Celebrate Something Special on a Home Exchange

I have noticed over the years that our members often plan holidays to celebrate special events in their lives. One of the most popular celebrations when people really want to do something memorable seems to be their 40th wedding anniversaries. Way back in the early 90’s former member Wendy Painter wanted to visit Bali and New Zealand to celebrate her Ruby Wedding – but be warned, this home exchange trip had momentous consequences as Wendy and her whole family eventually emigrated to New Zealand.

Just recently, two new members have indicated that their 40th anniversaries have played a part in their future holiday plans. Brian (HE19196) and his wife bought their flat in Seaton, Devon, to celebrate their forthcoming 40th wedding anniversary. As they are new to home exchange they are planning to swap the flat (also said to be ideal for honeymooners) initially with other GTI Home Exchange members in the UK. But do I detect a note of dissention after 40 years of married bliss? Brian would prefer the south and west of England, whereas his wife would prefer Cumbria, Wales or Scotland. I am sure they will be really successful in their search for non-simultaneous home exchanges and receive so many offers that they will both be satisfied.

A world away, two other GTI members are planning their 40th anniversary celebration. Robyn (HE18719) and his wife live in Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia. The hump-back whales visit between July and November to frolic in the bay. Robyn says, “Locals say Hervey Bay is beautiful one day and perfect the next”.
A well travelled couple, they now wish to spend a few weeks in a Spanish village and experience the Spanish way of life and are already learning Spanish. “We will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary in Spain”, says Robyn.

Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside!

Confronted by the hype of holiday advertising at every turn at this time of year, it's hard not to let your thoughts drift to how you might be lazing in the sun (or even under welcome shade) on a beach somewhere in a few months time. For many the organised package holiday might be the answer, but more adventurous types might want to consider a home exchange beside the sea. At GTI Home Exchange you can do a search to find seaside homes in many locations: and on a home exchange you can go further, see more, stay longer, and at a cost much less than for a conventional seaside package holiday, as you only pay for the travel to your destination. So why not take your holiday 'on the house' and give home exchange a go this year? Here are just a few examples of ocean side/seaside home exchanges available.

HE18710 House in Morlaix, Brittany, FRANCE
Located in one of the most beautiful and typical french areas, 10 mns from Morlaix, a britanny idendity town; 15 & 16s centuries architecture, bay (one of the most beautiful in France according to Michelin), castle, market every saturday morning ...
30 mns from islands : Batz, Callot and rocky coasts where you can still find nice sand beaches.

HE17520 House in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, NEW ZEALAND
Sunridge is a private estate with marvellous views across the Bay of Plenty to downtown Tauranga, Mount Maunganui and the Pacific Ocean. Sunridge has its own thermal swimming pool and tennis court. This coming year I hope to stay preferably at a seaside resort in Denmark, where I could spend 4-5 weeks and so have a base where I could invite my sister, a girlfriend or my daughter to share some time with me.

HE17611 House in Fish Hoek, Western Cape, SOUTH AFRICA

Atractive detached double storey home on the mountainside of seaside village called Fish Hoek, nestled in a valley between two oceans. Ten minute walk to beach. Ten-minute drive to other (Atlantic ) ocean and unspoilt beach in horsey country (beach great for riding). Wonderful beach and mountain walks abound. 30-40mins to heart of Cape Town with its vibrant nightlife. Galleries, theatres, fine restaurants, clubs dot the entire area. Pleasant drive from Fish Hoek into the winelands. Car available.

HE15364 House in Kingston, Rhode Island, USA

Known as "The Ocean State," our area is famous for bird sanctuaries, surfing, sailing, kayaking, and all manner of sports related to the sea. There are a dozen beaches within a 10-15 minute drive of our house. 40 minutes to the west are the world famous Mystic Aquarium and Mystic Seaport, a recreated New England whaling village. Providence, the state capital, is half an hour's drive to the north, and has many fine restaurants, theaters (the Trinity Repertory Theater), and museums.

HE16549 Apartment in Alassio, Liguria, ITALY

We live in Alassio,a small town on the Riviera seaside, famous for its fine and soft sands, a 4 Km long beach which slope down gently towards the sea, suitable for children. Our town has shops,pubs,restaurants,play parks,friendly people,golf,horse riding, an ancient English Tennis club. Excellent public transport:1 hr train to Genoa, site of Europe's largest aquarium, boat trips to Portofino and Cinque Terre. 2 hrs to Nice airport and Cote d'Azur.

A Winter's Tale

Nothing to do with home exchange, and only loosely concerned with travel, but men always like us to poke fun at ourselves, so I thought this might raise a smile or two on a dismal wintry January day.

As a trucker stops for a red light, a young lady catches up. She jumps out of her car, runs up to his truck, and knocks on the door. The trucker lowers the window, and she says "Hi, my name is Heather and you are losing some of your load." The trucker ignores her and proceeds down the street.

When the truck stops for another red light, the girl catches up again. She jumps out of her car, runs up and knocks on the door. Again, the trucker lowers the window. As if they've never spoken, the young lady says brightly, "Hi my name is Heather, and you are losing some of your load!" Shaking his head, the trucker ignores her again and continues down the street.

At the third red light, the same thing happens again. All out of breath, the girl gets out of her car, runs up, knocks on the truck door. The trucker rolls down the window. Again she says "Hi, my name is Heather, and you are losing some of your load!"

When the light turns green the trucker revs up and races to the next light. When he stops this time, he hurriedly gets out of the truck, and runs back to the young lady. He knocks on her window, and after she lowers it, he says..."Hi, my name is Kevin, it's winter in PENNSYLVANIA and I'm driving the SALT TRUCK!"

Holiday Home Exchange - What exactly is it?

Apparently there are lots of people out there who have still not heard of holiday home exchange. If you are one of those people and would like to learn more you need look no further than an excellent introduction published on
The Travel Blog which takes an impartial independent non-hype look at the topic.

School Holiday Dates

With travel and accommodation costs of a holiday abroad constantly spiralling upwards, it is hardly surprising that more and more families are turning to home exchange as a way of enjoying a holiday abroad at minimum cost.

But as families with children usually wish to swap with other families, they sometimes find that differing school holiday dates can be a stumbling block. With the dates varying between countries, and even between regions within countries (eg France and Germany), it would be useful for everyone to have advance information of how their dates might be compatible.

Families contemplating a home swap with families in France might wish to consult the government issued 'calendrier scolaire' which shows the dates for all the holiday periods for each of the three regions into which the country is divided for the scholastic year.

The dates of public holidays in Germany vary considerably to those in the UK and Ireland - and there are more of them. By and large, they revolve around key events in the Christian calendar, but different Länder (federal states) have different holiday dates.

German school summer holidays are staggered so that while some children are off from the beginning of July to mid-August, others are free from the beginning of August to mid-September. The aim is to avoid over-congestion during the peak holiday season. Check the tables for who is off when in Germany.

If any members have information of easy reference points for school holiday dates in other countries, we would very much appreciate your posting the information on the weblog.

Year 2007

Here’s a quick note and best wishes for the New Year to all our GTI Home Exchange members.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Meilleurs Voeux de Bonne Année

Prettige Kerstdagen en een Gellukig Nieuwjaar

Frohe Weihnachten und ein Gutes Neues Jahr

Buon Natale e Feliz Anno Nuovo

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo

It’s been some time since our last major upgrade on the site, but in 2007 we have many more new features planned which will enhance the experience on the site for members and visitors alike, and enable you to enjoy finding just the home exchange you are looking for.