HomeExchange News Portsmouth, Virginia: The Hampton Roads City With No Short-Term Rental Rules Is About to Get Its First Ones Portsmouth, Virginia currently has no rules for short-term rentals. A draft ordinance would require owner-occupancy and a zoning permit for the first time.
HomeExchange Reviews Family of 5 saved $30,000+ in 2019 traveling with HomeExchange Scott and Erica, parents of three from Jacksonville, Florida, have been HomeExchange members since 2018 and have completed 97 exchanges: enough to travel the world without breaking the bank.
HomeExchange News Congaree National Park: America’s 10th Least-Visited Treasure Marks the NPS’s 110th Birthday Congaree National Park has never charged an entrance fee, yet it remains America’s 10th least-visited park. The NPS turns 110 on August 25, 2026.
HomeExchange News Pensacola Beach Named America’s Most Accessible Vacation Town in New 2026 Study Pensacola Beach, Florida, just topped a nationwide ranking of the 100 most accessible U.S. vacation towns, scoring 91.3 out of 100, ahead of Gatlinburg.
HomeExchange News $250 Permit, $500,000 Insurance, 3% Tax: Franklin Township, NJ Adopts Its First Short-Term Rental Rules Franklin Township, NJ adopted Ordinance 4516-26 on August 11, 2026: a $250 permit, $500,000 insurance, and a 3% tax on every short-term rental stay.
HomeExchange News Merrillville, Indiana: The Region Town With No Airbnb Rules Is About to Get Its First Ones Merrillville, Indiana has zero local rules for Airbnb and Vrbo hosts, just the state’s 7% sales tax and innkeeper’s tax. That changes on August 18, 2026.
HomeExchange News Metamora, Michigan: 45 Years of Hot Air Balloons and a Perfect Home Exchange Road Trip Metamora, Michigan celebrates 45 years of its Country Days & Hot Air Balloon Festival on August 28-29, 2026, with more than 20 hot air balloons filling the sky.
HomeExchange News 4,000 Travelers Exposed: The WhatsApp Hotel Scam Still Active This Summer A WhatsApp scam using real hotel names, stay dates, and confirmation numbers from an April 2026 Booking.com leak is still active, Spanish authorities warn.
Guide to home exchange Is There a Cost Difference Between Short and Long Exchanges? HomeExchange’s annual membership costs the same no matter how long a stay lasts. There’s no per-night fee, so a weekend trip and a month-long vacation cost exactly the same amount overall.
Guide to home exchange What Are the Most Affordable Vacation Destinations? Countries across Southeast Asia, Central America, and Eastern Europe offer daily travel budgets under $50. Pairing one of these destinations with a home exchange instead of a hotel cuts the biggest travel expense down further, and more sustainably too.
HomeExchange Reviews Two Weeks in Japan with a Backup Plan: Aurélie’s Home Exchange Story Aurélie, a HomeExchange member since 2014 with 123 exchanges under her belt, took her two teenage children on a two-week trip to Japan, finalizing exchanges in both Kyoto and Tokyo as a backup plan for each other.
HomeExchange News Townsend, Tennessee: The Peaceful Side of the Smokies, Just 7 Miles from Cades Cove Townsend, Tennessee just hosted its 8th Great Smoky Mountains Hot Air Balloon Festival, only 7 miles from Cades Cove and the peaceful side of the Smokies.
HomeExchange News Italy’s “Ghost Residence” Scam Grows to 150 Victims More than 150 travelers arrived in Italy this summer only to find the seaside home they’d paid for didn’t exist. Now Booking.com itself faces scrutiny.
HomeExchange News First Nonstop Route to Hilo: Southwest Opens a New Door to Hawaii’s Quieter Corner Southwest launched its first nonstop service between Las Vegas and Hilo on August 6, 2026, opening direct access to Hawaii’s quieter Big Island side.
Sustainable Tourism Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Bikepacking Bikepacking - which is also known as bike tourism - is increasingly appealing to travelers looking for adventure and freedom. Whether for a weekend or several weeks, this way of traveling allows you to discover a region differently
HomeExchange News 90 Days a Year: Cambridge’s New Cap on Short-Term Rentals Cambridge’s Planning Board wants to cap short-term rentals at 90 days a year. Here’s why a home exchange never has to count the days, register, or pay a fine.
HomeExchange News 8 Hours, No Layover: Prague’s New Nonstop Route from Philadelphia American Airlines now connects Philadelphia to Prague nonstop in just over 8 hours. Here’s why a home exchange beats a hotel room in Prague’s Old Town.
HomeExchange News One Rental Per Block: Airbnb Loses Its Federal Appeal in New Orleans Fifth Circuit upholds New Orleans' short-term rental law, rejecting Airbnb's takings claim and forcing platforms to verify listing permits before charging fees.
Guide to home exchange What Are the Best Ways to Travel on a Budget? The best ways to travel on a budget start with where you stay: a flat annual fee instead of nightly rates saves the most. Shoulder-season timing, cooking a few meals, and staying longer in fewer places add up to even bigger savings.
Guide to home exchange Which Home Swapping Platform Is the Cheapest? HomeExchange is the cheapest home swapping platform overall, with a flat $235 a year covering unlimited exchanges. Kindred is free to join but adds per-stay cleaning and service fees that add up fast for frequent travelers.
HomeExchange Reviews How We Stayed in Banff for less than $26/Night Nathan, Emilie, Noah, and Samuel from Love Life Abroad recently enjoyed their dream vacation in Banff while sticking to a budget. Nathan shares the secret to the family's affordable, authentic, unforgettable trip.
HomeExchange News Founded in 1714: Meet Natchitoches, Louisiana's "Mini New Orleans" Founded in 1714, Natchitoches, Louisiana's "mini New Orleans," hosts the Cane River Zydeco Festival & Poker Run over Labor Day weekend 2026.
Guide to home exchange What Are the Best Websites for Family Vacation Homes? The best site for a family vacation home might not be a rental site at all. HomeExchange lets families swap full, fully-equipped homes worldwide for one flat annual membership, with no nightly rates and no generic listings.
HomeExchange News 298 Km of Coastal Cliffs: Cape Breton's Cabot Trail Deserves More Than a Day Trip Nova Scotia's 298-km Cabot Trail is closer to New England than it looks - and 2026's new Skyline Trail parking rules make it worth more than a day trip.
HomeExchange News 3 Minutes of A Rare Solar Eclipse Sweeps Iceland and Spain on August 12 On August 12, 2026, mainland Europe's first total solar eclipse since 1999 sweeps across Iceland and Spain.
