cohen shown in court were signed and that she doesn't know what happened with the checks after she mailed them to the White House.

But she did receive them back in the mail signed.

Blanche follows up with more questions about invoices

Attorney Todd Blanche is asking Deborah Tarasoff if Trump was focused on getting ready to be president during the start of 2017.

"I think so," Tarasoff replies.

Blanche follows up and asks whether the requests to pay for invoices "happens all the time?" Yes, Tarasoff says.

Blanche is trying to rehabilitate earlier testimony from Tarasoff that Trump would sometimes void checks for invoices he didn't want to pay. "If he didn’t want to sign it, he didn’t sign it," she testified earlier.

Tarasoff says Trump Org. is family-run and says she's worked with Don Jr., Eric and Ivanka Trump

Deborah Tarasoff confirms to defense attorney Todd Blanche that the Trump Organization is a family-run business. She says she has worked with Trump's children Eric, Don Jr. and Ivanka Trump over the years.

Trump is fully turned 90 degrees in his chair while Tarasoff is testifying. His arm is over the back of the chair, and he's facing toward Tarasoff.

Prosecutors have finished their questioning of Tarasoff

Prosecutors have wrapped up their questioning of Deborah Tarasoff. Trump attorney Todd Blanche is now starting his cross-examination for the defense.

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