Trip report: we had a wonderful home swap in Belgium

"My husband and I enjoyed a 3 week home swap staying at Helena and Mike's lovely historic home in Belgium's Wallonia region. It was just the 2 of us, but the house was perfectly set up for 2 couples and a child or two. The bedroom / bath situation is well thought out for privacy. And there is a wonderful room set up for games / entertainment / music / puzzles, plus a pool so it is also the perfect family retreat. The grounds are lovely. Helena has an amazing green thumb. We enjoyed eating on the deck on nice days and can imagine that in the summer the beautiful pool and patio would be a lovely place to hang out.

We were pleasantly surprised at how many great things there were to do in the area and the variety of attractions. Within an hour to an hour and a half there were castles, museums (both art and historic), gardens, prehistoric stones, hiking, biking, great restaurants (our favorites were Ratatouille in Profondeville and La Fete Au Palais in Lustin which is up on the cliff overlooking the Meuse), and charming villages where you can sit in the square and have a very civilized lunch or coffee.

We hopped on the train into Brussels a couple times. The train stops right next to the main art museum and square... how beautiful and convenient. We also took the train to Bruges and enjoyed a couple days there, soaking in the scenery.

Helena and Mike were great hosts. They answered immediately whenever we had a question. The instructions they left were very clear and helpful. The house was clean and well equipped. We had a wonderful time and would highly recommend this location!"

- Sarah (Vermont, USA)

Highlight from the home exchange:

Beautiful home in a great location to tour the Wallonia region of Belgium
Castles, museums, gardens, beer, mussel and chocolate!
Rural, quiet spot but very close to train station with access to anywhere in Europe

Photos of Helena and Mike's home swap offer

Meet the members:

Peter & Sarah:

Peter and Sarah are happily retired. They have a lovely home in Burlington, Vermont, USA. Burlington is rated as one of the most livable cities in the USA. Its location on the shores of Lake Champlain near both the Adirondack Mountains and the Green Mountains means there is hiking, biking, skiing and boating nearby.

View their home swap offer in Burlington

Helena & Mike:

Helena and Mike are retired English teachers. They have a 200 year old cottage in the beautiful area of Profondeville between Namur and Dinant. Profondeville is situated on the river Meuse an area which is renowned for it’s beauty with the possibility to cycle or walk along the river for many hours.

View their home swap offer in Profondeville