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Affordable Travel Through Housesitting
What happens when a housesit gets cancelled? Maria one of our regular housesitters shares how she embraced affordable travel through housesitting during an unexpected 7-day gap in France. Read about her exploits and survival tactics that ended happily and successfully with two new cities in France explored and notched on her bedpost.
Affordable Travel Through Housesitting: Pivoting Through a 7-Day Gap in France
After putting the Jenga pieces of my suddenly empty schedule back into something that looked vaguely like a plan, I slept surprisingly well. The next morning, I dropped a pod into the Airbnb coffee maker and unfolded the map the owner had left me.
I wasn’t expecting anything dramatic—just two days in Lille to fill a gap—but that quiet little morning turned out to be the start of something I didn’t see coming. It became a masterclass in affordable travel through housesitting, proving that even when your schedule falls apart, your budget doesn’t have to.
Because, as we know… the story doesn’t happen when everything goes right. The story begins the moment it doesn’t.
The Pit Stop vs. The Side Trip
Lille is one of those places people treat like a pit stop—the city you pass through on your way to somewhere else. Amiens, meanwhile, gets whispered about as a side trip worth a couple of days: cathedral, gardens, canals, charm. The kind of place travel blogs describe with phrases like “perfect for a weekend.”
So, with a week to fill and a train pass burning a hole in my pocket, I did the logical thing: I stopped in Lille, then hopped over to Amiens for the supposedly “multi-day worthy” experience. This flexibility is exactly what makes affordable travel through housesitting such an adventure—you have the freedom to follow the road wherever it leads.
And then—in true Maria-Jenga-travel fashion—I discovered the truth only after stacking the pieces and stepping back. One of these cities deserved far more time than I gave it. The other… well… let’s just say hype and reality don’t always shake hands.
Let’s start with the surprise.
LILLE: The Pit Stop That Should’ve Been the Main Event
Where I Stayed (Because France Is Not Cheap, Let’s Be Honest)
For Lille, I chose a nice little Airbnb—partly because I wanted something cosy, but mostly because mastering affordable travel through housesitting means knowing how to pivot when things change. I’d just found myself with an unexpected 7-day gap (cancellations happen; it’s part of the game), and I wasn’t about to burn through everything I’d saved just because France decided to be France.
A hotel would’ve eaten half my budget before I even ordered my first coffee. The Airbnb was perfect: central, comfortable, and priced like someone understood that travellers occasionally need to eat food and sleep indoors.
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The Fiat 500 Tours (Or as I call them, the cinquecento!)
In French, it’s simply “la Fiat 500.” For me, though? I just gasped and blurted out, “OMG it’s a cinquecento!!”—full Italian nostalgia activated.
Even though I couldn’t justify the splurge this time, I could instantly picture myself in one: jaunty little beret, oversized sunglasses, scarf blowing dramatically in the wind, being chauffeured by someone who looks like they stepped straight out of a 1960s French film. Preferably someone named Étienne who says things like, “Regardez, madame, ici is the best pastry in Lille.”
These adorable vintage cars zip around the city offering guided tours that feel far more personal than the usual hop-on-hop-off bus.
- Fiat 500 tour: €35–€60 per person
- Hop-on-hop-off bus: €15–€22 per person
Honestly? The Fiat wins for charm alone. It’s basically a moving Instagram filter.
A City Made for Wandering
Lille’s centre is compact and perfect for aimless strolling. You can wander effortlessly between iconic spots and never once feel bored:
- The bustling Grand Place
- Vieux Lille with its gorgeous Flemish façades
- Palais des Beaux-Arts
- The vibrant Wazemmes Market
- Citadel Park
The Food: Ficelle Picarde, Mon Amour
Photo credit – Maria Vano
Lille is famous for ficelle picarde—a glorious, overstuffed, cheese-drenched crêpe rolled around ham, mushrooms, cream, and enough dairy to stun a small dragon. It’s the kind of dish that arrives at your table looking innocent, and then halfway through you realise you’re in a committed relationship with it.
It’s not Welsh rarebit. It’s not flammekueche. It’s its own beautiful, unhinged, Picardian thing. And because I wasn’t paying for a costly hotel room, I could enjoy every single bite. That’s the ultimate perk of affordable travel through housesitting—saving on the stay so you can splurge on the local flavours.
The Part I Didn’t Realise Until Later
Here’s the thing: I didn’t know Lille was this good while I was actually in Lille.
I liked it. I enjoyed it. I wandered, I ate, I people-watched, and I admired the architecture. But it wasn’t until I left—until I was standing in Amiens, surrounded by shopping malls masquerading as streets—that I suddenly thought: “Oh. Oh no. I should’ve stayed in Lille.”
It was a classic Maria-style travel moment. You only understand the shape of the experience after you’ve stacked the pieces and stepped back. And Lille, in hindsight, was one of those pieces that should’ve been much bigger.
AMIENS: The Side Trip Everyone Says Is Worth Days… Until You’re There
Where I Stayed (Because Airbnb Said “Non”)
Amiens was a different story. I couldn’t find a single Airbnb that didn’t look like a set from a 1970s detective show, so I went with the B&B Hotel chain. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was affordable, clean, and reliable.
And honestly? For Amiens, it was the right choice. This was not a city where I needed charm; I needed a bed, a shower, and a place to drop my bag while I went cathedral-hunting.
The Cathedral: Dizzying and Worth the Trip Alone
Amiens Cathedral is enormous, intricate, and absolutely breath-taking. You walk in and your neck immediately files a complaint because you can’t stop looking up.
The Hortillonnages (Floating Gardens)
These gardens are peaceful, lush, and unlike anything else in France. The boat ride is lovely… but also stupidly expensive for what it is. Travel through housesitting makes you unbelievably sensitive to the price of everything, because the accommodation is such good value.
- Garden boat tour: €12–€18 per person
- Private boat options: €40–€60 (Not worth it unless you’re filming a wedding proposal!)
The Canal Boats & The “Why Did I Pay For This?” Moment
Fun? Yes. Memorable? Yes. Worth the price? Absolutely not.
Especially when Amiens has this brilliant little scheme where all buses are free on Saturdays. Who needs hop-on-hop-off buses or overpriced tours when you can just ride around the city all day for exactly €0? It’s the one moment Amiens felt like it was winking at me and saying, “Go on. Explore. It’s on the house.” Finding those local, zero-euro gems is a massive part of the toolkit when you’re mastering affordable travel through housesitting.
Where Amiens Lost Me
Once you’ve seen the cathedral, the gardens, and the river… you’ve basically seen Amiens.
The rest of the city centre feels like one giant shopping mall. As someone who does not enjoy shopping, I found myself wandering around thinking: “I could’ve stayed in Lille. I could’ve been eating ficelle picarde. I could’ve been in a Fiat 500 right now.”
If your plans include more than one day and one night, you’ll likely be disappointed—unless you love shopping with the passion of a thousand suns.
Photo credit – Maria Vano
Final Thoughts: One Clear Winner
- Lille: The pit stop that should’ve been the main event.
- Amiens: The side trip that’s lovely… but only briefly.
- Me: Wishing I’d spent my entire 7-day gap in Lille or paired it with another city entirely.
Because, as we know, the story doesn’t happen when everything goes right. It begins the moment it doesn’t—and that’s the real beauty of affordable travel through housesitting. Cancellations, gaps, and last-minute pivots aren’t interruptions to your journey. They’re invitations.
And sometimes, they lead you straight to a Fiat 500, a ficelle picarde, and a story you didn’t see coming.
👉 Interested in travel through housesitting? Try using a trusted platform like Housesit Match. Check out their housesit listings and join them as a housesitter.
BIO
Maria Vano is a self-confessed dreamer who believes that the world is there for all of us to see, to taste all the wines and foods, to interact with as many cultures as you can because it’s the only way to truly experience the world. She now fulfils her love of travel and of animals by house and petsitting her way around the world. Her first book is about her life as a solo traveller ‘When every road whispers my name‘.
FAQ – About Affordable Travel & House Sitting Gaps
Q: What should I do if a house sit gets cancelled at the last minute?
A: First, don’t panic! As Maria experienced in France, a cancellation can be turned into an unexpected travel adventure. Check budget-friendly accommodation sites like Airbnb or local hostels immediately. Alternatively, log right back into your HouseSit Match account to search for emergency or last-minute sit requests—homeowners frequently need quick cover due to unexpected changes in their own travel plans.
Q: How can I keep travel affordable when pivoting during a house sitting gap?
A: To keep your budget intact during a gap, look for secondary or “pit stop” cities (like Lille or Amiens) where accommodation and dining are significantly cheaper than major hubs like Paris. Opting for local regional trains or buses instead of high-speed rail, and shopping at local fresh-food markets to cook your own meals, will keep your expenses close to zero.
Q: Is house sitting a reliable way to travel on a budget?
A: Yes, absolutely. House sitting is one of the most effective strategies for affordable travel because it eliminates your largest on-the-road expense: accommodation. In exchange for loving care of a home and its pets, you get a free place to stay. While occasional schedule changes happen, being part of a trusted platform like HouseSit Match ensures you have a community and network to rely on.
Q: How do I get started as a house sitter in France or Europe?
A: Getting started is simple. You just need to create a profile on a trusted network like HouseSit Match, highlight any experience you have with pets or home maintenance, and start applying for sits! Building up a few positive reviews early on will make it much easier to secure highly competitive sits in beautiful destinations like France.
FURTHER READING
At Housesit Match we like to share useful blogs and practical advice about housesitters, housesitting and pet sitting. If you have enjoyed reading about how affordable it is to travel by housesitting read on. We hope you find this small selection useful.
What a housesitter does – Top 10 responsibilities
Best cat sitting in Marbella Spain
Housesitting Ile de France – Discover living like a local
Experienced Housesitters Cultural Preparation for International Assignments
