studentsineurope

Surfing the Globe

The CouchSurfing Project

Traveling is expensive, there is no doubt about it, and certainly our current economic status has made the situation even worse. So the next time you find yourself searching for a place to stay on your travels, why not try the free option? CouchSurfing, a social networking site that was created in the hopes of connecting like-minded travelers, is that option.

Registered users offer up extra rooms, beds, and even floor space to those travelers looking for free accommodations in a chosen destination. A personal profile allows you to display your interests, housing conditions, languages spoken, as well as specific requirements one may have for staying at their place of residence. Once you have found something suitable, simply send a surfing request along with a brief paragraph about yourself, and wait for a reply.

If you are lucky enough to find a person that has space at the time you have requested (as availability tends to fill up very fast), you might want to begin a correspondence with your host, in order to get to know them better. Especially considering many of them are more than willing to donate some of their free time to show you around their city.

Obviously, there are some risks associated with this service. You are staying with someone you don’t know and in a city that is most likely completely new to you. Searching for Certified users, those who have already housed surfers and received a positive recommendation, is one way to stay safe. Also, since there are many hosts that can accommodate more than one traveler, another step to safety is to always surf with at least one other person at all times.