Couchsurfing

To begin with, let me explain you what Couchsurfing is. It is a webpage: https://www.couchsurfing.com that connects a community of people eager to get to know other people and cultures. The basic idea is that one as a traveler looks into the hosts available at the time, writes them a request and if being accepted, gets to stay at their place without having to pay for it. So: you can either decide to be only one of the things or both. There are also other options, like local events that connect couchsurfers, some groups where you can ask for advice and hangouts.

Being a traveler. Source

Create your account

Before you really start writing requests, take some time to create a nice profile. As you can see from my account below, there are several sections people can see on your profile where you fill in the first three at the start. At ''my home'' section you will fill out some of the characteristics of your home (if you are able to host), like the maximum number of travelers, if you are okay with last-minute requests etc. You can add as many photos of yourself/your travels as you like.

The most important part of your profile is the first page: ''about''. Besides marking the countries you have visited and lived in, your age, your occupation and the languages you can speak, there is a general section where you write about yourself and why you are on Couchsurfing. You then add some tags of the things you like doing, such as: traveling, dancing, hiking... You can also write a little bit about music, movies and books you like, one amazing thing you have done and what you can teach, learn or share.

When you request to stay at another person's home, the only thing they have of yourself is your message and your profile. If you try to see it from their point of view you will see that they will prefer to host someone that looks more reliable. That is also why many hosts only accept travelers with at least a few references. But it does not mean that as a new member you cannot get a host as we have all been there just entering the community. You can increase your chances of getting hosted by making a good profile where you imply that you are willing to share some life views and stories with your host.

Know what to expect

Most people start as guests and that is why I am writing from traveler's point of view. You should realize that as being a person staying at someone's place you are vulnerable. If they cancel the last minute or kick you out, you will have a problem. You should also keep in mind that there are guys that are misusing the webpage by expecting girls to sleep with them. I am not trying to scare you off but I just want you to keep those possibilities in mind and that in case it ever comes to them you are kinda prepared.

You should realize that it is a little bit like a gamble. You never really know what you are gonna get. Sometimes you will get your own room with fresh sheets, towel and a dinner and others you will be sleeping on the cold floor far away from the center. Mostly though, you will get a couch. You might get to know one of your best friends or if there will not be anything to talk about, it might be a bit uncomfortable. But that is just a part of the thing that makes Couchsurfing so special. Anyway, it is good to have a plan B option - to have a name of the hostel you can go to in case you host disappears the very last minute.

Also, Couchsurfing is most suitable for a single traveler as many people do not accept more than one person. It is a great way to be shown around a new city, get to know someone that has a different background than you do and often you just end up doing things you did not foresee: seeing the city from a rooftop, get a motorbike ride around the hills nearby, meet the activist willing to give you the book she wrote... It really is an awesome way of creating unexpected and amazing memories. You can also get a place for two, it might just take a little longer. But for more travelers it can get quite difficult to find a host that has enough space.

Making new friends. Source

Read the profile!

I tried to make you see earlier why it is so important to read the profile before sending a request. You can see one of my friend's profile below where you can see that he is interesting human being. If you want to feel a bit safer (speaking more in the name of women than men) you can decide to surf at a woman's or couple's place. Sometimes it will make you feel uncomfortable to stay at someone's place while you will read the profile or see their semi-naked photos. Listen to that feeling, close their profile and look for another host. And do not forget to read the references as a big alarm if there is a negative one.

Also one thing worth mentioning: men that choose preferred gender female are often looking for more than just a person to talk to. I am talking from experience. Nothing more serious happened to me, a guy just tried to kiss me and after I rejected him, he started acting strangely. I am against hosts that are trying to make a move on their guests because of the uneven position where host is somehow superior having the place where you are staying and sometimes women feel like they should do it even thought they do not really want to. It is more acceptable to me if the opposite happens and the guest is the one that tries something. But I believe that if there is a spark it is best to meet somewhere else and start something there.

Write a personalized request

Keep in mind that hosts receive many requests and in some, even their name is written wrongly. They prefer to know that you read their profile and that you are really interested in meeting them instead of just copy-pasting. So, when writing a request, do not write too short or too long one. Include the time you are planning to spend there, a little bit about your journey and try to include something specific from their profile. Sometimes even the hosts themselves include some words you should write in your request.

I did it many times so what I can tell you from the view of a fellow traveler is: I know. I know it can get tiring and difficult and you can start to lose it a bit when one after another, the people you requested to stay at decline. And it is quite difficult to write really different request each time you send it to someone so: keep the general part the same and copy-paste it and only do some smaller changes at the part where you are trying to include something personal from their profile. Sometimes, you will not get a request from hosts so do not wait too long for the answer. You can also send more than one at the same time if there are only a few days before you get to one place to increase your chances.

Be a good guest

One very important thing that many travelers do not realize is that hosts are offering their place to get to know you and spend some time with you. It is not just a free bed. That is what people ask me many times when I am explaining what do hosts have from hosting: they can learn something from your culture and hear about your trips. They can watch a movie with you and grab beers or take you partying. So: naturally, you are in one city to go sightseeing and see different monuments. Often, hosts will show you around the city. But do not forget to spare some time for hanging out with your host if only they have time. Be a clean and respectful guest. Be grateful for letting them stay there. You can bring a small gift from your country (I normally bring a honeyspoon). They are always happy to receive them.

Also, once you left the place write a positive reference if you liked your stay. Also another duty that many people prefer not to do is give a negative one if there was something bad. I also do not like to give people negative references if for no other reason because they offered me a place to stay but if they decided to abuse the situation with you, make it known to others so they do not make the same mistake staying with them. And if there is something seriously wrong, report them through the Couchsurfing page where the page managers will look into it and perhaps block their account. So yeah, they are looking after us, we only need to help them by not staying silent.

Other features

Groups

You can join different groups or create your own. I do not really use that option, but many people do. There are also different events that are holding place in larger cities, like meetings of couchsurfers, language exchange etc. You can find some local advice or people renting rooms if you are looking for one. Most places also has a last minute couch group where you can try your luck if the time is breathing down your neck. Also, there are groups connecting people with the same hobby and you can find some trips where people are looking for companions on their trip.

Public trip

Instead of writing personal requests to hosts, you can decide to publish a public trip. It is a little bit different from what one may imagine when reading the name as it is not meant to make a trip where you can invite people to join you. Mostly, it is used in a way of telling the hosts you are looking for a place to stay so hosts can contact you. Some people also use it as a way to connect with locals and get a tour around or just to find someone that wants to hangout. People write from one sentence to several paragraphs in the description of their trip, where it is not good to sound too formal but friendly instead.

I prefer to write personal requests because that way I get to choose my potential host. It is also clearer that I want to stay at this host because I liked their profile and not only because they can offer me a place to stay. And remember: if you create a public trip and if you do not feel comfortable with the host that is offering you a place, you have the right to reject their offer. I only use it when I only have a day or two till getting to one place and when all the hosts I contacted declined my request. In popular destinations, you can find lots of public trips: like in Barcelona, there are 2 000 of them for the time that I need. Only the reason more to write to specific hosts.

Hangouts

This feature is quite new and I really like to use it. How it works: once you have an account at Couchsurfing, you press hangout now and the application shows you all the people nearby also looking for hangout. You can write a small note what you want to do, like: grab beers, go hiking... When you find someone whose profile you like, you send them a request and if they accept, you can start messaging where and when you want to meet. Normally, it does not take them long to reply. You do not see the whole profile of someone, only a few parts. Also, other travelers can join the group. The bigger the city, the more useful this option is as there are more people available to meet. Plus, the mobile application is really good so why not using it.

I can tell you from experience that you can meet some great people in that way. The fact itself that they are travelers tells a lot. You can also find a companion to go somewhere if you are a solo traveler and do not want to go by yourself. I have used it twice so far when I arrived to Madrid and did not know anybody there. Unfortunately, they were just a one-night meetings as they both were going to another place the next day, but it was a nice experience both times. Just choose a place that is not too crowded and not too lonely for a meeting point as my choice of place: at Sol by the bear statue (one of the most touristic places in the city) surely brought quite a lot of problems at finding each other.

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