Accommodation in France: help exchange

When looking for accommodation in France, it’s clear that the options are boundless. And here at MyFrenchLife.org, we believe that the more you know, the better.

That’s what our savvy traveller series on staying in France is all about: weighing up the options, finding what’s best for you, but above all – feeling more relaxed about the whole process.

So many options make for fantastic flexibility, but it can often prove even more overwhelming. Villas and gites to apartments can be great, but it’s important to beware of extra agency costs.

Home exchange, house-sitting and homestay really give you the most cultural immersion and bang for your buck. But have you considered a help exchange?

What

Another option is to join the Help Exchange community, staying in accommodation for free in exchange for helping the host. Help Exchange is quite popular in France and Europe as a whole and it is not just for backpackers!

The help required ranges from manual labour to tutoring from two to six hours required per day.

Pros

Take this example: you could spend two weeks near Nice, living with a family and tutoring their daughter in English for two hours a day. In exchange, you have a lovely private room and all the same benefits of living with a homestay family but without the cost!

Where to look

As a member of the HelpX community, you can browse through different options, reading about past experiences and reviews from other members.

What do you think of the idea of help exchange? Share your thoughts and opinions below!