Have you always dreamed of really seeing, genuinely experiencing a beautiful  city or country – to live it the way the locals do? Or do you just wish to travel overseas, full stop. Perhaps  you have a spouse, well-versed in economic principles, effectively killing your dreams because of cost?  Well, keep on reading and keep your passport close… there might be some travel in your near future!!



Lanette organizing a glass of wine in Paris flat.

Envisage  admiring the Eiffel tower, pressed and bumped from all sides by droves of holidaymakers, then… escaping down the ‘Île aux Cygnes’, toward your own little pad away from them into a world that only locals know, (not miles away, however, but still in the shadow of this celebrated landmark).






Closest neighbors - the sheep

On the other hand, what about staying among the rolling green hills of Scotland on a farm, surrounded for the most part by meek, unusual–looking sheep, hushed peacefulness, discovering how really friendly the genuine Scots are – evidently not used to travellers in this tight community, finding you very entertaining and only too glad to part with their local info and knowledge.


 



Old house outside Lucca

 How about stepping out of your 200 year old home in Tuscany… with not a sole neighbour capable of informing you in English where to ditch the contents of the trash can (Hope your Italian is adequate!)

 
Or exploring the entire Switzerland in a week or three without accommodation costing you a solitary 

Apartment block in Zurich, opposite station and bus stop

cent! 

Only paying for your Swiss Pass - highly recommended, by the way...

Peaceful neighborhood outside Nijmegen, Netherlands

 You could be pedalling your bike to the nearest Spar, to buy regular supplies just like an actual Netherlander  – then returning  to your stand-alone home surrounded by… reindeer, bunnies, exotic chickens and … a kangaroo  (in The Netherlands?!)

 


 Stay in small German towns with tons of character and history that no tourist ever dreams  of visiting, 

Apartment block in Bad Homburg outside Frankfurt






 or walk out of your own row house onto the canals of Ghent and be able to explore it after all the tour buses have left and you’ve got the place to yourself. 

Stunning house in Ghent

All of the above are scenes from my past travels abroad, and I have not even told you about our stay in a really exotic Cape Town nature reserve with only 30 privately owned dwellings high above the sky-blue sea on the side of the mountain (fighting a pack of aggressive baboons for our bread and supplies in the kitchen!), or our seafront luxury apartment in Swakopmund! The best part is that I have not had to shell out any cash towards accommodation for any of those, and in many cases, I had the usage of a free motor vehicle and/or airport transfers thrown in besides!

Would you like to know that this is not just thinkable for you too, but very accomplishable, as long as you have someplace in the world you can call home? You see, wherever that may be, other people might be dreaming of visiting your hometown as a tourist, discovering what you may find mundane and dull, just because you know it so well.



Our view - Misty Cliffs, Cape Town



Let me start from the beginning and tell you how I have discovered a way to experience far-off, renowned as well as unknown spots around the world, swapping my life for just a little slice of their every-day lives.

It all began with reading an article in a magazine a few years ago. This person was describing his adventure in snow-covered Germany over Christmas – by doing home exchange! Up to that date I have never thought about the option as a reality, nevertheless, the thought stuck with me, and had to be pursued. Very soon I learned that there are loads of websites promoting this, found the one that gave me the most info, pictures and not only descriptions of the properties, but also of the area to be visited,  ideas of things to do, and very important, some background of the people looking for an exchange with… me! and you! Wow!



Swakopmund beach through the window



Blessed with a whole family born with itchy feet, this was a no-brainer, working out what the cost saving could be with no accommodation charges, no car rental, a dedicated person on the other side that can give you inside info on where to find the best place to eat, buy groceries, which sites are really worth visiting and which so-called attractions are purely tourist traps and just a waste of money, what more could you ask for?

In the meantime my plans for next year’s winter-escape to the lovely, but expensive Vancouver Island are very well under way… I have been communicating with two couples for a while now, learning about their lives and by the time we meet, I've learned, it feels like being reunited with some very good old friends.

 Traveling this way, your only serious cost consideration is the price of your plane ticket. Whether you stay a week, a month or six, the cost of accommodation stays the same as it is still free!  We all know - when it comes to accommodation – staying in the heart of the most active part of your destination will most certainly cost you. Now this choice has just become available to you again...