Travel the Home Exchange Way

Keep Accommodation Costs in Europe Down – with a Home Exchange

In a recent post on Arthur Frommer’s blog, ‘The U.S. Dollar Has Dropped Sharply in Value Against European Currencies, So Seek Cheaper Lodgings’, he suggested looking at alternatives to hotels to keep accommodation costs down:

‘..... seriously consider the use of alternative, cheaper lodgings for your next trip to Europe. You should think about lengthening your stay in each European city to a week so that you can rent an apartment at a considerable savings. Even more effectively, you should consider the use of hostel accommodations....’

There are other alternatives to hotels including camping, couch surfing and, for those who prefer the comforts of home, home exchange of course!

 

Although the primary reason for some who choose to swap homes may be for cost savings, there are many more advantages, some of which can also save money. For example, your kitchen in a ‘real’ home is likely to be much better equipped than in a holiday property and so you more apt to prepare more meals at home (shopping for food in local shops and markets is a lot more fun than routine grocery shopping at home). It’s easy to have a substantial breakfast at home before setting out for the day, perhaps also preparing a picnic lunch to save on buying snacks that are usually expensive, and not always very healthy, at popular tourist attractions.

 

Families with young children often like to swap homes with other families with similar aged children, giving reassurance that the homes will be child friendly and there will be baby equipment, toys, books and games available to save packing so much; and not forgetting the likelihood of local playmates and a trusted babysitter as well as friends and neighbours to answer questions and help you make the most of your holiday.

Top Money Saving Tips for Visiting London with Children

One of the best ways to save money when visiting London with children is to arrange a home exchange with a London family. And there's no better place to find a great choice of home swap offers than on Home Base Holidays - a London based service! Browse over 300 current exchange offers in London.

Once settled in, there are many ways to cut down on expenses (for a start, you will have a fully equipped kitchen and can prepare some meals and packed lunches 'at home'). I am now delighted to introduce guest author and Londoner, Janis Curry, who provides valuable tips on making the most of our great city:

Visiting London? There are some experiences and attractions you really shouldn’t miss, but there is no reason to pay full price. If you plan on visiting The London Eye, Madame Tussauds, Tower of London, London Zoo, St Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, Legoland and other major attractions, we’d highly recommend buying tickets in advance from Attractiontix – they guarantee the lowest prices and they’ll send you an e-ticket right away so you don’t need to worry about your tickets getting lost along the way.

You can buy tickets to individual attractions, but we’d recommend getting a pass (1, 2, 3 or 6 day passes are available) – you’ll save money, even if you only visit one or two attractions per day. With the passes, you also get some extra discounts for London restaurants, free movies, free bowling and skating, and a glossy visitor's guide. Better still, you won't be wasting time standing in a neverending queue when you could be out enjoying yourself - with a pass you just skip straight to the front of the queue. They also have some fantastic discounts on dozens of hit West End Theatre shows like the Lion King, Les Miserables, Billy Elliot and other must-see performances.

Click here to visit the Attractiontix website.

Get an Oystercard and enjoy cheap bus and tube journeys
Walking is a great way to see London, and you’ll find that Central London is actually pretty easy on foot, with lots of points of interest and places to stop for a bite to eat. You could even take some guided walks with London Walks - there is a brilliant Harry Potter walk every Sunday afternoon that your children will love. If you want to go somewhere a bit further afield, by far the easiest and cheapest way to get around is using public transport. If you’re planning to do quite a bit of travel by bus and tube, you should consider getting an Oyster card for each adult in your group and just adding enough credit to get you through the holiday – these smart little cards cost about £2 each (plus your fare) but will not only save you a lot of time and hassle, but they automatically recalculate your fare to make sure it’s the cheapest possible, so you save a lot of money. The £2 isn’t wasted either - you can also keep the card for your next visit to London. Kids under 10 usually travel free on public transport – there are a few odd exceptions which you can read about here.

For those with impaired mobility, baby buggies or lots of suitcases, click here for an accessibility guide showing which stations have step-free access. Planning in advance will make your journey much easier!

There is also an excellent tube map showing all of the public toilets and baby changing facilities on the underground – click here.

Visit some free museums, galleries and attractions
London has some of the most remarkable museums and galleries in the world, and many of them have hands-on exhibits and family activities as well as baby changing facilities and buggy access. Some also have lovely soft play areas for the really little ones. For the most part they are absolutely free, and even have picnic areas for you to enjoy your packed lunch.Click here to read about family friendly museums and attractions.

And finally…
We can pretty much guarantee that you’ll be rained on while in London. It’s part of the charm, really. Luckily, there are plenty of things to do indoors without feeling cooped up – click here for over 100 rainy days out. You’ll thank us!

This guestblog was brought to you by Janis Curry (a.k.a. MumVersusKids), Director & Founder of ReallyKidFriendly.com, the guide to great places for your family.

House Swapping Blog

I came across the House Swapping Blog recently and, although it has only been publishing since May and not prolifically (less is more!), it is developing into a good source of information on home exchange, especially for those new to the idea.

 

With our blog, most posts should be relevant to most home exchangers, with topics covered based on feedback from hundreds of home exchangers over many years.  Home Base Holidays members’ listings (and links) do figure prominently in many posts as samples, and to demonstrate points, and so we wouldn’t claim that Travel the Home Exchange Way is unbiased. But then, the majority of independent home exchangers writing about their exchange experiences can’t make this claim either; however useful the information, inevitably the experiences of one person or family, even prolific exchangers, will be based mainly on their own particular circumstances, needs, and influenced by where they live. Unless swaps are arranged independently, most personal accounts will also be based on limited experience of one or two home exchange services  – so hardly unbiased!

 

For this reason it was interesting to come across a blog on home swapping where the author seems to deliberately limit personal opinions (‘The author does not say much about himself’) but rather has mostly published general information of relevance and use to anyone interested in home exchange. Check out House Swapping, including the post published on Tuesday (15 Sept)  - simple tips on preparing for an exchange, what to do at the end of the exchange before leaving your exchange partner's home, and the follow-up after you return home.

 

Do let us know if you find other independent sources of information on home exchange that you feel would be useful to draw attention to on our blog - the wider the range of advice, the better.

 

Five Years of Travel the Home Exchange Way

 

It hardly seems like five years since I started this blog to supplement the information on home exchange on Home Base Holidays and in Home Swappers newsletters.

 

Although there’s been a little slow down in posts published over the summer (Twitter is a distraction - do follow us on Twitter!), there are always lots of topics about home exchange to cover (or return to), both to answer questions those new to the idea of swapping homes often have, and for experienced exchangers. Some upcoming developments at Home Base Holidays, including a new (and very prestigious)  partner site, have also been keeping us occupied in the last few weeks.

 

Please do keep sending your suggestions and adding your comments to posts. It is particularly useful to get  feedback, often giving a different perspective on a subject, from experienced home exchangers.

 

September to early December tends to be a very busy time with many new (and renewing members) signing up with Home Base Holidays – some, at this time of year, are looking for home swaps over the Christmas holiday period, while others (facing the nights drawing in and cooler weather in northern hemisphere countries) looking ahead to exchanges next summer.

 

It’s never too soon to start planning a home exchange. Do browse listings in countries of interest and check out the latest exchange offers often. Note: the ‘New’ symbol you will see in listings indicates that the member has joined or renewed during the last month. When viewing the detailed exchange offers, you will see exactly how long each listing has been (registration date), and will continue to be (expiry date) in circulation. Don’t be taken in by sites you may come across (especially free sites) that may appear to have masses of exchange offers. Unless you can see both the join and expiry dates, many listings could be very out of date and no longer available.

Guest Post: Egypt – An adventure not to be missed

Having had successful house swaps before I set my sights this year on Egypt. I have always longed to see the famous pyramids, enjoy an activity holiday as well as experience life of the desert oasis towns so a home swap seemed the ideal choice. However, I soon realised that some of the traditional houses were just that little bit too remote, off the beaten track and it would be a push to get a swap with my London flat! I could still get a real taste for this country by trying one of the Egypt tours from the Pyramids in Cairo to Dahab, and this is exactly what I did.

Travelling solo is a good way to meet some like-minded people and I was glad that we were 12 in total, all relatively young and quite fit. I love walking holidays and have been on singles holidays before, so this was the perfect group to travel with. Cairo is an amazing and enjoyable assault on the senses in so many ways; home to 15 million people, it is vibrant, friendly and alive with mad drivers weaving haphazardly through the streets! We were able to enjoy the endless bazaars and winding alleys on our first evening and take a trip to the beautifully lit Khan El- Khalili Market, where we spent an hour sipping the fragrant sweet mint tea whilst watching the locals bartering.

The trip to Giza the next day was amazing. Nobody can be prepared for the awe inspiring sight of these 4000 year old pyramids. It was better to take in the view from the distance as once I arrived I found it hard to concentrate on the wonders with all the tourists pushing and bustling outside, and it was a pleasure to step inside the cool stone interior. Likewise the Egyptian Museum housed so many fascinating artefacts that it was difficult to take it all in so an English speaking guide was useful to home in on the main collection of Tutankhamen’s gilded treasures; which were a rare treat.

The next step of our holiday took us away from Cairo and to the Sinai desert, where the real sense of adventure began. One of the main attractions of this Egypt tour was the hike up Mount Sinai (2285m) which was exhilarating to say the least. I was comfortable getting up in the middle of the night (12.30 am!) to start the trek as I have been on previous trekking holidays; this climb was moderate but it did help getting some sleep the night before! Having layers of clothing was imperative as it became fairly chilly as we reached the summit, but the sunrise was spectacular and well worth it. We then took a quick trip to see the famous St Catherine’s Monastery before heading to the great desert resort of Dahab.

We stayed in Dahab for the next couple nights and ventured out to the Red Sea to enjoy the snorkelling. The off-shore corals are stunning, the warm shallow waters were great for relaxing and watching the fabulous multi-coloured fish. It was just as well to have these comforts as we had the camel trekking to contend with next, and although it was great fun, these animals are smelly and can be fairly grumpy at times; even an hour on a camel makes you walk slightly strangely at the end of the day! This part of the trip caused great amusement in our group. We all enjoyed hanging out later in town; it has a bohemian feel about it and is very chilled. We explored the many bars and ate delicious shish kebab, tomato salad and flat breads. When it was time to travel back to London, I was sad to part with the rest of the group; this was such an adventure, one I will never forget.

This guest post was authored by Frank from The Adventure Company, an activity holidays specialist that provides adventure travel to destinations all over the world.

Home Exchange Imminent? Keeping Informed about Swine Flu

Q: Do you have any thoughts on upcoming exchanges now that swine flu appears to be approaching epidemic proportions in the UK? I'm starting to wonder if we should warn our exchange partners although we do not live in a part of the country that is a "hotspot" at present. - hobiej

A: There's no easy answer. After recent very alarmist reports in some UK media, there does now seem to be more balanced news coverage on the growth in cases of swine flu that helps put its prevalence and severity into better perspective. As swine flu (H1N1) is pandemic, check the World Health Organisation for information and regular updates on your own country or the country you will be visiting. Also see detailed information on NHS Direct, specific travel advice by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and use Directgov to find information on swine flu in any local authority in the UK.

The concern of course for home exchangers is that one party might have to cancel an exchange at the last minute if a family member contracts swine flu, or that an agreed exchange will be cancelled by an exchange partner alarmed at a reported rise in cases in the country/area they plan to visit. General travel insurance will not cover cancellation for a simple change of mind unless there are government warnings to avoid travel to the country (in the UK, check the FCO website). Exchangers travelling from the USA or Canada may like to consider joining CHECtravel and buying Travel Guard’s Home Exchange Protection Plan available to members.

Finally, it's always a good idea to make and agree contingency plans during the course of arranging an exchange in case (although very rare) an exchange cannot go ahead as planned for whatever reason. Some time ago a Home Base Holidays member included some excellent suggestions in an article, Home Exchange: Planning for the Unexpected.

Home Exchange - Children Welcome but ...

 

'Yes, this really is London' is the caption under this photo of Ruislip Common on Hidden London, a source of information on the many London attractions not generally known to visitors.

The home in Ruslip described below would be an excellent home base for anyone wanting easy access to central London combined with the more relaxing atmosphere of an outer suburb and a particularly good location for families:

"Semi detached 1930s house in Eastcote, Ruislip, only a few minutes walk from the nearest tube, excellent links to central London, (30 mins to Baker Street) 6 stops to Wembley, yet also close to M40 and M25 for the Chilterns, Oxford, Cotswolds etc.

Situated in the heart of 'Metroland', local attractions include Ruislip Woods with its Lido, a man made lake complete with 'beach'! Popular with families, a minature railway operates in summer between the Lido and the Water's Edge pub.

Although we do not have children, well behaved children and teenagers would be welcome. (As we have a raised pond in the garden it may not be suitable for unsupervised use by younger children.)". Read the full home exchange offer and see more photos, HE19880

It's sometimes hard to remember just how carefully we child proofed our home when our children were babies and toddlers - the gates at the top and bottom of the stairs, the secured (ugly) guard around the open fire, cleaning materials and medicines in locked cupboards, everything that could topple onto an inquisitive child and anything sharp placed safely out of reach, etc. Unless you have frequent child visitors to your normally childless home, it's easy to forget just how many dangers may be lurking and hardly surprising that most accidents happen at home!

Many families with young children try to exchange homes with other families with similar aged children as this is a reassurance that the home is likely to be well equipped for the needs of children. But, if you don't have young children and agree to swap with a young family, do a thorough check through every room and garden for any potential hazards that you can rectify before the exchange. Definitely warn potential exchangers of anything you feel they should be aware of before agreeing to an exchange, like an unenclosed pool or garden pond (include this information in your listing to deter families who won't find your home suitable).

Ultimately, parents are responsible for their children's safety and will need to decide whether they will be able to ensure their children can be supervised at all times if a home exchange home is not as child proofed as their own.

To find Home Base Holidays homes most likely to be suitable for young children, tick the box beside 'Children Welcome' amongst the search options (you will see this small icon beside all listings for such homes).

Photo: Hidden London

Untours: Free Access to a 'Local Expert' Offer

Home Base Holidays is a member of CHECtravel, a USA based organisation that requires high standards from home exchange member agencies. CHECtravel has passed on the following offer:

'UnTours.com has asked us to send them the names and email addresses of home exchangers who may be vacationing in any of the following cities this summer:

London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Florence, Venice, Umbria, Barcelona, New York, San Francisco or Santa Fe.

If any of your members are traveling to any of these cities and wish to have free access to a "local expert," UnTours.com is conducting an experiment they may wish to participate in. It is our understanding that UnTours.com plans to be charging between $100 and $200 for this service in the future. We only have three slots left to give away, so please hurry, first come, first served.'

I can't guarantee that this offer will still be available but if it is of interest, please contact us right away, giving your name, User ID and the city you will be visiting. Enter 'Untours offer' in the subject line.

Getting away from it all - A Morocco Tour in the Atlas Mountains

Guest post written for Travel the Home Exchange Way by The Adventure Company:

I was thinking about killing two birds with one stone this spring by organising a house swap and enjoying a Moroccan holiday at the same time. There can’t be many countries better for stimulating activity holidays than Morocco, but many of the traditional homes in the mountains are extremely remote and not really suitable (or available) for swaps. You can however still experience this beautiful unspoilt wilderness and the simple but charming types of accommodation with an adventure holiday in the Atlas Mountains. This has to be the most memorable adventure holidays to date.

From the moment we left Marrakech in April and ventured towards the expansive Atlas Mountains, I felt a sense of relaxation. The silence as we approached the foothills served as a sharp contrast to the manic, vibrant city we had left behind. I have been drawn back to these Mountains a few times over the last few years; quite often on foot trekking with friends.

We arrived at the range on our second day the friendly guides also had a decent command of English, this helps to make a trip like this run smoothly.We headed into the foothills just below the High Atlas Range and soon settled into the scenic surroundings. This area was draped with emerald forests interspersed with wide open spaces and stunning views. A high point was a picnic by a mountain lake. The Muleteers had gone ahead with the heavy baggage and much needed water to set up lunch. The food was good; the lunches being the most enjoyable, consisting of a spread of salads, sardines, cheese, bread, lentils or pasta, which we ate under the shade of a tree.

Trekking through this region enables you to see mountain villages up close and in depth, I felt in tune with the simplicity of the daily routines; these remote mud hut villages were enchanting. We stayed a night in a "Family" house which was great fun, we were well looked after and entertained with Berber drums and singing! The inhabitants’ hospitality was amazing, and they were as eager to learn about our lives as we were about theirs.

We also spent 3 nights in a rustic Auberge which was very simple but comfortable. I would suggest taking extra layers of clothing as we are not used to the cold nights and even in April the temperature drop dramatically in the late afternoon.

The walk through the Olives groves of the Asni region on the fourth day of the holiday was superb. We passed more mud villages as we ventured around the fabulous Kik plateau; especially picturesque during the spring as the run off from the higher mountains feeds the flora and the area was carpeted in colourful alpine flowers.

My personal highlight was the trek to Ouirgane, and the beautiful village itself nestled in the Mountains with lovely restaurants and fantastic views. This was a great place to finish our trek and relax before I headed back to Marrakech! This was a getaway with a difference, definitely worth a go.

This post was written by The Adventure Company. Visit our website to find out more about Morocco Holidays and other adventure holidays.

Slow Down in London - Swap Homes with a Londoner

It's still Slow Down London week. As a Londoner, I sometimes get annoyed when my way is blocked by a group of tourists taking their time (spread out across the whole pavement), probably not sure where they're going ... but, really, tourists often have the right idea. It's likely that they see things that residents miss or may not even be aware of.

It's the frenetic looking tourists who seem to be on some self driven schedule to pack as much into a day as possible ('Quick - it's 10 o'clock and we should be at St. Paul's already!') that I don't envy. Too busy consulting the guidebook with no time to stop and stare. So why not slow down, do a home exchange, claim 'your' local pub or cafe, talk to the neighbours and find out about the hidden gems that are unlikely to appear in many guidebooks. Then, take your time to do the well known tourist sights at a more leisurely pace. Slowing down is much easier when you aren't paying for accommodation.

Home Base Holidays, being a long established London based home exchange agency, has dozens of attractive home exchange offers - some in very central locations, others in the inner and outer suburbs. All have much to offer visitors and well served by public transport. Just a very small taster:

A smart town house in attractive private square. Located in the heart of Wimbledon Village, with its chic boutiques and restaurants. Excellent access to Central London (15 minutes by train). Close to the outstanding woods, lakes and heathland of Wimbledon Common. Tennis and golf nearby.

Ideal base for exploring London and further afield (eg Hampton Court, historic Winchester, the North Downs). This is a second home, well-maintained and uncluttered. Home exchange offer in full, HE22496

We live in a quiet, residential road in Hither Green, South East London, 10 mins walk from 3 stations with trains going into the city centre within 10-15 mins. We have also access to the DLR (the Docklands Light Railway).

Our house was built in 1928 and has some art-deco feel to it. We like decorating and gardening, hence the colourful & joyful environment we live in.

There are plenty of pubs and restaurants to go out to within short walking distance, a shopping centre & many parks within 5-15 mins walk with children play area and to walk dogs. We are only 15 mins from London and its attractions. You can even walk to Greenwich and Blackheath (20-30 mins) which are lovely villagey-type of neighborhoods great for going out and shopping. Home exchange offer in full, HE20763

Our home is a recently renovated spacious one-bed apartment in a Victorian mansion block, 100m from Tower Bridge and the River Thames. The flat is 5 tube stops from Saint Pancras Station and Eurostar; it is situated only a 20 minute bus ride from Liverpool St Station, with express services to Stansted Airport.

Our home is located in an incredible central London location, with excellent transport links to the West End and all of London's major attractions. There is also a fantastic range of bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants within 15 minutes walk, including those in the popular areas of Borough Market and Shad Thames. Parking is available, and we have two bikes you can use as well. Home exchange offer in full, HE19634

Explore London and return to some peace at night! We live in Kensal Green, NW London. Get to Camden and Portobello Markets, Hampstead, Richmond, Kew Gardens, Wembley and central London within 25 minutes by train. As well as all the delights of London we are near to the end of motorways going north and west. 5 minutes from lovely parks with cafes, local deli and pub, community cinema, indoor public swimming pool and sports centre 2 minutes walk.

Our house is a typical London terrace on a quiet street in a lively inner suburb. We have a kitchen dining room, living room with Sky TV and 2.5 bedrooms- one with a double bed, one kids room with a high bunk, and the third is an office, with a comfortable sofabed. The extra sofabed in living room is useful. In summer the garden is nice. Home exchange offer in full, HE22270

An elegant, spacious Edwardian garden apartment with many original features in a quiet suburban location with excellent transport links to Central London.

Two large bedrooms (one with computer and internet broadband), modern fitted kitchen with dishwasher. Large sitting room with marble fireplace, Sky TV, Sky+, and stereo. Lovely west-facing garden with fruit trees and patio.

Four mins walk from train station, (20 mins to City, 30 minutes to West End) or 10-15 minutes walk to Underground. Good selection of great restaurants, plus supermarket and Palmers Green high street with banks etc minutes walk away. The apartment is in leafy, sought after avenue opposite large park with lakes, crazy golf, play ground and tennis courts. Home exchange offer in full, HE20000

Browse all current exchange offers.