Couchsurfing Tips

Last week, I had the extraordinary experience of couchsurfing on my three-day trip to Idaho. I stayed with Pat in Walla Walla, who treated me to a dinner party with a group of experienced travelers and then in Moscow, where I crashed on the couch owned by two U of Idaho sophomores who literally left the door open for me to come and go as I pleased. What a generous and open world we live in!

(photo courtesy of Maka at Creative Commons)

I realize, however, that couchsurfing, staying with hosts that you’ve met through a website, can come with risks. There are a few things that you can do to ensure a safe stay.

1) Be careful in choosing your host. Choose someone with like interests. And, if possible, someone who can provide references through the website you use (Couchsurfing and GlobalFreeloaders are my two current recommendations).

2) Be clear about when you’ll be arriving and departing out of respect for your host’s schedule.

3) Get their phone number in advance and give them a call. While it wouldn’t hurt to make sure that you have a good report with them, you don’t want to show up and find that the 30 something woman you thought you were staying with is actually a 55 year old man.

4) Be a good guest. It seems so basic, but a little kindness can go a long way. Bring a small gift, clean up behind yourself, share stories and pictures from your travels.

5) Add a review to the website where you located your host. Leaving feedback will help future travelers who are looking for a place to stay.

If you know of any other websites that connect travelers with hosts, please leave a comment with information on them.

Happy Travels!

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