When Exchanging Homes Creates Life-Long Memories

5 HomeExchangers tell us about their most unforgettable HomeExchange moments

Claire celebrated her 4th birthday in Paris thanks to HomeExchange

A dream exchange apartment

“Vanessa’s splendid apartment in the heart of Paris enchanted us. We offered them an exchange, and were happy to receive a positive response. When we arrived, we toured the apartment over and over again, because it was truly exceptional! With lots of space, old charm mixed with modern and contemporary decor, it was simply superb! "

Two delighted little girls

"Our girls discovered rooms full of toys and were delighted. On top of that, we also brought them to the theater to see a play for children so they had a great weekend. "

An unforgettable birthday during a HomeExchange

Vanessa was just as exceptional as her apartment. We told her that  we were going to Paris for our little girl's birthday. Upon arrival, Vanessa and her children presented the  beautiful chocolate cake they baked with candles and a small gift for our Claire. What thoughtful touches! Claire had an extraordinary birthday and spent the day sightseeing in the city. The play, discovering Paris, a delicious cake, a family birthday party in such a beautiful place... she had stars in her eyes when she blew out her 4 candles and so did we! "

Little Léon stood up for the first time during his first HomeExchange

A pleasant first contact that became a true friendship

"We were invited to a wedding near Aix les Bains and when I contacted Sonia, I was immediately attracted to her kindness. This was our first HomeExchange and her hospitality made us want to go on our exchange right away! Sonia was really sweet from start to finish. We were not expecting to meet her because she had left us the keys and we had to leave them at her home before leaving, but we had such a great exchange that we went to visit her at work before leaving and, 2 years later, we are still in touch. "

A moving first exchange

"On our first exchange as guests and on our first trip with our baby, we experienced very emotional and intense moments. The area around Aix les Bains/Annecy is splendid. Our heads and hearts still remember the mountains that welcomed us for this long-awaited vacation.”.

Léon’s first time standing up

"Our little Léon was 9 months old and he liked Sonia's house so much that he stood up for the first time to pet the cat. It was a very emotional moment: after 9 months on all fours, seeing him get up as if nothing had happened was amazing for us! I will always remember that moment! "

Anne and her partner experienced a special moment in South African nature

“Communicating with Karen was very easy, the house’s location was ideal, and we really fell in love with the house and its garden."

A relaxing exchange close to nature

"Karen entrusted us with her garden and her 5 hens for a week, even though we are a couple of Canadian city-dwellers, not at all versed in gardening... We took our mission to heart and religiously watered the whole garden when the sun went down, and each morning, we were like children marveling at the fresh eggs that our hens offered us like it was the simplest thing in the world... this contact with such simple elements and the repetition of this routine for 8 days made us feel good, far away from the stress of our daily lives, and made us feel especially in touch with this South African land. "

An attentive host, full of good advice for an unforgettable vacation

"Our host chose to wait for us before leaving on her vacation, and she really took time upon our arrival to show us her house and garden and to tell us about her favorite places in the area: including access to a beach that is not obvious from the main road and that allowed us to enjoy a beautiful, spectacular rock-lined beach, a nearby organic farm, her favorite cafe in the nearby Scarborough village, and several other small treasures that punctuated our stay and made it a fabulous South African week... It was our first contact with Africa and we were delighted. We are already preparing our next trip to this continent and it’s all thanks to HomeExchange! "

Bérengère’s childhood memories in Nantes, and creating memories for her son in Torino

Easy contact and natural trust

"We were looking for an exchange in the city of Torino. Our host’s apartment was very well-located, the house’s and the family’s descriptions made us feel like we were in good hands, and he even has a child the same age as ours. The Italian family responded immediately to our exchange proposal message with enthusiasm! The upstream contacts were very fluid and simple, everything was done naturally. Our hosts even prepared a video to show us the house and introduce themselves. I also really appreciated their welcome gifts: a delicious chocolate platter and 2kg of tangerines in the fridge.”

The pleasure of discovering new toys and of lending his own

"Our son loved the culinary specialties, especially the chocolates... and of course, he had a lot of fun with the little girl's toys. He also understood that another child was coming to our house and prepared a gift and a drawing, and during our stay he often mentioned "the little girl who was watching his toys!”

When a home exchange takes on the taste of childhood ...

"We could not have had such a great holiday without an exchange. The feeling of being at home and exchanging with another family is really rewarding. Accommodating your home so that it is adapted to the other family is also nice. And coming home to a clean apartment, a little note, and a bouquet of flowers makes you want to go back on vacation, with HomeExchange of course! My first exchange gave me a nice taste: I found comics and records from my childhood in our host’s living room library on our first exchange in Nantes, and since then we became fans and have been telling everyone all about it! "

For Gwénaële, HomeExchange is synonymous with good times spent with family, meeting new people, and opening your door to others

Spending time with family

"I love seeing my kids and my husband take the time to play a board game every evening after dinner. We’ve played at least 4 different national versions of Monopoly found at our HomeExchange hosts’ homes. It’s not something we often have time to do during the  rest of the year.”

Choosing an exchanger who is similar

"When we decide to go on an exchange, our preference is always for a warm home that gives us ‘good vibes.’ This can be thanks to cozy decor, for example. Often, once we arrive at the home, we realize our commonalities. For example, when we see novels and cookbooks in our hosts’ home, we realize that they also like reading or cooking. If we see that they share our love for furry friends, we agree in advance and take care of our new pets with pleasure, we pamper them and give them countless cuddles. We’ve even found some hosts whose children like the same soccer team that ours do! Like attracts like!

A unique experience, opening your door to the world

"I am a fan of mutual exchanges; the meeting, sharing and discovering of others. We must agree to open our doors and therefore to reveal ourselves to others to fully benefit from this experience."