Never used but am considering.
Either couchsurfing or some other network.
It looks like couchsurfing.org is requiring members to pay a fee to use the site (not create an account) so I'm looking for alternatives.

>>1130102
Oh wow, didn't notice that.
I also wonder if they let you use it right away, or if you need to build up a rep or whatever.

Let me know if you find anything better

Anyone else?

After reading about that Japanese guy that was raped with a gun pointed at his head in Tunisia or something I dropped the idea

couch surfing is a lie unless you're a hot girl. and even then you gotta send 50 emails for a response.

Thinking of couchsurfing in Tokyo during my September trip.
Travelling alone, it seems like a good idea. I don't mind tourists but don't really want to meet them (hostels).

>>1130100
I've heard a lot of good things (as well as a few not so good things) about couchsurfing, but most of them are from a fair few years back. Is it still popular? Seems like it would be a good way to experience interesting places that don't have a well-developed tourism industry.

>inb4 this derails into sexchat about how everyone gets laid with couchsurfing

That being said, I've heard from a few people that it can be very fun. Their hosts were nice people (most through Europe) that showed them around and even drove them to a few places when needed.

>>1130100
Ireland and Ukraine in two cities each. Almost always very pleasant or at least not bad experiences. We were invited to go out with them, they showed us the cities/ countryside etc.

>>1130755
That is so not true. If you have that experience you are doing it wrong. You can absolutely never ever use a copypaste message and send it to as many people as possible. They will know and they will decline.
I was lucky and the first one I sent a copypase message actually was nice enough to look past it and let me come. He gave me much needed tips that massively increase my yield in responses.

Usually I will write at least three paragraphs where I go very much into detail about how their interests align with my own, what Id like to do with them, etc. Just really making them feel like I have read their profile thorroughly and carefully selected only the ones that actually interest me the most, which I do.
I rarely have to message more than two people to find something, and if it took longer it was usually because of bad luck and they had already planned to do something or had another guest at their place.

>>1130839
>inb4 this derails into sexchat about how everyone gets laid with couchsurfing
only time I could probably have gotten laid was with a 60 year old gay dude...

>>1130859
Hey thanks for the tips, much appreciated.
How long ahead do you have to organize it, usually? Are many hosts spontaneous, or do you have to plan weeks in advance?

>>1130897
I tend to not make many plans when traveling, so usually I ask them about three or four days in advance, but Im sure if you can then its better to ask them sooner rather than later.
If you put enough effort in it and are in a city with a decent enough amount of hosts you could probably even find someone on the day youre arriving, though.

Couchsurfed in Jekaterinburg with my gf. Our host were very friendly and showed us around. Only problem was we had to register in the city without a hostel doing it, so that was hellish.

>>1130100
I've used it quite a bit. Have like 30 references at this point. I'm trying to host now that I'm living somewhere to repay my karmic debt (lol).

I love it, but it's changed a lot over the years. Lots of people sending shit requests now (copy & paste) who just want a free place to stay. I think that's okay, too but I think you should put a little bit of effort into your request.

I can easily find a host now, but as a guy starting out it used to be pretty hard in any of the big cities. I imagine it's even harder now but I haven't surfed lately as I've also noticed that a lot of hosts are jaded or exhausted from having so many shit freeloading surfers.

It's about the exchange so if you're just trying to save money (and only that), then please don't make an account. I only say this as someone who made an account because he was running out of money in Europe. I've since apologized to people who have hosted me and I pretty much spend whatever I would've used on accomodation, on my host.

I try to be really selective with my hosts because I like being alone. And even though most hosts are nice, it sucks being stuck with someone for x amount of days even though you don't really click all that well.

Also, I've fucked a bunch of my hosts but don't move on my surfers as I've met too many women who have had their experiences of couchsurfing ruined that way.

Why is it that these threads are always filled with alpha chads who fuck their hosts numerous times on the first night but the rest of /trv/ is basically lonely neet:traveling to japan edition?

Could it be that one or more of you are totally full of shit? Maybe possibly?

Probably gonna use it this summer in the Netherlands

>>1130952
Maybe. But I've only really hooked up with like 6 of my hosts. So it's not all of them. Could it be that some of us have personality and after spending time with someone they might want to sleep with us? *gasp*!

I'm also selective of my hosts like I said above so they're probably pretty cool already/I care to get to know them.

>>1130967
>Could it be that some of us have personality and after spending time with someone they might want to sleep with us?

Literally impossible. Like 0.00 probability.

Anyone want to exchange feedback? I don't have any reviews on my profile and feel like it would be easy to find hosts if I had at least a few.

Get in touch with me... midz (at) outlook (dot) com

>>1130998
Kill yourself.

>>1130998
Im very tempted to write that you are whoring for positive feedback on a milanese agricultural blog, but Ill just tell you here that you should earn your feedback liek everyone else.
If you cant get feedback naturally I have to assume that you arent actually a good guest...

>>1131027
Not the guy asking for feedback, but don't people exchange feedback there just like people exchange likes in FB and youtube videos? To make it easier for newcomers to be accepted by hosts?

I'm currently couchsurfing in Mexico City and it's my first time doing it. It's gone pretty well so far and I've successfully befriended people (how long that lasts, I will see). I'm staying at my third place at the moment.

Securing these places didn't take much effort. Two of them responded to my public trip and one replied to my message. However, there were a few others who didn't get back to me. Not a bad ratio, though. I'll definitely do it again.

>>1131056
Try to have gay sex with them, offer to suck dick (however you say that in Spanish) and tell us how it goes.

I used couchsurfing 3 times, 2 time with the same guy.
It was chill as fuck. For me it was just like airbnb, but free, and the hosts usually really cares about you.

If it's a big city / populated area you can find hosts in literally a few minutes.

I tried in SF and it was really bad though, the hosts there asks for so much infos about you it's ridiculous.

It's nice, hosts are usually good people however sleeping at someone's place has some cons as you are not completely free as in a hostel or airbnb so sometimes it might be annoying;however the overall experience is positive
In touristic cities might be hard to find a host, specially if you are a man

>>1131045
Well yeah of course, but really only if you actually get to know someone. I have no idea about this guy, so I cant write an honest review about him, which someone might take as an argument to take him in, even though he might be an asshole.
If he wants feedback like that he can ask his friends and if he doesnt have any he should probably not go couchsurfing in the first place.

>>1130796
Airbnb is cheap as hell In Japan. And some hosts are really super nice and friendly. Some of then you won't meet, just a bus is, but still super cheep

>>1131197
The question is whether you have friends using couchsurfing, though.

>>1131240
I dont think any backpacker starts out couchsurfing.
Usually people first go to hostels and then maybe later switch to couchsurfing.
If you dont have any regular friends that are backpacking as well you should be able to make some at hostels.

>>1131270
>If you dont have any regular friends that are backpacking as well you should be able to make some at hostels.
Any tips on this? I'm super awkward in general

>>1131739
Go to small hostels with less than 20 beds. At this size, normally there's only a handful of people sitting in the common area. So it will be easy for you to talk to them. If you don't talk, they will.

>>1130967
>Could it be that some of us have personality and after spending time with someone they might want to sleep with us?
For most people, liking someone and getting to know them means becoming friends, not fucking them.

>>1130751
> in tunisia
not the safest country
> japanese
probably not the most cautious guy, i guess he just didnt smell the obvious fish. poor fella tho

>>1131783
Except if it's someone like me who is generally disinterested and is sitting there because the only other option in the hostel is go to bed. Basically learn social behaviours. If they chat you chat, if you chat and they give two word closed esponses no harm done they're just not looking to make friends

My last air bnb experience was with a Chinese chick.

She treated it like it was couchsurfing, even though I'm paying for a private room. She would try to talk my head off and use me for English. Then the dumb cunt wouldn't let me rent again because some other faggot decided to rent the room, even though he wasn't due to arrive until one or two months later. But I'm sure she used that as an excuse to get rid of me because I started to avoid her

>>1130361
ofc you need build a rep

else anyone teen would just couchsurf without even having a home of their own where they host coushurfers

a couple friend of minefrom the 4th largest brasilian city right after the only 3 shown in map, received a lot of people while they didnt have a coinciding vacation nor money, then they spend a whole fucking month travveling through latin america

>>1133351
There's a lot of brown-nosing in Chinese business culture. It might have had something to do with that.

I'm a host with 20 feedback and the whole website has gone to shit. Before it was easy to find a host as long as you looked a month in advance but now you need a cunt to even get your message opened. I see girls with like 5 feedback total all from hosts and they haven't surfed at all. Tbh I was a fan of it when I was 18-20 and I traveled through Europe with it. Now at 25 I just rent a hotel for my IHG and Marriott and soon to be Starwood discount. Hosting was fun, and I still do it from time to time when I receive a well though out request, but fuck sending out well written requests to hosts who are only looking to get laid.