The first time I used Couchsurfing was in 2012 on my first solo trip backpacking through Europe. In 2012 Couchsurfing was a great web application and I connected with locals in London and Stockholm. These cities are notorious for having high accommodation prices, which is what initially made me interested in Couchsurfing, but after I surfed a couple of places, I realized Couchsurfing is much more than just a free place to stay.

What is Couchsurfing? Well, it is one of my favorite travel apps!

If you have never heard of Couchsurfing before, let me break it down real quick! As a solo traveler, it is one of the best ways to meet people around the world. Couchsurfing connects locals with people visiting their respective city. 

A Host offers a free place, usually a couch, to stay.

A Surfer is a traveler who will sleep for free in someone’s house.

But why would a host offer their place for free? There has to be a catch!

There are several reasons why hosts offer their place to stay:

• It is a way to meet new people from around the world.
• The host wants to be a surfer when they travel, so they host to build more reviews so that they can get accepted when they send out Couchsurfing requests.
• They love the Couchsurfing community and want to give back, by hosting other travelers.

Is Couchsurfing still a thing? Although Couchsurfing has lost popularity over the years due to Airbnb, it is still alive! Here are the significant changes I’ve noticed:

Fewer activities posted – The major shift I have noticed in Couchsurfing is that there are fewer activities posted. In 2012, I was in Sweden and saw a Couchsurfing Stockholm event to play Brännboll, a Swedish game similar to baseball. Brännboll was the perfect Couchsurfing event because it introduced me to something native to Sweden and allowed me to make new friends. Nowadays I never check the activities in a particular city, because there aren’t that many and the ones that are listed aren’t as interesting.

Men treat it like the new tinder – Some members treat Couchsurfing like a dating site, which is off-putting towards women. Please make sure to read reviews to avoid awkward encounters. Also, if you stay with an overly aggressive host, write a review so others can be informed.

Less CouchSurfing requests –  As a free member, you can only send 10 messages to hosts per week. If you pay for a membership, then you can send an unlimited amount of surfing requests. This change is positive because it helps decrease mindless Couchsurfing requests. Since you only have a limited number of messages per week, there is a higher incentive to research the hosts and write a thoughtful note.

Short Answer: Couchsurfing is free for certain countries, but users from Banked and Developed countries must pay a small monthly or yearly fee.

While Couchsurfing used to be free for all users, in May 2020, Couchsurfing made a sudden announcement that required a majority of the users to make a mandatory “donation” to access their accounts. I did not like how Couchsurfing handled this announcement because there should have been a warning before locking people out of their accounts.

Couchsurfing received a lot a backlash about this decision, and you can find their response to the negative feedback here.

Yet, for US citizens, the Couchsurfing cost is affordable, with a monthly fee of $2.39, or a yearly fee of $14.29.  If this fee helps keep Couchsurfing alive, then I am okay with it. 

It’s important to note that the monthly fee is only applicable to people who live in certain countries.

“Unbanked” or developing countries maintain free access to the Couchsurfing community. This is an important aspect for me because I love to Couchsurf in more remote places. I don’t want Couchsurfing to become less accessible to countries or communities that can’t afford this monthly fee.

The Couchsurfing app has not publicly released which countries are behind a paywall, but a Reddit user compiled a list that you can find here.

• Introduce yourself – When you introduce yourself, think about what things make you interesting. Why would someone want to have you in their home? i.e., My name is Kesi, and I’m from NYC. I’ve been traveling around the world for 4 years.

• Be personal – read the whole profile of the host and some reviews. Find something on the profile that interests you and mention it in your request. Some hosts get several requests per day, so it’s important to give the impression that there is a specific reason why you would want to stay with that person. Find some connection. i.e.,– I see that you have traveled to Mozambique. I’ve always wanted to go there and would love to hear your stories!

• Offer Something – I love cooking, so I always offer to cook a meal when I’m a surfer. Think of something useful you can share, whether it is travel stories, a gift from your home country, or offering to buy a beer if you have a night out. i.e., By the way, I work as a chef on boats, and if you are interested would love to cook one night. Maybe you can teach me some cooking techniques from your country?

• Be flexible – remember people are opening up their homes to you. You have to follow all of their rules. Sometimes there is no extra key, so you have to leave the house when the host is not home. Also, you might stay a couple of days with one host and then switch to another host. Let your host know that you are flexible. i.e., I would appreciate it if you could host me for a couple of days. Please let me know if these dates work with you, or if there is an alternative date that is better.

My best Couchsurfing experiences were on the continent of Africa.

I surfed in Morocco, Uganda, and Tanzania. The hosts in the countries truly embody the CS spirit, and their sole mission is to show you the local life in their town.

One reason why African hosts are the best is that CS is their only source of travel. For example, a Moroccan passport is hard and expensive to travel with since visas are required to visit different countries. It is easier for someone from Morocco to “travel” by participating in Couchsurfing and hosting surfers from around the world. Couchsurfing allows hosts to learn and interact with different cultures without actually being in a different country.

Below is a photo of my host from outside of Casablanca, Morocco. I called him my brother from another mother – afros unite! He went out of his way to show me around his city. Even though he comes from a low-income family, he bought me street food (snails!) because he wanted me to try local cuisine. Spending a couple of days with him and his family was a different, and enjoyable way to travel in Morocco.

My most unique CS experience was with Tobiko and staying with his family in a Masaai Village in Tanzania. I asked my Tobiko, “How did you find out about Couchsurfing?” He replied,

“I Googled how to make friends, and Couchsurfing popped up.”

My most unique CS experience was with Tobiko and staying with his family in a Masaai Village in Tanzania. I asked my Tobiko, “How did you find out about Couchsurfing?” He replied,

Australia is a very social place to backpack, especially the East cCoast. I tried Couchsurfing twice in Australia but realized that I would rather spend money and hang out in hostels. My CS hosts were always ready to party, but they weren’t always people I would necessarily want to hang out with. I would rather make friends on my own, and since Australia has extremely social hostels, I wasn’t in search of friends while on the continent. To read more about my experience backpacking in Australia, check out my interview by UPROXX Magazine.

Europe is the first place I ever Couchsurfed. Visiting major cities in Europe can be overwhelming. I prefer living like a local versus sightseeing all day. Couchsurfing in Europe is perfect for getting a sense of what it would be like if you lived in that city. With a plethora of options in each town, it’s always nice to have someone local with recommendations.

A solo female traveler has a higher chance of being accepted as a surfer when compared to a single male traveler. The reason is that women are not as threatening. Is it safe to surf with strangers? Every decision you make in life has an inherent risk, yet Couchsurfing strives to remain a safe space. Before accepting a host request, always have a backup option in case you feel uncomfortable. The worst plan is to solely rely on your host because if they end up being creepy, you need to find a safe place to go.

I have never had anything scary happen to me while I have Couchsurfed, but there is one time in Croatia where I felt uncomfortable and chose to remove myself from the situation. The guy I stayed with had over 100 reviews, but there were signs that he wanted to be more than just friends. The first sign was that he took my girlfriend and me out to a nice meal and paid for everything. With CS, since the host is already giving a free place to stay, nothing else free is expected. The second sign was that he would always walk around in his small underwear. It’s his house, so he can choose to wear what he wants. The final straw was when one night, he suggested I sleep in his bed instead of my bed. My bad vibe was confirmed after he asked me to share a bed, so I politely told him I would be leaving and found an Airbnb. Listen to your gut and make sure always to post reviews if anyone is treating Couchsurfing like a dating site.

For other tips on solo travel, check out this guide for first-time solo travelers.

For other longterm travel advice, click here.

Here are some alternatives to Couchsurfing. I have not personally tried these websites, but other travelers have recommended them. 

Free Alternatives

• Bewelcome.org – This website is a smaller community filled with a lot of ex-Couchsurfers. Basically, everyone who got pissed off that the CS community changed and become low quality decided to join Bewelcome, which has the same values Couchsurfing originated with.
• Trustroots.org – a non-profit hospitality exchange. It vows to always do what’s best for its members and has gained more popularity since Couchsurfing implemented mandatory fees.
• Hospitalityclub.org – worldwide home sharing site offering free accommodation

• Servas.org -This is the pioneer website and was around before there was even internet. 

Paid Alternatives

• Airbnb – a home sharing site where you can rent a single room, an entire apartment, or even a villa. One of the downsides of Couchsurfing is if you don’t bond with your host, you are awkwardly stuck with them. Sometimes it’s better to pay for accommodation, to have your own space. Airbnb is an excellent alternative because you can find hosts with a similar Couchsurfing mentality, who strive to provide a local experience, like my host in Split, Croatia. Airbnb is cheaper than staying in a hotel. Airbnb also allows you to book experiences, which are unique ways to see a city.

• Veg Visits – a home sharing site that’s specifically for vegetarian and vegan accommodation. It’s excellent for the hosts, who don’t have to worry about guests cooking meat in their kitchen. And it’s also helpful for the travelers, as the hosts will be able to give them insider advice about the best places to eat out or shop for specialty items. Some hosts even offer the use of their kitchen to travelers who don’t need accommodation but are looking for a place to prepare their own meals. Users can even filter to see which hosts have blenders, food processors or other equipment.

Couchsurfing App Review: ♦♦♦♦♦ (5 out of 5) – Although Couchsurfing has changed since it’s inception, it is still one of my favorite ways to connect with locals while abroad.

I hope you enjoyed this couchsurfing.com review! For more couchsurfing.com reviews I recommend looking up FB travel groups or Reddit. 

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