Timeshare exchange in England
Nov 1st, 2002, 06:35 PM
#2
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<BR> Dear Jim.<BR> I have tried now for 2 years <BR> to exchange my timeshare thru<BR> RCI for something in London or<BR> Paris ,so far no luck.Have been told <BR> by RCI to bank my share a year before <BR> my vacation.Still zip.<BR> Good luck. Love to hear other <BR> experiences.<BR> T<BR> <BR>
Nov 1st, 2002, 06:51 PM
#3
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There are MANY great timeshares all over England, Wales and Scotland. London is a problem because you must make your request up to 2 years in advance - but for other areas there are TONS to choose from. I have stayed in 4 in England and 4 properties in Scotland (some several times).<BR><BR>Two of the best properties in England are Elmer's Court in Lymington across from the Isle of Wight, and Sutton Hall in Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe in Yorkshire (James Herriott's son lives in this tiny village).<BR><BR>There are MANY properties in Cornwall and devon. <BR><BR>I find that you should not set your heart on any one property - but decide on a general area and offer RCI (or other agency) several chioces. <BR><BR>One thing to know - almost all UK timeshares charge for electricity/heating. This can range from as little as £10 to more than £60 for a week.
Nov 1st, 2002, 07:32 PM
#4
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We stayed at Allen House, ideal location just off Kensington High St and sizeable two bedroom two bath. Try TUG (timeshare users group) web site sometimes there are international exchange offers. I agree with the other poster, through RCI is almost impossible even a year in advance, but keep trying.
Nov 2nd, 2002, 08:24 AM
#5
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As others have said, it's tough to get into the European places. I've had a search for Italian ones and London for a couple of years already with no luck. Janis, I was looking at some of those in Cornwall--do you have experience at any in that area? I'd love to hear comparisons if you've stayed at some there. Thanks!
Nov 2nd, 2002, 10:21 AM
#6
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London is a special case - just like getting a place in San Francisco. Chances are slim and none unless you are VERY lucky.<BR><BR>But other places are much easier. <BR><BR>I have not stayed in any Cornwall properties but am familiar with some of them. I have stayed in a couple in south Devon. I ahven't seen any that I wouldn't stay in. So instead of recommending a specific one, I'd say pick the area of Cornwall you want to stay in, and look for all of the possibilities nearby.<BR><BR>Cornwall is a relatively small county and the distances are not great. You could stay in almost any area of Cornwall and be within easy reach of the whole southwest. Some parts get VERY crowded in July and August - but at other times there should be easier availability.
Nov 2nd, 2002, 11:34 AM
#8
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Like all of you, I have also tried to trade into London, but have never had any success. Yesterday, I managed to trade into Brantridge Park in West Sussex (an hour from London by train, I'm told). I figured that would be the closest I would manage to get to London. Has anyone stayed there?
Nov 2nd, 2002, 08:52 PM
#12
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To Kat, we stayed at Brantridge last May it is rural.not a problem if you have a car. We chose not to and still got around with local taxi. Unit was 2bdrm 2 bath upper and we had a white peacock visist every morning. It was once a royal hunting lodge and still has acres of grounds, pheasants and grouse. there is a small restaurant on site if it is serving,there was help problems. Haywards Heath about 10 min drive is a sizeable community for restuarants and pubs. Chichester and Arundel are historic places within easy distance. We took train trips from ere to Isle of Wight , Portsmouth. We enjoyed our stay at Brantridge.
Nov 2nd, 2002, 09:02 PM
#13
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"What's the point of investing in a timeshare if it's so hard to find an exchange that you're pleased to end up an hour from London? Maybe you'd be better-off doing a regular home exchange?"<BR><BR>Because there are MANY places other than London. It is stupid to think you could esaily trade for London. But how about a gorgeous place on the shore of Loch Lomond, or one ten miles from St Andrews, or in the Lake district, or in the forest of Dean, or on Rutland water???? There are timeshares all over GB that are easily traded for.
Nov 2nd, 2002, 09:09 PM
#14
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Major European cities are difficult but not impossible trades. You need a good trader deposited at least 12 months, preferably 24 months out. I've traded to Rome, Venice, Nice, and Paris. <BR><BR>For info on trading ins and outs check out<BR><BR>www.tug2.net
Nov 3rd, 2002, 10:56 AM
#15
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To Jim and Trubrit<BR><BR>Thanks for the responses. I'm looking forward to my trip.<BR><BR>In response to Jen: I'm sure there are a number of reasons why people invest in timeshares, all of which you probably would not understand or agree with. However, my family and I have been able to trade into Beverly Hills, San Diego, Williamsburg, Vistana near Disney World, Puerto Vallerta, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Hawaii, and 2 consecutive weeks on the Costa del Sol. We currently have vacations through 2004 set for another week in Williamsburg, one in Massachusetts and one in West Sussex England. We still travel outside our timeshare exchanges when things don't work out (Rome and W.Med cruise this past summer), but I'm sure we never would have travelled to as many diverse places and been able to expose our children to so many different cultures w/o the timeshare exchanges. Nor would we have been able to travel so comfortably, usually exchanging our timeshare for 1 to 3 bedroom units - much more spacious than a hotel room and much less expensive than several hotel rooms for each destination.<BR><BR>To each his own.
Nov 3rd, 2002, 11:50 AM
#16
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" I'm sure we never would have travelled to as many diverse places and been able to expose our children to so many different cultures w/o the timeshare exchanges. Nor would we have been able to travel so comfortably, usually exchanging our timeshare for 1 to 3 bedroom units - much more spacious than a hotel room and much less expensive than several hotel rooms for each destination."<BR><BR>I'm glad your timeshare is working out for you, but I think you might not have understood my post. You can exchange your own home for others' without owning a timeshare, and travel to a variety of cultures and have free accommodations in someone else's home, often including a car. There are more home exchangers, in a greater variety of locations, than timeshares, so you have more choices and don't have to plan your vacations 2 years in advance.
Nov 3rd, 2002, 05:07 PM
#17
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Jen - you do not need to plan two years in advance. It is true there are only a few properties in London and they are full year round. But other than those, you can easily get into wonderful places in England, Ireland, Germany. Scotland, France, Hawaii, Florida, South Africa and a hundred other countries. I don't know about your home but mine would not merit exchanging for the super deluxe resorts I have been able to trade for. I live in a lower middle class (but nice) neighborhod that is definitely not in a major or scenic tourist area. I could never have exchanged my simple house for a fantastic condo with a view of Neuschwanstein, or on a beach on the Big Island, or on the shore of Loch Lomond, or in Oregon on a cliff overlooking the Pacific. Sure, home exchanges are wonderful, but you must first live somewhere tourists want to stay.
Nov 3rd, 2002, 05:24 PM
#18
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Excellent point about exchanging. I can see my ad now: "Want to exchange a mediocre house in the suburbs of a rural town in Iowa for a week in a Paris penthouse." Any takers?<BR><BR>But the real question is, wouldn't it have been easier in the long run to put the initial outlay in the bank, and save your annual fees and exchange fees and just book places wherever you want to go? You can rent apartments as easily as hotels you know, and not have the restrictions that your timeshare purchase has put on you.
Nov 4th, 2002, 03:56 AM
#19
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It's true, as in real estate, with home exchanges it's location, location, location: it's easier to find an exchange if you live in an area tourists are interested in. But most home exchangers are primarily interested in location and then in number of beds; they are not very hungup about equity in the homes. I have traded my modest suburban home near Boston for a lovely London townhouse -- on 4 months' notice.<BR><BR>If you want to exchange for "superdeluxe resorts," then I suppose you must have a superdeluxe resort place to exchange. Since we're more interested in seeing local sights and learning about local culture than in hanging around a resort, home exchanges work for us. Something for everyone.<BR><BR>I am curious about the economics of the situation, as xxx has pointed out: between the capital investment, carrying costs, fees, etc. does it really work out better to own and exchange, rather than just choosing a resort, hotel, or apartment and paying to stay there?
Nov 4th, 2002, 08:53 AM
#20
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Jen, In many cases it does work out economically, depending on where you want to exchange to. Many of the beautiful resorts mentioned by Kat would cost much more (sometimes 2-3 times more) for a week's stay than what you have paid for initial investment plus maintenance fee. Another consideration is whether your home resort is someplace you want to return to often, even if not every single year. You will usually end up ahead of the game. Now, this doesn't apply to all exchanges, and it is difficult to get into some of the European ones, but as noted, in other areas you can exchange fairly easily.<BR>
