Bordeaux. Choose the neighbourhood as carefully as the platform.
Paid partnership with HomeExchange. I receive membership support and GuestPoints, including through referrals.
My Bordeaux HomeExchange apartment had its little quirks. It also had a view towards Saint-Michel, which improved my opinion of mornings considerably.
That is what I like about swapping homes in France: having somewhere to come back to, buying breakfast nearby, gradually working out whether I like the neighbourhood as much as the photograph.
But which website should you use?
For a first home exchange in France, HomeExchange is where I would start. I have used it in Paris, Bordeaux and Sanary-sur-Mer. Kindred is worth comparing if you want help organising cleaning and are happy to pay fees per stay. People Like Us offers a different approach to non-reciprocal exchanges, while HomeLink suits people who want a traditional direct swap without points.
I have personally used HomeExchange; the other three are compared here on their published prices and conditions. The useful question is which one fits your dates, your home and the way you want to travel.
Home exchange in France: prices at a glance
These are the published rates checked on 9 November 2026. Travelling to France does not necessarily mean paying a French membership price: your account market matters. Keep the currencies separate when comparing.
| Platform | Annual membership | Costs beyond membership | How you exchange |
|---|---|---|---|
| HomeExchange | €175 in France; US$235 on the US site | No platform fee per exchange. Allow for any cleaning or other expenses agreed with your host. | Direct swaps or GuestPoints, with a nightly points value. |
| Kindred | No standard annual fee. Optional Passport: US$600 upfront, or four payments of US$165. | Service fees per stay, plus cleaning before and after. Passport removes service fees, not cleaning. | Credits, normally one per night, or a reciprocal swap. Application and home acceptance required. |
| People Like Us | US$159 for a year of Premium membership | No platform fee per stay. Agree practical expenses with your exchange partner. | Direct swaps, whole-stay Globes or short-stay Plutos. |
| HomeLink | Country-specific. NZ site: NZ$250 for 12 months of worldwide membership. | No platform fee per exchange; agree any extra arrangements together. | Direct reciprocal exchanges, without a central points system. |
Official prices: HomeExchange France and US, Kindred, People Like Us, HomeLink. HomeLink localises its rates; the New Zealand quote above is a country example, not a French or worldwide flat price. Check the office for the country where you live.
1. HomeExchange: my starting point for a trip to France
HomeExchange lets you arrange a reciprocal or non-reciprocal exchange. In a direct swap, you stay in each other's homes, on the same or different dates. With GuestPoints, your host does not have to come to yours: you give points for your stay and earn them by hosting other members.
That flexibility is useful if you are trying out Bordeaux before a move, rather than hoping to find a Bordelais household with a sudden, matching enthusiasm for your town.
The annual membership covers unlimited exchanges. You can create a profile and explore the platform before paying; membership is needed to finalise an exchange. I would use that time to look at homes in the places I actually want to visit and start conversations.
My reason for recommending it is personal: I have enjoyed using it for different kinds of French stays. For a scouting trip, having a kitchen and a neighbourhood to return to gives you something a hotel weekend cannot quite reproduce. I explain the budgeting side in my France scouting trip with HomeExchange guide.
The catch: GuestPoints are counted per night, and homes have different points values. A large balance is only useful if you find a willing host for your dates. Start with the exchange, not a fantasy conversion of points into guaranteed holidays.
If you join through me, FEELGOODFRENCH gives you 250 bonus GuestPoints: 100 after completing your home listing, then 150 after activating paid membership. It is a points bonus, not a reduction in the annual fee. Here is my HomeExchange promo-code guide and application steps, or you can start with my referral link.
2. Kindred: compare the whole stay price
Kindred's attraction is easy to understand: no standard annual joining fee, and help coordinating the cleaning. You apply with your home, and acceptance is required.
Under its pricing and credit policy, a stay normally uses one credit per night. Hosting earns credits. Accepted members can receive five starter credits after completing the required verification and adding hosting availability; credits cannot simply be bought.
The cash costs are a variable service fee and cleaning before and after the stay. Your quote matters more than the words “free to join”. Optional Passport costs US$600 upfront for a year, or US$660 in four instalments, and removes service fees while leaving cleaning to pay.
For France, look at the actual homes around Paris or Bordeaux, and search your intended town. Kindred has listings beyond Paris, so do not rule it in or out on the assumption that it only does capital cities.
My take: worth comparing when help with cleaning is valuable to you. For a longer trip, request the full cash quote and count the credits you will need. A ten-night stay needs ten credits; five starter credits leave five nights to account for.
3. People Like Us: a Globe is a stay, not a night
People Like Us Premium costs US$159 a year, with no platform fee per exchange. Its free membership lets you browse and build your listing; exchanging requires paid membership.
The interesting difference is how its exchange tokens work. A Globe covers one agreed stay, rather than deducting a set number of points each night. A Pluto covers a short stay of one to three nights. You can also arrange a direct swap.
A Globe could therefore be useful for a longer stay in France, provided the host agrees to that length. It does not entitle you to choose ten nights in someone else's diary. The other person remains involved. Quite reasonably, given that it is their house.
There are French listings in cities and smaller towns, so search the places you are considering rather than judging the platform by its headline membership price alone.
The catch: PLU's 60-day membership refund offer applies to eligible new members paying the full, non-discounted price. Accepting or finalising an exchange ends that refund window, even before you travel.
4. HomeLink: for people who actually want a direct swap
HomeLink is the most straightforward fit here if your ideal arrangement is: you come to mine, I go to yours, and we agree the details together. Its model centres on reciprocal exchanges rather than points.
That can suit a longer stay with another household whose destination and timing match yours. It also means finding someone interested in your home, not just someone with a home you like.
Membership prices depend on your country. The New Zealand site currently quotes NZ$250 for a 12-month worldwide membership, with unlimited exchanges. Choose your local office for the applicable price and support; a France-bound traveller living in New Zealand should not assume a French membership tariff applies.
The catch: HomeLink's general terms make subscription fees non-refundable and leave members responsible for checking their own insurance. Local representatives provide support, but that is a different thing from a platform promising to pay for any replacement accommodation.
What would you need for ten nights in France?
Suppose you want ten nights in Bordeaux, with a kitchen, and you can make your own home available for an exchange.
| Platform | What covers those ten nights? | What cash costs should you compare? |
|---|---|---|
| HomeExchange | The home's nightly GuestPoints value × 10, or an agreed reciprocal swap. | Your market's annual membership, plus agreed extras. |
| Kindred | Ten credits, or a reciprocal arrangement. The five starter credits alone do not cover it. | The full service and two-cleaning quote, or Passport plus cleaning. |
| People Like Us | One Globe if the host agrees to ten nights, or a direct swap. | Annual Premium membership, plus agreed extras. |
| HomeLink | A reciprocal exchange agreed with the other household. | Your local annual membership, plus agreed extras. |
This is why I would not choose on the annual fee alone. Ask two questions: can I arrange the stay I want, and what will I actually pay to do it?
For your own sums, put the entire membership against your first trip, then add exchange expenses and any transport the location requires. Compare that total with a rental you would genuinely choose for the same dates. A cheaper membership is less exciting if the home needs a hire car for ten days.
The France checks I would make before saying yes
A listing described as “near Bordeaux” can be excellent. It can also be near Bordeaux in the way an airport sometimes is: technically defensible, less convenient with groceries.
Before agreeing to a French home exchange, I would check:
- The everyday journey. How long is the walk to bread, groceries and public transport? Check the route and the timetable, including the journey home in the evening.
- The actual home. Which floor, is there a lift, and what are the sleeping arrangements? In warm weather, ask about shutters, ventilation and cooling. Read what is there rather than assuming.
- The handover and household jobs. Who gives you the keys? What cleaning is expected or charged? Are there plants or pets to look after? Put the agreed arrangements in the platform conversation.
- The purpose of your stay. For a holiday, being near the beach may win. If you are considering a move, try staying where you could realistically live and do the journeys you would actually make.
For a scouting trip, give yourself a few ordinary days: shopping, using transport, returning after dark, finding out how the neighbourhood works. My France scouting-trip budget guide helps you plan that kind of visit.
And leave room for the French you will actually need. Understanding the explanation about the keys is more useful at that moment than remembering every tense. My guide to catching key information in spoken French is a good place to begin.
Cancellation and protection: four different arrangements
These conditions can change the decision, especially if your dates are uncertain:
- HomeExchange: membership guarantees include assistance, damage protection and support if a host cancels, subject to their conditions. Keep the exchange finalised on the platform with the required valid membership.
- Kindred: timing matters. Under the member cancellation policy, cancelling 20 days before a stay normally means losing the service fee and credits, while cleaning fees are refundable in that 8-to-30-day window. Its host damage protection is a reimbursement programme, not an insurance policy.
- People Like Us: the FAQ says the platform does not provide insurance. Arrange your own suitable home and travel cover; do not confuse the membership refund offer with cover for a cancelled trip.
- HomeLink: check your local office's conditions alongside the general terms. Support from a representative and your own insurance have different roles.
For any platform, make sure you have permission to offer your home and that your insurer understands the arrangement. Get those answers before you commit to a stay.
Which house-swapping website would I choose for France?
I would start with HomeExchange, because it is the one I know through my own French stays and I like being able to arrange either a direct swap or a GuestPoints exchange.
I would compare Kindred if having cleaning coordinated appealed to me, People Like Us if its whole-stay Globe model suited the trip, and HomeLink if I wanted a direct exchange without managing points.
Then I would stop comparing logos and look for a home that fits. The right platform is the one that gets you into a workable exchange, in a place you want to spend ten days. Preferably without discovering on arrival that your breakfast requires a car.
If HomeExchange looks right for you, join through my link and use FEELGOODFRENCH for the 250 GuestPoints bonus, awarded in the two steps above. My promo-code guide explains exactly where to put it.
Prices and linked conditions checked 9 November 2026. Your membership market and the final stay quote determine what you pay.