If you don't object to someone you've never met staying in your home, house swaps are a very cheap way of travelling, particularly to areas where accommodation costs are high. The trick is to persuade an email correspondent - who typically inhabits a San Francisco condo or a skiing lodge in Whistler, Canada - that your property is both "cosy" (nearly all British properties fall into this category) and located near a recognisable town or city. A joining fee is almost inevitable, so choose the site carefully.

HomeLink International
Costing from £12 a year for UK-only exchange listings to £89 for an international entry, HomeLink nonetheless attracts 12,000 members and has been established for nearly 50 years. The clientele is "professional" and visitors can browse the listings before joining. Standards are high.

Holi-Swaps
Plenty of the exchangers here want to stay in Britain, so the prospects of finding a suitable swap are high. Listings can be free, subject to a few limitations; full entries cost £36.

International Home Exchange
A dour but efficient site, established since 1993. Once listed ($30), anyone can contact you to arrange a swap - not just other members.

Green Theme International
A Cornwall-based enterprise, GTI has substantial listings, ill-thought-out web pages and some useful advice.

Latitudes Home Exchange
The range of properties here is wide, but the search facility is very patchy. The fee is $50 and "custom" matchmaking costs substantially more.

Seniors Home Exchange
An American-based service, costing $50 to join, which is available only to over-50s.