Meet the СouchSurfers
Seven stories that will make you travel the world
About CouchSurfing
One of the new world's traits is people's desire to find friends all over the world. Nowadays there are many projects that offers people helping each other: such as students exchange programs and services to search hitchhikers. In the issue we will tell about Couchserfing – the service, which helps travelers to find people, who lives in the destination country and who is able to offer his own flat or house for travellers to live in.
1999
What is the story behind?
Couchsurfing was created by computer programmer Casey Fenton in 1999, when he was 25 years old. The idea came to his mind after Fenton found a cheap flight from Boston to Keflavik airport, Iceland but did not have enough money for a hotel. Fenton hacked a university database and randomly e-mailed 1,500 students from the University of Iceland asking if he could stay with them. He ultimately received from 50 to 100 lodging offers. When he returned to Boston, he came up with the idea to create the website. That site has become the first one that offered free housing and good company to travelers all over the world.
Rules Of The Game
There are three types of Couchserfing. First of them is hosting. It means that travelers will stay at the host's house or flat while the travelling.
If the one can't adopt the guest, he can try himself as a guide. It is another type of Couchserfing: meeting the traveler in the city you live in and showing him the best places.
Moreover, if the one isn't able to be a host or a guide and he can't be a traveler as well, he can come to Couchserfing meetings. They regularly take place all over the world.
One of the main features of the service is that all Couchserfing activities MUST be free.
On the website you can find sufficient amount of the information about the person: where does he study or work, what are his interests and how large is his Couchserfing experience. Users can also make references and leave comments.
If the one can't adopt the guest, he can try himself as a guide. It is another type of Couchserfing: meeting the traveler in the city you live in and showing him the best places.
Moreover, if the one isn't able to be a host or a guide and he can't be a traveler as well, he can come to Couchserfing meetings. They regularly take place all over the world.
One of the main features of the service is that all Couchserfing activities MUST be free.
On the website you can find sufficient amount of the information about the person: where does he study or work, what are his interests and how large is his Couchserfing experience. Users can also make references and leave comments.
Meet the fearless Travellers
Our team was dramatically impressed by the oppotrunity to stay in a foreign country for free that we decided to talk to those adventurers that had a courage to explore the world with CouchSurfing.
Larissa Conrad, Germany
Fluent in Fluent in English, German; learning Spanish; 25 years old; Trainee,Bachelor
When I started traveling along I googled how to cut down costs. From that point of view Couchsurfing is one of the greatest inventions for travellers.
I don't have any special criteria, I just check the profile. I usually can make a conclusion about the person according to his photos and his profile. How the person presents himself means a lot. I want the host to be about my age, because we than will have common things to talk about. I would decline, if someone is only interested in me and sex, instead of showing me a city and telling about the country's culture. To tell the truth, a lot of people ask me to marry them when I come.
However, usually hosts are super kind, you can use their groceries and they invite you for a meal or offer you to show the city. After staing we usually exchange contacts and chat a lot in Facebook.
I don't have any special criteria, I just check the profile. I usually can make a conclusion about the person according to his photos and his profile. How the person presents himself means a lot. I want the host to be about my age, because we than will have common things to talk about. I would decline, if someone is only interested in me and sex, instead of showing me a city and telling about the country's culture. To tell the truth, a lot of people ask me to marry them when I come.
However, usually hosts are super kind, you can use their groceries and they invite you for a meal or offer you to show the city. After staing we usually exchange contacts and chat a lot in Facebook.
When I have just entered the university, me and my groupmate started living together as cohabitants with 2 other guys. One of us started to host travelers and I created an account because I wanted to host people as well.
We usually make our decisions by looking at photos of the person or his experience as a traveler or a host. When we realized that the person are being respectful to us and have got a good sense of humor (we wanted to have fun) we accepted him.
Mainly we prefer hosting girls because we were afraid that one more guy in our apartment will be too much. We declined people who have not got much information on their profiles or nothing written at all and, obviously, we could not host more 3 persons at the same time. Many of our guests visited us for more than once.
We usually make our decisions by looking at photos of the person or his experience as a traveler or a host. When we realized that the person are being respectful to us and have got a good sense of humor (we wanted to have fun) we accepted him.
Mainly we prefer hosting girls because we were afraid that one more guy in our apartment will be too much. We declined people who have not got much information on their profiles or nothing written at all and, obviously, we could not host more 3 persons at the same time. Many of our guests visited us for more than once.
Chervine Kouchak, France
Fluent in English, French, Persian (Farsi), Spanish
28 years old
Manager in a clothes shop
CouchSurfing experience: 3 years of hosting
28 years old
Manager in a clothes shop
CouchSurfing experience: 3 years of hosting
I've joined Couchserfing project because I have traveled a lot and I like to meet people. I live in a big house so there is not a problem for me to host somebody. I've heard of the project from my relatives. My brother in law is a huge fan of the project and he really travels a lot.
Usually I decline requests because the message was a copy paste one. My criteria are agreed with my wife. We accept mainly girls but not only. We do not have country preferences. We hosted people from Colombia, Chile, USA, Germany, Turkey, Georgia, Morocco, China, Indonesia, Norway, Russia, Estonia, etc... The only compulsory criteria is to love pet. We've got two dogs in our apartment and guests have to deal with them.
With the help of Couchsurfing I met a nice person from Lille, France, who I still keep in touch with. I thought that communication via the Internet may never lead to the real friendship. How wrong was I! Once, I was at his, it was a nice experience and I was really hosted like a prince!
Usually I decline requests because the message was a copy paste one. My criteria are agreed with my wife. We accept mainly girls but not only. We do not have country preferences. We hosted people from Colombia, Chile, USA, Germany, Turkey, Georgia, Morocco, China, Indonesia, Norway, Russia, Estonia, etc... The only compulsory criteria is to love pet. We've got two dogs in our apartment and guests have to deal with them.
With the help of Couchsurfing I met a nice person from Lille, France, who I still keep in touch with. I thought that communication via the Internet may never lead to the real friendship. How wrong was I! Once, I was at his, it was a nice experience and I was really hosted like a prince!
Alf Martin, France
Project Manager
33 years old
Interested in Political Science, fantasy books
CouchSurfing experience: 2 years as a host, 1 time experience as a surfer
33 years old
Interested in Political Science, fantasy books
CouchSurfing experience: 2 years as a host, 1 time experience as a surfer
A few friends of mine were using Couchserfing at the time. I found the experience intriguing and wanted to try. So I'd say that I joined 'thanks to word of mouth'.
Personally, I prefer the way people approach and communicate with you. The dates they request are the main drivers. I have never declined people because of their gender or political views and religion. If I have to decline, most of the time it is because the dates are not suitable for me That is why I did not get troubles with my guests.
Little things, such as misunderstanding because of different languages happen from time to time, but I wouldn't define them unpleasant. I can say my experiences have always been positive overall. Usually, we remain friends with people who lived with me. Now I am in the process of preparation to travel somewhere myself. Fortunately, I have got friendly hosts all over the world.
Personally, I prefer the way people approach and communicate with you. The dates they request are the main drivers. I have never declined people because of their gender or political views and religion. If I have to decline, most of the time it is because the dates are not suitable for me That is why I did not get troubles with my guests.
Little things, such as misunderstanding because of different languages happen from time to time, but I wouldn't define them unpleasant. I can say my experiences have always been positive overall. Usually, we remain friends with people who lived with me. Now I am in the process of preparation to travel somewhere myself. Fortunately, I have got friendly hosts all over the world.
Daniele Festoso. Rome, Italy
Fluent in English, Italian, Spanish; learning French
32 years old
Bachelor's degree in Business Economics
CouchSurfing experience: once year of hosting
32 years old
Bachelor's degree in Business Economics
CouchSurfing experience: once year of hosting
Lilja in her motherland
A friend told me about Couchserfing service about 4 or 5 years ago. I really like to travel a lot and meet new people everywhere. So, when I turned 18, I immediatly signed up! I've already been a guest a lot of times. I travelled to Germany, France, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Dubai! I always felt safe, because I read every profile carefully before contacting someone...
My best travel was to Vietnam. I arrived in Saigon in the early morning and a Taxi brought me to my new place... My couchsurfer waited for me (instead of going to work) and gave me a warm hug, showed me my own sleeping room and bathroom and gave me straight away the keys for the flat and offered me a bike as well - so much trust in the first seconds! The next days we shared guitar playing and travel stories and one evening some of her friends came over and we celebrated a birthday with a lot of traditional food and candlelight! It was a really warm and special experience to share everything for those few days. I felt already like a close friend or even sister and I'm really grateful for it and would like to return one day.
My best travel was to Vietnam. I arrived in Saigon in the early morning and a Taxi brought me to my new place... My couchsurfer waited for me (instead of going to work) and gave me a warm hug, showed me my own sleeping room and bathroom and gave me straight away the keys for the flat and offered me a bike as well - so much trust in the first seconds! The next days we shared guitar playing and travel stories and one evening some of her friends came over and we celebrated a birthday with a lot of traditional food and candlelight! It was a really warm and special experience to share everything for those few days. I felt already like a close friend or even sister and I'm really grateful for it and would like to return one day.
Lilja, Germany
Fluent in English, French, German, Spanish; learning Italian, Turkish, 21 years old
Nassi Duranti, Italy
Fluent in English, Italian; learning Spanish,Student in Master's of Aerospace Engineering at Sapienza university of Rome. Currently working at Clax Italia S.r.l
One of my friends told me about Couchserfing just a few months ago, so I became curious and wanted to try it. I have already hosted four people and I really like the service more and more!
I prefer to host females because it is safer, they are cleaner and also it's more fun. It is very important for me to learn a lot about a person in his profile. I start to know the person by chatting. I choose just the people who are interesting for me. Unfortunately, I had to declined some of the requests because while chatting with some people I understood that I don't like his or her personality.
But this way of varification doesn't always work. I had a guest, who was more friendly on the chat than in real life. He also behaved as if he was staying in a hotel and I had to do everything for him. I had a lot of problems with that guest, but I don't want to stop Couchserfing – I just try to choose people more properly.
I prefer to host females because it is safer, they are cleaner and also it's more fun. It is very important for me to learn a lot about a person in his profile. I start to know the person by chatting. I choose just the people who are interesting for me. Unfortunately, I had to declined some of the requests because while chatting with some people I understood that I don't like his or her personality.
But this way of varification doesn't always work. I had a guest, who was more friendly on the chat than in real life. He also behaved as if he was staying in a hotel and I had to do everything for him. I had a lot of problems with that guest, but I don't want to stop Couchserfing – I just try to choose people more properly.
Life changing story!
"She was entitled to stay in London under EU law. I checked her profile and although she was then a Couchsurfing "virgin", I liked what I saw and I thought: "Oh! for a week, it would not kill me". This lady is now my wife"
Dr. Daniel R Walsh
Edgware, England, United Kingdom
I found out about Сouchsurfing on Social Media. At the time I was single, living alone and, to be totally honest, a bit lonely following a divorce. I was also slightly more mature than other Couchsurfers. I decided to attend my first meeting in London and then I went with the flow. Moreover, the case is that I love to cook (and eat) and to entertain at home, so I decided to give it a go. I am so glad that I continued participating the project! I met a lot of incredible people along the way from all over the world.
A few years ago I got a very special invitation from a lady from Singapore who wanted to visit London for a week in order to find employment. She is a Metallurgical Engineer with an MBA in Marketing and Finance. She is Filipina by birth with a German father so she has a dual citizenship. She was entitled to stay in London under EU law. I checked her profile and although she was then a Couchsurfing "virgin", I liked what I saw and I thought: "Oh! for a week, it would not kill me". This lady is now my wife.
What about my other guests, anyone who has stayed with me are always welcome back if I can accommodate. My wife and I also love the idea of assisting visitors to London. This includes local knowledge of inexpensive Hostels to stay, guidance on what to do, where to go and get the best deals on food and gifts. We have also conducted guided tours of interesting places to visit.
A few years ago I got a very special invitation from a lady from Singapore who wanted to visit London for a week in order to find employment. She is a Metallurgical Engineer with an MBA in Marketing and Finance. She is Filipina by birth with a German father so she has a dual citizenship. She was entitled to stay in London under EU law. I checked her profile and although she was then a Couchsurfing "virgin", I liked what I saw and I thought: "Oh! for a week, it would not kill me". This lady is now my wife.
What about my other guests, anyone who has stayed with me are always welcome back if I can accommodate. My wife and I also love the idea of assisting visitors to London. This includes local knowledge of inexpensive Hostels to stay, guidance on what to do, where to go and get the best deals on food and gifts. We have also conducted guided tours of interesting places to visit.
