4. Couchsurfing. (FREE) Back in the early aughts when I was first traveling I’d usually just ask my friends if they knew anyone in a town I was visiting and if I could crash on their couch. That’s what Couchsurfing meant 15 years ago but at some point (around 2004) someone took that idea and created a website around it where strangers could host one another. I know what it sounds like but most people are actually pretty great and as a social experiment it worked. I made at least two really great friends from Couchsurfing and had no terrible experiences. Originally couchsurfing.com was a non-profit that changed several years ago, now you have to pay to create an account and I haven’t used it since. It’s still there and it’s still a solid idea though it’s hard to turn a profit on something like the concept of “couchsurfing” consistently. With social media it’s even easier to just ask your friends and friends of friends if they know someone in a particular town and find a couch to sleep on. Just don’t forget to do something nice for your hosts like take them out to dinner or at least wash the dishes.