Definition of "What is couchsurfing?"

Pat Heath real estate agent

Written by

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Keller Williams Realty

So, you’re planning your next vacation. Buying plane tickets, packing your bags and formulating your itinerary. Once you’ve made these preparations, you’re going to need to figure out where you’ll stay; and here, likely as not, you’ll run into a problem. That problem? Lodging is so gosh-darn expensive! 

Enter: Couchsurfing! This free-to-use home sharing service allows you to stay with benevolent hosts worldwide, and offer your home to other travelers while you’re not engaged in travels of your own. So how does this service work, and how can you use it in your travels? Keep reading to find out! 

Couchsurfing 101  

The basic principle upon which Couchsurfing operates is simple. First, users sign up on CouchSurfing, creating a profile that tells other users a bit about themselves, their interests and skills, as well as photos of themselves and the quarters they can offer guests, if they choose to host. Then, when planning a trip, users send hosts in the city of their destination a request to stay. 

Once prospective hosts receive a request, they can review the user’s profile and decide whether or not they want to host the guest or decline their request. If they decide to host, they welcome the guest into their home, and it’s just one more Couchsurfing success story! 

The greatest thing about Couchsurfing is that it’s more than just a way to find places to stay. With a typical hotel booking service, you’d just sign on, book your hotel and go; with Couchsurfing, you don’t pay anything, and leave having gained a new friend! It’s more than just lodging; it’s an experience. 

With the safety features that have been incorporated into the service, you can rest assured that every aspect of the experience will be fun and carefree. We can only give it our highest praise, and strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, interesting new way to travel!

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