As above really. Were looking for alternatives to the usual package holiday, and saw this a few days ago, a site where people can do house swaps for their holidays. Has anyone had a go at this, how were your experiences?

What site are you looking at? I’m tempted by this too now I live somewhere people might actually want to go on holiday (Hebden Bridge).

Hmm grum, I was thinking of Hebden bridge next year. Do you fancy a village near Bilbao?

I did this lots when my kids were youngish, before the days of internet.
It was great, no duff holidays for a dozen years. We swapped both in the UK for long weekends and abroad for fortnights. Sweden x 3, Canada x 2, France x 2, Germany x 5.

Hi Mackem. Could well be up for that. We’ve only just moved here so no pics but it’s pretty well located about 10 mins walk from shops/pubs and near Hardcastle Crags.

How did you arrange it Moses?

Also interested in this any details of decent websites to use, in the north laks here

Up at the North end of North Yorkshire here, just a few miles from Richmond, Reeth and The Stang. Any use to you Mackem?

Grum, this site looked useful:

http://www.lovehomeswap.com/

Please elaborate Moses, especially on the Canadian experiences as we’re tempted. My friend swapped with Canada through a paying Internet agency. It went very well, though they put as many kms on his car in three weeks as he does in a year. They used his house in France as a base to explore the whole of Europe.

My girlfriends parents have an apartment in Turkey and were approached by an Australian couple who were interested in a holiday house swap via one of these websites. So they’re off for 6 weeks or so to oz in November and managed to contact a few other families who are interested in a swap so will be travelling around rather than staying in 1 place. It will be a cheapish holiday for them especially as they booked the flights early.

smogmonster 🙂 Probably fine too. Just looking to do some skills course in UK. As for my place, it isnt mine, I’d have to ask the landlady (sure she’ll be fine). It’s just a one-bedroom flat, the top of an old farm house. A car would be useful. Some excellent road-riding out the door, some decent mtbing. But there’s great mtbing if you drive for half an hour. Beaches are about 15 minute drive away. The village has a half a dozen pubs/restaurants. The bus stop is 5 minute walk, it goes into Bilbao (takes 20 minutes)

It was a few years ago, so we had to join a “club” to put our house in a catalogue, which was then posted out to us. We then wrote or phoned possible swappees to ask if they were interested, and if so, when.
Most UK swaps were arranged via the NCT. I think now Mumsnet has a similar system.

Now I guess it’s all online and therefore much easier.

In practice, Germans & Scandis are keener to come to the UK, than vice versa. The Canadians, 50/50. We live in Bristol so described our location as close to Bath, as more foreigners know it as a tourist destination.

We swapped cars with the Canucks, not the Euros. It all worked well although there was a little damage a couple of years. You just have to have trust, and they have to trust you. It helps if you’re not too houseproud and don’t mind other people sniffing your knicker drawer & using your sex toys.

It was much better than renting villas, as the kids had toys, the kitchens were fully equipped, we had entertainment systems for the rainy days & neighbours to help.

Thanks folks.

Definitely going to look into this once we’re settled in. I wonder about people being up for looking after our cats though.

Yes some close family friends of ours do I all the time. They’re a little older than us so the places they stay are a little different to what would be our choice, but they love doing it, been all over the place. They’ve had no issues around safety/security of their home nor others they have stayed in. They use as website for all their swaps, I’ll find out who they use.
We have an Appt in that Lunnon which we have thought about doing a swap, neither of us have made much effort so far but it seems an easy thing to do.