The idea behind couchsurfing has been around for a very long time; the mutual agreement to host and be hosted when travelling to the home city of a friend or distant family member. Many of us with the travel bug today will remember going to stay with family interstate or overseas, or having friends of our parents stay at our house, or having distant relatives welcomed into the home, because the idea of having them stay in a hotel was, well, wrong. It's not that none of us can afford a hotel, there's just something about staying with real people who like you and aren't being paid to be nice to you and who show you around their home town with genuine pride, and the opportunity to strengthen a bond that stretches across oceans.
However only recently, with the magic of the interwebs, have people had the ability to network and arrange to stay with pretty much total strangers. This is the couchsurfing that most of us have heard of today; meeting fellow travellers on a specially built web forum and putting out a tentative enquiry before getting to know them and deciding whether to stay with them on your adventure. Instead of having a finite number of places you can stay for free because you already know people there, you open up a whole world of people to crash with, in return for promising to host people when it is practicable for you. Of course, with all this opportunity comes a lot of questions. Is it safe? What kind of person would agree to do this? What's it all about other than free accommodation?
Many of these questions are dealt with by for-profit couchsurfing facilitation companies such as CouchSurfing, a California-based organisation founded in the late 90's by a guy from Boston who was inspired when he took a chance on a cheap flight to Iceland, and found accommodation by randomly emailing 1,500 kids from the University of Iceland. Safety and security information, which features prominently on their homepage, emphasises the fact that the safety of the couchsurfing practise is based on the sense of community between members. There is also a review and verification function where you can check feedback from previous guests for your peace of mind. The official testimonial video, as well as news stories, will seal the decision for most budget conscious travellers looking for a new way to save money. But if you don't know someone who's already been involved, there's still that sense of risk. I spoke to some people who have hosted couchsurfers, and some people who have stayed on couches, to get a sense of what goes on beyond the 'oh yay, free place to stay, new international friends = peace, local experience' general love-in that the generic coverage portrays.
The host I spoke to, Aaron*, has been a couchsurfer for a year. He decided to get into hosting as soon as he could in order to build up good reviews so he could go stay with people when he had the chance to travel later on. He'd just moved to Amsterdam himself and saw a great opportunity to explore his new home with travellers who had the same new enthusiasm as himself, as well as to make some friends. Since then, he's hosted a number of people both there and at home in his native Canada. His favourite experience of couchsurfing thus far happened right at the start; "I guess because it was my first time hosting, it really opened my eyes to how cool CS could be. I was pretty skeptical that I might end up with some freeloaders, but (that) was not at all the case. We got along great, cooked together each night, shared French wine and delicacies [the guests were from France], exchanged languages, and explored the city together". He also noted that the atmosphere of couchsurfing made it almost impossible not to establish a lasting friendship; "A few months later one of the surfers was in Amsterdam again and we met up for some joints and coffee like old friends".
It's not all Champagne and lols though. Miscommunications can be bad for both parties: "I've had mainly positive experiences, but I guess once there was a miscommunication wherein since my phone was out of credit I gave some prospective surfers my address and directions to my place in hopes they could find their way. They kept calling me while I was in the library or in class so I couldn't respond. We never got in touch and I ended up with a bad reference". The most successful arrangements take a little planning; not only do you have to look at someone's profile and contact them in advance, you need to either know exactly when they're going to show up, or have contingency plans for communication. It also helps to be friendly, reasonably tidy and courteous, and to bring a small token gift of your appreciation for your host, the way you would when going to dinner at the home of new friends, or when borrowing a relative's holiday house.
As a hoster, Aaron reccommends couchsurfing as a non-money-centric travel experience for open-minded people. "CS is definitely for more outgoing people. If you want to be alone while you travel, stay in a hostel. If you are out there and travelling it probably means you are already an outgoing and openminded person, perfect for CS. CS is not for freeloaders; CS is more for people who subscribe to the concept of a gift economy".
People like Dani*, who has been couchsurfing for over a year now, across the world from Israel to the Netherlands, France, and the U.S. "I think it's the most genius idea ever. It seems a bit sketchy when you first think about it but it really isn't. You just gotta be careful when finding new hosts; sometimes it's not okay to just say yes to everyone. Usually I look for someone with references if I need to find a host". Dani also agrees that keeping in mind the spirit of the couchsurfing arrangement is important, and adds that being relatively independent and giving the host privacy when they need it are important for couchsurfers. "Couchsurfing opens your eyes to a whole new world while travelling. You see and experience the real culture of a city".
So. Summary:
- It's a Thing.
- Make yourself a profile, and get to know the protocol of the community
- For further peace of mind, do your own research on YouTube, forums and review sites
- Verify that a potential host or guest is legit by checking feedback on their profile. If possible, get in touch with them by email, phone or Skype before the deal is done
- Make backup plans for communication on arrival date
- Bring them a small, thoughtful gift from your part of the world
- Don't be a douchebag and annoy them or mess up their home
Happy surfing.
*Names not changed at all, cos really, who cares.
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