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
We have been with HelpX as hosts for the last few years. During that time we have met some really wonderful people, who have stayed as part of our family, and will always remain good friends. We love the transparency of HelpX, the easy website, and the connectivity is great. When we next travel, we will spend some time as HelpX Volunteers in other countries too. Thoroughly recommend HelpX to hosts and people who want to see the real country they are travelling in.
My husband and I heard about helpx and woofers through a friend and since joining Helpx, we have had a steady flow of culture come into our home. Over the past year, we have enjoyed 99% positive experiences from Italy, France, UK and Japan. Helpx has been a wonderful source for helpers in our vineyard and lime orchard, and being able to give back to make others stay in Australia pleasant is very rewarding.... Without Helpx life would be that little bit harder. Thanks for your fantastic idea in creating Helpx!
Helpx is awesome! Such a good way to meet people and to be really a part of the local culture. You give as much as you receive.
Helpx is best way to exchange food and accommodation with skills. People can visit different corner of world without any cost, they learn cultural exchange and make world-wide friendships as family. Anyway I like 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!
Although we have registered with you folks this year, we already hosted several volunteers. It is a brilliant idea and was very helpful to have multi cultural and multi national helpers with us. They were really helpful and productive. While having a good time together, we put out a lot of work and products. We are looking forward to welcoming more helpers in the days ahead of us. Thank you for the good work.
We are growing our family by being hosts and we are enjoying the cultural exchange and making progress on projects we are not able to manage alone. Thank you to all the helpers we have met and yet to meet, a wonderful site helping each other to succeed.
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!
Helpx is the best thing that ever happened to us. Not only has it made our farm more fun, I believe that it has enriched our lives and the lives of our family. Our international visitors are very welcome at lambing time when the workload seems a bit too much to handle. Thank you for a great website! We welcome more visitors and hope that this can continue for years to come.
We love HelpX! Meeting travellers from all around the world is such fun, and we learn so much from them! Most are lovely enthusiastic folk who really enjoy what the area has to offer, and they fill our home with laughter! Its also great to get projects done so much quicker with their help.
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.
We love being HelpX hosts. The wonderful young travellers we get to host usually go out of their way to help us with all kinds of tasks around house and garden. They teach us about their culture, spoil us with delicious cooked meals and play with our young son. To him becoming close friends with people who not long ago were strangers is now normal. We stay in touch with most of our helpers which means that for our next hiday there will be free accommodation in Paris.
We have been with HelpX as hosts for the last few years. During that time we have met some really wonderful people, who have stayed as part of our family, and will always remain good friends. We love the transparency of HelpX, the easy website, and the connectivity is great. When we next travel, we will spend some time as HelpX Volunteers in other countries too. Thoroughly recommend HelpX to hosts and people who want to see the real country they are travelling in.
My husband and I heard about helpx and woofers through a friend and since joining Helpx, we have had a steady flow of culture come into our home. Over the past year, we have enjoyed 99% positive experiences from Italy, France, UK and Japan. Helpx has been a wonderful source for helpers in our vineyard and lime orchard, and being able to give back to make others stay in Australia pleasant is very rewarding.... Without Helpx life would be that little bit harder. Thanks for your fantastic idea in creating Helpx!
Helpx is awesome! Such a good way to meet people and to be really a part of the local culture. You give as much as you receive.
Helpx is best way to exchange food and accommodation with skills. People can visit different corner of world without any cost, they learn cultural exchange and make world-wide friendships as family. Anyway I like 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!
Although we have registered with you folks this year, we already hosted several volunteers. It is a brilliant idea and was very helpful to have multi cultural and multi national helpers with us. They were really helpful and productive. While having a good time together, we put out a lot of work and products. We are looking forward to welcoming more helpers in the days ahead of us. Thank you for the good work.
We are growing our family by being hosts and we are enjoying the cultural exchange and making progress on projects we are not able to manage alone. Thank you to all the helpers we have met and yet to meet, a wonderful site helping each other to succeed.
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!
Helpx is the best thing that ever happened to us. Not only has it made our farm more fun, I believe that it has enriched our lives and the lives of our family. Our international visitors are very welcome at lambing time when the workload seems a bit too much to handle. Thank you for a great website! We welcome more visitors and hope that this can continue for years to come.
We love HelpX! Meeting travellers from all around the world is such fun, and we learn so much from them! Most are lovely enthusiastic folk who really enjoy what the area has to offer, and they fill our home with laughter! Its also great to get projects done so much quicker with their help.
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.
We love being HelpX hosts. The wonderful young travellers we get to host usually go out of their way to help us with all kinds of tasks around house and garden. They teach us about their culture, spoil us with delicious cooked meals and play with our young son. To him becoming close friends with people who not long ago were strangers is now normal. We stay in touch with most of our helpers which means that for our next hiday there will be free accommodation in Paris.