Spacious Victorian family home (177sqm) built in 1884 with many beautiful period features. On a quiet street but walking distance to the town centre, a big park and very close to the train station for fast trains into London.
Watford is in a great location - close to London for easy day trips, walking distance from shops, supermarkets, a swimming pool, cinema, library etc, but also easy to get out to lots of beautiful countryside.
Also within a day trip of Oxford, Cambridge and many other wonderful locations in England.
The space
Three main bedrooms which have: a double bed, a single bed, and two singles (usually stacked together as one single). There is a small 4th bedroom which is used as an office (so there's no bed in it). Ensuite bathroom to the double bedroom with a roll-top freestanding bath, spacious shower cubicle and toilet. Separate bathroom off the landing with a shower and toilet. Downstairs toilet.
Lovely sitting room with high ceiling, fireplace, bay window, TV, DVD player and well-maintained piano which you are welcome to play.
Large table in dining room which seats 8.
Some games suitable for whole family including teens. Some DVDs. Small selection of toys and games for younger children.
Garden with lawn, plants, a patio and garden furniture.
Can arrange for visitor parking permit if you bring a car. May be possible to borrow our bicycles (one suitable for a 13 year old, three others which are adult-sized).
Guest access
Two main floors. Steps up to the front door.
Notes
Calendar updated August 2024 - availability is around school holidays.
Features
Washer
Dishwasher
Clothes dryer
Oven
Microwave
Coffee machine
Fridge
Iron
Hair dryer
Heating
Air conditioning
TV
WiFi
High Speed Internet
Bathtub
First aid kit
Wheelchair accessible
Smoke alarms
Fire extinguisher
Bed sheets
Towels
Workspace
Fireplace
Home cinema
Toys
Gym
Sauna
BBQ
Pool
Hot tub
Balcony
Garden / yard
Deck / patio / courtyard / terrace
Covered porch / verandah
Kosher home
Meat-free kitchen
Gated community
EV Home Charger
Bikes
Camping gear
Kayak
Tennis court
Standup paddleboard
Travel Styles
Family
City
Culture
Good public transport
House rules
Suitable for infants under 2
Suitable for children ages 2-12
Pets not allowed
No smoking
Allergens
Cat free
Dog free
Smoke free
Dates of Availability
Click on availability periods to see exchange types and descriptions.
AvailableSimultaneous Only
Neighbourhood
We are a 10 minute drive, or 5 minute walk from the shuttle bus, to Warner Bros Studios for the fantastic Harry Potter experience.
Watford has the fantastic huge Cassiobury Park (20 min walk or 5 min drive) with woodland, a nature reserve, canal walks, splash park, two playgrounds and two lovely cafes. Also very close to the beautiful Whippendell Woods for walks.
Watford town centre has lots of shops and restaurants, a swimming pool and big cinema. We're a 20 min drive to the historic town of St Albans, with St Albans abbey, a Roman museum, and pretty town centre with independent shops and restaurants, and an arts cinema (The Odyssey).
Getting to my home
Close to the M1 or M25 motorways. 15-20 mins train journey from London. Close to Luton airport and also easy to access from London Gatwick or London City.
Nearest airport
London Luton airport is a 25 minute drive away. Also good access to London Heathrow and London City airports. Possible to arrive at London Stansted or London Gatwick although they are a bit further.
Getting around
We are a 6 minute walk from Watford Junction train station, with regular fast trains into London (to London Euston, trains take 15-20 mins).
Watford is also on the London underground, Metropolitan line (in a different part of town to the train station).
Easy access to the M25 and M1 motorways.
We stayed in Catherine's home in Watford and had a great stay! The house itself is beautiful and has an interesting history (one that C will supply you with - if you want- when exchanging). There are many beautiful features in the house itself, e.g. the checkered tiles in the hallway and the colorful leaded windows in the front door etc. The three bedrooms are spacious and there are three bathrooms/toilets, which is great for a family stay. As a Swede (with right-hand traffic and broader streets) it was a challenge to maneuver the narrow streets and do parking, but we managed and when leaving we were close to experts at it. :)
Everything you need will be found in the house, and it was easy to collect the key from a neighbor when arriving, and we were also given a welcoming card and a few treats when getting there - much appreciated of course. Communication was swift and good and we exchanged manuals for the houses through e-mail a few months in advance.
While staying in Watford we made daily excursions to Oxford, St Albans, Thorpe Park and Highclere Castle (from the tv-series 'Downtown Abbey'), while also doing some shopping in downtown Watford and getting a glimpse of the wonderful Cassiobury Park (which was just a short distance away). The mural of Elton John (found on a nearby street) was one of my husband's favorite.
When we arrived home the home was left in an immaculate state by Catherine and her family. Everything has been taken care of in a great way and even a "thank you" card and gift was left to us upon our arrival. Great communication during stay and I totally recommend having them as guests in your home.
We had a great stay in Pernilla's house. Communication in advance was perfect (and being an English teacher she has excellent English even by the standards of Swedes' English speaking, which was universally very good when we travelled there!). She has a very useful home manual with all the information you need about the house, and lots of tips about the local area. We also had a bit of friendly communication whilst we were swapping.
Her house was ideal for our stay with two teenagers; clean and modern, and nicely decorated. The garden is overlooked at the back by lovely trees and vegetation. It's in a quiet estate where cars are parked a short distance from the houses, making it feel calm and safe, and also conveniently a short drive from several supermarkets. In the local area of Borås, my daughters loved swimming in two different lakes nearby, where there are official swimming places. We also had a couple of lovely walks into the nearby nature reserve - you can either just set off from the front door, or drive 10 mins and take a different trail. We also visited the Textile Museum in Borås which was a well-set out, modern and interesting.
We took up one of Pernilla's recommendations for one of the best places for fika (Swedish custom of socialising with coffee and a sweet treat) by going to nearby Alingsås, a pretty town with several great cafes, and dutifully trying four kinds of sticky bun.
It's about 45 mins to drive to Gothenburg - we spent a whole day exploring the beautiful archipelago, which you can do on the regular car and foot /cycle ferries that connect the islands (which are all free!). We also spent a day in Gothenburg itself, where there is plenty to do - and being a major port, lots of seafood to eat. We took advantage of being near Denmark to do an overnight trip to Copenhagen as well - easily do-able.
I would happily recommend a stay at Pernilla's house.
Pernilla and family were perfect guests in our house. Although we didn't meet in person, our neighbours (who handed them the keys and chatted to them a few times) said they were a lovely family! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them as guests.
Premium
Catherine
We are a family of four - Jonny is a music teacher, Catherine works for the NHS, and our two daughters aged 16 and 13. We've done four successful swaps (Sweden, Netherlands and two in the UK) so far, three on other platforms and Sweden on PLU.
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