A funny thing happened to us!

Our usual routine for our 'Independent Travel' is to pick up a rental car at the airport. When we went to Egypt though, we were advised not to do so!
Leave the airport, we were told, go to the taxi rank and get an official taxi.
First lesson, Egyptians do not appear to like haggling with women! Lesson number two, taxi rank drivers at the airport won't budge on price - or not for us anyway.
A hefty £25 charge for a 15 minute drive, our fare was handed to the 'minder' who told us that, if the driver was good, we should give him a good tip, our suitcases precariously balanced on the car roof and we were on our way.
We soon found out why we should not drive in Egypt! Fast and furious! Cars three abreast across two lanes! No lights.
Suddenly, he muttered something, pulled over at the side of the road and got out of the car. We sat here for ages thinking we had been abandoned.
It must have been about five minutes later when the driver came back, threw a piece of paper on the seat and complained bitterly that he had been pulled over by the police for speeding! £30 fine! He was not a happy man!
Needless to say, our tip was no bigger.
Our return trip to the airport was with the Hilton minibus - £8.
Moral of the story, contact the resort and see if they will collect you for a small fee.

timetraveller

Selling a timeshare

We are always told at a timeshare presentation that there are at least 7 different ways of using a timehare week. You can:-
1. Use it
2. Lend it
3. Let it
4. Swap/exchange it
5. Let it stand empty
6. Bequeath it in your Will
7. Sell it
The first 6 are relatively easy, but number 7 is somewhat more difficult.

If you bought your week from the resort, then do not expect to get back anywhere near what you paid for it. Timeshare values do not go up!

First of all, have a look at the OTE website to see a list of accredited timeshare resale companies.

Then go to those resale company websites and search for the same resort you want to sell. Phone the companies up and discuss the saleability of your week. Get an idea of what they believe your week is worth.

Members of OTE cannot make you pay to sell your timeshare. They will try to get you to pay to advertise but I prefer to register my week only as I believe that, if someone is a serious buyer, then they will call the resale company and ask what weeks are available.

Do not be tempted to react to any resale company who wants you to travel abroad to meet a prospective buyer or to sell your week and pay to join a points club to reduce your maintenance fees. Don't get caught by Companies who say they have a buyer but ask you for money so they can proceed with the sale. The buyer will soon disappear!

I have sold 2 of my weeks in recent years. I must admit I had little success with the resale agents. I sold both weeks through Ebay and was satisfied with the amount I received. Be very careful with your Ebay pricing though. I managed to buy 2 very valuable RCI points weeks on Ebay (together worth 90000 points) for just £77! I have had good value from them over the last couple of years but have now decided to sell them.

I am advised that they are worth about £1250 each. Watch out Ebay! Here I come!!

timetraveller

Buying a Timeshare

I bought my first timeshare at one of those awful 'You have won a Holiday' prize presentations. It was intentional. I had already been to a timeshare presentation (where we came away with a new bicycle for my son) and I had been convinced it was an excellent concept, but I had no money.

A small inheritance later, I was told I had won a timeshare for 3 years and at the presentation, I bought a week at Club Bena Vista on the Costa del Sol at the beginning of July. I came away believing I had got a bargain as I had negotiated 33% off. I still believe it was good value.

I bought my second week (October half term) from a resort in Orlando - Vistana. The resort was superb and just minutes from Disney. Once again, I bought a resale - the price? About right.

I gradually began to realise that the weeks I had bought couldn't always exchange for what I wanted and I decided to find a week with very strong trading power.

I ended up sourcing an August school holiday week at a top resort in Cornwall - Clowance Estate and Country Club. I bought it through a resale agent and the price was fine.

In retrospect, I think I was lucky with what I bought - it was definitely more by luck than judgement that I ended up with relatively good weeks.

This is what I would now suggest to anyone thinking of buying a timeshare:-
1. Find out as much as you can about timeshare and how it works
2. Attend a timeshare presentation but DO NOT BUY. Leave your cheque book and plastic cards at home. Don't believe everything they tell you but you can learn a lot about how timeshare works
3. Work out where you would like to buy. You may have stayed at a resort where part of it has been timeshare. I know that Club Casablanca in Tenerife certainly also has a package holiday section.
4. Remember the better the resort, the better the trading power via RCI or Interval International.
5. Also remember, the more popular the time of year, the better the trading power.
6. Check that the annual maintenance fee is both acceptable and affordable. Could you rent a week in similar accommodation at the same location for a better price? Is the timeshare worth the annual maintenance fee?
7. Have a hunt around on the internet for resale companies and see what they've got for sale at your chosen resort. Listen to their advice.

Only when you're completely happy with what you've chosen then go ahead.

timetraveller

The Advantages of Timeshare

I couldn't imagine going on a package tour now. I must say, I rather enjoy hunting around for the most convenient flights. We don't have to put up with middle of the night flights as we can choose what time we want to fly.

The quality of timeshare units is generally better than the average self catering apartment. You will always get the odd not so good resort and I have been to one or two but the same can happen on a package.

It's easy to get used to doing what you want when you want. Travelling independently gives us that freedom of taking each day as it comes at our own leisure.

On every exchange we've been to, we've hired a car (apart from Egypt) and it usually works out cheaper than getting a taxi to and from the airport even if you leave it parked all week. Car hire is another thing that can be booked online. I always make sure that I get a rental agreement with no excess, even if it costs a few pounds more, then there will be no additional charges negotiated at the airport.

Don't get me wrong, you don't have to hire a car. We've met many people who travel around on the bus, the most memorable being the couple who went on the bus to Pretty Beach in Malta. On their recommendation, we drove there the next day in our hire car. We stood on this beach with an ugly view of the industrial port and asked a local where Pretty Beach was. You're standing on it, he said!!

Cost wise, I find that timeshare generally works out on a par or cheaper than a package. It really depends on the cost of the maintenance of your timeshare. If there are a number of you in your party, then I believe it is very cost effective. Where else could you get a week of really beautiful accommodation on a luxury estate in Orlando for a family of 6 for just £400? That is possible if you exchange your week with that maintenance cost for a resort in Orlando.

For me, the advantages of timeshare are the freedom of independent travelling, the quality accommodation and the cost effectiveness.

timetraveller