Couch Surfing?

If you’d like to feel more like a local when you travel, this website’s for you. It’s called Couch Surfing.com. And instead of staying in a commercial hotel or youth hostel, you can arrange to literally sleep on someone’s couch.

You can also meet other people in your destination city. One of the postings we found is a guy giving a house party with friends and family – and any couch surfers in the area are welcome.
You can also register to have travelers come stay with you. Fans say it provides an authentic experience you won’t find in guidebooks. And you might even make a lifelong friend.

Couch Surfing is a free, nonprofit service with more than 60-thousand registered members who host people in 200 countries. It was founded by Casey Fenton, who didn’t have the money to visit Iceland. So, he emailed hundreds of local students asking for a place to crash. And within minutes, he got dozens of offers of couches, friendship, and personal tours.

So, what about safety concerns? The website requires people to recommend you and vouch for you, and verifies your identity. And they’ve got a good track record. If you’d like a more authentic travel experience, check out the web site at www.CouchSurfing.com.