text and photo by Vít and Barbora Baisa

Accommodation is often the biggest expense when travelling as a family—especially if you want space, comfort, and a good location. Last year, we’ve found a solution that completely changed how we travel: HomeExchange.

We’ve already used it successfully in Sardinia, Tuscany (Italy), Schladming (Austria), Krakow (Poland) and Denmark, staying in beautiful homes we simply could not have afforded as hotels or rentals. In many cases, these were large family houses or luxury villas in great locations.

What is HomeExchange?

HomeExchange is a global home-swapping platform. Instead of booking a hotel or Airbnb, you stay in another member’s home. In return, they either stay in yours—or you host someone else and earn GuestPoints, which you can later use to stay anywhere in the network.

The key point: no money changes hands for accommodation. You pay a single annual membership fee and can travel as much as you want. The only money we sometimes pay is a cleaning fee—either we clean ourselves, or agree on a fee with the homeowners.

Why it works so well for families (and longer stays)

Hotels rarely work well with children, and luxury hotels get expensive very quickly. With HomeExchange, you stay in real homes:

• full kitchens
• separate bedrooms
• toys, books, washing machines
• often gardens, terraces, or great locations

In Sardinia and Tuscany, we stayed in spacious homes that felt like “living there”, not just visiting. In Sardinia it was an apartment near the sea, in Tuscany a villa in the countryside with a hot tub and infinity pool, in Schladming a great base in the Alps, and in Denmark a huge house with a gym and garden.

Flexible exchanges with GuestPoints

You don’t always need to swap homes at the same time. If someone stays in your place while you’re home (or even while you’re away somewhere else), you earn GuestPoints. Those points then pay for your future stays.

This flexibility is what makes HomeExchange practical, even if your travel dates don’t align perfectly with others.

Trust and safety

Exchanging homes might sound intimidating at first, but in practice it’s surprisingly smooth:

• detailed profiles and verified members
• reviews from past exchanges
• direct communication before confirming

You always choose who you exchange with, and you can decline requests without any obligation. Trust builds naturally through conversation.

Our honest take

HomeExchange does require a bit more effort than booking a hotel. You communicate, plan, and coordinate. But the payoff is huge: better homes, better locations, lower costs, and more authentic travel.

For us, it has made trips that would have been “too expensive” completely realistic—and far more enjoyable.

If you enjoy slow travel, travel with kids, or simply want more comfort without luxury-hotel prices, HomeExchange is absolutely worth considering.

You can sign up here.