Whilst house swapping can be an admirably cheap solution for travellers, it is rarely easy. Ros Taylor takes to the net to find ways of making it less painful. If you don't object to someone you've never met staying in your home, house swaps are a very cheap way of travelling, particularly to areas where accommodation costs are high. A joining fee is almost inevitable, so choose the site carefully.
Standards are high.
Holi-Swaps Plenty of the exchangers here want to stay in Britain, so the prospects of finding a suitable swap are high. A dour but efficient site, established since 1993. The range of properties here is wide, but the search facility is very patchy.