Travelling can be such a pleasant activity, but planning a great vacation takes a certain time. The most time you invest in taking care of the little details the least chance things won’t turn out as you originally wanted.

As HomeForHome is intended to make home exchange an easier alternative for our users, we are constantly looking for ways to help you plan your perfect vacation. That means not only providing you with tips about home exchange itself but also about travelling in general. That’s why we have often posted reviews of places to visit, trends, opportunities, activities, etc. But we are not a specialized travel resource so, what can we do to compensate that? We present you with specialized websites where you can find all the relevant information to prepare your trip. Today, we introduce you to a comprehensive directory for the UK traveller: travelfromHere.com

travelfromHere.com tries to make your travel related web search easier by presenting you the best possible selection of relevant sites from the Web. By following the provided link, you will access travelfromHere.com’s thorough directory of accommodation, transport (including airlines, airports, car rentals, coaches, trains and flight specialists), holidays, cruises, attractions, insurance, travel guides, travel Internet communities, and much more. How can travelfromHere.com make your travel planning a little easier? Just as an example, they have links to organisations that could assist you to obtain a visa, which could save you hours of Internet search to find the requirements, hours spent waiting in lines to get forms or get documents and, above all, the headache of arriving at your destination without the proper documents.

So check it out, and of course HomeForHome is there too!

Today we want to inspire you to travel so we decided to present you with the following words of wisdom we found in BraveNewTraveler. Enjoy…

“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” – Maya Angelou

“Travel and change of place impart new vigour to the mind.” – Seneca

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley

“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” – Rudyard Kipling

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James Michener

At Days End by Jennifer Renne

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” – Bill Bryson

“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

If you didn’t feel the urge to start searching HomeForHome to find a home exchange destination, maybe you will after what we found in The Quote Garden:

“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money.  Then take half the clothes and twice the money.”  – Susan Heller

“And that’s the wonderful thing about family travel:  it provides you with experiences that will remain locked forever in the scar tissue of your mind.” – Dave Barry

“I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.”  – Lillian Smith

Christmas Holidays are around the corner… The travel world is soon to be filled with people looking for last minute flights and accommodations, during one of the busiest times of the year for the industry. Whether it is people trying to get home to spend the holidays with their loved ones or people looking to experience different customs and traditions (or getting away from them), planning ahead might save them a great deal of trouble later trying to fit their budgets and agendas to last minute offers.

Finding a home swapping partner from a distant country may be a good idea to experience a different way to celebrate the holidays or start a new family tradition. Central and South America are possible destinations for those interested in changing weather conditions as well as typical celebrations, since Latin customs are generally quite different from ours and their summer weather during the holidays is enjoyable in itself. In the same way that your bones would be glad to experience a 30º Christmas for once, someone from a distant country may be looking forward to waking up to open presents by the fireplace on a snowing Christmas morning.

Whatever option you decide to experience this year, don’t let yourself get caught in the last minute rush!

Incredible as it may sound, planning a family vacation is one of the most common stressful situations one may cope with. A recent survey found that more than 98% of vacation planners suffer anxiety, tension, trouble sleeping at night and even headaches or back pains are common symptoms among people consulted. Where to go, what to bring, things you can’t forget, everything starts to pile up in the “to do” list and you end up wanting a vacation from vacation planning! What about an easy way to shorten that list?

Home exchange is a secure way to diminish the stress that comes when you go through planning your next vacation since it is very much like going to your own home away from home. Everything from the “daily use” list will be there already, expenses will be very similar to your home’s, you can choose from thousands of places, you can ask for details in advance so you don’t find any surprise upon arrival, and the options are unlimited. Depending on your chosen destination, you may end up with a very short list: transportation and clothing! It is an exceptional option for a short weekend trip (or repeated short weekend trips). You choose the destination, you look up the options from our listing, you contact the other party and you are on your way…

So even for health purposes and stress relief, Home for Home is a top choice!

When someone talks about Cannes in France, I usually only think of one thing: the Cannes International Film Festival. Every year, the festival is celebrated and the best films from all around the world are given recognition and honor. Movie buffs anticipate this event held every May. But is there more to Cannes than just the host for this wonderful festival?

Well, yes. Cannes is a city with overflowing culture and rich history. The city is located in the French Riviera, south east of France. The name “Cannes” has unknown origins, but suggested that it may have been derived from the work “canna”, meaning reed. As early as 2^nd century BC, Cannes was already established as a fishing village until Romans have since then occupied the city. The Spanish and British armies fought over the Lerins Islands in an attempt to gain control of it during the 18^th century.

Cannes is perfect for any outdoor activity, as the city has its share of the warm Mediterranean climate. Cannes has long been famous for its climate, as more tourists come here to spend 30°C Summer days. La Croisette is surrounded by beaches open to the public. It also is the place for boutiques, cafés and restaurants. La Croisette also houses several museums including Musée de la Mer, Musée de la Photographie and Musée International de la Parfumerie among others. La Suquet is the village overlooking La Croisette, this is where grand residencies were first built.

Grand residentcies or not, you are sure to find a home exchange available here. If not, you can also have home swapped in the nearby cities as going to Cannes is very quick and easy. Cannes is just an 8 hour drive away from Paris, as same as to Monaco and Nice. Brussels is a 6-hour travel via the railway system while 5 hours for Milan.

So next time someone says Cannes, it’s not just the film festival that you should think of, there are a lot of things to know and discover in Cannes. You might want to consider giving in to the idea of a visit there.

I’ve been on the thought of how most people document their traveling experiences? Do they keep journals? Do they just take pictures? Or just keep them all as memories? Well, in the technology age, the answer was pretty obvious, people blog about their experience. Whether the goal of the writer was to share their experience or their thoughts on the whole experience, blogging becomes a new avenue for information exchange for travel-holics.

Blogging about your trips and vacations is something worthwhile to do but could also be informative to others. It may not be your sole intention to inform, but people might learn something from what you write. For example, a story about a train ride experience across the Netherlands to see the Alps might be something a person from halfway around the globe needs to get short information on how to get to the Alps. It’s pretty much like telling a story of your adventure and leaving out facts and opinions that someone could pretty much use. The fun part about blogging is the feeling of sharing your experience to everyone. You always have that excited feeling to let everyone know how much fun you’ve had on a trip. Pictures and other multimedia sources can be put on most sites to accompany your posts. Blogging is pretty cheap, as long as you have your laptop and an internet connection; then you’re all good to go! You can do it anywhere, even on the bedroom of your home exchange; talk about anything under the sun and exchange ideas with other bloggers.

All I can say is that travel blogging is a fun and entertaining way to share stories and information to other people. One is never too full of stories of experiences that are worth remembering. Spreading the word and telling your story to a bigger audience across the World Wide Web is like putting a cyber bookmark on one of the most memorable moments of your life.

If you love German beer and international parties, October would definitely be your favorite month. And Munich will definitely be your favorite city. And yes, my dear adventure-loving home exchangers, it’s time again for Oktoberfest!

One of Germany’s largest feasts and tourist attractions, the celebration for Oktoberfest is widely known around the world. And you sure have heard of it. To those not too familiar with Oktoberfest, started in October 18, 1810 as a celebration of the marriage of Prince Ludwig (Ludwig I) and Princess Therese (the Theresienwiese festival grounds is named after her). Since then, Munich locals agreed to hold the feast annually. Today, Oktoberfest is celebrated by everyone, young and old, both by locals and tourists. The feast is celebrated with different parades, concerts for the music lovers, fairs and rides for kids, and of course, beers served at beer halls.

To give you a taste of Oktoberfest, here is a list of a few of the best beer tents:

Schottenhammel Tent
One of the oldest tents in Oktoberfest, this is the place to party for young people. The mayor of Munich declares the opening of Oktoberfest by tapping the first keg of beer here.

Hofbräuhaus Beer Tent
This colorful beer tent is famous among tourists, especially Americans.

Hacker Pschorr Beer Tent
Hacker is one of the largest beer tents, with a 10,000 person capacity, this tent is famous for its blue skies and white clouds ceiling. This is also a great venue to watch rock bands perform at night.

Of course, these are just a few suggestions. Who would know better but a local? And who would that be— your future home exchange partner! Asking your home exchange partner for any events and places to watch out for will definitely make your Oktoberfest experience a lot better. Home exchanging saves you money instead of checking into hotels (so that you could spend more on beer!) plus avoids the hassle of not getting a hotel reservation since there are lots of tourists coming in for the feast.

It sure is fun to go places and discover different cultures from places you only see in postcards. Wouldn’t it be nice to share a piece of Paris or Madrid with your friends and family back home, too? So why not bring them home a little souvenir? Buying a little present for a friend while visiting a new place would be very sweet, it’s almost like saying “Wish we went on vacation together” or “You should visit that place next month.”

Souvenirs need not be expensive, a colorful intricately handmade fan from Madrid or a bookmark with some historical facts from one of London’s second-hand bookstores wouldn’t cost you that much, plus it’s not bulky, so you won’t have trouble bringing it back home. You could even buy one for yourself to remind you of the wonderful experience you had looking around for these little treasures!

If you plan to travel and make a home exchange, it would be a good idea to ask your home exchange partner some good souvenir or gift shops where you could get small gifts for everyone. You could exchange ideas what would be the best souvenir to buy around the city and where to get it so as not to waste time looking for “that perfect little surprise gift” for your loved-ones back home. Some ideal gifts would be something that represents the culture, lifestyle or historical background of the place you are about to visit.

Go ahead and surprise your drinking buddy with that Manneken Pis shot glass sold off the streets of Brussels… it sure would cost you a few bucks, but the excitement and appreciation you get in return would definitely be priceless! Remember: it’s the thought that counts!

Home exchange can mean a variety of things.

It can mean flat exchange. House exchange. Mansion exchange. Hut exchange. Or even, boat exchange!

If you’re fortunate enough to own a boat, you can offer it up for home exchange and that way increase your chances of receiving home exchange proposals from people all around the world.

Also, if you are thinking of taking a trip in your boat, but you would also liked to spend some of the holiday on land, you could always arrange a home exchange in a town that has a port where you could rest your boat. Tuscany would be a wonderful example of a city where you might like to make a stop.

Home exchange is not simply restricted to typical conceptions of what a “home” is. You can be as creative as you like, and if it’s a home to you then it’s good enough to get a profile on the website and see if people are interested in exchanging.

One particular type of home exchange is a study exchange. Whether you’re taking time out from work to study, or you’re a full time student who’s looking to do a study abroad program, home exchange can definitely help you out!

All that you need is to have a residence where people can come and stay in. You don’t have to be a home or a mortgage owner - if you are renting you are eligible to do home exchanges.

To help find like minded people, you can post a message in our forum entitled; “Study exchanges.” Equally, if this is something that interests you, you may want to consider doing a non-simultaneous exchange. This is where you vacate your home whilst the other family comes to stay, and they do the same for you, so that you are able to accommodate your own study and course time tables.

Alternatively, you could do a “hosting” exchange. This is when you have the family or people (or person!) come to stay whilst you are still in your home, and in return they put you up when you go over to do your study.

Home exchange is flexible, and there are a variety of ways of managing timing for study programmes and learning abroad.