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Some pointers and anecdotes on the thrifty family travel practice of house-swapping or home exchange, from a UK-based expert in the field.

Would you like a vacation base for your family with all the comforts of home -- rent-free? Swap homes with a family abroad or in your own country who want to visit your area, and enjoy all the benefits of a home exchange vacation. Families with children form a large part of the growing number of regular home swappers worldwide.

You will enjoy having the space and the convenience of staying in a real home. Exchange with a family with children of a similar age to your own, and your children will have a whole new set of toys, books and videos to occupy them -- while you relax! Other young families will have homes suitable for the needs of young children (along with baby and toddler gear,) which enables you to pack much more lightly than is usually the case when traveling with little ones.

Staying in a hotel can also be very costly for a family. Home exchange enables you to cut down on expensive meals out, as well as, at least occasionally, to choose free 'home entertainment.' Exchanging with a family often has extra perks like local babysitters and playmates for your children. 

Successful Swaps Need Planning

Not everyone exchanges with families similar to their own and, provided you make certain that the home will be suitable for children before you agree to an exchange, there are no restrictions on who you can exchange with.

Experienced home swapper Jo Piercey (an American who lives in a small village in rural England with her husband and three children) writes:

''We chose Cape Cod for our second retreat with our son, then 2½ and our daughter, a mere 9 weeks. We were a little hesitant as our exchange partner was a bachelor (would he tolerate children?) and he was exchanging his second home with our primary one. We did the usual swapping of photographs and chats on the phone and decided he was the chap for us. We asked him where we could get certain items to save us from lugging them on a long-haul flight. 'No problem,' he replied. He is a rabbi and asked his congregation for any unused baby paraphernalia. Overnight we had a cot, a car-seat, a pushchair, a playpen and a bag of toys - magic!"

Jo continues: "By the time we exchanged in Florida we were pretty experienced at cleaning houses and turning over stones [note: Jo's suggestion for new exchangers -- ask as many questions as you can; do not leave any stone unturned.] It was a fabulous exchange with a couple who had two sons. Their home was beautiful and it included a swimming pool, Jacuzzi and the use of a small motorboat. They also owned a much larger boat and, although we couldn't take it out, they had arranged for a friend to come to us and take us fishing. He came three times and, on each occasion, we caught our own dinner and grilled it as the sun set over the back garden. I say this because the back garden happened to be the Intracoastal Waterway and the sun is particularly beautiful when it sets over water. My son, all these years later, still occasionally asks me when we are going back to The Pink House as it is affectionately known! I do hope they had as good a time in our humble cottage as we did in their splendid Florida paradise."