In October, we discussed hitchiking and I would like to write about a somehow connected topic, namly couchsurfing.
source: https://www.couchsurfing.org/
Couchsurfing.com is a portal dedicated to travellers, where they can find local people who would like to show them their cities or even offer free accomodation, not always in a form of a couch :) I admit, that it sounds strange at first. It reminds me of house swapping, where families swap houses during holidays (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Exchange). I personally cannot imagine allowing strangers to live alone in my house. However, couchsurfing is something different and when I firstly stumbled upon couchsurfing I was mesmerized by its optimistic atmosphere. Firstly, couchsurfing is not about free accommodation! It’s about connection between people from different cultures. If you just use the portal to avoid paying for hotels, you will be quickly outcast. Offering a couch is just a one way to participate in couchsurfing. Some people just offer their time and take travellers around and show them interesting places. In many cities, there are regular meetings where people just hang out together. It’s about sharing your life, your experiences and your journey. The most advantageous, and unfortunately the most risky at the same time, is sharing your home. If you don’t like to travel with a travel guide in your hand, then couchsurfing is the best alternative. Who knows the greatest places better than locals? Besides hospitality exchange (free couch to sleep on, showing around the place, etc.) couchsurfing is also abour social networking services where travellers help each other with travel issues.
Couchsurfing is a great way of exploring places on a budget without spending a lot of money on accommodation. It is a great alternative for solo travellers who don’t want to feel lonely or are looking for new friends and fun. You can meet amazing people who can look after you and show you around the city. From my experience, couchsurfing is a way to see the places from the locals’ perspective. From the outside, CouchSurfing may appear to be a platform for freeloading around the world, but in reality surfers crash with hosts with the implicit understanding that both parties will gain some sort of social value from the exchange. This could be sharing insights into other cultures; cooking, drinking or practicing language skills together. Remember, it’s not just about the furniture.
You may ask if it is safe. Well, in today’s world nothing is safe. The same applies to couchsurfing. User’s personal data can be verified (she or he transfers a small amount of money using their credit card), they can have a photo and references left by some other couchsurfers, but you cannot be 100% sure who you are being hosted by.
Questions:
- Have you ever tried something similar to couchsurfing? Would you ever like to try?
- Do you like travelling? What do you focus on while traveling?
- When it comes to travelling, do you plan everything beforehand or do you prefer to go with the flow? What about organized tours offered by travel agencies?
I'll start with the 3rd question:
ReplyDelete3. No, I've never gone with a travel agency, it would drive me nuts! I prefer to go to the country (but before I do find some accomodation) and go with with the flow, as you said. I don't know, what I'll see, visit, or whatever. I don't go very often to the museums, I prefer to go to the center of "normal" (not tourust) people village and see what they're doing. I also prefer to walk, than to go by bus or tram or subway (although in London it's quite impossible to avoid this kind of transport - it's too big!!!). Same goes for my husband. We both prefer to discover the city as it is, and not as it was...
2. Actually, I responded to that in a first question
1. No, I've never used couchsurfing. It seemed a little unfair from my part to go sleep on someones couch without offering mine. We're living in one-room flat, and our couch is our bed, so no way for anyone else to visit. But we'll do so, when we'll have a second room :)
I love couchsurfing - with the use of friendly couches, you can travel to exotic places with no budget and get to know the country a lot more than with a travel agency. I offer my couch very rarely - I live with my husband in two-room flat, which does not offer any privacy for the guests. However, I "couched" one Japanese girl and offered my service to others as a guide in sightseeing. This resulted in meeting some interesting people, like three Turkish men who came to Warsaw to work on their criminal book settled in World War II era.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to being a couchsurfer, my adventures begin and end in Japan, where I was invited by couchsurfers to stay at their houses. One girl from Tokyo let me stay at her house for 4 days, then she basically fed me with delicious things and showed me around every interesting district. I will definately try this again.
From what I've heard, there's a very little probability to meet an unfriendly or negatively "weird" host. Guests are the worst problem. While I was searching for a couch in Tokyo, I've read some long stories from experienced hosts stating what kind of guests they do not want to couch again. There were incidents like stealing keys, intolerant people bragging about other couchsurfers in the same house and insulting them, people eating everything out of fridge and even... stealing plates. Too much hospitality makes them crazy, maybe?
I love travelling, of course. I used the help of travel agencies when I was younger, but it takes a little effort to plan your own trip with more interesting sightsee-spots and with less money required.
1. I tried Couchsurfing before. I stayed at 2 different places and also met up with people to show them around (also it's time consuming, as in Poland there are many active hosts almost competing for foreign visitors!). I had really good experience, so does everyone else I know. I know people who met their partners there as well, even though it seems most people using Couchsurfing don't seem to be keen to enjoy that service that way at all. I also met people who showed me around, for example a girl I met in Japan showing me around Osaka - her city. I like meeting people and obviously it's great to have someone local to show around, so it's a win-win situation. For the other person as well as they can hang out with a visitors and do interesting things together.
ReplyDeleteI love travelling. I'm happy I was able to see many places of the world already, and the list is growing with each year. I'm mostly looking for meeting great people and doing new, interesting things and surviving great adventures. That's something I enjoy the most in life, actually.
I have never tried an organized tour and would absolutely hate it. It kills all sense of adventure and exploration, which are the best thing in a travel - exploring the place, discovering it by yourself, meeting people on your journey. That's the most amazing thing. Because of that, I have usually traveled alone, and met people abroad.
I have never heard of couchsurfing, therefore I have never tried it. So I've read your post with the great interest.
ReplyDeleteAt first I was very against it because I canot imagine letting someone strange use my couch as a bed and sleep in it. But then you said that is not about it, so now I think that it could be a very interesting way of spending your time in a different place. It is an opportunity to meet some new people and places.
I can see only one disadvantage of couchsurfing - it is when you won't like the person, who is suppose to be your guide. What you are suppose to do in this situation, refuse? It would be really unpolite - this person sacrificed his time for you/me.
Oh I love traveling. But I always plan my trips - I want to know what the place could offer me and I always appreciate good acomodation. I try not to use the service of travel agency though. The plan of the journey is very strict there. I don't like it. I like to have the power of my time.
@martynazych - you wrote that you offer your couch very rarely but still - are you not afraid to do so?
Hey everyone I've noticed that we all love to travel. Where do you want to go the most? For me it is always Italy….:)
Answering your questions:
ReplyDelete1. I used Couchsurfing twice - once as a couchsurfer and few weeks later as a host. The idea of the project is fantastic! Thanks to hospitality of others you can visit many places at little (or any) cost and, what is even more important, get to know the city or country through its own inhabitants. That is the way no hotel or tourist guide will ensure.
2. Do I like traveling?.. Do you know someone who doesn't? Of course I do! Sometimes I travel just to relax and forget about all the work, sometimes to meet new people, taste new food, see new places. It works like a reset button and help you deal with the everyday life. Even these days I'm making preparations for a new trip.
3. I think travel agencies are made for elderly people or families - the ones that don't have time or don't know how to plan the trip. For me it's just a waste of money. In travelling the possibility to learn the place the hard way is what makes it so exciting. I like to have a general plan of the trip but I'm always ready to go with the flow.
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ReplyDeleteI've never tried anything even similar to couchsurfing. Only situations when I sleep in someone's flat for free is when I already know that person. Maybe some day I will try to take part in such program (if I can call it like that). About travelling, normally I focus on way how to reach destination in possibly lowest cost. That is also only issue that I plan before, rest is definitely reserved for "going with the flow". Tours offered by travel agencies are in my opinion just waste of money
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ReplyDeleteHave you ever tried something similar to couchsurfing? Would you ever like to try?
ReplyDeleteIt sound like a very good idea. However I never had pleasure to try this form of travel. I bet that you can meet a lots of interesting people.
Do you like travelling? What do you focus on while traveling?
I like to travel, however I never had a chance to go somewhere really far. My travels had place generally in Europe.
When it comes to travelling, do you plan everything beforehand or do you prefer to go with the flow?
I never go with the flow. My journey have to be planned from start to end. I like to be cautious about the steps I take and places i go to.
What about organized tours offered by travel agencies?
Travel agencies are good way of traveling. I am not sure that you are aware that when you choose to use agencies you have some additional rights. Lets say that they journey includes multiple changes from place to ship and so on... If you miss your flight ... you might have no chance to jump on to that ship or cruiser. Now if you decide to book through agent, you might get all the money back. However if you decide to make a booking yourself, because you can get it at lower price... You can only get your flight ticket back. Everything else will be lost.
This was only one example. There are many situations where it is better to organise the trip on your own. You might save some money, but you will lose some time researching the best options.
I believe that this is a topic of great interest . For the first time in my life heard of such a form of leisure . It would be nice to take part in it because it would allow us to get to know other cultures and to exchange our experiences or experiences. I think that nowadays you do not have time for anything, and mode of life consists of work and home , it was hard to find it 's time to devote to strangers and spend a lot of time with them, showing them on our cities. I love spending time traveling allows it to deepen my experience of adventures . When traveling, I focus on the fact that as much as possible to see and learn about new places. I think that with a little free time it would be worth it to sacrifice a little on the preparation of cool holiday for someone and take advantage of the services that others offer . When our lives creeping monotony was a fun form to take a break from everyday life.
ReplyDelete@Martyna, I have also heard stories about stealing plates... I completely can't understand who someone can be so stupid... Unfortunately, for some people couchsurfing is only about free accommodation and don't respect their hosts and others...
ReplyDelete@Simon, I have similar experience when I was crushing couches in England few years ago. It's great to meet amazing people and fell that it's a win-win situation :)
@Izabela, I think that offering a couch might not be for everyone. What's great about couchsurfing community is that actually no one requires you to do so. Still you can participate and meet many great people.
Regarding your question, I have always been dreaming about a journey to Australia :) I wonder I it's possible to go there by hitch-hiking :P
I have never tried couch surfing but I did travel once using the airbnb.com website where people post hosting options like rent a bed, rent a room or rent out entire apartment/house for the time when they are not in it. I think that it’s a great opportunity to meet other people and especially meet the locals and explore places that are not described in any travel guide. Although I was a little hesitant at first but after reading a few reviews of the host from which I decided to rent out a room for few days I knew that it’s going to be a great time.
ReplyDeleteI love traveling and I often travel using InterRail where you buy one ticket and travel for few weeks around the entire Europe – or just a country if you decide to buy a one Country Pass. I always plan everything as much as possible in advance like places of stay, sleeping options and how many days I plan to be in one location. Personally I don’t like tours organized by travel agencies as I’m more of a lonely traveler.
I've never tried couchsurfing. It seems pretty cool, but it's probably not for me :P. I really like to travel, but my trip has to be perfect. A good hotel, carefully selected location and attractions. I don't hide that open bar is very important ;D. So very often I use the services of travel agents. All I have planned and booked. There is also a greater chance that the trip will be successful. But surely I read more about couchsurfing.
ReplyDelete@Piotrk - I agree with you totally. Maby be I will conciderate couchsurfing one day who knows…It is always nice to get to know someone new and interesting:D
ReplyDeletei'd never try something like that. Ihave problems with meeting new people, i'm really stressed before, so i don't know i would like decide about something like that...
ReplyDeleteI'd like traveling, but it's expensive :( I really wanna go to japan. When i'm traveling i'm trying focus on what is popular on this country. I prefer have plans, at least for 2-3 days foreward.
I was once in 2 weeks tour around espaniol and portugal, we have 4 days free, and rest of it we spend on bus and travel around cities. It was awesomes, but a little tireing.