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 used Helpx in the first quarter of 2016 and it was just wonderful. The people who came stayed, working and living with us were just like our own families and we had such fun, despite some hard physical work. It gives the opportunity for great cultural exchange and in my case, to give a little back to the travelling community, after all the great times I had as a young backpacker. I definitely recommend Helpx!
HelpX has been amazing for us as hosts. Not only has it been great to have help but the help 100 percent of the time has been of the highest standard which I think is incredible considering the cross section of ages, nationalities and sometimes language difficulties. It is also been wonderful to keep in touch and some have even revisited with other family members at a later date. Flexibility of hours worked and time off has been the key to the success of in our experience. Thank you for the opportunity.
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.
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.
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!
For several years I had the pleasure of using HelpX. I have had helpers from various countries and different age groups. Although I`m not young any more, the youngsters, who I had the pleasure of visiting me, have been a joy and very helpful. With some, I`m still in contact. I have and still recommend HelpX.
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!
We are hosts in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia since 2017 summer. Just wanted to say that we have found helpx to be a fantastic working idea. We have had about 4 helpers this summer and all have been excellent. We have had a wonderful exchange of cultures and friendships for ourselves and our daughter and hope it continues forever!
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.
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.
Helpx is a wonderful way to share your culture and build bonds with other nations whilst helping people to work whilst they travel to make it a more affordable journey.
We used Helpx in the first quarter of 2016 and it was just wonderful. The people who came stayed, working and living with us were just like our own families and we had such fun, despite some hard physical work. It gives the opportunity for great cultural exchange and in my case, to give a little back to the travelling community, after all the great times I had as a young backpacker. I definitely recommend Helpx!
HelpX has been amazing for us as hosts. Not only has it been great to have help but the help 100 percent of the time has been of the highest standard which I think is incredible considering the cross section of ages, nationalities and sometimes language difficulties. It is also been wonderful to keep in touch and some have even revisited with other family members at a later date. Flexibility of hours worked and time off has been the key to the success of in our experience. Thank you for the opportunity.
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.
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.
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!
For several years I had the pleasure of using HelpX. I have had helpers from various countries and different age groups. Although I`m not young any more, the youngsters, who I had the pleasure of visiting me, have been a joy and very helpful. With some, I`m still in contact. I have and still recommend HelpX.
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!
We are hosts in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia since 2017 summer. Just wanted to say that we have found helpx to be a fantastic working idea. We have had about 4 helpers this summer and all have been excellent. We have had a wonderful exchange of cultures and friendships for ourselves and our daughter and hope it continues forever!
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.
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.
Helpx is a wonderful way to share your culture and build bonds with other nations whilst helping people to work whilst they travel to make it a more affordable journey.