Hey guys! I am a 22 year old girl and I am traveling with my boyfriend. I was wondering your views on the safety aspect of couchsurfing?
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Blair,, I doubt most of us have tried it,, I am sure a few have , but I suggest you look on a forum that really will have alot more budget travellers and might be skewed a tad younger( although we are not all old here either). Try Lonely Planets thorntree.com forum, or even tripadvisor.com forums.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, United States
873 posts
My friends couchsurfed in Amsterdam and Berlin last year, and they raved about it. Not only did they have a free place to stay, but their hosts also cooked for them and showed them around the city. If it weren't for my paranoia about it somehow affecting my visa applications, I would totally do it myself.
Posted by
Winnipeg
590 posts
I couchsurfed while in Europe and I also have hosted a few people here. I love it and have had amazing experiences! Make sure you fill in a complete profile, you will get more replies that way. Everyone i met where so wonderful and they took alot of their own time to show me around their city. It was a much better way to travel then following a guidebook! It is really popular in Europe and there are such a variety of ages participating in it. My most fond memories of my past trip involved the various people that hosted me.
If you feel nervous at first you can do what I did and arrange to meet them for coffee/drinks.
I will always couchsurf now on my travels as I feel so much more connected to the local culture than if I stayed in a hostel/hotel.
also, make sure you are a good guest! All it takes is be clean, respectful and I usually like to either offer to cook a meal or take them out for drinks.
Posted by
56 posts
We have surfed and are hosts here in the US. It's really a wonderful program. As with any travel of any form you should take measures to ensure your safety. But if you follow the rules of CS and common sense you'll be fine. Traveling as a couple will help.
Posted by
Moose Jaw, SK, Canada
149 posts
My husband and I have hosted a number of couchsurfers, from age 19-62. All have been good experiences. Trust your instincts. Read the profiles carefully and approach hosts that you think you will have something in common with. You always have the choice whether or not to surf. We have said no a couple of times when we read the surfer's profiles and they seemed kind of creepy.