| Surprisingly, timeshare has been in existence | | | | places you'd like to visit. |
| as a concept since the 1960s. A ski resort | | | | |
| owner in France decided that owning a set | | | | Timeshares also offer a quality vacation. |
| amount of time in a resort each year was a | | | | Many timeshare resorts are of the highest |
| much more practical way to have a holiday | | | | quality, incorporating luxury features within |
| than renting. Over time his idea became | | | | the accommodation itself, and many extra |
| popular, and the timeshare concept has | | | | resort facilities such as tennis courts and |
| steadily grown in popularity ever since, | | | | swimming pools. The variety is astonishing, |
| particularly in the USA. | | | | and I've always been impressed with the |
| | | | resorts I've visited, both in terms of |
| Why do people buy and use timeshares? When | | | | quality and facilities. Even in the short |
| you buy a timeshare, you become owner a tiny | | | | time I've owned a week of timeshare, I've |
| part of the property, and for many people | | | | stayed in a luxury Hawaiian beachside |
| they like the feeling of security and | | | | apartment, a chalet in the Canadian Rockies, |
| ownership that gives them. Maintenance and | | | | by a peaceful lake in New Zealand and |
| other ownership costs are split among all the | | | | beautiful Australian bush setting. |
| property owners, and generally the owners | | | | |
| will combine to hire a professional manager | | | | Sometimes, a timeshare resort will set up an |
| to take care of the resort. | | | | agreement with other timeshares, which means |
| | | | you get access to cheap weeks at the other |
| Once you own timeshare, you're guaranteed to | | | | resorts as well. If you find you don't want |
| have that amount of time in the resort each | | | | to use your week one year, you can let family |
| year, which can be a big plus if it's a very | | | | or friends use it. All you need to do is pay |
| popular resort. When the resort's a little | | | | the annual maintenance fee. There are |
| quiet, they may offer extra weeks to owners | | | | timeshare resorts available all over the USA, |
| at a much cheaper rate than normal rental | | | | so you should be able to find one relatively |
| weeks. The biggest benefit for most people, | | | | close by. You can usually arrange a free |
| however, is that you can exchange your own | | | | tour, or even stay for the weekend at a |
| week at your resort for a week at an entirely | | | | reduced rate if you're thinking of buying a |
| different resort. This is great if you don't | | | | week at the resort. During your stay it's a |
| really want to vacation in the same place | | | | good idea to talk to other owners and get |
| every year. You can exchange into resorts | | | | their feedback. Timeshares can be a |
| all over the world, which is an enormous | | | | wonderful vacation option, so do your |
| range of places and climates to choose from. | | | | research and make sure you buy wisely, if you |
| So it will take a long time to run out of | | | | decide a timeshare is right for you. |