If you are planning to visit Oxford you have a number of accommodation options: an hotel, hostel, guest house, holiday rental, inn, Bed and Breakfast (B&B) or, of course, a homestay. But what is a homestay? In most forms of accommodation you normally arrive as a stranger and leave as a stranger. That doesn’t happen in homestay! You stay in a regular Oxford house with a living breathing real local family.
Of course staying with a host family varies from home to home but here are some features that you should expect in a homestay:
You will stay in a ‘real’ home not a place designed for tourists; you will be special - there will be few other guests staying.
Expect a friendly welcome and with the host trying to make your stay a happy one.
You will find a clean, tidy, safe and friendly environment.
You will experience normal day to day life of people who live in England – seeing into another culture.
You will be staying in an Oxford house – fairly central and with good transport links.
The experience can include language study with a qualified English language teacher.
Breakfast is provided and you normally eat the evening meal with your family hosts.
Host families - homestays vary from family to family. Here, we will introduce you to some:
The Simmons family - Jean, Felix and kids
The Simmons family have been hosting guests for many years and love opening up their home to new arrivals from around the world. They provide a warm welcome so that guests feel part of the family. They do everything they can to ensure that the boy or girl gets the most from their visit to Oxford. Here they are looking after a recent guest, Kanna, from Tokyo, Japan.
