Imagine returning to your Malibu beach house for a barbeque after a long walk on the beach at sunset, or gazing out on a piazza from your very own flat in Venice. Or, what about living in a quaint 17th century cottage in the middle of the English countryside? Whatever your idea of the perfect home for a special holiday, stop dreaming. Check out Home Base Holidays, offering hundreds of home swap exchanges around the world, and get a new home base for a week or a month.

So make like Kate Winslet in The Holiday and try something different. There’s no more authentic way to experience life in a new city/country.