If you haven’t heard of it yet, Couchsurfing is the latest global craze of where people open up their homes to travelers and allow them to share a meal and have a free place to stay for the night. While you may be thinking how dangerous that all sounds, there is actually a whole global community of couch surfers and it’s actually a lot safer than you think. Traveler’s and hosts connect through safe online platforms and hosts are themselves travelers at certain points. It’s the traveling circle of life and if you are interested in becoming a fellow couchsurfer, then here are some things you need to know to become the perfect guest.
Always bring a gift
Showing up empty-handed anywhere can be a bit rude and showing up to a person’s house where they are letting you stay on their couch for free definitely calls for a gift. This doesn’t have to be something extravagant and expensive, just bring along something small to show your appreciation. An extra nice touch is to leave something behind for your host when you leave.
Ask about the house rules before your stay
To avoid upset and conflict its best to know the house rules before you even arrive. Remember this is someone else’s home and they are showing you a kindness so try your best to respect them and their home. Ask about when you are expected to arrive and leave, what time your host gets up and if you need to bring anything. This way you can be a more considerate guest and you won’t risk being kicked out or barred from the online platforms.
Be neat and considerate
Always clean up after yourself and make sure to leave things as you found them. Not only is this more respectful but it also means less conflict with your host and a more enjoyable stay for you.
Most online couchsurfer platforms have reviews for hosts and guests and you won’t want to risk a bad review that could prevent you from finding another host.