GoMad Nomad Travel

By Sally Kay

The Couchsurfing Project is a great tool for the curious and thrifty traveler.  The project idea is a cultural exchange in which members are the type of people who want share their culture and to learn about others.  Couchsurfers want to get to know more than just the tourist attractions: they are travelers, not tourists.

I have been a member for almost three years now, surfing, showing people around my city, and hosting.  As fantastic as couchsurfing can be, there can be a dark side too.  Because of that, as a woman, especially if you are a woman traveling solo, you do need to be careful.  In some countries, in the Middle East for example, it is better to couchsurf with women.  However I do not like to limit myself as far as hosts.  Here are a few guidelines to make your experience the best it can be.

A couchsurfing party

Read your potential host’s profile carefully

Couchsurfing isn’t about getting a free place to stay; it’s about cultural exchange, getting to know the real place.  Don’t send a request to people you don’t think you’ll get along with.  Everyone has different criteria for choosing hosts, but I try to contact people who share my interests, have hobbies I find interesting, seem like I could learn from, or who would just be fun to spend time with.  Traveling is a lot more fun when you’re with people you like.

Only contact members with filled-out profiles

If a person hasn’t taken the time to fill out their profile, they probably aren’t the best choice for a host (or for a guest).  How can you tell what interests you share, what their views on life are, or really anything about them unless they have filled out their profile?

Only contact people with pictures who have pictures

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.  If a member hasn’t taken the time to upload a picture then one has to wonder why. (Editor’s note: you also want to make sure the picture is the same individual you meet in person)

Read over the Couch Information

This tells you what the bed is like, if you’ll have your own room, and what the sleep set-up is. It is couchsurfing, so you shouldn’t expect to have your own room, but I stay away from men offering to share their room.  Even if there are two beds in the room, I feel like it’s best not to tempt fate.

Make sure your potential host has references…

and read them carefully.  References are there as a safety measure, and you can learn a lot about a person from them.  Sure, everyone starts out without references, but for a woman couchsurfing alone it’s safer to send couch requests to hosts with good references.  If you want to be extra careful then look at the profiles of the people who’ve left the references.

Vouching

Another safety measure in couchsurfing is vouching.  It signifies the person vouching for the couchsurfer trusts that member.  Members who are vouched for are safer to contact.

Stay away from male hosts only offering couches to women

There are always exceptions, but often when a man puts “preferred gender” as “female” this means that the man is using couchsurfing for the wrong reasons: to meet women.  One of the first rules of couchsurfing is that it is not a dating website.  Of course romances can happen; sometimes there is chemistry between two people.  However, if the host assumes something romantic will happen with their guests, tries to manufacture a romantic connection, or feels that the guest is in some way obligated to him, then that is definitely not okay.

Always trust your instincts

If anything gives you a bad feeling about a profile, then don’t send a request.  Intuition is a powerful thing and it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Stay with families

I prefer to stay with women, or men living with their family.  Living with your family into adulthood is extremely common in many countries, and the families are generally extremely kind.

Talk to your host first

Send a few email exchanges back and forth, chat on Skype or MSN messenger to get to know your host a little before staying with him or her.  At least for your first few times couchsurfing.

If you don’t feel comfortable in a place then leave.

Go to a hostel or check into a hotel. If something in the back of your mind says that this isn’t the right place then listen. Just because you’ve sent a couch request does not mean that you are obligated to stay the exact number of days requested.  If you feel awkward telling them the truth, then invent an excuse, but always remember: your safety is first.

By following these guidelines and by using a little common sense, you’ll have a fantastic time.  In fact, I find that couchsurfing is actually a safer way to travel; you have a friend wherever you go.  To make things better, you are under the auspices of a savvy local who knows his or her way around the city, give you advice, and want to help.  So what are you waiting for?  Get couchsurfing!

After graduating from the University of Kansas’ school of Journalism Sally hit the road and hasn’t looked back.  She has explored Europe, Africa, South America, and North America, lived in Slovakia, Hungary and Argentina and is currently traveling in South America. She writes about her adventures in the blog www.adventuressetravels.wordpress.com, has had articles in various online travel magazines, and is a travel guru for the website Tripeezy LLC.

By Stephen Bugno

I want to address the fact that, although GoMad Nomad readership is primarily budget, independent travelers, they are NOT all broke twenty-somethings. So I want to talk about the Couch Surfing Project, and how it’s for all ages. It is, however, only applicable for people who are interested in meeting other people.

Sailing with my couch surfing host in La Rochelle, France

Am I not too old for this?

No, you aren’t too old. Although only 3% of couch surfers worldwide are between the ages of 50 and 69 (72% are between the ages of 18 and 29) it still adds up to 70,000+ participants over 50, as the total number of worldwide couch surfers is almost 1.7 million. And with 75% knowing English, you shouldn’t have a problem finding a host whom you can communicate with.  When you perform a search looking for a host, you are able to narrow your search by age or gender. And if you are reading this post, you are computer savvy enough to register for couch surfing and fill out your profile.

But I don’t like sleeping on couches

The second issue: sleeping on couches. After three years couch surfing around the world, I’ve only slept on actual couches a few times. Sometimes I’ve had my own bed, my own room, and I’ve heard stories of couch surfers having their own house! In Amman, Jordan, our host put a friend and me in a new, furniture-less apartment he hadn’t moved into yet. Every situation is unique. When reading a person’s profile, you’ll be able to see what kind of accommodation they are offering: futon in a private room, sharing a bed in their bedroom, or whatever the case maybe.

couch surfing in the Welsh countryside

What do I owe my host?

You aren’t required to give your host anything. And they are not expecting any remittance. You may want to show up with a bottle of wine, treat them to dinner or a drink, or cook for them. There have been certain times traveling when I was financially inadequate and could only offer my in-kind contribution of making their house/apartment cleaner than I found it.

On the other end of the spectrum, you shouldn’t expect anything of your guests except common courtesies and respect of your living space and lifestyle.

Do I have to host?

You don’t have to host visitors, you can only host, you can do both. It’s up to you. You are able to set your status on your profile. If you can’t host, just change your profile to “no”, “meet for coffee or a drink”, or “traveling at the moment”

I prefer to sleep in hotels

Fine. Stay at a hotel. Couch surfing is still useful for you. You have the option of searching people who can’t host or would just like to meet up. I’ve met a guy in Tomar, Portugal for a coffee, several couch surfers in Stockholm for evening drinks, and spent the entire São João festival in Oporto, Portugal with a couch surfing group meetup.  In Bordeaux, France a young Bordelais lead me around the mostly 18^th century city, for a tour. The possibilities are endless. Maybe you want to do a language exchange or meet people to play music; just include that in your search terms. I know of a blacksmith and a bookbinder who recently left for Europe looking for Europeans who did similar work. I suggested couch surfing to them. Register, fill out your profile including a picture, set your status, and start surfing.

Will I save money by couch surfing?

Couch surfing may save you money. But do not use couch surfing only because you want to save money. Most of the time your host will introduce you to friends and you may go out for the evening and spend more money than you planned. Couch surfing is about meeting people, connecting, sharing similarities, celebrating differences, learning, enjoying life. If you couch surf in a place like Olso, Norway or Tokyo, Japan, you are bound to save money. But use couch surfing with the intention of meeting new people.

Is it safe?

There are some checks in place in order to make couch surfing as safe as it can be, namely an identity check and location verification. Listed on a person’s profile are the references that every couch surfing member can leave after meeting, hosting, or surfing with another member. There is also a vouching system in place. In almost 50 couch surfing experiences, I haven’t had one that I would consider not safe.

Give it a try

Couch surfing has enabled me to meet some amazing people and have experiences I wouldn’t have had otherwise.  I’ve sailed with a host who is a skipper in La Rochelle, France and stayed in a hamlet in the Welsh countryside. And you don’t always end up with a host from the country you’re visiting, which can really add spice to your travels. I’ve stayed with a New Zealander in London, a Brazilian in Portugal, an American in Syria, and a Hungarian in Berlin.

I’m not the type of traveler who can show up in a strange city, pop into a bar and walk out with five friends two hours later. Couch Surfing helps me have a new friend in town the moment I arrive.

CouchSurfing is an international non-profit network that connects travelers with locals in over 230 countries and territories around the world. Since 2004, members have been using the system to come together for cultural exchange, friendship, and learning experiences. Today, over a million people who might otherwise never meet are able to share hospitality and cultural understanding.

Stephen Bugno has couchsurfed his way through Europe and beyond simply to see how people are living. His writing has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Seattle Times, and Transitions Abroad magazine. He blogs at: Bohemian Traveler