Three weeks house swapping and hopping in Italy set a perfect pace for Natalie Walton and her young family.

Faced with the prospect of not being able to travel overseas for several years once my toddler son became a full-fare paying passenger, I set about creating a memorable – and affordable – family holiday to Italy.

For years I had been tempted to house swap, but my trips were always so busy that it wasn't plausible to seek accommodation for only a couple of nights here and there. But travelling with a child changed the nature of my usual cram-everything-in-type holidays. Staying in only a few locations, for about a week at a stretch, suddenly seemed more appealing. I already had a list of the most popular sites from previous research (see box, opposite). However, I settled on Homelink because there were many options to house swap within Australia as well as overseas.

As my husband and I had already travelled to the main Italian tourist hotspots, we wanted this trip to be more about living like locals, all the while practising our Italian, which we had been studying for several years.

We settled on three locations over three weeks. The first would be Rome, the second in coastal holiday town Porto San Georgio on the Adriatic coast and the third in Vigevano, a historic town on the outskirts of Milan.

Even before landing in Italy we were struck by the hospitality and generosity of our house-swap contacts. Vito was a Roman television producer who was holidaying in Australia when we first approached him.

He would be back in Rome by the time we landed at Rome Fiumicino airport, but he volunteered to stay at a friend's place so we could move into his apartment. Not only that, he picked us up at Roma Termini train station in his car and took us back to his apartment in the San Lorenzo district, showing us a fridge stocked with fresh meats, salads and drinks. On our last night in Rome, he organised a dinner at a restaurant with a group of his friends so we could get a taste of local life, and speak only in Italian.

Outside the apartment block was a market selling fresh produce. The square was lined with pizzerias, cafes and bars.

We were within walking distance of supermarkets, making it easy to self-cater, which was a blessing for the budget and for toddler-friendly dinner hours.

Days were spent exploring areas of Rome, rather than tourist sites. We spent one day at the Porta Portese flea markets, another at the gardens and zoo surrounding Villa Borghese, and many days just walking at a child's pace around the streets of Rome.

The next stay was at Tullia's holiday apartment in Porto San Giorgio in Le Marche region. She was a teacher who lived with a young daughter, which meant her place was filled with age-appropriate toys for our son.

The town is not a tourist drawcard, but it's popular with people in the region. The streets are flat so bicycles were the go.

Tullia had bikes that she encouraged us to use, and so we did, cycling into town each day for gelato and to buy supplies for meals. Porto San Giorgio is located near a series of hilltop villages and castles, which made for perfect day trips.

On our last night we went to a concert at the 19th-century Teatro Comunale, where we spent the evening chatting to a family who insisted we join them in one of the red velvet boxes. In a smaller town, people had time to chat and liked to make conversation. They also loved children, and spoiling them.

We reached our final destination, Vigevano in Lombardy, and moved into Sabino's house, while he stayed at his girlfriend's. Again, it was well stocked.

Riding trains outweighed actually reaching any destination as far as our son was concerned, so we took several trips into Milan, a 30-minute commute. Walking into the heart of Vigevano was enjoyable too. The Renaissance Piazza Ducale pointed to the town's former wealth, and remains a popular place to visit.

As for us, buying local produce, cooking at home and chatting to neighbours over the back fence were as cultural and rewarding as visiting any church. And while we saved several thousand dollars by house swapping, the real rewards were invaluable.

Local tip

It's always nice to leave a snack or first meal for when your guests arrive. Offering maps and details about your local area is also considerate. House swapping works on an honour system – treat people the way you would like to be treated yourself.

How to house swap

Find an online house-swap site. Here is a round-up of some of the best:

Homelink.com.au has been around since 1953 and has a strong presence in Australia and overseas.

Homeexchange.com was made famous by the film The Holiday.

Aussiehouseswap.com.au focuses on Australian and New Zealand exchanges.

Creativecaravan.net caters to people who work in creative industries.

Practicalities

You don't have to swap homes at the same time – this is called a non-simultaneous exchange. The various sites put you in contact with homeowners and it's up to both parties to come to an agreement about what the exchange includes, such as car and bicycle use and cleaning.

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