In the days before 24 hours news, people tended to worry less, let´s say. Going out bike riding in the country wasn´t riddled with so many dark fears of harmful predators lurking in the bushes. Similarly, the reign of the indoor multimedia exercise-killers wasn´t so rife. Video-games, DVDs, television, games consoles and the internet weren´t there to distract us and our children from getting outside into the clear air in order to enjoy being alive. But now, times have changed. It is often reported that our children are a little on the flabby side, unfit, and declining in strength and motivation. So taking your kids away on a holiday is something that can not only stimulate their interest in sport and outdoor activities, but it can also spark their interest in playing and seeing children and things from different parts of the world. Just by playing with kids, and showing them new sites, smells and sounds, you set astir their imaginations.

Home exchange is a very safe and cheap way of taking your kids abroad. You can watch over them in the home, go on bike rides together, go and see the local sites, integrate into the local neighbourhood so that they can make new friends…

In order to maximise your trip if you´re travelling with children, we suggest that you:

Plan lots of breaks in the activities that you do, and aim for less activities than you would if you were only going with adults.

Make sure you include plenty of stops for meals and drinks to stave off dehydration and keep the energy levels up.

Keep the adult activities for the morning, and do the less demanding children´s activities in the afternoon.

Take advantage of the local activities such as swimming, parks, playgrounds, theme parks, cinema or attractions.

Plan relaxation time for yourself. Remember to organise some activitites where your children are looked after by other people, or playing with other children, so that you can pack in a break for yourself too.

If your children aren´t yet at school age, you can always take a holiday outside of the peak seasons. Home exchange is flexible and you can do it whenever is convenient for you and your exchange partner. This way you can get cheaper flights, and attractions will be at off-peak rates.

Involve the kids in the planning of the holiday. Whilst taking a vacation is very exciting, it can sometimes make children a little nervous, especially if they find changes in routine difficult. So often it can be a good idea to show the children some photos beforehand, and get them involved in the planning. If you´re going to a foreign country, you can teach them some words and phrases before you go. This way, they can really get engrossed in the trip. They can point out to you things that appeal to them, and this way you can make plans that will keep everybody entertained.

We usually associate the idea of ´holiday´ with a melting Caribbean sun. Maybe some gentle sliding tides, and lounging about on the white sand shaded by some giant friendly coconuts. Yet, for some, vacations can bring as much stress as they ease away. There are a variety of reasons for this, and it is important to be aware of them before planning the holiday, and when you are out there enjoying it.

So let´s look at some of the causes of holiday stress, and how you can avoid them with HomeExchange.

Fatigue.

So as to not waste the opportunity of seeing everything that a new corner of the world has to offer, it´s often tempting to rush around like a headless chicken, cramming in every last culture experience you can into the time you have. This can often result in early starts, long walks, long periods standing or driving, arguments, and a sense of time pressure. With home exchange, you can avoid this by making better and more effective plans about your holidays in advance. You can talk with your exchange partner, and get a real feel for the area guided by a real veritable local native! Over email or messaging, you can discuss your interests, and the things that appeal to you the most. Then, with the feedback from your exchange partner, you can start to sift through the plans that would satisfy you and be worthwhile. This way, you will maximise your time away and spend those creamy days enjoying a balanced schedule. Also, you won´t have to worry about early starts brought on my hotel evacuation procedures!

Financial limitations.

A common cause of stress during vacations is caused by the difference between the imagined, ideal PLAN for the holiday, and the actual reality of it. Even if you´re not one to kick back and treat yourself to just about anything you fancy when you´re on vacation, financial restraints are often a cause of stormy trouble. Also, even if you´re not stopped from doing the things you want to do, there can something be a sense of dissatisfaction that you´ve “spent all this money” and aren´t actually enjoying it as much as you hoped. At homeforhome, whilst we can´t guarantee that everything will turn out precisely as you expected, we can guarantee that you won´t be stressed out about the massive costs of the vacation. As the only thing you will have to pay for will be the travel, you won´t be pouring away hundreds on the accommodation. Without a doubt, this takes a massive financial burden off the holiday, which will rule out one of the commonest causes of vacation stress. Also, your exchange partner can tell you the cheapest and best places to eat, where to get your food, which free activities are available, and where to avoid because it´s too expensive.

Unrealistic expectations.

Another reason people can sometimes feel a sense of irritation or melancholy whilst abroad, is because they are trying to recreate a ´perfect holiday´ that they had in the past. We like to think that by doing a home exchange, you will have such a new and unique experience, that you won´t be disappointed by any aspect of the holiday. What with being in totally new surroundings, having your own new little home to live in, and with all the guidance and friendliness afforded by a home swap, you won´t have any sense of nostalgia for a past holiday. Everything will be so different, new and exciting that your home exchange won´t simply be giving you a break - it will give you a break from the monotony of other vacation habits!

So if you´ve ever felt the sticky disappointment of a holiday somehow gone wrong, you´ll understand what we mean. With home-exchange you can look forward to having a holiday free of the usual risks of stress.

In 2007, the average cost of a hotel room in Europe was a staggering figure. One single night in a 3 star hotel in Moscow would have cost you £194*. So if you went with your family for, let´s say, two weeks, that would amount to a colossal £2,716. That´s nearly four thousand dollars - $3,911.21. Pretty incredible, huh? So let´s take a look at the cost for one night for some other popular European must-see destinations:

Venice £125

Geneva £109

Rome £104

Edinburgh £103

Oslo £103

Copenhagen £99

Barcelona £95

Milan £94

Amsterdam £92

Stockholm £93

Vienna £89

Nice £85

Frankfurt £82

So. You could say that staying in a hotel in Europe is a little on the pricey-side. So if you want to travel in Europe, you´ve got three options. You could make the sticky decision between staying in a Travellers Hostel - which is cheaper but you lack privacy and space - or, spending a phenomenal amount on your accommodation. Or, you could avoid all of these problems, and do a home exchange. To have a comfortable holiday, staying in a hotel in Europe could end up costing the earth. So why not amplify the comfort, the space and the imtimacy, for none of the cost! Home exchange. You know it makes sense. If we don´t convince you, maybe the list of hotel prices will…

(*All figures in this post are quoted from site: http://www.hotels.co.uk/press/hotel-price-index-2008.html#price_changes)

If you´ve ever found the idea of Australians spending Christmas day tending the barbeque - or diving into their endlessly blue outdoor swimming pools - all rather weird and fascinating, then a Christmas home exchange might be right up your street. Alternatively, if you´re sick of the mildness of a British Christmas, with the weather flirting dangerously with the cold, yet never quite committing to the much longed for beauty of a “White Chrismas”, then you may also want to take a trip during the festive season. In Canada for example, they keep their fingers crossed every year that the season may bring them a rare and coveted “Green Christmas”. Hence, there´s more soft cottony snow than you can shake a stick at.

Although the idea of requesting a home exchange in order to spend christmas in somebody else´s house might feel a little strange, it´s actually a popular time of the year for home exchange. Most people take the opportunity for time off over the Christmas vacations, and it´s a special time to be with the family. So what better way to get that snug cosy touch than to spend Christmas in someone´s home?

You don´t have to worry about that clinical feeling of hotels, nor the idea of feeling a bit empty and away from what is familiar. Because you´ll be right in the centre of someone´s loved and cherished family home. It will be intimate and comfortable, whilst also offering you a wonderful new experience full of variety and spice, (and snow or sunshine, depending on what you´re after). It´s a great cheap way to have a marvellous christmas holiday, and is one of the many opportunities given by free home exchange.

Oxford is not only of the the oldest cities in the UK, but it´s also perhaps the most uniquely beautiful. Known also as the City of the Dreaming Spires, it is easy to lose yourself in this musty little testament to the passing of England´s history. From its old broken cobbled floors, up to the magnifecent floating cusps of the enchanted colleges, Oxford is beyond doubt, a magical city. So where better to try your home exchange?

Whether you like history or not, you are bound to fall for its still charm, its buildings filled with history, (from the architecture to the ambience) and its quaint peculiarities.

If you go in the summer, you can start the day with a champagne breakfeast in Port Meadow, and enjoy the country walk punctuated with buttercups and dragonflies. Later, you can take a stroll down Cornmarket street, and see just how vibrant and alive these ancient streets become, with the festivals, dancing groups, singers, magic performers, and political demonstrators. For lunch, you simply have to go to the Rose Cafe. Located at the bottom of high street, just before Magdalen Bridge, this remarkably independent English cafe offers a selection of distictly original dishes, breakfast, lunch or snacks, plus a variety of special teas.

And let´s not forget the wonderfully Oxfordian punting experience afforded by the River Cherwell. Get yourself a bottle of Pimms, a picnic of strawberry jam and scones, and take yourself gliding, lazily, down the clear green river, with a book of Keates´s poetry filling your head with the aura of a British summer.

Later, there are the colleges to explore. Being one of the most exquisite and renowned universities in the UK, the architecture and backdrop of this wonderful university is immense. At Christchurch, we of course have the inspiration for Harry Potter and the blossoming fields; at Magdalen we have the sacred spotted deer, and of course the old room of Oscar Wilde, or perhaps you would like to pay a visit to the most prestigious of all, adjacent to the Radcliffe Camera, the most elite and private society for this world´s true geniuses, All Souls college at its height and brilliance.

For evening entertainment there are a varierty of theatres, of outdoor performances, of cocktail bars, restaurants, or concerts. This town is packed with culture, from the very rustic to the youngest blood on the scene, and everything is to be enjoyed against the backdrop of the vintage buldings.

So, it looks like the credit crunch is making quite a few changes. Belts are tightening, purse strings are being bound to the point of breaking, and it´s all getting a bit depressing. It´s not only those who face the horror of job loss that suffer. There are a whole variety of problems to confront right now, with the current economic situation. But cutting down on holidays is, thankfully, not something you have to put up with!

When we have to cut back on luxuries, you would think that holidays would be one of the first things to go. They are certainly something that we tend to spend a lot of money on.

But it doesn´t have to be like that. When you do a home exchange with HomeForHome, the only thing you have to pay for is the transport. Other than that, you will have the same living costs as if you were staying at home. And whilst we are living in the age of cheap flights, now is the time, more than ever, to take advantage of what is available.

Let´s say that you book a cheap flight well in advance of the proposed holiday. So you get the cheapest offer available. And then when you get there, you do a vehicle swap with the family or person that you are exchanging with. The biggest cost of a holiday is often the accommodation. So, with the right organisational skills, you could end up paying very little for transport, and not a single dime for the accommodation. The savings would be enormous. That is why, in this particular economic climate, the home exchange opportunity is riper than ever. It can be the difference between having a substantial, wonderful holiday in a foreign country, or not having a holiday at all.

When you see it in this light, it´s all the more appealing. All you need to do is get yourself registered, upload the details of your own home, and then start looking for locations around the world that you´d like to spend your holidays in! It´s very exciting, and it´s certainly the smart choice to make. This economic crisis might cost us a lot, but we here at HomeForHome make it still possible to go have your dream holidays.

So how´s that for sending a bit of sunshine your way?