The Affordable Travel Club

We’ve been members of The Affordable Travel Club (6556 Snug Harbor Lane, Gig Harbor, WA 98335; 253/858-2172) for several years. With members in the US and abroad, it’s a hospitality exchange club for people over 40.

Members offer to host other members in their homes during their travels. For a yearly membership fee, members receive a list of all the club members and details of their accommodations. The fee is $65-$80, depending on what format(s) you want your list in.

A member can either call or e-mail another member to ask if they would be available to host them for the desired dates. The usual host period is one to three days, unless host and guest make other arrangements. When a host member agrees to the dates, the guest stays at their home and also expects some sort of breakfast. The guest pays a small amount to the host; it’s been $20 per night for two persons.

Some hosts are more engaging than others, of course, and provide tourist information, etc., for their area.

The club’s website claims they have members in over 2,400 host locations in 49 states and 50 countries. There is a wide assortment of homes — urban, suburban, rural and resort.

We have experienced many stays with members in the US and Canada, most recently in Toronto in summer 2010. We stayed in a lovely home with two charming hosts for four nights and paid them $20 for each night. We stayed in their spare bedroom and had our own private bath — similar to staying in a B&B. They took us on a tour in their mini-car and gave us all sorts of great information.

This particular Canadian couple had stayed in other club members’ homes in New Zealand, England and the US.

It is a “home away from home experience,” only better, since you don’t have to cook breakfast!

CAROLE SHEREDA
Livingston, TX