But if you do have a house to offer up, there are various websites that provide online classifieds for owners to advertise. Most require a registration fee (to weed out the crazies), but then you can advertise your property for the entire year. The length of time for exchanges depends on the needs of the two parties swapping houses.Travel for free, why not?

These may not be around for long; so here are 6 beaches to visit before it’s to late.

A travel expert who books travel for a living, says, "If your plans change and you need to cancel your hotel reservation against the hotel's cancellation policy, don't call and cancel. They'll charge you. Instead, call the hotel and move your reservation to next week."

As the second-largest city in Bavaria, Nuremberg (Nürnberg, as it is called by locals) often gets overshadowed by Munich. With a recorded history dating back to 1050 and a plethora of political events throughout the ages—notably rallies, and later war trials—there’s no reason for this charming Franconian city to be humble.

"If your claim is unsuccessful, you pay nothing," Janetzke says. If you've ever had your travel plans disrupted by a flight delayed by three hours or more, you know just how much of a headache it causes. It's possible for a passenger in this situation to seek compensation for such a delay, but airlines have historically argued with passengers about whether the flight's actual arrival time is when the wheels hit the ground, or when the aircraft doors open.