Staying in a hotel or hostel is one of the largest day to day expenses people have and all tourists are frequently looking for the cheapest place they can find. One thing everyone has in common is that no one wants to pay a lot for a place to stay. There are various ways people can use to find affordable accommodation without forking over their entire vacation fund or taking a second job.
A great way to get free accommodation is by staying with someone. The service, Couchsurfing, can help you that. Couchsurfing connects travelers with people in different locations who offer a free place to rest. You get to meet a new friend and get a local perspective on sites and activities. Its a good way to mix up meeting people in hotels and meeting the locals.
A lot of times people are scared to couchsurf because they wonder if its safe. There you are, in a new city with all your stuff (and you!) in a strangers home. What if they try to murder you in your sleep? Steal your stuff? Sell your kidney? Dont worry! These people have the same fears as you. Remember, they dont know you either. Yet the people who would open their homes to strangers tend to be very open minded people and are usually former travelers themselves. They know what you are going through. They want to help. Moreover, Couchsurfing is aware of this and takes many steps to provide security. It offers various levels of verification and allow users to rate and leave comments on travelers profiles. When couchsurfing, use the following criteria to help ensure safety:
The profile has to be filled out. It shows they are interested and involved. Most people arent going to spend the time to fill this out if they arent going to be comfortable with strangers in their home.
They have to be verified by the service. Couchsurfing has many levels of verification. They can be verified by other travelers, or with a mailing address, or credit card. Knowing that a person has been verified makes the chance they are a psycho slimmer.
They should have comments from other travelers. If other people have stayed with or have at least traveled with the host and were O.K., chances are you will be O.K. too.
No matter what is in the persons profile, you need to use your judgment. I havent heard of any really bad couchsurfing experiences besides the person was dirty. Usually, you end up corresponding with people over e-mail and get to feel them out a bit about how they will act. If it doesnt feel right, dont do it! Couchsurfing can be a great chance to meet other travelers and get the inside perspective of a location. However, it is important to use caution and exercise judgment when staying at strangers home.
A great way to get free accommodation is by staying with someone. The service, Couchsurfing, can help you that. Couchsurfing connects travelers with people in different locations who offer a free place to rest. You get to meet a new friend and get a local perspective on sites and activities. Its a good way to mix up meeting people in hotels and meeting the locals.
A lot of times people are scared to couchsurf because they wonder if its safe. There you are, in a new city with all your stuff (and you!) in a strangers home. What if they try to murder you in your sleep? Steal your stuff? Sell your kidney? Dont worry! These people have the same fears as you. Remember, they dont know you either. Yet the people who would open their homes to strangers tend to be very open minded people and are usually former travelers themselves. They know what you are going through. They want to help. Moreover, Couchsurfing is aware of this and takes many steps to provide security. It offers various levels of verification and allow users to rate and leave comments on travelers profiles. When couchsurfing, use the following criteria to help ensure safety:
The profile has to be filled out. It shows they are interested and involved. Most people arent going to spend the time to fill this out if they arent going to be comfortable with strangers in their home.
They have to be verified by the service. Couchsurfing has many levels of verification. They can be verified by other travelers, or with a mailing address, or credit card. Knowing that a person has been verified makes the chance they are a psycho slimmer.
They should have comments from other travelers. If other people have stayed with or have at least traveled with the host and were O.K., chances are you will be O.K. too.
No matter what is in the persons profile, you need to use your judgment. I havent heard of any really bad couchsurfing experiences besides the person was dirty. Usually, you end up corresponding with people over e-mail and get to feel them out a bit about how they will act. If it doesnt feel right, dont do it! Couchsurfing can be a great chance to meet other travelers and get the inside perspective of a location. However, it is important to use caution and exercise judgment when staying at strangers home.
About the Author:
Matthew Kepnes is a lifelong backpacker who has spent many years traveling around the world. For more information about cheap accommodation, visit this site about how to travel the world.
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