“Shilpa sleeps in random stranger’s houses”

I have often been introduced as the girl who sleeps in random strangers houses for free, usually people this I’m crazy, occasionally they think it’s a good idea and sometimes they’re convinced I’m on a suicide mission. So I have gathered up some common questions about Couchsurfing which I will attempt to answer for you. First some questions from people who have never heard of Couchsurfing and then some tips for anyone thinking of giving it a go.

Thanks to the kind people of Reddit for giving me some of the common questions they asked and thanks to all my amazing hosts!

THE BASICS

What is Couchsurfing?

Couchsurfing is a website that you can sign up to as a host or surfer. Hosts offer beds/couches/floor space to surfers and surfers stay with hosts. Many people are both surfers and hosts but most people only surf couches which means there is a lot of “competition” to get hosts. It’s free to sign up but you can pay to be verified which may give you more success in hosting or being hosted. It used to be a small community but has become commercialized in recent years which means more people using the website as a form of free accommodation rather than cultural exchange. Some hosts don’t mind or even prefer not to spend time with surfers but an overwhelming majority of hosts use Couchsurfing to meet and spend time with travelers from around the world.

So it’s like AirBnB?

Nope, AirBnB requires payment and you don’t need to spend time with your host.

Is it cheap?

Yes and no. Of course accommodation is free but you need to factor in some costs

Hosts may not live in central areas which means you need to pay for transport to and from the places you want to visit. You may need to provide a sleeping bag for some places. You should get the hosts a gift/buy them a drink meal or even make them something. Something to show your appreciation. You may not be able to store luggage with a host like you could in a hostel so if you haven’t packed light you may need to pay for luggage storage. In places where hostels have free breakfast, your host may or may not offer you breakfast you so you might have increased food costs.

Adding up these costs, it may be cheaper to get a hostel sometimes.

WOW, FREE ACCOMMODATION!!??

Yup, the world is full of generous people

Is it safe?

Usually yes. Most people in the world aren’t murders, especially if they have a Couchsurfing account with 40 positive references. Yes, there are some cases of bad things happening, but bad things happen everywhere. Couchsurfing is safe.

What if they rob/attack/steal?

That is very unlikely. But if you are worried about safety you can:

Meet them in a public place before going to their house (pick a place that is convenient for them)

You can always leave if you feel uncomfortable, always have a back up hostel

Give a friend or family member your Couchsurfing password so they can log on and see where you are

Send the address and phone number of your host to a friend

Sounds like Tinder?

No it doesn’t

What’s the worst thing that’s happened to you Couchsurfing?

I had a miscommunication once and ended up in a district of Paris at 1am with no way to contact my host. I just walked to a nearby hotel. This taught me to always remember to get my hosts number beforehand.

I had a host who wasn’t very politically correct, different cultures. I felt uncomfortable but with nowhere else to go I waited until the morning and left.

What about the best thing?

Too many to tell, I would say just meeting open minded people from around the world and find out that we’re not too different.

TIPS FOR GETTING STARTED

How do I get hosted?

You send requests. First, search for a host. Second, read their profile, are you a good match? Do you share interests? What is the sleeping situation? If you are happy with everything, send them a request. Make sure you give the host some information on your trip, tell them about you and more importantly, show them that you have read their profile by writing about the things you have in common and what you want to learn from them. NEVER COPY AND PASTE MESSAGES, if you can’t be bothered to write a proper request, why should someone be bothered to host you?

You can also post public trips to meet people and you may get hosted that way. Most cities have a last minute couch request group if you don’t manage to find a host.

References will help you to get hosted, try to attend some meet ups to build up your profile.

Add some pictures to your profile that show your face, people are less likely to hos someone if they don’t know what they look like.

You can only send 10 requests a week if you don’t host yourself so be selective about which hosts you message.

Don’t message too early, maximum 3 weeks in advance is fine, messaging later also means it is less likely that someone will cancel on you as they will have more of an idea of their plans at that time.

Don’t expect anything. Your host will give you a free place to stay, if they have time they might offer a meal or to show you around. Don’t take this for granted, many hosts have jobs and other things to do so consider yourself lucky if you get a free tour guide!

Leave your host a nicely thought out reference afterwards, but be honest. If you had a bad experience, write about it so you can warn other surfers.

How do I host?

Make an account, make some space in your house and accurately describe this space in your profile. Write down your house rules and off you go! Easy as pie.

Examples of house rules could be that there are no shoes allowed in the house; guests must leave home when you leave or sleep at a certain time.

Give your guest your contact details and detailed information on how to reach your place. Not everyone is good at directions and a new country can be hard to navigate so be patient and be on hand to guide them.

Try to spend some time with your guest, tell them in advance if you will be busy or if you want to make plans with them so that they can plan their schedule around you.

The best gift for a Couchsurfing host is a good reference! Don’t ask for anything more.

Do I have to host?

You can surf without hosting and host without surfing but hosting is so rewarding! I love showing people around my area and meeting people from around the world. It’s like travelling without leaving home.

What do I bring to my host?

Hosts should not expect anything from guests apart from respect. If you want to bring something, you can bring:

Snacks from your country (check dietary requirements first)

Wine or beer (If they drink)

You can cook/buy them a meal

Maybe if they mention to you that they need something, you can surprise them with it as a gift.

You can offer to clean their place, organize a room for them, help them with projects or use any skills you have to give something back to them, maybe you’re good at massages or playing the guitar? Write them a song!

Give back to the community by trying to host at least one person for every couch you stay on.

Remember, you don’t need to spend anything, hosts appreciate anything you can offer but being clean, respectful and sharing stories are worth a million times more than anything you could buy.

Are there any alternatives?

If you want more of a hostel experience try AirBnB (sign up with this link and get £30 free travel credit! http://www.airbnb.co.uk/c/ssisodia8), it’s like paid Couchsurfing.

If you want an alternative try TrustRoots, BeWelcome, WarmShowers or GlobalFreeloaders. I haven’t tried any of them yet but I’ll make use of them on my next trip. They aren’t as popular as Couchsurfing but are good if you are not happy with how commercialized the Couchsurfing community has become.

If you want a place in exchange for work try Workaway or WOOFing, both will let you work in farms, hostels, homes or other places and you will get a free board and possibly food and other perks.

If you want to be free, try camping wild, you can get a tent, bivy or just a tarp and sleep outdoors every night, a beautiful and humbling way to travel.

So that’s it, my guide to Couchsurfing. Good luck on your Couchsurfing trips, travelling will never be the same!