PERFECT EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE!

It was a great experience this house exchange in Florida USA with Donna and Dan. At first due to covid and other misery the exchange was cancelled in 2021. But we had perfect communication and in 2022 everything was arranged.The house is very comfortable with AC. In the morning and evening when the temperature wasn't to much it was perfect to sit in the screened porch watching the wildlife go by. It's a quiet neighborhood and it’s only a 3 minutes walk to the beach using a short boardwalk. We used their beach chairs and umbrella quite a lot. And the bikes as well. We visited the nearby historic town of StAugustine and had a stunning view from the top of the lighthouse. All highlights in Florida are within reachable distance like Daytona, Kennedy Space Center, Jacksonville and Orlando. Car exchange was also a perfect match. We already miss Gus the housecat he became a dear friend. Exchanging with Donna and Dan is a win-win.

This home is just a short walk to a long, beautiful beach. We went there several times a day. There is a tennis and swim club across the street and our exchange partners arranged for us to swim laps there. They also gave us information about the sights to see in St Augustine and provided parking passes for downtown. They welcomed us with gifts left in their home and we especially enjoyed meeting them for breakfast half-way between our mutual homes.

This was our second exchange with Dan and Donna, and it was just as lovely and perfect as the first! Dan and Donna are excellent communicators, setting up all the details ahead of time to make sure we had an excellent trip. They even left us coupons to their favorite new ice cream shop, which was excellent! Between the thoughtful gifts for my kids, the perfect beachside location and warm and open communication it was about as perfect an exchange as one could ask for. I am certain we will be back!

We had a wonderful experience exchanging homes with Donna and Dan. We loved their very comfortable home and quiet neighborhood and its proximity to the beach, just a few minutes walk. The beach was wide, flat and firm, great for long walks and cycling, or just spending a lazy day under an umbrella. There are two supermarkets and shops within easy walking distance, including a great Japanese and Thai Restaurant. Their neighbours were very welcoming, friendly and helpful. Donna and Dan provided a resident’s pass for a multi-level car park called (The Garage) which is right in the heart of the old town of St Augustine and also next door to the tourist information centre. We really enjoyed looking after their two rescue cats Gus and Stumpy and they enjoyed us being home with them constantly during the last week of our holidays. The A1A coastal highway which runs North /South is a wonderful scenic coastal drive. St Augustine has a lot of history being the oldest town in the USA. Some of the many things to visit in St Augustine are the Lightner Museum, The Lighthouse and Maritine Museum, Colonial Quarter, Markets and Castillo de San Marcos Fort to name a few. We picked up and dropped off Donna and Dan’s car at the ‘Park to Fly’ car storage facility in Orlando near Orlando airport it was very easy (using the free shuttle). The drive from Orlando to Donna and Dan’s place is an easy two hour drive mostly along divided freeways. Driving in the USA is much easier than in Europe, with wide roads and spacious parking. We would high recommend exchanging with Dan and Donna.

We had a wonderful experience exchanging homes with Donna and Dan. From the start nearly 6 months before the trip they were excellent partners who kept up a good dialogue and provided us all the information needed with kindness and good humor so that we could be confident in all aspects of the exchange. We loved their very comfortable home. Mornings and evenings when the heat of the day wasn’t too much we especially appreciated their screened in porch. We also especially liked the quiet neighborhood and it’s proximity to the beach. With the use of their bicycles we could be relaxing on the beach is literally less than 5 minutes after leaving the house. If you crack the windows at night you can just barely hear the surf from the bed! The beach near their home is reached by crossing a short boardwalk over a nature preserve type landscape. The land use back of it is mostly single family residential so the traffic along the beach is much lower that of the beaches nearer to the pier and yet you can be to the pier by bicycling the beach in only 20 minutes or so. If you prefer there is a bike path along the A1A to reach that area as well. The home is only 10 minutes from historic St Augustine and all the charming and fascinating places to explore there. We never failed to find parking easily and Donna and Dan provided a resident’s parking card that made it very convenient. Beyond St Augustine there is also a great deal to explore in easy striking distance with Daytona just a short distance south and the Kennedy Space Center not too much further. We found Jacksonville to the north interesting as well. Though we didn’t explore Orlando and all it has to offer it is only a couple hours away as well and it was the airport we used as did Donna and Dan dropping their car off there making it very easy for us. We also enjoyed caring for their very personable cats Gus and Stumpy who were a delight to have around. We highly recommend exchanging with Donna and Dan!

Ein wunderbarer Aufenthalt im sonnigen Florida. Das Beachhaus von Donna und Dean ist perfekt für Urlaub, Sonne, Strand und Sightseeing. Man kann praktisch zu Fuß zum tollen Sandstrand gehen und das Leben genießen. St. Augustine, die älteste Stadt der USA, ist eine sehr schöne Stadt mit lauter netten Menschen und von hier aus kann man tolle Ausflüge machen, ob nach Miami, Orlando, Everglades oder den berühmten Keys. Das Haus liegt wunderbar in der Strandsiedlung mit netten Nachbarn und bietet alles, was man braucht - einfach toll.

Dan and Donna's house is perfect for a beach vacation! We were very comfortable in the house--comfy couches and beds, lots of towels, soft sheets and a stocked kitchen. The beach is just steps down the very quiet road and the neighbors are all super friendly. Dan and Donna went above and beyond, leaving us welcoming gifts (including special things for my children) and local wine, beach toys, bikes, fishing poles, a cart, coolers, towels--really, everything one would need for a fabulous stay at the beach! The beach at their house is amazing--flat, white sand, not crowded. It is also just a quick 10 minute drive to Old St. Augustine, which is lovely with its fort, shops, restaurants and more. Dan and Donna were great to work with ahead of time while planning our exchange and also left our home spotless upon return. We could not be more pleased with our first home exchange experience!

Great home beside the beach in a beatiful area of (Northern) Florida. Plenty of space and very well located: nearby to natural parks (Matanzas, Anastasia) and close to supermarkets and ammenities. Saint Augustine town (oldest town in USA) and its charming streets are minutes away from Donna & Dan’s home: they were so helpful in preparing our stay, with lots of information and travel proposals around. From their nice, comfortable and amazing house it’s easy to visit many places in up to a couple of hours range: Amelia Island & American Beach, Jacksonville, Palatka, Gainsville, Kennedy Space Center (incredible!), Disney World, Universal Studios... And if you have time, don’t forget Savannah (Georgia). Saint Augustine beaches (three minutes walk from Donna & Dan’s home!) are lovely, so you can rest, relax and enjoy sun before going to dinner in many restaurants around the area. But our best memories will be the kindness and help of Dan & Donna.

Thank you Donna and Dan for this wonderful home exchange.We enjoyed your comfortable and charming beach house in the quiet street with friendly neighbours. San Augustine is a really pretty town.We loved to do long walks at the beach early in the morning and ride the bikes at the beautyful sunsets. We said "hello" to the turtels at the beach, saw dolphins swim past us.And we drove to Crystal River to swim with the manatees. This home exchange will be a great memory.We had a fantastic 3 weeks vacation.

We lived in a lovely comfortable beach house, close to the beach, (2-3 min. walk)), friendly neighbors, near supermarkets. We spend all 3 weeks on the beach, and visiting St. Augustine, wonderful city, spec. old town.It´s our third time in wonderful and sunny Florida, so we had seen all the sights. Thanks to Donna and Dan.

Donna and Dan invited us in 2016 but we were unable to accept due to previous committments.They kindly waited 1 year for us and we were delighted to spend 3 weeks in in their lovely seaside home in May 2017. Their home is 3mins walk from the best beaches in USA and it was like heaven for the duration of our holiday. We visited all the local Tourist Hot Spots in Saint Augustine that make it such a Wonderful and Beautiful Historic Gem. We also visired Kennedy Space Centre, Daytona Super Speedway, Jacksonville and World Golf Hall of Fame Village.We had to refuse an a very kind invitation from Donna and Dan to Indy 500 race as it clashed with our onward travel arrangements to Portland,Oregan for another exchange.We will treasure the memories of our Saint Augustine exchange. Big Thanks Denis and Joan