By now, anyone interested in budget travel has heard of CouchSurfing,
a website that helps connect travelers with benevolent
strangers in
cities and towns around the world. The concept has hit the mainstream,
even approaching trend status, best evidenced by a recent television commercial featuring a couch surfer armed with a particular brand of cell phone.
Of
course, CouchSurfing has obvious advantages for travelers looking to
meet locals and save money, but it can also be fun for hosts as well.
Having a foreign guest, especially one eager to visit your town's
tourist attractions with you, can almost be like taking a trip
yourself. If you are trying to learn a foreign language, or even an international language,
hosting a couch surfer is a great way to get some practice. Simply
hearing someone else's stories can make for a memorable evening.
Certainly, there are many reasons to participate in home stay programs,
even if you don't plan to take a trip in the near future.
If you are considering becoming a host for couch surfers, be sure to check out these two, slightly different, opportunities.
AirBed & Breakfast The basic premise of AirBed & Breakfast
is familiar: travelers search for hosts listed in an on-line database,
booking a night or two through the website. The significant difference
is that, as a host, you can set a price for your accommodation. This
means that, in addition to the less tangible benefits of hosting a
guest, AirBed & Breakfast can help you make some extra money as
well. The program is open to everyone, whether you have an extra room
or simply a couch available, but the amount of money you can make
clearly depends on what you have to offer and where it is located.
Better Than the Van Another interesting alternative to hosting a couch surfer is to host a band on tour. Better Than the Van
is a website designed to facilitate just such an arrangement. Though
the thought of having a band crash in your place may be a bit
frightening, it is a great way to support independent music and
up-and-coming artists. If you are a fan of music, this could be a great
way to meet some musicians.
What is your experience with couch surfing? Ever hosted a stranger? Let us hear about it in the comments.
By
now, anyone interested in budget travel has heard of CouchSurfing, a
website that helps connect travelers with benevolent strangers in
cities and towns around the world। The concept has hit the mainstream,
even approaching trend status, best evidenced by a recent television
commercial featuring a couch surfer armed with a particular brand of
cell phone.
Of course, CouchSurfing has
obvious advantages for travelers looking to meet locals and save money,
but it can also be fun for hosts as well. Having a foreign guest,
especially one eager to visit your town's tourist attractions with you,
can almost be like taking a trip yourself. If you are trying to learn a
foreign language, or even an international language, hosting a couch
surfer is a great way to get some practice. Simply hearing someone
else's stories can make for a memorable evening. Certainly, there are
many reasons to participate in home stay programs, even if you don't
plan to take a trip in the near future.
If you are considering becoming a host for couch surfers, be sure to check out these two, slightly different, opportunities.
AirBed & Breakfast
The
basic premise of AirBed & Breakfast is familiar: travelers search
for hosts listed in an on-line database, booking a night or two through
the website. The significant difference is that, as a host, you can set
a price for your accommodation. This means that, in addition to the
less tangible benefits of hosting a guest, AirBed & Breakfast can
help you make some extra money as well. The program is open to
everyone, whether you have an extra room or simply a couch available,
but the amount of money you can make clearly depends on what you have
to offer and where it is located.
Better Than the Van
Another interesting alternative to hosting a couch surfer is to host a band on tour. Better Than the Van Better Than the Van
is a website designed to facilitate just such an arrangement. Though
the thought of having a band crash in your place may be a bit
frightening, it is a great way to support independent music and
up-and-coming artists. If you are a fan of music, this could be a great
way to meet some musicians.
What is your experience with couch surfing? Ever hosted a stranger? Let us hear about it in the comments.