Let’s start with the basics, do you know what Couchsurfing is? I always talk about it in my posts, but I realized that not everyone knows exactly what it is! Couchsurfing is a free way to stay that is based on the principle of hospitality. Unlike what was done in antiquity for the Pellegrini, you do not knock on doors, but you look for accommodation on a multimedia platform.
All there is to know about Couchsurfing
To find the accommodation you have two possibilities search for the locality and see individually the cards of the people offering hospitality, and contact them. Enter your travel itinerary and wait for others to contact us. Both are efficient, depends on the needs we have and the time available. Keep reading: 4 Canadian destinations to visit on a weekend
Why is Couchsurfing?
Because you can stay in (almost) any location in the world for free . When you travel very long or when you love to travel often, saving on accommodation can help us to travel more to give us an extra excursion or maybe to put the money aside for any extras.
because you have the opportunity to meet the locals , traveling alone you always have to find the way to get to know people and experience a place in the most authentic way possible. In this way, you will not only have travel companions but also an insider at your fingertips that can advise you on what to do and avoid all the most tourist aspects of a trip.
To get a glimpse of local life , most of the times we travel we present our life in a new context, but living as the inhabitants of another country do is different, you can fully understand the culture and traditions, especially in the little things; for example, when I was in Colombia I learned that they only eat coffee, milk, and bread at dinner, for me it was very bad because the dinner for us is the ideal moment for conviviality;
For cultural exchange, not only allow you to know the culture that hosts you, but also to let you know yours, to have around the world an idea of Italy and Italians a bit ‘different from the usual cliché, I for example, I always cook for my guests to let them discover recipes of Italian cuisine that will hardly find in a restaurant around the world to practice the languages, throwing yourself into a new context you will inevitably have to communicate, even if you are not fluent with the language and after the first timidity you will surely be more confident, this is also a good reason to host when you are not traveling . You have the possibility to have a conversation of any language absolutely free
What to look in the host tabs:
if the user is verified ie if the site has checked his bank details and his accommodation, this gives you an extra guarantee of security, but does not mean that those who are not verified are not sure. The verification procedure is very annoying and laborious so many people prefer not to do it out of laziness (including myself).
what kind of accommodation does the host have . even if Couchsurfing literally means giving your sofa, many people offer a real bed or even a private room with a bathroom, it’s better to check first what will be waiting for us once you arrive at your destination.
if both kinds are accepted ; not all hosts accept to host men and women, there are many people who prefer only one genre, basically the female one … afterwards see why!
where the house is located. Traveling by Couchsurfing is definitely a way to save money and socialize at the same time, but you have to consider the location because finding accommodation too far or in a dangerous area could ruin the experience.
Travel alone with Couchsurfing
Making Couchsurfing is a way to get around? Well also, it depends on what we are looking for. We do not immediately think that if we are women and we stay in someone’s home, it will jump on us, but we must carefully read the card of a host before asking for hospitality:
check the references or whether or not it is verified, if all the comments are from girls it is very likely that this person is interested in having liaisons with his guests.
There are boys who offer as a bed, the other half of their double bed, even in this case the intentions seem clear;
there are those who indicate in the little box if they offer “Maybe” or not, depending on the photo of the person making the request
In many countries, like Australia, the Couchsurfing experience is used to have sexual adventures, I believe that whatever the use you choose to make of it there is nothing wrong, the only thing is to start preparing and avoiding to be in ambiguous situations unwelcome. Personally, I’ve been couch surfing several times at a kids’ house and I’ve never had any kind of problem, but I’ve always looked carefully where to request hospitality, once I even ended up in a banana plantation.
If I do Couchsurfing at someone’s home, do I have to reciprocate?
No! those with the mutual exchange are other sites. Couchsurfing is based only on the hospitality of the people, perhaps it may seem strange that someone opens their homes in exchange for nothing, but in reality, there are many good and hospitable people in the world, and maybe this site was created to give more confidence in the next.
What else does the Couchsurfing serve?
It is the largest community of travelers in the world, in every city, there is at least one group to aggregate people, organize events, excursions, parties. If you are traveling and looking for a partner to do any kind of activity you can post a couchsurfing.org or look for a Meet-Up, which is a meeting between travelers and locals, almost always there one per week in each city of world and is a new and fun way to meet new people and practice languages. You may also like: http://magazinzoo.com/8-romantic-sunsets/
