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.
I have had only great experiences with the HelpX people who have come to stay with. It has been wonderful to share experiences with these workers as they travel around Australia. The site is easy to access and people have reported that the site has been useful for them. I highly recommend the whole experience with other people.
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.
We have really enjoyed having the people we have met through HelpX. It is a fantastic scheme benefiting everyone involved. I highly recommend it.
Thank you for a very rewarding experience. We have loved hosting visitors to Australia from all over the world and congratulate the Helpx organisation for giving us this wonderful opportunity. We would encourage anyone thinking about hosting to do so. Many thanks Helpx.
I remember when I was thinking almost half year ago which web site to choose.. and thank God I have chosen Helpx. I have spent beautiful time with all of my hosts and it is an experience that I wouldn`t change for anything in the world.
We have hosted helpx visitors many times over the years and have loved it! - in fact we are still in touch with some who have returned home years ago. in the past couple of years we have been away so have not been able to host for a while but have updated the listing and we, and our old dog who just loves meeting new friends, are looking forward to welcome new travellers. Thanks for this wonderful site.
I have used helpx now for awhile and would love to thank use so much for offering this service. We have had the best people ever working for us, and its great to form a bond with them to learn about there ways and teach them our ways, but mostly having made friends for life. So thank you so very very much.
We are new hosts and have just had the best experience with our first Helpx helpers. We selected our helpers from the profiles and invited them to join us. We found this way we could get a good match for our family and needs. We all got along very well and they were fabulous helpers. A very positive experience for everyone. We will now wait until summer before we look for new Helpx helpers.
We have been HelpX hosts since 2011 and have had a succession of delightful HelpXers from all over the world. Having younger people around is such fun, they also say they benefit from hearing about our experiences of life. The website is brilliantly designed and easy to use, keep up the good work.
We have found HelpX to have a lot more users than other sites we have found. We like the international vibe of the travellers we have hosted. Thanks HelpX!
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.
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.
I have had only great experiences with the HelpX people who have come to stay with. It has been wonderful to share experiences with these workers as they travel around Australia. The site is easy to access and people have reported that the site has been useful for them. I highly recommend the whole experience with other people.
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.
We have really enjoyed having the people we have met through HelpX. It is a fantastic scheme benefiting everyone involved. I highly recommend it.
Thank you for a very rewarding experience. We have loved hosting visitors to Australia from all over the world and congratulate the Helpx organisation for giving us this wonderful opportunity. We would encourage anyone thinking about hosting to do so. Many thanks Helpx.
I remember when I was thinking almost half year ago which web site to choose.. and thank God I have chosen Helpx. I have spent beautiful time with all of my hosts and it is an experience that I wouldn`t change for anything in the world.
We have hosted helpx visitors many times over the years and have loved it! - in fact we are still in touch with some who have returned home years ago. in the past couple of years we have been away so have not been able to host for a while but have updated the listing and we, and our old dog who just loves meeting new friends, are looking forward to welcome new travellers. Thanks for this wonderful site.
I have used helpx now for awhile and would love to thank use so much for offering this service. We have had the best people ever working for us, and its great to form a bond with them to learn about there ways and teach them our ways, but mostly having made friends for life. So thank you so very very much.
We are new hosts and have just had the best experience with our first Helpx helpers. We selected our helpers from the profiles and invited them to join us. We found this way we could get a good match for our family and needs. We all got along very well and they were fabulous helpers. A very positive experience for everyone. We will now wait until summer before we look for new Helpx helpers.
We have been HelpX hosts since 2011 and have had a succession of delightful HelpXers from all over the world. Having younger people around is such fun, they also say they benefit from hearing about our experiences of life. The website is brilliantly designed and easy to use, keep up the good work.
We have found HelpX to have a lot more users than other sites we have found. We like the international vibe of the travellers we have hosted. Thanks HelpX!
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.