Anyone ever try it? And if so, good experience or bad? I doubt anyone on here has.

 

I'm going to hit hit up North Carolina then Virginia or West Virginia on my way to Ohio. Hoping to try out couch surfing instead of staying at hotels.

I havent done it but my brother has and he's only had good experiences with it!

Would you just go around knocking on doors, or do you hunt for available couches in advance? How does that work?

Would you just go around knocking on doors, or do you hunt for available couches in advance? How does that work?

 

http://www.couchsurfing.org/index.html

You make a profile where people can rate you and set up things in advance.

I have lived in a house wheras we have had people whom have come and did coach surfing.

It was overall a very positive experince and we all have gone on to gain friends.

 

Only one person out of around 10 guests in total seemed to take advantage of our hospitallity, by using our living room as some sort of office. Just to say he was not welcomed back again.

I'm too shy so I'm not sure if I'd do it :uhoh:

I've never even heard of it.

You just go to strangers' houses and stay the night there? :thinking: I don't think I'd want to do that.

It sounds kind of creepy. . . :anxious:

My brother couch surfed in England before and shared an apartment with some other guys. The thing was that there was only one key to the place so to solve that problem my brother got the key and the other guys, who apparently did a lot of mountain climbing, climbed in and out of the bathroom window :awesome:.

I would never. What if they're raepst and such?

D:

I'd wanna try it, but not alone maybe. At least not the first time :thinking:

I dreamed that Nick was a raepist. No joke. :|

twice so far (berlin and edinburgh), both great experiences, highly recommended. make sure you get an idea of what the person is like before you go there, though. as far as it is possible anyway ;)

I dreamed that Nick was a raepist. No joke. :|

 

That hurts

It's slightly creepy, but at the same time if you knew the people were going to be good people, I think it would be an awesome experience.

I am on there as well. Both as couchsurfer and host.

The website is set up in such in way that it doesn't have to be scary. I - for example - only allow girls to stay at my place, unless I know the guy. And first you have contact through the site. You as a host get positive recommendations. So if you find it scary, you can just look for people who have had a lot of good recommendations. It's a bit like Ebay ... you check who has positive feedback and then have to trust the person.

 

I highly recommend it! :thumbsup:

I sort of couch surfed in South Korea last year. I wasn't really planning to do so, but I met a guy who was couch surfing so I tagged along for a bit. I met a lot of awesome people and got to see/do lots of things I otherwise wouldn't have, so it's definitely something I'll do when I'm going to travel again. :nice:

I sort of couch surfed in South Korea last year. I wasn't really planning to do so, but I met a guy who was couch surfing so I tagged along for a bit. I met a lot of awesome people and got to see/do lots of things I otherwise wouldn't have, so it's definitely something I'll do when I'm going to travel again. :nice:

 

yes that was another thing our guests got to see lots of places your typical tourist would not

 

 

good luck nick

What Bart said. Couchsurfing is also nice if you don't want to be the 'typical tourist', the hosts can give you plenty info about what's hot and what's not in the area and how to make everything cheaaaap (if not for free! :D)

 

and fietssleutel, that's also how I got introduced into it ^^

I already had thought about joining, but when friends dragged me along I decided to really join in!

:thinking: What is the average length of stay ? Is it a one night thing, or can one stay for like a week or something?

^depends. from my experience most people are hosting for only a couple of nights. but a friend of mine had people staying at her place for about a week as well, all possible.

Hosters usually tell on their profile how many nights they find fine. I've got a couchsurfer coming over in a few weeks! :D

Once i saw documentary about couch surfing, really interesting! i would love to be part of this community, maybe one day when i have my own place :nice:

 

And sharing a couch, is not something like when you go to a hostel? sometimes you also share a bedroom with dif people :) so no big deal!

what! niiiiiick...

 

YOU ARE COMING TO NORTH CAROLINA? where exactly? :surprised:

 

you better come & visit us :wacky:

or else :disappointed:

 

you could even stay with us

but I think that might sound too stalkish :shame:

And sharing a couch, is not something like when you go to a hostel? sometimes you also share a bedroom with dif people :) so no big deal!

 

that's kinda true, when i went to england this year i was sharing a room with two other girls i didn't know, at least for one night, and that was fun.

 

when i use couchsurfing i usually go for people who have a private spare room, because i feel more comfortable. saying that, in edinburgh i slept in someone's living-room which was fine as well :)