WHY HOME EXCHANGE IS A UNIQUE TRAVEL OPTION
We can think of several reasons - you may discover more. . .
Total Immersion in Different Culture and Region
Home exchange is a "total way" of experiencing another country, another culture or another region of your own country.
You are totally immersed in other family's culture and lifestyle. You can meet their neighbours or friends; you discover local stores, sights and flavour. This personalized and realistic travel experience cannot be matched by "packaged" tours! Many exchange families remain friends long after their exchange. Many home exchangers report that these were the best vacations they have ever had.
As one of our home exchangers puts it so eloquently: "....home exchange is an act of international trust and cooperation at the individual level that one has to experience to really understand. It is important for me to move the exchange beyond a "free hotel/car" arrangement by careful preparation for receiving our exchange guests in our community ....including meeting friends, family or professionals with a common bond."
Economy - Elimination of hotel and car expenses makes any destination affordable
While exchanging - you do not spend money on hotels or car rentals. You have a real kitchen to prepare family meals so you do not have to go to restaurants for every meal. So your family can afford to visit places which seemed out of reach. Or - you have more spending money for special tours, dinning or entertainment.
Comfort - Live in a house while vacationing
When you travel as a family of say, 4 or 5 people, you will find that staying in a real home is so much more comfortable than a hotel room. If you are exchanging to participate in a family reunion, your visit should be more enjoyable for you and your relatives.
Satisfaction - Superb vacation experiences are consistently reported by our member
Some of the feedback we have received from Intervac home exchangers includes: "fantastic" . . ., "superb" . . . , "wonderful" . . ., "excellent" . . ., "perfect" . . .
Security - Our members take care of each other's property while vacationing.
As opposed to leaving your home empty, another family takes care of it. Insurance companies prefer to have your home occupied during your vacations.
Discover Places Which Are Not in Tourist Guides
When specifying preferred exchange destinations - many members simply put in "Open to Any Offer" and thus may end up vacationing in a Danish fishing port on the Baltic Sea, or a western Canadian ranch or in a village in rural France.... or a barge moored in central Amsterdam. If you are flexible you can let serendipity take you to places you never dreamt of!
