I knew about couchsurfing.com for some time now. This site allows you to share your couch with a guest, or you could choose to sleep on someone's couch, air mattress or spare room for the night while you're exploring a particular city. This, of course, allows you to save significantly on travel costs. You can also opt to go to an event to meet couch surfers, and learn more about the whole concept. Has anyone couch surfed before?
I have not done it yet, but am hoping to do start this spring in Spain and Portugal. I have had one female friend who has done it, and she had a great experience! I know that I definitely want to try it with another friend to start, then I know I will feel more comfortable after that. The nice thing is that because money isn't exchanged, if you do show up somewhere and don't want to stay there, you just leave - no problem! I think what couchsurfing is proving is that there are a lot of great people out there who want to be in a positive travel community and share experiences with each other. Yes, I'm sure someone is out there, abusing the system (like with everything that exists), but I also believe that as long as we keep our wits about us, this could be the greatest thing for travelers...EVER.
I have not been yet and also not hear about this site that, is why I have no strong feedback but maybe in future I will travel through the site and then I will give to your strong feedback..
I would usually prefer to just rent my own place. If I have the money to go on a trip to another country, I should have the money to rent an apartment or a hotel room, I mean it isn't that expensive and that is the whole idea of feeling like you have the money to go places and do things not feel like a poor ass hobo and you don't feel bad for just staying for free in someone's home like its goddamn charity for a homeless man afterwards. I mean no disrespect to the people who do it, I just personally consider that its unbecoming of me to bother other people with my presence and just stay for free at their house, maybe I just come from a more conservative culture but it just seems normal to me that I wouldn't do that. For me its just too much of a teenager thing to do, and Im not a teenager anymore.
A friend of mine couch surfs frequently. I'm actually considering it myself soon as I have a lot of travelling to do, and the cost of transport itself is eating into my budget, so I don't have loads to spend on the accomodation side of things.
The idea of couchsurfing both excites and terrifies me. When I was younger I often traveled using Hostels and loved it, saving the real expense for the experiences you have in each country. Couch surfing seems like an even better way to do it, but unfortunately I'm not the most trusting. I don't think I can handle that sort of thing anymore, just crashing on a stranger's couch.
I love the idea, but it's not for me. I just don't think it's all that safe for me to do it myself. If I were traveling with a partner or friend, I think that it might feel safer.
