Couchsurfing – an economical way to travel the world

Would you dare to stay in a stranger’s house? Thousands of people travel around the world and are not afraid to stay with locals. Couchsurfing is their meeting place. We tell you about the rules of use, advantages and disadvantages of the platform together with experienced couchsurfer Grigory Baburov.

What is it?

Couchsurfing is the largest international service for finding and providing free accommodation while traveling. The network unites 14 million people in more than 200 thousand cities, the purpose of which is to find not only accommodation, but also new friends around the world.

The idea to create a resource appeared in 2000 at the American Casey Fentow during a trip to Iceland. Then the young man wrote to 1500 students with a request for permission to stay with them. Four years later, the idea became a reality.

The idea of couchsurfing

The concept of couchsurfing is for community members to help each other at no cost. With the help of hosts – people who offer accommodation, you can stay anywhere in the world. All you have to do is create a profile, describe the purpose of your visit and wait for an invitation.

In addition, couchsurfing is a cultural exchange. The slogan of the resource is “you have friends all over the world, you just don’t know them yet”. Staying with locals will allow you to become them: you will get acquainted with traditions of different nations, share experiences and learn a lot of new things. The latter becomes the main reason why many people prefer couchsurfing as a travel option.

Who can benefit from couchsurfing?

Everyone who is 18 years old. It doesn’t matter if you are a student or a parent. If you want to save money and get a new experience, couchsurfing is a good option.

The service is especially popular among athletes and people who like outdoor activities, such as trekking.

There are many activities around the world that are of interest to athletes. However, traveling to each one means spending considerable sums. Couchsurfing gives you the opportunity not to refuse to take part in races or races. If you indicate in your application form that you are going to a race or hike, the likelihood that the host will also be an athlete is much higher. Like-minded people are always great.

couchsurfer and amateur athlete

I’ve wanted to run a marathon abroad for a long time. Bulgaria has always appealed to me, so I chose it. I didn’t have a lot of money and I was looking for budget-friendly ways to fulfill my dream.

Couchsurfing became my salvation. I stayed with locals who welcomed me warmly. On the day of the start, they came with me to cheer me on. Since I came alone, it was a tremendous support. Couchsurfing gave me the opportunity to see the world. Now I hang medals from international competitions on my wall.

Pros

1. The most obvious point is savings. The rules of the site prohibit charging for the accommodation provided. Nevertheless, small expenses will still be incurred: in the community it is considered a good thing to give hosts magnets from your hometown or cook national dishes.

2. The opportunity to get to know the country from the inside. According to kuchsurfers, many hosts can take you on a non-touristy route and help you feel like a local. By the way, only a native will tell you the most beautiful jogging route and a cozy restaurant.

3. Practice foreign languages. It’s no secret that the best way to learn English or any other language is to immerse yourself in the environment of native speakers. Staying with the locals, you will hear how the speech sounds without accent and learn a lot of slang expressions.

4. New and interesting acquaintances. Often a host will invite people with whom he or she has common interests to visit. Who knows, maybe your point of contact will be your love for a sport or team. A local will tell you how he has been to matches and chatted with Neymar.

Cons

1- This is not a five star hotel. Always clarify everything with the host, so that the absence of the usual amenities does not become an unpleasant surprise. For example, if in another city or country you want to train or just actively spend time, the lack of water will be a big problem.

2. No personal space. When visiting a host, you are unlikely to be able to lie down with pleasure in the bathtub or listen to loud music. No matter how nice the house where you are staying, it is not your apartment where you are allowed everything.

3. Dependence on the host and their routine. If you are not just looking for a place to sleep, but a place to stay for a few days, you need to realize that the house already has a host. It is he who will decide at what time to set the alarm clock in the morning and at what time to return in the evening. Try to find a common language and make friends with him in advance.

4. The worst disadvantage is the lack of security. The service tries to provide maximum openness and transparency of all users, but you should still approach the choice of host and guest as responsibly as possible. Even if a person has a lot of reviews (and even more so if there are few), talk to him in correspondence. It is also worth paying attention to the photos and filling out the questionnaires.