Travel the Home Exchange Way blog

Swiss swap: a simply lovely home exchange in Lucerne

Swiss swap: the beautiful city of Lucerne, Switzerland

"We were lucky enough to spend just over two weeks in Christine and Robert's beautiful, modern apartment in Kriens, Switzerland. Although we hired a car, we used the excellent bus service, just round the corner, for our trips into Lucerne. Lucerne is such a compact and beautiful city. We enjoyed just wandering around the streets and the market, as well as visiting its churches, walking the city walls and visiting the marvellous Bourbaki Panorama, not to mention its famous covered bridges. It was also a starting point for a lovely walk around the lake, to the Swiss Museum of Transport (or you can go on the bus!). From the apartment, we were able to walk up to the cable car up Mount Pilatus: we did the whole round trip- up on the the cable car and 360 degree gondola, down on the cog railway, back to Lucerne on the boat and a short bus ride back home. Further afield, we had a memorable day trip to the Aare Gorge and the Reichenbach Falls (of Sherlock Holmes fame) at Meiringen. We had many lovely walks from Kriens, either using the funicular railway some 10 minutes walk from the apartment, or walking up past the Pilatus cable car station. We were there during very hot sunny weather and spent a couple of hours each afternoon/evening relaxing at the lovely Villa Krämerstein near Horw. There are lovely gardens and shaded areas, as well as steps down into the lake. It’s cheaper to park on the road nearby than in the Villa car park. An added bonus is the 15 minute or so drive there on the Kastanienbaum, through lovely alpine meadows. The apartment also has a lovely covered seating area for warm evenings ( and watching the odd storm!). The communication with Christine and Robert was excellent and they were very considerate hosts and guests. They left us essential supplies, and some Swiss treats, and took great care of our house, leaving it lovely and clean." - Martin and Cath (Isle of Wight, England)

 

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Highlights of our home swap in Switzerland:

1. Minutes from the center of Lucerne
2. Comfortable, stylish home
3. Wonderful scenery and marvelous walking

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Photos from Martin and Cath's Swiss swap

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Meet the members:   Martin & Cath's (pictured) home swap in Ryde Christine & Robert's home swap in Lucerne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Arrange free holiday accommodation

Rather than booking a hotel or holiday rental, arrange a home exchange through Home Base Holidays and enjoy free accommodation. 

• Search thousands of home exchange offers

Winning photo: home swap photography competition

Winning photo: Kate's joyful photo from her home swap in the Lake District

A BIG thank you to everyone that sent in their photos to our home swap photography competition. We received nearly 300 photos making it extremely hard to select a winner.

 

The photos we received included everything from fun selfies taken during a home swap, lovely photos of markets and off-the-tourist trail discoveries, as well as several very impressive photos from professional travel photographers. However, we loved the natural joy in Kate's winning photo (above) which was taken during her family's home exchange in the English Lake District. As the winner of the photo competition, Kate will be sent a Kindle Paperwhite!

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"We have been exchanging our home for years, we first started exchanging through Home Base Holidays in 2007. We have exchanged homes in Dorset, the Isle of Wight, as well as exchanges abroad in France, Spain, Germany, Gozo and Mallorca amongst other places! This photo is from our home exchange in the beautiful Lake District." 

- Kate (London, England)

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In addition to the winning photo, Kate sent in several equally excellent photos from her family's home exchanges; we felt they were so lovely that we've included them below. 

Photos from Kate's family home swaps

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Meet the member:    Kate, her husband and their three children live in a lovely family home in Muswell Hill, a charming village like neighbourhood of North London. View Kate's home swap offer in London

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Runner up photos: we will be publishing the excellent runner up images over the next couple of weeks. Originally we planned to have three runner up photos but it's been so hard to narrow it down to three that we will now select six of the photos, each receiving a one-year Home Base Holidays membership (worth £49 each). 

Cat care on a home exchange vacation

Pet care can be one of the many bonus of home swapping

Many cat owners have concerns about arranging care for their cats during a vacation for a week or longer. Catteries are expensive and, however obliging friendly neighbours are, it can seem an imposition to ask them to take on the responsibility of caring for a cat for more than a weekend. Fortunately, many Home Base Holidays members are happy to look after cats (and often other pets) during a home swap. It’s ideal not to have to disrupt a cat’s routine and, although notoriously independent creatures, most cats appreciate some attention from whatever humans are sharing their home! Families who don’t have pets often enjoy having a cat (and introducing children to caring for an animal) without the long-term commitment and expense of owning one.

Narrow search results by selecting ‘Pet care offered’ under Additional Options when searching home exchange offers. If looking for members happy to look after your cat, do arrange back-up care too in case your home swap partners want to go away for a day or two. Also, even if you aren’t looking for cat care (perhaps moggy is having a holiday with a family member), mention in your home exchange offer that a cat normally lives in your home so that home swappers with severe allergies can avoid suggesting an exchange.

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"Please look after me while she's away" - home swap in Ludlow, England (+ cat!)

Beautiful private riverside home swap offer in the historic town of Ludlow. This early Victorian house is a real gem - beautiful to look at and beautiful to be in! Ludlow is renowned for its fascinating history which is visible in the ancient castle with its links to royalty and the many historic buildings which are still in use.

The home owner, Chloe, has a friendly cat who will need looking after but if you want to take a trip somewhere there are neighbours who will feed her.

View this home swap offer in Ludlow

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Meet George the cat on your home swap in Freemans Bay, New Zealand:

Magical, elegant 1860s villa and garden in Freemans Bay/Ponsonby, Auckland is available to a London family who would like a home exchange to experience a perfect summer Christmas in New Zealand.

Gorgeous George the cat is included!

View this home swap offer in Freemans Bay, New Zealand

Home swap: felt like we were exchanging with old friends

Barbara and Iain's beautiful London apartment

We love hearing about members' home swap experiences. Here's a recent trip report from Home Base Holidays member, Bernard, from his recent home swap staying in Barbara and lain's beautiful London apartment.

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"One of the lovely things about home exchanging is that, although you rarely meet the people you exchange with, while arranging your exchange you get to know the people you're exchanging with so well that they feel like old friends. So it was with Barbara and Iain, friends who would leave no stone unturned in making our holiday in their top floor luxurious flat hugely enjoyable. Their flat is truly lovely - big rooms with big windows overlooking well kept private gardens and the Thames river. At the end of their road is Hammersmith Bridge, walk across it and there is Hammersmith Bus Station and Underground. By tube central London is minutes away. Frequent local buses will take you into the tranquillity of Barnes village with its yesteryear collection of independent shops, its famous duck pond and a terrific Thai restaurant; to Richmond and Kew Gardens. On the river's towpath you will find some splendid old pubs including The Dove where it is claimed James Thomson wrote Rule Britannia. In Barbara and Alan's beautiful flat you really feel you are on top of the world - in absolute luxury you are sitting on top of the Thames, on top of London and on top of one of London's most beautiful and unspoilt villages. Thank you so much Barbara and lain!" - Bernard (Alicante, Spain)

 

Barbara and Alan's home in London

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Bernard's home in Alicante, Spain

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Meet the members
	Barbara and Iain (pictured): Beautiful apartment overlooking the Thames in fashionable Barnes, SW London. View Barbara and Iain's home swap in London

 

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Interested in home swapping? Sign up for free!

Rather than booking a hotel or holiday rental, arrange free accommodation by arranging a holiday home exchange. Sign up to the Home Base Holidays two-week free trial.

Brexit and travel? Good time to arrange a UK home swap

Arranging a home swap has always been a great way to dramatically reduce your holiday expenses as you totally cut out the costs of accommodation. However, with the value of the pound sterling falling in the seemingly never-ending Brexit muddle, now is an even better time to visit the UK, with more spending money to enjoy all the wonderful sights and attractions.

Live in the UK? Over the last five years we have seen a big rise in UK members arranging home swaps within the UK. However, if you still plan to travel abroad but are worried about the currency exchange rate, you can take comfort in the knowledge of saving a huge sum of money by choosing to swap homes rather than pay for hotel rooms or holiday rentals!

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Some UK home swap holiday offers to tempt you:

	Scottish Highlands: Dunnet Brough, Highlands, ScotlandThis gorgeous eco-friendly, architect designed home in Dunnet Brough, in the Scottish Highlands, is set on 5 acres of grassland and is only 75 meters from the sea. With stunning views across the Pentland Firth to the Orkney Islands from every room. View this home swap in Scotland
	English thatched cottage: 16th Century thatch cottage in a small English village next to Shakespeare's home town of Stratford-upon-Avon. The house is full of quirky and authentic features and has a fabulous floral/vegetable garden well stocked with salad leaves, tomatoes and plenty of herbs. View this home swap in Warwickshire
	Snowdonia, Wales: Ripon House is an 1830's, characterful, modernised, end-terraced house in the centre of a small Snowdonia village. It is only 3 mins walk from the lake, close to facilities, numerous tourist attractions, and at the start of paths to Mount Snowdon. Castles, beaches & coast are 20 mins drive away. View this Snowdonia home swap
	Central London: Light spacious Art Deco 1st floor apartment by beautiful Regents Park. Quiet, safe street. Friendly local cafes, food shops 2min. London's cultural attractions, art galleries, theatres and cinemas, Oxford Street or Bond Street for shopping, and mainline train stations all walking distance. View this home exchange in London
	Downpatrick, Northern Ireland: The area is steeped in history and there are museums, and historical sites too numerous to mention. It is a beautiful spot in the spring and summer especially, and sitting down on the decking by the pond and our little orchard of apple and pear trees is very relaxing in the long summer evenings. View this home swap in Northern Ireland

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• Browse thousands of Home Base Holidays offers in the UK and beyond

WIN a Kindle Paperwhite! Travel photography competition

Send us your best travel photos to be in a with chance of winning a Kindle Paperwhite (worth £119.99). Three runners up photos will be selected with the senders winning a one year home swap membership with Home Base Holidays (worth £49).

Choose photos that best encapsulate your travel experience; perhaps an off-the-tourist-trail discovery, or, if taken on a home swap, you or your family enjoying your hosts’ home or one of the highlights of the area.

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How to enter: If you're not yet a member first sign up to a free home swap trial membership Send us your favourite travel photos to [email protected] Include a description of the photos or a small trip report Closing date: 14th July 2019

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Previous winning photos: