Travel the Home Exchange Way

Recreating your home swap memories through food

Home swap travel plans postponed until later in the year? With much of the world again in lockdown, many of us will be looking for fun, proactive ways to fill the time and keep our spirits up. If you're tired of the TV and it's too cold and wet for gardening, you may want to head to the kitchen and try recreating some of your favourite dishes from around the world.

So, while non-essential travel and holidays are currently off the menu, try to relive some of those wonderful home exchange memories through food. Sure, it might not be quite as good as the real thing, but reliving memories of vineyards and olive groves, vibrant food markets, and mouth-watering meals comes a close second.

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A taste of Italy: Aubergine Parmigiana (Home Base Holidays member recipe) Former Masterchef contestant and Home Base Holidays member, Paul and his wife Judith, sent in the following recipe for a super delicious Aubergine Parmigiana.   Slice a couple of aubergines lengthways into 1cm slices. Slather with olive oil. Bake in a hot oven for about 20 mins or until brownish & tender. Meanwhile make a tomato sauce. Sweat some chopped onions/spring onions/leeks. Add chopped garlic then, a tin of tomatoes, past-their-best squashy ones or a jar of passata. Stir in a squish of tomato purée, a dash of Worcester Sauce, a sprinkle of sugar, a dusting of cayenne, a glug of wine - whatever is to your taste. Layer the aubergines and tomato sauce in an oven dish with plenty of seasoning and any herbs you like. Cover the top with grated or crumbled leftover cheese - cheddar, Parmesan, feta, mozzarella, Camembert - or all of them! Bake for another 45 minutes or so until the cheesy crust is oozing and golden. Serve sizzling, with bread to mop up the juices or as an accompaniment to lamb or fish. Also tasty served at room temperature with salads. Any leftovers can be frozen, then chopped up and used as a pasta sauce.

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Meet the members Paul and his wife Judith are early retiree art & design lecturers and very experienced home exchangers. The couple have a beautiful French home in Olonzac, right in the middle of the wine producing area of the Minervois in Languedoc Roussillon. Their home has a lovely courtyard planted with figs, grapes, lemons, olives, bougainvillea, oleander, hibiscus and lavender, as well as herbs and tomatoes, where you can dine al fresco.  View Judith & Paul's home swap offer

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How have you been keeping busy?

Have you been more adventurous with your cooking during lockdown? Let us know of any dishes that remind you of past holidays! Please get in touch, we'd love to hear!

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Join Home Base Holidays: plan your summer swaps Looking for a much needed getaway later in the year? Arrange free holiday accommodation by choosing to swap homes rather than book hotels or holiday rentals. View the latest home swap offers then sign up to Home Base Holidays.

Top 15 Home Exchange blog posts of 2020

Even in this most difficult of years for travel and home exchange, we continued to add to our archive of information on every aspect of swapping homes. Unsurprisingly, questions we've received at Home Base Holidays, and many of the most read blog posts, relate to the pandemic and the affect it has had on home exchange plans.

At the beginning of a new year, when we can hopefully start to look forward to better times (and home swaps) ahead, it's time to reflect on the past year. Following below is a list of the most read blog posts published on Travel the Home Exchange Way during 2020. 

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Top 15 home swap blog posts of 2020:  1. Thank you to our NHS / healthcare staff #MyTravelPledge (21st April 2020) Home Base Holidays teamed up with the #MyTravelPledge campaign to provide free accommodation to NHS staff / healthworkers / frontline workers. View this blog post 2. Australian bushfires & home swap travel advice (9th January 2020) We have lots of Australian Home Base Holidays members and the terrible bushfires at the beginning of 2020 was a really worrying start to the year. View this blog post 3. Neighbourly love: heartwarming photos from Italy (14th April 2020) We were sent these two lovely photos from Home Base Holidays member, Valeri Walsh, from her home in the Medieval hillside village of Ceriana, Italy. View this blog post 4. Winning photo: home swap photography competition (20th August 2020) Thanks to everyone that sent in their fabulous photos in our recent home swap travel photography competition. View this blog post 5. Coronavirus and home swap travel (17th March 2020) Do get in contact if the current travel restrictions have meant you’ve had to delay or cancel your exchange plans. View this blog post 6. Lockdown stories: send us your 'home base' experiences (25th March 2020) With much of the world now on lockdown and travel plans postponed, we are all having to adapt and find ways to keep our spirits up. View this blog post 7. Home swaps postponed? Take a virtual vacation (1st April 2020) Check out this blog post for some of our favourite virtual travel tours and wildlife cams around the world. View this blog post 8. Lockdown stories from a Home Base Holidays member (26th May 2020) We were delighted to receive this post from long-time Home Base Holidays member, Judith Stafford. View this blog post 9. Try a staycation home exchange holiday (18th June 2020) After the first lockdown eased, we saw a big increase in staycation home swaps being arranged for the summer months as people looked for a much needed break. View this blog post 10. Cleaning tips for holiday home swaps during COVID-19 (2nd July 2020) To help make sure you and your home exchange guests are safe, we published these clear and simple cleaning guidelines. View this blog post 11. Offering variations on a home exchange vacation (6th August 2020) Having flexibility in the type of home swap you do can increase your holiday options. View this blog post 12. Cabin fever from working from home? Try a 'working' swap (13th September 2020) By arranging a staycation home exchange you could potentially continue to work while enjoy a much needed break. View this blog post 13. Be a tourist in your own town + add local home swap tips (30th October 2020) Going for a walk or bike ride is a great way to lift your spirits, get some exercise and also take in some of the nearby sights. View this blog post 14. 5 reasons to arrange a home swap holiday in 2021 (2nd December 2020) The exciting announcement that the UK has approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for widespread use has given a huge boost for travel to return to some semblance of normality soon. View this blog post 15. Trip reports: members' UK home exchange staycations (18th December 2020) It's been so nice to see that many Home Base Holidays members have, when the travel restrictions have allowed, still been able to enjoy a much needed home exchange getaway. View this blog post

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Join Home Base Holidays: start home swapping Looking for a much needed getaway in 2021? Arrange free holiday accommodation by choosing to swap homes rather than book hotels or holiday rentals. View the latest home exchange vacation offers then sign up to Home Base Holidays.

Merry Christmas & happy home swaps in 2021

Well, 2020 has sure been a strange year (and that’s putting it mildly); we just hope that you're all doing really well and that you have a lovely relaxing Christmas.

 

We're increasingly optimistic that the new year will bring us all much better news and we'll enjoy home exchanging again in 2021. 

 

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas xx 

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Latest home swappers newsletter:

• Featured home swap offers: stone and flint cottage in Norfolk (England) | apartment in Chamonix with views of Mont Blanc (France) 
• Trip report: members' November staycation home swap between Oxford and Cornwall
• Cleaning guideline: cleaning recommendations for home swapping in 2021

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>>> View the Xmas issue of the Home Swappers newsletter

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Home exchange holidays in 2021:

• Search the latest home exchange offers
• Join Home Base Holidays
• Preparing for a home swap checklist 
• Top 10: things to do at the end of a home swap
• Cleaning tips for holiday home swaps during COVID-19

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Join Home Base Holidays: start home swapping Looking for a much needed getaway in 2021? Arrange free holiday accommodation by choosing to swap homes rather than book hotels or holiday rentals. View the latest home swap offers then sign up to Home Base Holidays.

5 reasons to arrange a home swap holiday in 2021

The exciting announcement that the UK has approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for widespread use has given a huge boost for travel to return to some semblance of normality soon. With the positive news of the efficacy of several vaccines over the past few weeks, we have seen a steady increase in Home Base Holidays members starting to discuss and pencil in home exchange holiday plans for 2021.

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5 reasons for a home exchange holiday in 2021:

1. Free holiday accommodation We're all overdue a much needed holiday but the impact of Covid-19 has seen many of us looking for ways to tighten our purse strings and find ways to cut costs. By arranging a home swap you’ll enjoy free holiday accommodation and, as such, can hugely cut the cost of your getaways.  Search the latest home swap offers

2. Swap the city for the countryside If you've spent much of 2020 living and often working from your city home, you may have a real feeling of cabin fever and are longing to escape to the countryside. There are a large number of very tempting rural home swap offers available through the Home Base Holidays website - these include country cottages, apartments near the beach and even several houseboats, yurts and motorhomes!  Search the rural home swap offers

3. Visiting friends and family It's been such a hard year with many of us not able to visit friends and family. Zoom, Skype and FaceTime calls have been incredibly useful but we really hope that in 2021 we'll again be able to safely visit friends and family. If your friends or family live in another part of the country or overseas, home exchanging is an excellent way to arrange accommodation close by but still have the convenience of your own space.  Search the latest home swap offers

4. Returning to your 'home' country This year with much of the world facing travel restrictions it's been so hard, often impossible, for expats to return to their home countries for a visit. We're hopeful that in 2021, with the excellent progress in the vaccines, we will again start to see borders reopen. Arranging home swaps 'back home' can be a perfect option for expats as it enables lengthy stays at very little cost. Search the latest home swap offers

5. Accommodation for special occasions Sadly, this year has seen many special occasions such as weddings and sporting events postponed. Lots of weddings and events such as the Tokyo Olympics have been rescheduled for 2021. Swapping homes is a great cost effective alternative to a hotel rooms or holiday rentals. Search the latest home swap offers

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We'd love to hear about your home swap plans for 2021. Contact us at: [email protected]

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Plan your 2021 home swap holiday:

• Search the latest home exchange offers
• Preparing for a home swap checklist 
• Top 10: things to do at the end of a home swap
• Travel reopening? Country by country guide
• Cleaning tips for holiday home swaps during COVID-19

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Join Home Base Holidays Looking for a much needed getaway in 2021? Arrange free holiday accommodation by choosing to swap homes rather than book hotels or holiday rentals. View the latest home swap offers then sign up to Home Base Holidays.

Home swapping: back to normal in 2021?

The recent positive news of the success of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccine trials has been a very welcome boost and has given everyone hope that home exchange holidays will be given the green light to go for 2021.

As a result, over the last week we've seen a significant rise in Home Base Holidays members again starting to discuss home swap travel plans for next year. It's important though when planning your travels, especially if you're planning an exchange for this winter, to check the current travel restrictions.

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Travel reopening: country by country guide

Visit the BringBackTravel website to view an interactive map of the latest travel restrictions.

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Planning your home exchanges for 2021

It always pays to start planning your home exchange holiday well in advance of dates you want to travel. The first step is to add your home swap offer (details about your home, location and where/when you want to travel). Once you've added your home swap offer, spend some time contacting other Home Base Holidays members to ask if they would be interested in a swap.

Travel tips: when planning a home exchange holiday, it's a real plus if you can be flexible with travel dates and open to new destinations - one of the joys of home swapping is receiving a swap requests from interesting destinations you may not have previously considered. Being flexible with dates/destinations is especially useful while travel restrictions continue to fluctuate. If planning international travel, make sure to double check that tickets are refundable and, if possible, try to purchase flights using a credit card.

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Small selection of recent home swap offers

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>> Search home swap holiday offers for 2021

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Planning a home swap holiday:

• Preparing for a home swap checklist 
• Top 10: things to do at the end of a home swap
• Cleaning tips for holiday home swaps during COVID-19
• Search the latest home exchange offers

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Join Home Base Holidays: start home swapping Looking for a much needed getaway in 2021? Arrange free holiday accommodation by choosing to swap homes rather than book hotels or holiday rentals. View the latest home swap offers then sign up to Home Base Holidays.

Home Swappers newsletter: be a tourist in your own town

Explore your own neighbourhood and add photos / info to your home swap offer

With many of us again facing travel restrictions, it's good to focus on safe ways to keep active while not venturing far from home. Going for a walk or bike ride is a great way to lift your spirits, get some exercise and take in local sights. 

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• Check out the latest issue of the Home Swappers travel newsletter

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In this issue of the newsletter:

• Take a camera with you: take photos of your neighbourhood and upload them to your home exchange offer
• Write a guide: include details about local walks and sights in your welcome pack
• Keep in touch: send us your like a local stories
• Home swap cancelled? Contact us for an extension
• 2021 holidays: search the latest home exchange offers 

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Join Home Base Holidays: start planning your travels for 2021 Whether you're looking for staycation ideas or planning ahead to overseas travel in 2021, by arranging a home exchange vacation through Home Base Holidays, you'll cut the cost of your getaways by up to 90%. View the latest home swap travel offers and join for free.