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Traveling with Kids? Choose Home Exchange

Traveling with children can be very rewarding. It's great to see them explore new places and experience new things.

Keeping the whole family well rested and relaxed is key to a successful trip, especially when kids are involved.

Families who have discovered home exchange, swapping houses with another family, know the joy of returning from a busy day of sightseeing to a cozy home where they can rejuvenate and recharge their batteries.

Meeting the Neighbors

With home exchange, after a busy day sightseeing or at the amusement park, the kids can watch their own programs on TV in the den or play in the back yard while the parents unwind on the deck. Dinner can be mac and cheese for the kids, while mom and dad enjoy tasty treats picked up at the local market.

If you're trading with a family that also has kids, you can swap all the necessary accoutrements of childhood -- cribs, strollers, playpens, car seats - instead of lugging them with you. Many home exchangers also trade cars, so you'll have transportation at your destination. And your kids have the chance to meet and play with kids from the neighborhood, something they could never do on a regular vacation.

Saving Money on Your "Vacation Home"

Home exchange helps your travel budget go further, so you can travel more frequently or stay longer. "We originally decided to try home exchange because of the economics," says Sonny Dyke of Front Royal, Va., in the Shenandoah Valley. He and his family are home exchange veterans who have discovered the joys, both monetary and otherwise, of traveling this way.

They arrange their trips through HomeExchange.com, an easy-to-use Web site that lists thousands of homes, apartment and condos in over 90 countries and throughout the United States. The site helps connect like-minded people who are interested in trading their place for yours for a fantastic vacation. Whether you're looking to stay near an amusement park, in a big city, or on a farm, your family will have plenty to choose from. (Ed note: The Holiday is a romantic comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet who use HomeExchange.com to change their lives as they trade homes between Los Angeles and England.)

From their first exchange in 2001, the Dykes discovered the benefits over and above cost savings. "Now it's all about having space and being able to experience our destination as locals rather than as tourists," says Dyke. The Applebaum family of La Canada, Calif., near Los Angeles, also loves home exchange. They have traveled within the United States, as well as to England and France. "We like to go for a month at a time, so home exchange really saves us a lot in hotel costs," says Bill Applebaum.

Feeling at Home, Away from Home

He also points out that having a home base allows for lots of day trips, or even overnight trips, with a relaxing, inviting place to return to. He also enjoys meeting the friends, neighbors and even relatives of the family whose home they are staying in.

"Many home exchangers ask neighbors or relatives to drop by for a quick check-in and a get acquainted visit with their new guests," he explains. "Our neighbors do the same for the people who stay at our house. It's a great way to learn about local activities, attractions, places to eat and more." Both grownups and kids form new friendships with their "adopted" neighbors.

"Our neighbors have met all of our exchangers, even though we never have," says Dyke. "But thanks to e-mail and phone calls, you feel like you know them, and have a certain comfort level going into the exchange."

Have house, will travel

House swap to home hunt

House Swapping