Couchsurfing and stay

Make your stay safe!

Couchsurfing from my point of view : Useful, smart, free, amazing but in some cases dangerous!
As a couchsurfer in the past few years I had a short variety of experiences, good ones and bad ones. The outcome : Being careful and choosing people who will host you. A host that is constantly busy and volunteers to guide you around or show his/her own lifestyle could be one of the best things Couchsurfing could offer to its member, including the hospitality and the spirit of kindness.

The article of Wikipedia will give you a more detailed explanation.here

Make an account, the first step is to make an account with valid information, introduce - talk about yourself, move on adding pictures and in case you do have some friends who are already members or ask them to leave you a reference on your profile. References are important, they are the opinion other people had about you when they came in contact with you (hosting,surfing or travelling), it could be the quality measurement of how other people see you as a potential host or surfer. Use a similar format and get some ideas from the profiles of older members, they have more knowledge and experience about what to add. In my details, it is wise to add that you would like to have a Skype call with your potential host/visitor, just to make sure it is the same person and for other security reasons as well!

You can find CS members on every corner of the horizon around the world.

Join groups, forums, events according to your interests, you can chat and share with them ideas,experiences etc. Some groups and societies might be closer than others and might even have weekly/monthly/annually meetings, even in your neighborhood there might be a local group!

There are 2 kinds of requests, the first one is Public requests and the second is private requests. Open/Public requests, lets other members know that you will visit their place on a time you specify.It is up to them if they will be able to host you depending on their schedule. On the other hand, private request is sent only to a specific "potential host" you choose, of course for various reasons, you can be rejected either cause the host had a look at your profile and was not satisfied with your references, your personalities do not match, your time schedules do not match, etc.

For God's sake, Couchsurfing is NOT a dating site.

Old-school couchsurfers posing in the original CS stand

Having a completed profile guarantees more hosts that would like to invite you to their places, but remember it is their places and not yours. Be ready to adapt to their time schedule as well as way of living, meaning that as a Couchsurfer and try being kind, at the same time you must contribute in either cleaning,cooking, or buying goods as long as your host allows you to and does not demand so! Being kind as a visitor or a host is the key for a nice stay and cooperation from both sides.

Hosts have different preferences, some have a separate room for the visitor and a bed/couch, some other do not have any problem sharing the same surface (!?!) with you (Just avoid these people!). Make sure the host will be able to host you under the conditions you wish, but in case of emergency always have a plan B.




The descent : A couple of years ago CS website turned from a non-profit organisation into a for-profit organisation, as a result many of its members complained that the original spirit of CS would totally change, there would be many fake profiles and decided to shut down their profiles.

Unfortunately, in the past few years there have been cases of sexual assaults (so please before you sign up do your research first!). The official site of Couchsurfing has provided a guide with tips to protect yourself.

All the above information include personal opinion, information and experiences I have gathered over the time, and with this post I do not wish to advertise or misadvertise  the official Website of Couchsurfing and physical persons.


This post will be expanded too for other choices of accommodation (hostels, hotels, BnB)

More information:

TIPS FOR STAYING IN A HOSTEL: WHAT TO BRING

10 Tips for Staying at a Hostel

Things to Know About Hosteling: Tips and Tricks for Lodging on the Cheap

Always check for reviews online, for example search "name_of_hostel" review

Know what you want. Be prepared. Enjoy

• Introduction
  Who am I and why start blogging?
• A helpful and inspirational guide before you travel by train
  Where to start and what to think before travelling
• How to pack your bag
  Overstuffed and overweight bag, at least keep it overstuffed 
• What to pack in your bag
  You don't need your fashionable clothes in here! 
• Travelling Solo VS Travelling as a group
  Loneliness doesn't always have to feel bad
• Couchsurfing and stay
  Make your stay safe 
• Raildude,ticket purchasing
  How to get the pass,the rules in the train station 
• Maps and books
  Should I get a map, guide or ignore everything? 
• On the way/train
  You can't get bored here my friend 
• Law,stereotypes,different lifestyles and adopting
  How not to end up behind the bars! 
• Types of travellers
  People worth meeting and not 
• Journeys
  Past personal Experiences 
• Additional tips
  Weren't all these enough?
• Self awareness, Self confidence, Passion and Personal awesomeness
  So you think you are not cool enough?

Introduction

Hello everyone,

le me

Welcome to my blog. I am a young male person, engineering student, traveler, daydreamer, weirdo, who enjoys little things in life ( friends call me "bear"). I like traveling, listening to music, working on electronics, sketching, reading psycology books, tourist guides and most of all giving a hard time to people whenever I was to screw around. 


For a long time, I was scared to travel around without any plans at all and alone. Since my parents thought sooner or later  by the time my foot steps out of the house I would get kidnapped, rapped by Pedobear, stubbed, pick pocked, set on fire, crucified, sacrificed to Satan, exposed to radiation etc. (all the above can actually happen to those who are not careful in a random order)

Friends  of friends of friends had used Interrail pass(?!?), I had no clue what that was but I was assuming they had loads of money to travel round Europe. Some years later and after  long researches, things were easier than expected, travelling by train is easy, fast, cheap and accessible to almost any place you want. Combined with some other websites such as Couchsurfing I could have the best time than any other person had in his life. My journeys were lasting 14 days max., but learnt some really important advices, suggestions, lessons, rules, ways of thinking, that helped me travel easier time after time. I have gathered and keep gathering everything I can from A to Z in this blog and present them to you.




Know what you want. Be prepared. Enjoy

• Introduction
  Who am I and why start blogging?
• A helpful and inspirational guide before you travel by train
  Where to start and what to think before travelling
• How to pack your bag
  Overstuffed and overweight bag, at least keep it overstuffed 
• What to pack in your bag
  You don't need your fashionable clothes in here! 
• Travelling Solo VS Travelling as a group
  Loneliness doesn't always have to feel bad
• Couchsurfing and stay
  Make your stay safe 
• Raildude,ticket purchasing
  How to get the pass,the rules in the train station 
• Maps and books
  Should I get a map, guide or ignore everything? 
• On the way/train
  You can't get bored here my friend 
• Law,stereotypes,different lifestyles and adopting
  How not to end up behind the bars! 
• Types of travellers
  People worth meeting and not 
• Journeys
  Past personal Experiences 
• Additional tips
  Weren't all these enough?
• Self awareness, Self confidence, Passion and Personal awesomeness
  So you think you are not cool enough?

What to pack in your bag

You don't need your fashionable clothes in here!

First of all, purchase a good backpack (trust me it is important, it is not so nice to have back pain when travelling and I insist on this!), do not even think about pulling a suitcase around - it will not work - and after your trip is complete, your suitcase will look like it has been rapped and abused by 1000 airline luggage handlers!

                                    Just to give you an idea of how it will look like later on...

                                                                       Look...

                                                 Don't look away! Isn't this enough ?

                                                             You want more???

                                                      I hope you got your lesson!

Always keep some snacks and water in case of emergency. Yes my dear child, snack bars can be helpful too even if you are not MacGyver .

Avoid carrying pepper spray or weapons, first because in some countries they are banned and second because you do not want to get in trouble.

Carry only multi-purpose clothes, they might not look great but they will do their work, choose clothes easy to dry warm or thin, but be also prepared for a heavy rain, blizzard, Apocalypse or Ragnaroc, depending the season you prefer to travel and because you never know, a poncho or something waterproof in case of rain.

Don't forget to buy good shoes, your All-Stars shoes will turn into dust after some time if you do wear them when you walk a lot every day, causing back- and knee-pain, prefer trainers with confident and flexible sole for you (for my trips I carry 2 pairs of shoes, 1 for walking 1 for clubbing, the amount of clothes depends also on how long I decide to travel).

Remember : your fancy shoes will not last long!

Pack personal care items in a smaller bag, really useful if you have to sleep on the train
Medicine, liquid & dry wipes, hand gel, contact lenses liquid, shampoo, make up, perfume, deodorants (cause you do not wish to make your travel mates to suffer), sprays, RPG, etc.
Are you planning to sleep on the train? take a spray for mites and bed-bugs that might live in the mattress just to be on the safe side.

The multi-tool

A few plastic bags, multipurpose multi tool... it's a miracle what you can do with them. They are weightless, take up very small place. Their uses are limitless : separate wet clothes from dry ones, either separate dirty clothes from clean ones, put your shoes in them, waterproof any sensitive electronic devices you carry. These little bastards are useful!

Example of backpack cover

Backpack cover, because nobody would be happy to carry extra weight and have all documents, electronics and staff totally soaked! You can find these in shops selling camping or sports products. They are cheap, heat and scratch resistant. Some backpacks might already be equipped with a cover, placed at the bottom pocket of them, so have a look first over there just to be sure.





Lock, a small one could do the job just to make sure nobody would dare to steal something from your backpack when you use it as a pillow, also could be used as a proper lock to store in small lockers (usually placed in airport, coach stations or train stations) for specific duration and cost.



(For travellers in India : if you are travelling by train, be careful of the enormous free range cockroaches strolling around the floor - buy the most chemical bug spray you can find ... and I personally with you  good luck!)

Diary, can be more useful than you would think. You can keep a record of memories in it, as well as a record of your expenses and available budget on your trip, so next time you can be more prepared.

Plug adaptor, this part can be pretty annoying. In the old times each mobile phone company had a different charger, luckily all of them now use the same style of charger! Make sure that the plugs in your country are the same with the ones you will visit. Here is how a multi-plug adaptor looks like.

Dry and wet napkins, all time favorite for freaks with cleaning!

Money, before you go abroad inform your bank that you plan to travel and let them know which countries you will visit. Some banks may block any transactions from a card if things get suspicious! Do not carry huge amount of cash with you, split small amounts of money in many different places such as your pocket, inside pocket of your bag, hidden pockets.

Scan, print and leave back home some copies of the documents you will decide to carry around with you, take also some with you too and put them in a safe folder(This will save you loads of time if you get pick pocked, the local police will try to help you even more).

I do not support buying tourist guides for this kind of travelling, they are expensive,sometimes heave and take precious space in backpack, plus I do not suggest having them in ebook form stored in iPads,Kindles and sh*t.


Do you want to visit many cities without spending too much money on maps, guides etc? Easy-Peasy, download in .pdf form the maps for all the cities you want and transfer them to your smartphone, problem solved! Otherwise get a detailed map of the big cities from shops around train stations and souvenir shops. You want to go super-cheap? An acceptable solution is to ask people behind the information desks to give you a small map (like the ones with advertisements in them, ask first if they are for free) but do not expect highly
accurate and quality printed maps! Some local restaurants may have a printed map on the back side of their menus too, whatever rocks your boat!

Example of German EHIC

European Health Insurance Card, definitely important for every EU citizen traveling within the European Union countries (plus some more countries in Europe). Are you having a health problem but you are abroad? Show this card to the doctor of the local hospital and he/she will take care of the rest, this card covers all or most of the costs for your treatment, visit in the hospital or health center etc.

Before you make one for yourself, please do your research first. You can get the basic feedback from Wikipedia.


I will upload a post talking about backpacks suitable for traveling.

One thing - I strongly support purchasing an official book with the European Train timetables each season (includes accurate timetables, train connections from city to city, short codes for trains, telephone numbers, advices etc, for more information: http://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/home.html), make sure you get the timetable book for the season you need! (sometimes they are printed a bit later than expected, try to contact with a good bookstore or purchase it online)

More information :

The telegraph : Travel advice, tips and information

Huffington Post : Your Life in a Backpack: What to Pack For 6 Months Traveling Abroad


Know what you want. Be prepared. Enjoy

• Introduction
  Who am I and why start blogging?
• A helpful and inspirational guide before you travel by train
  Where to start and what to think before travelling
• How to pack your bag
  Overstuffed and overweight bag, at least keep it overstuffed 
• What to pack in your bag
  You don't need your fashionable clothes in here! 
• Travelling Solo VS Travelling as a group
  Loneliness doesn't always have to feel bad
• Couchsurfing and stay
  Make your stay safe 
• Raildude,ticket purchasing
  How to get the pass,the rules in the train station 
• Maps and books
  Should I get a map, guide or ignore everything? 
• On the way/train
  You can't get bored here my friend 
• Law,stereotypes,different lifestyles and adopting
  How not to end up behind the bars! 
• Types of travellers
  People worth meeting and not 
• Journeys
  Past personal Experiences 
• Additional tips
  Weren't all these enough?
• Self awareness, Self confidence, Passion and Personal awesomeness
  So you think you are not cool enough?

Travelling Solo VS Travelling as a group

Loneliness doesn't always have to feel bad

 

Whether you are a lonely person who wants to travel solo or in group, you must always follow some simple rules to keep yourself safe. The fact that you are travelling does not mean that people want to abuse your insecurity that you are "out of your water", but this should not let you down. Doing something you are not meant to do is the spark that could let you have a real adventure even if it is not your first time you travel.


Do not let in public view your personal belongings, sunglasses, wallet, mobile phone, noticing that your stuff is gone can be a huge disappointment. If you are travelling solo, you are teasing potential pickpockets and you are an easy target for them. If you are in a team, you could ask for 1-2 members each time to guard the stuff of all the team members in turns.

Keep in touch with somebody back home,whether you are solo or in a team  you might need to ask for some help. Whether you have an unpredictable health problem, got lost or need psychological support make sure you choose the right persons to keep in contact with. (Don't forget to top up your phone, bring a phone charger with you and make sure your network provider works for other countries too)

Make your plans safely and with a clear mind, travelling totally with no plan could be a real disaster. Solo, it is not a big deal but at least let somebody know, in a team prepare for WW III about arguing where to go next if all members do not agree. Stay informed about the places you might visit!
Have some "checkpoints" during your journey, to let you take a break, explore even more places and keep you really surprised.

Travelling solo will give you the independence to travel anytime, anywhere you want for as much as you like and can afford, but it has some disadvantages too, you always have to keep an eye on your stuff, find the personal strength to protect yourself and sometimes having a small feeling of loneliness. Avoid heavy drinking and wild partying cause you never know where you might end up!
If you are part of a team, things might get a bit complicated, everyone must be punctual to the meetings, keep frequently good communication with the other members. Respect their choices,opinions, listen to what they have to say and most of all being responsible, so choose your teammates wisely.



Know what you want. Be prepared. Enjoy

• Introduction
  Who am I and why start blogging?
• A helpful and inspirational guide before you travel by train
  Where to start and what to think before travelling
• How to pack your bag
  Overstuffed and overweight bag, at least keep it overstuffed 
• What to pack in your bag
  You don't need your fashionable clothes in here! 
• Travelling Solo VS Travelling as a group
  Loneliness doesn't always have to feel bad
• Couchsurfing and stay
  Make your stay safe 
• Raildude,ticket purchasing
  How to get the pass,the rules in the train station 
• Maps and books
  Should I get a map, guide or ignore everything? 
• On the way/train
  You can't get bored here my friend 
• Law,stereotypes,different lifestyles and adopting
  How not to end up behind the bars! 
• Types of travellers
  People worth meeting and not 
• Journeys
  Past personal Experiences 
• Additional tips
  Weren't all these enough?
• Self awareness, Self confidence, Passion and Personal awesomeness
  So you think you are not cool enough?