1. A chef-prepared lunch under an olive tree behind our Italian villa. When you swap homes you are forming a relationship with another family. You are their guests and they are your guests. I have found our hosts to be incredibly generous from allowing us to use their car, picking us up at the airport and even having a chef-friend prepare a three course Italian meal to welcome us. I try to reciprocate, but it's hard to top that.

2. Ending up in Haute Provence instead of the Riviera. When you're looking for a swap you may have one specific place in mind, but sometimes in order to find a good swap you have to be a little flexible. This can lead to fortuitous results by steering you to places you might not have chosen for yourself, but often are more authentic and family friendly. Imagine the equivalent of thinking you want a hotel in mid-town, but ending up in a townhouse in Cobble Hill. Score.

3. A chocolate-lovers map of Paris. Swapping allows you to travel like a local. And not just any local. Your hosts will tell you their favorite places and you will be living in their home, which certainly gives you a window into their lives. We stayed in the apartment of two chocolate lovers in Paris who had chocolate scented soaps and left home made chocolate ice cream in their freezer for us as well as a list of their favorite spots in Paris for hot cocoas and chocolates. It was a sweet stay.

4. Playing with other people's toys. Staying in a family home had many advantages, including being able to cook and do laundry and have separate bedrooms. But kids will love getting to stay in another child's bedroom and inherit their toys for a while. Everyone knows other people's toys are way more fun than your own.

5. Your house is someone else's castle. Whether you live in a tiny apartment in NYC or a huge home in the woods, you can trade it for something completely different. Maybe a house with a big yard and pool in California, a real castle in Normandy, or a beach hut in South America. When you house swap, what you have is just what someone else is looking for. Finally your home is doing something for you. Thanks, house.

I have found many home swaps through homeexchange.com. Knok.com is a newer home exchange site that I haven't tried, but offers home insurance for all swaps. We contributed to their fun guide, 100 Cities to Home Swap Before You Die