Welcome to HelpX
HelpX is an online listing of host organic farms, farmstays, hobby farms, lifestyle blocks, homestays, ranches, lodges, backpackers hostels and even sailing boats who invite volunteer helpers to stay with them short-term in exchange for food and accommodation. HelpX is provided primarily as a cultural exchange for working holiday makers, who would like the opportunity during their travels abroad, to stay with local people and gain practical experience. In the typical arrangement, the helper works an average of 4 hours per day and receives free accommodation and meals for their efforts.
This time range can vary considerably depending on the tasks at hand and the host's preferences. Some hosts may require just 2 hours per day for accommodation only, and ask you to provide and cook your own food.
Others may expect 6 hours per day in return for meals, your own room and sometimes other benefits such as free Internet use, horse riding, kayaking, bikes, local sight-seeing trips, yoga or English lessons, etc. Some will give weekends off, while others might allow you to put in 8 hours one day and later take a full day off. Helpers often live with the host family and are expected to join in and offer a helping hand with day-to-day activities.
Volunteer helpers are required to register for one of two levels of membership, Free or Premier. Helpers must upgrade to Premier membership to take full advantage of all HelpX has to offer. Premier membership costs 20 Euros for 2 years and allows the helper to contact all hosts and read all host reviews. Premier helpers can browse this site and contact hosts directly to see about making arrangements to stay.
Hosts wishing to add a free listing inviting helpers to stay will need to register. Registered hosts may update their details as often as they like and view helper profiles.
We advise both helpers and hosts to ask plenty of questions about each other in order to establish expectations from each party. Helpers should never turn up without prior arrangement.
Helpers can also opt to provide a self description for hosts to view who may then wish to invite the helper to stay with them. We advise helpers to include in their profile any skills or experience they may have, such as gardening, farming, agriculture, permaculture, fruit-picking; trade skills such as building, carpentry, landscaping, sail boat crewing; working with animals or an ability to care for and ride horses. Helpers can also look for travel companions.
HelpX (not helpex), operates worldwide including in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Europe including France.
Where will you go to next?
Australia
New Zealand
Europe
North America
Central America & Caribbean
South America
Pacific Islands
Asia
Africa
Testimonials
A friend and I were chosen via the Helpx site to housesit in a Chateau on a winery in France-a fantastic experience. I have personally been helped on my property by great workers from Helpx. Helpx is a truly a wonderful site giving opportunity to both helpers and hosts.
Helpx is great, we nearly always get our volunteers through this site. We bring people in and treat them like family and we get great respect and help out of it. We meet really interesting people of all ages and cultures.
I have been using HelpX for a few years now and find it a great exchange. I have hosted people from different countries and found them very helpful.
Helpx has worked so well for me. I have met some wonderful, interesting people. I originally signed up to be a helpx, but due to an injury, I decided to be a host. This worked brilliantly I loved hearing travel stories, and recieved help with my basement. I highly recommend this program!
We have had great experiences hosting travelers on our farm. When I was young traveling I was hosted in many countries and those hosts made me feel safe and welcomed. It is a gift to continue this rich tradition of welcoming travelers into your home. We find the help beneficial and more importantly, the guests are fun, full of stories from their experience and a joy to spend time with. I highly recommend it.
We have had Helpx people for the last few years and have been very lucky with such good friends from France, Taiwan, China and so on, we look forward to people staying with us and helping around the farm
Helpx has been a wonderful experience for us.Having such great people share our tasks makes it fun not hard! The travellers meet are honest, hard working and interesting and take us back to our days of being on the road. HelpX offers a terrific service we can`t thank you enough.
HelpX has been a great match for us since our move about ten years ago!. HelpX has helped us connect withsome awesome volunteers, interested in learning about our lifestyle.They have turned out to be really focused, with a lot of initative!! I always enjoy our volunteers..still...twenty years of hosting...I still am inspired by folks out to learn and help better our Earth!
Brilliant concept helping people to travel to different countries and be immersed in that culture by staying with families and helping them in their daily lives. Great benefits on both sides.
For the last few years I`ve enjoyed hosting people from all over the world found through HelpX. I really appreciate the no-fuss approach the site offers for people to link up. People are respectful which I attribute to the site being well managed. Thanks for this great service HelpX!
I love HelpX! Simple and true! ;) It truly is an amazing idea and I wish that I had discovered it sooner! It is a great way to travel and see the world, especially if you have a limited budget. It has opened new doors for me and helped me to acquire experiences and meet new people that I don`t think would have been possible without HelpX. Thank you!
Both my husband and I have enjoyed hosting young people from around the world. Many of them have remained close friends over the years and have upon occasions invited us back to their own homes.
A friend and I were chosen via the Helpx site to housesit in a Chateau on a winery in France-a fantastic experience. I have personally been helped on my property by great workers from Helpx. Helpx is a truly a wonderful site giving opportunity to both helpers and hosts.
Helpx is great, we nearly always get our volunteers through this site. We bring people in and treat them like family and we get great respect and help out of it. We meet really interesting people of all ages and cultures.
I have been using HelpX for a few years now and find it a great exchange. I have hosted people from different countries and found them very helpful.
Helpx has worked so well for me. I have met some wonderful, interesting people. I originally signed up to be a helpx, but due to an injury, I decided to be a host. This worked brilliantly I loved hearing travel stories, and recieved help with my basement. I highly recommend this program!
We have had great experiences hosting travelers on our farm. When I was young traveling I was hosted in many countries and those hosts made me feel safe and welcomed. It is a gift to continue this rich tradition of welcoming travelers into your home. We find the help beneficial and more importantly, the guests are fun, full of stories from their experience and a joy to spend time with. I highly recommend it.
We have had Helpx people for the last few years and have been very lucky with such good friends from France, Taiwan, China and so on, we look forward to people staying with us and helping around the farm
Helpx has been a wonderful experience for us.Having such great people share our tasks makes it fun not hard! The travellers meet are honest, hard working and interesting and take us back to our days of being on the road. HelpX offers a terrific service we can`t thank you enough.
HelpX has been a great match for us since our move about ten years ago!. HelpX has helped us connect withsome awesome volunteers, interested in learning about our lifestyle.They have turned out to be really focused, with a lot of initative!! I always enjoy our volunteers..still...twenty years of hosting...I still am inspired by folks out to learn and help better our Earth!
Brilliant concept helping people to travel to different countries and be immersed in that culture by staying with families and helping them in their daily lives. Great benefits on both sides.
For the last few years I`ve enjoyed hosting people from all over the world found through HelpX. I really appreciate the no-fuss approach the site offers for people to link up. People are respectful which I attribute to the site being well managed. Thanks for this great service HelpX!
I love HelpX! Simple and true! ;) It truly is an amazing idea and I wish that I had discovered it sooner! It is a great way to travel and see the world, especially if you have a limited budget. It has opened new doors for me and helped me to acquire experiences and meet new people that I don`t think would have been possible without HelpX. Thank you!
Both my husband and I have enjoyed hosting young people from around the world. Many of them have remained close friends over the years and have upon occasions invited us back to their own homes.