What are you doing this November 14th to 20th?

We know what you won’t be doing: paying for a bed and breakfast in Italy. That’s because it’s “Barter Week” across the country. Italian site bed-and-breakfast.it started the genius promotion in 2009 and it really took off — bed and breakfast owners post their “wish lists” on the site and folks with matching skills volunteer their time in exchange for room and board. Talk about la dolce vita!

A photo posted by Serena (@finestrasullago) on Jun 1, 2016 at 11:41pm PDT

Thousands of B&Bs are participating across the country — from the rugged Trentino region to the relaxing isle of Sardinia to the charming Tuscan hills. You can go about contacting the B&Bs in two different ways. Either head to the website, find a B&B that appeals to you, and send them a message detailing what you can offer them in return for room and board OR you can take a look at the “wish list” section of the site and apply only to B&Bs whose requests match specifically with your skill set.

A photo posted by Il Montesino B&B (@il_montesino_bedandbreakfast) on Jul 19, 2016 at 11:48am PDT

The wish lists are super varied and nearly anyone can find some skill of theirs that can fit the bill. Requests are as varied as reading children’s books aloud, showing off your smooth tunes, swapping clothes, trading spaces (à la The Holiday), bring some wine, paint, build, set up a website… You get the picture. Basically, there are a ton of options for travelers looking to save on food and accommodations to make their Italian trip a reality!

A photo posted by Valentina Dainelli (@toomuchtuscany) on Oct 14, 2016 at 8:34am PDT

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Head the the website, see what you can offer, and start packing your bags for Italy![/perfectpullquote]