Brits urged to try house swapping to combat rise in holiday prices
British holidaymakers are being urged to consider house swapping to counteract a rise in trips to Europe.
A holiday to Europe this summer will cost British holidaymakers nearly 20% more than it did last year, according to Travelex.
The foreign exchange specialist says due to the value of the pound against the euro, the average cost of a family holiday to Europe this summer will be £2,851, compared to £2,333 in summer 2016.
It based last year’s figure on research by Heathrow Airport.
Travelex blamed the rise on the EU referendum last June, which has sent the value of sterling falling against the Euro.
To help offset the rise, Travelex and money saving expert Jasmine Birtles are advising British holidaymakers to book early, look at alternatives to flying, pre-plan travel insurance, and take advantage of house swapping.
“House swapping can cut out a massive proportion of accommodation costs, particularly for bigger families who just cannot afford to rent out multiple bedroom villas or hotels. In some cases, families can even swap cars and boats,” suggested Birtles.
“At a very basic level, families should start thinking about their next summer holiday as far in advance as possible, then start making a check-list of what needs to be organised, starting with transport, insurance and travel money.”
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt