Couchsurfing.orgReviews 66

CouchSurfing might not be perfect but how else can you get a free place to stay when you're traveling? I feel like the worst part is that some of the community members are a little flaky. So sometimes when you think you've got a great place to stay, it turns out that you don't. I don't think it's anyone's fault... the community has a lot of great generous people, but I just think it's the nature of the beast. Overall Couch Surfing is an amazing concept and I would recommend that everyone try it once.

It USED to be good but now it's just commercial and increasingly the requests are from people looking for free accommodation instead of wanting to actually meet people. Sure, part of the deal is a free room but I've had too many guests now who couldn't even be bothered to say "thank you" and who simply expect me to be their maid or something.

The site is desperately trying to be Facebook. I don't recommend joining at this point. There are other sites out there.

Couchsurfing is a nightmare cultish community full of moochers and people who are just there to take from you what they can. Once you get involved in couchsurfing it is like a vortex in which you are expected to only have couch surfing friends. Furthermore, it is full of political drama with different groups of people wanting to become "city ambassadors" "country ambassadors" etc.

If you feel like you would fit in well in a cult where everyone mooches off people who have free food, a free place to live etc. Then feel free to join couch surfing.

I however, prefer to be friends with people on a bit more equal terms.

I heard about couch surfing as an alternative to staying in hotels about a year ago via a few friends who have tried it and have had some great experiences. I have not tried it myself YET as I am chained to my desk right now working on multiple projects that don't allow my body to enjoy the rambling gypsy life my imagination has concocted for me, BUT I would love to try it, even if only to San Diego or San Francisco (which are close to Los Angeles, where I live). It is a wonderfully organized and maintained site with feedback from the "stayers" as well as "stayees" that could really make a believer out of even the most synical, and I dig the site so much, I thought it would be worth putting up and letting you all take a gander at it yourselves. Here are some cool stats about the whole "couch surfing" craze:

CouchSurfers 2,249,718
Successful Surf or Host Experiences 2,514,459
Friendships Created 2,607,269
Positive Experiences 4,169,459
Countries Represented 237
Cities Represented 78,818

Let me know if any of you try it and what you thought. Yay to new ideas and adventures!

Ever since I heard of CouchSurfing I have been crazed over this phenomena. The Couchsurfing project has been up for I'd say a couple years. You make a profile that includes your philosophy, why you're on the site, where you've traveled and where you want to and the list goes on. You can search for other people in the area that you are traveling to that are allowing "surfers" basically people that are traveling that need a place to stay and want to meet locals, etc. and message them to see if you could crash at their pad. I've met so many awesome folks on the East Coast. Couchsurfed a good handful of times and plan on traveling the world this way :D in love with this site. If you're a nomad, bookmark this site.