Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing - a new way to travel

my profile: http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/perner123/

A lot people might already know that i'm addicted to couchsurfing.
For those who haven't heard about it i added a short description at the bottom of the page.

short video about couchsurfers - how they look like

Days hosted so far: 74 (32 Surfers / 17 Countries)
Days surfed so far: 25 (11 Hosts / 9 Countries)
Average hosting time: 2,31 Days
Average surfing time: 2,27 Days

I hosted Couchsurfers from:

 

all of them were bright characters but still very different:
students, a lawyer from new zealand , a orthopaedic specialist from argentina, a bunch of polish travellers,...


What the heck is Couchsurfing?
CouchSurfing is a hospitality exchange network and website. With almost 2.7 million members in 245 countries and territories.

The mission statement of CouchSurfing is Create Inspiring Experiences:

"At CouchSurfing International, we envision a world where everyone can explore and create meaningful connections with the people and places they encounter. Building meaningful connections across cultures enables us to respond to diversity with curiosity, appreciation and respect. The appreciation of diversity spreads tolerance and creates a global community."

Free to register, members have the option of providing information and pictures of themselves and of the sleeping accommodation they offer, if any. More information provided by a member, and other members, improves the chances that someone will find the member trustworthy enough to be his host or guest. Security is often measured in the reference established by networking. Volunteers may verify names and addresses. Members looking for accommodation can search for hosts using several parameters such as age, location, gender and activity level.

Homestays are consensual between the host and guest, and the duration, nature, and terms of the guest's stay are generally worked out in advance. No monetary exchange takes place except for compensation of incurred expenses (e.g. food).

CouchSurfing provides editable travel guides and forums where members may seek travel partners or advice. CouchSurfing's main focus is "social networking" and members organise activities such as camping trips, bar crawls, meetings, and sporting events.