There’s something rather civilized that comes with opening the door to someone else’s home—a thrill hotels can’t replicate. Seasoned travellers know this instinctively: for longer stays, or when you want to sink into a city instead of passing through it, a home simply makes more sense. Of course you get more storage than a small hotel room could ever porvide (multiple closets hello!), privacy, and the great joy of blending into the rhythm of a neighbourhood like a local. From shopping at the local farmers markets, curling up on the sofa with a nice cup of tea after a day of exploring, to cooking your own eggs for breakfast: the comforts of feeling at home.
Home swapping has quietly become the choice of the savvy traveler. We had the chance to try HomeExchange, the world’s number one home swap platform, who has been leading the movement for over 30 years, quietly growing into a travel alternative most overlook. With more than 270,000 members in 155 countries, and 43% global growth in 2025 alone, it’s clear: this isn’t a niche hobby, it’s the future of thoughtful slow travel.
My own conversion came in New York, where Airbnb has been largely off-limits for years. Hotels are expensive, and often impersonal at best in a city that often imposes a nightly amenity fee without offering said amenities. Through HomeExchange, we found a real apartment on the Upper West Side I had yet to explore in all my years visiting the city. I could hear the birds chirping. I walked in Central Park everyday. I cooked a breakfast that actually met my dietary needs (that didn’t cost $85 USD), and settled into my usual routine. As someone who travels more often than not, I find hotels stifling after a handful of nights, it was exactly the kind of stay I was hoping for, one that I forgot was available in a city like New York.
Paris offered a different kind of magic: a quirky lived-in two story loft with lots of light, thoughtful design touches, loads of closet space, and a neighbourhood boulangerie that became part of our daily routine. It was effortless, stylish, and infinitely more memorable than any hotel could have been. No blinking blue lights, city noise or elevator traffic to deal with, just a quiet respite with all the comforts of home tucked away from the bustling city outside.
HomeExchange makes it easy with a flat annual membership of around $300 CAD which unlocks unlimited exchanges with verified hosts, with no nightly fees. Homes can be swapped simultaneously, non-simultaneously, or via a flexible points system, making it ideal for longer stays or off-peak travel, which is precisely what experienced travellers value most and Canadians are catching on.
Membership is up 38% nationally and exchanges by Canadians increased 52% in 2025 alone. Not surprisingly in the same survey 74% also listed cost as the top factor when booking accommodations, with 46% will go off-peak to stretch budgets a little further, making HomeExchange a perfect option for the budget conscious traveller.
From cozy cottage escapes in Blue Mountain, Mont-Tremblant and Muskoka, to coastal retreats in Tofino, or more far away stays in Paris, Guadeloupe, or Costa Rica—home swapping makes travelling accessible to all and allows travellers the luxury to recharge without sacrificing comfort, style, or experience. It’s a lifestyle choice rather than a compromise.
After my experiences in New York and Paris, it’s obvious why savvy travellers are swapping homes: it’s smarter, more personal, and undeniably easy for longer stays. Hotels will always have their place, but for those who want more space and time, a home feels like the only real option.