What is Timeshare Exchanging

One feature associated with timesharing is the ability to exchange your vacation property with someone else's timeshare. This allows you to obtain vacation accommodation in locations throughout the world. There are typically three ways you can exchange your timeshare:

Direct Exchange

The most basic way of exchanging your timeshare is through an owner-to-owner swap. This requires finding another timeshare owner willing to exchange their week for yours. Each owner would contact their respective resort and notify them of the guest owner using their week.

Internal Resort Exchange Programs

Some resorts offer an internal exchange program. Your resort may give you the option to exchange your week for another week at a different location within the resort's group of properties. Many timeshare management companies will offer this benefit as part of their management services.

Timeshare Exchange Company

Timeshare exchange companies such as RCI and Interval International allow you to deposit, otherwise known as "bank", your week with them. In exchange for your "banked" week, you can choose from their inventory of weeks that other timeshare owners have banked. Also, resorts will sometimes deposit their unused timeshare weeks with exchange companies as a way to draw new guests into their resort. Factors such as the time of the year you own, room size and location of your home resort will determine your trading power within the exchange company.