In exchange for a service, this start-up allows travelers to get their train ticket paid.
The school holidays are approaching but your bank account has turned red… To top it all off, you have just checked the different booking platforms, even low cost, and you notice that the tickets are overpriced. And yet, did you know that there is a way to board a train by having someone else pay for your ticket? For a small service, of course…
Provided you love children and know how to take care of them, the Kidygo site offers travelers the chance to get paid for a train, bus or plane ride, from parents who are looking for chaperones for their children. children. All destinations, French or European, are possible, whether by train, bus or plane, even if the majority of announcements concern rail journeys in France, between the capital and large provincial cities such as Paris -Marseille, a Paris-Lyon or even a Paris-Bordeaux, which generally cost more than 100 euros…
If this platform created in 2014 is still little known to the French, it is a delight for students on a small budget and divorced parents! “It’s very often the same type of case. The dad lives in one place, the mom in another. They are separated and are looking for a way to move the child without having to move themselves. And so we bring a child from one to the other”, explains Maëlle to France Info, a student from Lyon who in two years, has already had around twenty train tickets paid for via Kidygo. In half of the cases, parents offer a fully refunded ticket. Otherwise, the portion reimbursed varies depending on the date of travel and when parents make the reservation.
To become a “KidySitter”, simply register on the site for a subscription of €9.90 per month with no commitment (activated only on the first trip made). The site is, however, free for parents. The traveler will provide proof of a clean criminal record, ID card and photo, and must complete their presentation by adding diplomas, certifications and any significant experience (BAFA, summer camps, childcare, first aid, etc. ) in order to reassure parents. Once the profile has been validated, the future companion can then offer train journeys and/or comply with the parents’ requests.
On the search engine, the advertisements posted by parents mention the cities of departure and arrival, the dates and times, the number of children to be taken care of during the journey as well as the total or partial refund of the ticket. If you are ready to leave anywhere, it is even possible to not indicate any arrival destination! If a parent is interested in the application, the site exchanges contact details. It is an exchange of good practices which has the merit of being known.