As a solo traveler, I used Couchsurfing in every country I visited in Asia. Couchsurfing allowed me to meet both locals and travelers, and do everything from share a beer, to discover hidden places only locals know about. In the process, I made some some life long friends!
Jump to:
- Isn’t Couchsurfing just about sleeping on couches?
- Chatting to locals before you arrive
- Find yourself on the road and don’t fancy eating alone tonight
- What are Couchsurfing events?
- Wait, but I just want a free bed
- Catch 22: References
- HACK: How to get Verified on Couchsurfing for free
Isn’t Couchsurfing just about sleeping on couches?
Initially, Couchsurfing was developed with the idea of enabling travelers to find free accommodation. While this is still part of Couchsurfing, the app has developed to do much more than this. Couchsurfing today is more about simply connecting locals and travelers. Travelers can chat with locals before arriving in a destination, or even sit at a bar and find a drinking buddy within minutes.
Chatting to locals before you arrive
A great feature of Couchsurfing to gain information before you arrive in a destination is the Public Trip section. You fill in a small section – where you include your destination, dates travelling, and some free text to explain if you would like information, a bed, or just to meet for food.
One day in Bangkok
I have had some great experiences using this feature myself. After uploading a Public Trip to Bangkok, I received a number of messages from people willing to provide advice before I arrived.
My trip to Bangkok itself was actually delayed, but one person I spoke with still unexpectedly met me at Suvarnabhumi airport. After a long flight, they showed me where to get my ticket for the train in to the city, took me for some food in Chinatown, and showed me some sights as we took a river ferry that evening – all together a great way to spend your first day in a new city!
Beware
Locals will reach out to you like this when they see Public Trips in their area. This can vary greatly. For example, I received the highest number of messages after I uploaded a Public Trip to Ho Chi Min City. However, most of these messages were simply because I am a native English speaker – lots of these contained offers of free accommodation if I taught English to locals for a number of weeks. Of course, if purely free accomadation is what you’re after, then that may be for you.
It’s not all bad
Alternatively, you might be really stuck on which area of a city to stay in. I know I was before visiting Kuala Lumpur, so I used the search function and reached out myself to locals there. This was great because I could get an opinion directly from a number of locals before I left – if you’re visiting soon and wondering where – stick to the Chinatown area for a great all-round place to stay! If you’re planning to go, see the Top 5 things to do in Kuala Lumpur.
Find yourself on the road and don’t fancy eating alone tonight
The Hangouts feature is great for this – especially for solo travelers. You might find yourself wanting to grab some food, or even find yourself sat at a bar looking for a drinking buddy. The number of poeple using the Hangouts feature varies massively depending on where you are – but, in most major cities you will very quickly find another local or traveler who will be looking for the same thing!
How do Hangouts work?
To use this feature, you first need to update your headline. The app will display – “I want to” – you can then add “drink beer” or “grab food” – however, it’s free text so you can write whatever you like here. Of course, the Hangouts feature can be used anytime – you could see if someone wants to grab a coffee, or even spend the day exploring the city with you – just let people know by updating your headline.
You then simply click a button to become active. You need to enable location services on your phone for this. The app will then display other active users and their distance from you, and of course other users will now see you. You are able to see other people and what their headlines are – if it’s something you’re interested in then select the button to request to join a Hangout. Once two or more people are in a “Hangout”, you can then access a chat type feature between those in the group. The small talk and arranging to meet up is now over to you!
The problem of solo travel and Korean barbeques in Seoul
I visited Seoul this year – and naturally wanted to go for a Korean BBQ – yet most restaurants there have a minimum group size. This is less than ideal for a solo traveler. The Hangouts feature on Couchsurfing was my answer – and no surprise here, there were plenty of other travelers who also had a headline saying they wanted to grab a Korean BBQ.
What are Couchsurfing events?
Another feature which I haven’t used much myself, are Events. You can search for Events in a specific city you’re in, or even create your own – deciding the time, location, and what the Event will be. These range from Salsa dancing classes, to walking tours, to the weekly Couchsurfing meet ups which take place on set days in every major city around the world.
If you are unsure about using Couchsurfing and the idea of meeting people using the Hangout feature, then Events are great place to start. You can also see how many people are attending if you would prefer to meet in a large group. You could even look for something specific where you will feel more comfortable – compared with just meeting for a coffee or some food.
Wait, but I just want a free bed
You can of course use the app to find somewhere to stay – but Couchsurfing is now about far more than just finding a free bed. You could highlight this in your Public Trip, just write a brief description and specify how many nights you are looking to stay for. You then need to wait for offers from locals, or hosts as they’re referred to.
Alternatively, you can use the search function and reach out to people yourself. The search function allows you to filter results for a city or town – this allows you to search for exactly what you want in some free accommodation.
Filters include:
- Has references (Always select this!)
- Verified (Not essential, discussed below)
- Gender (You may feel safer staying with someone of your own gender)
- Last online (Select Last Week so you know they are active)
- Languages spoken
- Interests
- Type of accommodation (You can select – Private Room/ Public Room/ Shared Room/ Shared Sleeping Surface)
- Home info (You can select what their preference is on smoking, if they have pets, wheelchair access, and more)
Catch 22: References
When you first sign up to Couchsurfing you will create a profile, add a photo, and write some details about yourself – where you’re from, countries visited, languages spoken, and your interests. You will also have no references.
What are references?
I mentioned above that finding a host with references is essential – this is only my opinion. However, for those looking to stay with their first Couchsurfing host, it is definitely worth considering. Couchsurfing allows users to leave each other references, like small reviews. These can be short or long, but the point of them is that is allows you to see that a person has been vouched for by other users. References are broken down in to “Surfers”, “Hosts”, and “Personal”. This allows you to instantly see if a member has hosted another person in the past.
There is almost a catch 22 situation in which ideally you will need references to meet other people, but you need to meet other people to get references. Not all members are concerned with references – in my opinion, you should be.
How to get a reference?
Users are less likely to offer you a bed or place to stay if you don’t have any references. The easiest way to get a reference to begin with is to use the Hangouts feature or attend some Events. This allows you to meet other peaople in a group environment, and quickly build a couple of references if you plan to do some actual couch surfing soon.
HACK: How to get Verified on Couchsurfing for free
If you are already using the app, you will have noticed a small green tick next to the name of some users. This is a Verified Status. It can be useful if you are just starting out and have no references, or if you will be trying to find accommodation in competitive places, such as large cities.
There are two ways to become a verified member – you can make a one off payment of $60, or you can host someone and receive a free Verified Status for 3 months. You can accrue up to a maximum of 12 months of free verification through hosting other members.
If you plan to travel long term and use Couchsurfing as a way to find free accommodation, then being a host yourself first is a great idea anyway. To receive the free 3 months of Verified Status – all you have to do is host another member, the stay must be confirmed on the app, and both you and the person who stays with you must leave each other a reference.
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For some more great apps you need on the road, see 5 essential apps you need when travelling.
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