“Couchsurfing” and how it fits into the travel picture

We’ve recently been booking accommodations for our upcoming family trip to Iceland. Well, rather, we *looked* at booking accommodations for our trip, then decided to book a motorhome. This was partly because it fit into our plans and style of traveling, but also because between renting a car and booking hotels/airbnb’s, the costs were racking up.

It made me remember with great fondness our old Couchsurfing days.

I use “Couchsurfing” in quotations, because I’m not strictly talking about Couchsurfing the company. I’m more referring to the idea of homestay (homestays?) while traveling, and the social network arising from hosting your home and “surfing” in other peoples. In my day (read: the 2000s), Couchsurfing was the only mainstream homestay exchange network. It is what we used. Now, there are a number: BeWelcome, TrustRoots, WarmShowers (predominately for cyclists), to name a few. There are also home exchange programs, and even some budget airbnb rentals feel similar to Couchsurfing.

Couchsurfing the company

Couchsurfing the company (and the concept) was started in 1999, after an American student Casey Fenton booked a cheap ticket to Iceland but had nowhere to stay. He hacked into the local university network, asking students for lodging, and received over 100 responses.

From there, he created a large travel social network. People from all over the world could list their homes, whether they had a spare room or a spare couch. People traveling all across the world could stay in these homes, for “free”, if your request is accepted by the host. What you got out of it (besides taking care of one of traveling’s biggest expenses) was connection and, in some cases, lifelong friendships.

In recent years, Couchsurfing the company has seen a decline. Many Couchsurfers have protested the company’s slide into a for-profit model. And as of a couple of years ago, users are required to pay a fee to use the service. (The link about is directly to the “about” page. Linking to the homepage directly brings up the “subscriptions” page!)

Questionable business practices and leadership aside, the homestay exchange model and hotel alternatives are still going strong.

Couchsurfing “the idea”

The most important piece of these hosting networks, more than the homes themselves, are the profiles behind them. This is true whether you’re looking for a host, or whether the host is deciding whether to accept the “surfer”. Who you are, what you do, some photos of you doing fun things… Besides weeding out total creepers (hopefully not many after the verification processes on the websites and reading the reviews), what you really want to know is whether you’ll vibe if you stay in the same space for a few days.

This doesn’t mean you’ll spend all your time in that location together. Most hosts are either students or working, and will be doing their own thing while you sightsee during the day. But they may tell you about some local events they’re attending, cook a meal together, or hang out in the evenings.

Who is Couchsurfing for?

In our experience, hosting and surfing is mostly the realm of younger travellers, whether traveling solo, with friends, or as couples. Most homestay homes are apartments or small houses and tend to be centrally located. The sleeping arrangements can range anywhere from a spare bedroom to a pull-out or mattress in the living room. (For the record, I have never actually slept on just a ‘couch’!) If traveling as a group of friends, you may need to split up with multiple hosts.

As a young couple living in the big city, we had toyed with the idea of hosting, too. Ultimately, due to our erratic work hours (Jaisy was frequently on call and Daniel had crunch deadlines to meet), we chose not to. At that point in our lives, it would have been a great way to meet new people.

The Couchsurfing model is NOT ideal for families with small children. I could hardly handle bringing my destructive and loud toddlers to our friends’ houses, much less a stranger’s. On the flip side, staying with small kids in a house that is not childproofed is also unsafe for kids. However, depending on who the hosts are, I would definitely consider Couchsurfing with older children and teens.

With young kids, home exchanges, particularly with another family who also had kids, are an option. Or there are some budget rentals on airbnb that will list a suite in a family friendly house. You get your own space, but there might also be common areas for your kids to engage with the kids who live there. As we’ve eluded to, getting to known people who live where you are visiting is one of the biggest benefits of Couchsurfing, in our opinion, and there is no reason why kids should miss out!

When should I consider Couchsurfing/homestay?

Couchsurfing is the perfect option when you want a more authentic experience of whenever you are traveling. It works when you have a few days in a particular city or town, and can afford to be a little more flexible and laid-back.

As we mentioned, many hosts tend to live downtown, and it lets you come and go and explore the city at a leisurely pace. Couchsurfing is not great if you’ve got a jam-packed itinerary or have day tours booked your entire stay. Hosts do not get paid for hosting, and are doing it because they like meeting people from all over the world. It does the entire model a disservice if you’re only looking for a free place to stay at night.

It’s alright to admit you might be looking for a cheaper alternative to hotels, especially in more expensive countries. But it’s always good to approach CouchSurfing as a part of the experience, not as a means to an end.

Is Couchsurfing/homestay safe?

This is probably the most common question I got when I told people we were Couchsurfing.

I have never felt unsafe in any of the places I have stayed. But personally, as a woman, I would never Couchsurf alone. I would always stay with a friend, or as a couple. (I guess it’s questionable whether as a solo traveler hostels with strangers coming and going are any safer, but at least there are always staff and other people around to keep an eye on things, where safety is concerned.)

There are no guarantees, of course, but you can glean a lot about your host/surfer by their profile, and always read the reviews of others who have couchsurfed with them. I preferred to stay with people whose profiles were similar to ours (eg. when we were students/professionals we mostly stayed with other students, young professionals, etc). You also get a good sense of who they are by chatting with them beforehand. Only proceed with the arrangement if you feel it is a good fit – this is not a time to ignore any qualms that come up.

The unique side CouchSurfing/homestay brings to travel

For us, the main reason we travel is to experience new places and cultures. (At least, this is true for urban places where we would consider CouchSurfing, anyways!) Meeting new people on the road – people with completely different backgrounds, sharing similar experiences – is always fun. Sure, you can make new friends on day tours and in hostels, but meeting locals and getting to see how they live day to day is the most authentic kind of travel experience you can get.

Your local hosts can give you the best inside scoop to your destination. But not only that, they might invite you along to a local event they’re attending, or make a local meal together. These kinds of experiences are priceless.

We were in Oslo back in 2011, just after the horrific tragedies of the Norway bombings. (We’d almost cancelled this leg of the trip, but we were already on our way from Denmark when the news broke.) Our hosts told us there would be a massive memorial to commemorate the victims, and invited us to go with them. We went with some trepidation, feeling like outsiders on an entire country’s pain. Everyone was carrying flowers. We didn’t have any, so we made a few origami ones before the vigil. But everyone we met were sharing the ones they had. Although we could not understand what was said during the ceremony, the outpouring of support, solidarity, and love was palpable. It remains one of my most poignant travel moments to date.

Our next hosts on that trip was in Bergen, Norway. They had a grandfather who kept goats and made his own cheese. We got to learning about goat-cheese making and try some fresh Norwegian goat cheese, along with the authentic seafood stew we made together.

Points to remember if you’re considering CouchSurfing/homestay

• Create and maintain an authentic profile. There is no money involved in CouchSurfing – the currency is goodwill and friendship. Reach out to hosts and surfers with the mindset of making friends and having fun.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Couchsurfing doesn’t come with the same kinds of services and amenities you find in hotels. But most hosts are incredibly kind people with huge hearts, willing to go out of their way for those staying with them. For example, we left our Oslo hosts for Bergen, and then returned to Oslo several days later in the middle of the night. (We had an early morning train.) Our Oslo hosts took us back, and stayed up to welcome us. They even made scones!

• Thank your hosts! We always bring along some tokens from home to give our hosts. (As Canadians, we generally bring ice wine (if our luggage situation allows), or some type of maple syrup treat.)

• Couchsurf with an open mind! The entire point of homestay is to experience a more “real” side to the destination you’re visiting. The comforts and style and even attitudes of the people you’re sharing your place with might not be what you’re used to. It’s all a part of the fun and adventure.