Is Couchsurfing Free, Safe, And Worth It? Here’s What You Need To Know From An Expert Backpacker

Have you ever woken up on the couch of a complete stranger, wondering if you’ll become general acquaintances, best friends, lovers, or even long-time travel partners? If you have Couchsurfed before, you know the feeling. Couchsurfing requires one to be brave, open, and curious. It’s something that I’m quite familiar with as the host of the Unruly Travel & Alternative Living podcast, a solo female traveler who has now been to over 30 countries, 5 continents, and 35 states within the US on an extremely small budget.

Years ago while in Idaho Falls I had the pleasure of interviewing the Couchsurfing King, Sam Handcock. Sam has hosted over 150 people in his home and is no stranger to waking up on stranger’s couches himself. After Sam’s interview, I pulled some of his most helpful tips and tricks to Couchsurfing to compline into this guide for Couchsurfing newbies or those who want to up their safety game.

What is Couchsurfing?

First things first, Couchsurfing is an app and online service that travelers can use to find a free place to stay in any given area. It’s used worldwide and allows users to review and rate their stays with each other.

Is Couchsurfing Free?

On May 14 in 2020 CouchSurfing began requiring members to sign up for a monthly or annual subscription in order to access the Couchsurfing website and mobile applications. Although I didn’t use it during the pandemic, I decided that it was worth it to pay a small fee in exchange for solid services that I used when I hardly had any money in my pocket and often found myself in a pinch.

How Guests Can Pay It Forward

If you’re already a part of the travel and backpacking world, you most likely already know about the gift of paying it forward. Just because you can’t give anything to a host immediately or financially doesn’t mean that you never will be able to give back. You can always pay it forward to the next traveler that you meet by buying them a coffee, covering a cab fee, making them a meal, letting them use your phone or even hosting them at your place.

How Does It Work?

After signing up for CouchSurfing and paying setting up a profile, surfers can browse through different hosts in their chosen city. After they’ve reviewed the host’s profile and feel as if they may be a good match, the surfer than request the nights that they wish to stay. If the host accepts, the surfer has a place to rest for the night—for free. Although there are no monetary transactions while using Couchsurfing between surfer and host, there are some exchanges that take place. It’s situational: some hosts like to chat, make dinner, show the surfer around, and hangout. Others don’t have time, aren’t as interested, or may just be too busy on the given dates.

Hosts and surfers may exchange other things like travel stories, new skills, gifts from their hometown/country, advice, music, and time. These exchanges are completely up to the host and surfer!

Is Couchsurfing Still A Thing In 2024?

Yes, Couchsurfing is still very much a thing in 2024. Although I don’t use it as much as I used to, I recently stayed in a rad community house situation in Switzerland during a layover. Staying in the cheapest Airbnb in the area would have cost over $100 USD for one quick night. As the years have gone on the Couchsurfing app has integrated better security measures, and the Couchsurfing community is still very much alive. Learn more by listening to my podcast interview with Sam Handcock where you’ll:

1. Learn how and why “The Couchsurfing King” started Couchsurfing and how you can too!
2. Be entertained by Sam’s hitchhiking story.
3. Listen to Sam’s story of Couchsurfing for the first time.
4. Soak up the best tips to stay safe while Couchsurfer.
5. Take the steps necessary to be a successful and safe host.
6. Hang on the edge of your seat while you listen to one of Sam’s first Couchsurfing experiences that went horribly wrong.

Is Couchsurfing Safe? 5 Important Tips For Travelers

1. Couchsurf with a friend, partner, or fellow traveler if possible
2. Look for verified accounts when considering a host
3. Look for hosts with great references; read at least 5 of them! Find out what people who look like you/share a similar background have to say about a particular host.
4. Be clear about your intentions and boundaries while Couchsurfing.
5. Let someone know when, where, and who you’re Couchsurfing with.

Although I have had almost nothing but good experiences while Couchsurfing as a young solo female traveler (I felt uncomfortable with a host’s roommate in one instance), you can’t predict how situations are going to unfold. Couchsurfing does their best to keep a safe environment, but this is still a system that runs on references given by real people. Please use discretion when choosing places to stay and report any violations to Couchsurfing

How To Be A Good Couchsurfing Guest & Host

In my podcast interview with Sam, a Couchsurfing expert and enthusiast, I asked him what it took to be a good host and guest. Here are some of his best tips:

How To Be A Good Guest:

1. Respect the host’s space and boundaries. Clean up after yourself.
2. You’re not at a 5 start hotel; don’t expect to be treated as so!
3. Be your best self. Remember, the only currency to exchange is the currency of sharing with each other! Be curious about your host and the local culture.

How To Be A Good Host:

1. Remember the perspective of the guest. They are trusting you, so be trustworthy! Or don’t host.
2. Be curious about your guest’s unique perspective and culture.
3. Provide a clean place to stay.
4. Be open to new experiences.
5. Be clear about your house rules and personal boundaries.

Benefits Of Hosting:

1. You receive almost all of the benefits of traveling, without having to leave your home!
2. You have created a lively space to share stories, culture, food, and new experiences.
3. Help the world conserve money, electricity, and energy.
4. See your own home through a fresh set of eyes. Each adventure is unique because of who you decide to share it with.

While we’re CouchSurfing, we’re putting ourselves in a position to be human and make real exchanges and moments. This type of interaction is not your everyday experience, so enjoy soaking in all of the benefits of CouchSurfing that you can. Have you Couchsurfed before? Share your experiences with us by submitting a comment below!

Unable to find a Couchsurfing host but need a budget-friendly place to stay? Check out Hostel World!