If both variables are integers you can use mathematical approach:
$a = 7; $b = 10; $a = $a + $b; $b = $a - $b; $a = $a - $b;
Good blog post - http://booleandreams.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/how-to-swap-values-of-two-variables-without-using-a-third-variable/