does anyone have experience staying with local families?

I've stayed with local families quite a few times, except in my case they were relatives. Frankly, I'd prefer staying in a hotel or b&b., except my relatives would have felt slighted. If you stay with a family, you are dependent on them, have to adapt to their schedules, eat what they serve and in general fit in. An extended visit sounds like a nightmare to me, no matter how nice the family. Of course, to some degree it depends on the circumstances, the location of their homes, the local customs, etc. and how long you can stay on your best behavior, especially if you're there for an extended visit, as you mention. It could become quite stressful. And, remember what Benjamin Franklin said: Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.

I too have stayed with local people, family and friends,, and just as karen said,, its not as great as it sounds,, you are not really free to come and go as you like,, they say you are, but then if you will be back for dinner, you say you will, but then halfway through the afternoon think.. "drats would have liked to do something else". Spare beds often suck,, and even though some of my relatives live in a million dollar plus place, in a nice are, , the place seems small to me,, the plumbing less then ideal which is no different then staying in a hotel, minus the price. So what i do is the oblitatory short stay 2 or 3 nights max,, then go to a hotel,, this can be difficult,(don't want to offend), but often I will schedule a short visit to London, or a daytrip out of Paris and use that as an excuse to leave,, (and not return). I also have friends that live outside paris, and i always stay 2-3 nights with them,, its a slower pace,, we mostly eat and drink and visit and since there are limited sights in the area I don't feel like I am missing out on sightseeing time.. This is why I have been to Chantilly four times now,, its a day out of the house,, Staying with locals also means eating what they serve , when they serve it, and in family that seems to mean constant eating and drinking, I often need a break after my break with them, lol one plus is they will sometimes take me on a daytrip in their cars,, to places that are harder if not impossible to get to by public transport. Frankly ,, i grew up with french relatives,, I am used to alot of things that
i think would be difficult for the first time Europeon visitor to get used to,, just a thought... local life is not all Disneyland Fantasy France,, wearing berets and eating cheese...lol

I guess we often have romanticized ideas about being 'immersed' in the local culture, but the reality, sadly, often comes up short. I've stayed for 2 weeks with a local household in Italy while on a language course, and it felt restrictive as the owner was on the fussy side. B&Bs are a less risky alternative, because you get to interact with the owners but also have space to yourself. There's also alternatives like Couchsurfing which I haven't tried, but a friend has and she's made new friends from that. Something else I haven't tried is "Rent a Local Friend" (look for it on Tripadvisor), where you can rent a local for a day!

We had a wonderful experience staying with people in Krakow. It was set up by my husband's former prof. She is from Poland and keeps many ties to the country. She knew the young couple and asked them to put us up for awhile as she wanted Chris to present his old research at a conference. It was wonderful. The man's parents were away so we all stayed at their beautiful home along with his younger sister. They had been to Canada and we all hit it off instantly. We did a few things together (drive to Zakopane, Dunajec Raft Ride) and some things we did on our own. They showed us how to get the bus to the house so we could come and go as we pleased. They took great care of us, were wonderful hosts and became good friends. The following September they were accepted at Ole Miss and drove up to spend Christmas with us. A few years later we drove down to see them in Oxford. Now they are back in Krakow and have a son and daughter. I imagine that it is unusual to end up staying with people unless they are relatives, which would have held more obligations.

We have friends in Stockholm (we met when they lived in the US), and we have visited them twice. Our kids are the same ages. We had a wonderful time both times. We felt we got much better sense of how people in Sweden live than you could get in a hotel or B&B. You do have less flexibility, but this is more than offset by the closer contact with the culture and the joy of seeing old friends. I think a lot depends on the family. I have to say that our Swedish friends are probably the nicest and most welcoming family we know. We all get along very well. I don't know what you mean by an extended visit, but we try to keep our visits to no more than four days. I think it's quite an imposition on a family to stay with them, particularly if it goes past a few days.

I did this only once, in St. Petersburg. It was overall a pretty good experience. The owner took us to some of the residential districts of the city that rarely see any foreigners- for good reason, but it was interesting to see how people live in modern Russia. She also helped us get into the Mariinsky opera with significantly discounted tickets that only Russian citizens are supposed to be able to use.

I belong to a group called the Affordable Travel Club which is basically a hosting network. You sign up and list your accommodation in the directory, and people contact you if they are in your area and want a place to stay . I have enjoyed our guests, and I have really enjoyed the people who have hosted us. Most hosts are in the US, but there are hosts worldwide - we've stayed with a couple in central London, another outside Tokyo, and a host outside Kyoto above Lake Biwa. The limit is 4 nights so it's not good for an extended visit, but it is a great way to get a less touristy, more personal and deeper view of the place you are visiting. There is a modest cost - $20 per couple in the US, usually $30 per couple overseas. PM me for more information if you'd like. We've been members for 6 years and it's been great.