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?

A helpful and inspirational guide before you travel by train

Where to start and what to think before travelling

Not sure if you should have a little break and you hold yourself back having the time of your life because you are insecure ? Are you in dilemma that it might be too dangerous to go out of our own house and explore the world ? You, my friend are making a big mistake. Times have passed and the world has changed, people are scared to go out their houses because they are scared either that something bad can happen to them or they feel there aren't many like-minded people. There are the same chances for something bad to happen whether you are in the toilet, in your bed or on a train.

I will tell you the story of a guy, who was studying somewhere in Europe, wasting all his time in hos small flat, accepting the routine in his life without doing anything! It killed his creativity, minimised his will to live differently from others and kept him depressed all the time. What he did ? For the first time in his lifetime had the best idea ever: going abroad by train without making any plans and he never regret it. During his trip he went outside his comfort zone, socialised and met incredible people and felt more complete than ever before. 

As André Gide wisely said : "One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight, for a very long time, of the shore."

Travelling by train is not as bad as it used to, of course there might be difficulties but experiences, good times and good people is what is left in your memory at the end. Trains are the best way to travel : low prices, often trains, access to any destination, relaxing, fast way of travelling, a lot of space, chance to meet cool people, enjoy the places you pass by, being more respectful to other cultures, people, religions, being responsible.


 Low prices,often train departures,etc. nowadays you can get anywhere you want because of the technology paying a cheap ticket, I am sure you never bothered to have a look and use the train.About the "Chance to meet cool people", I am not saying that you will find Bill Gates and other celebrities on the same train with you - but do not expect to find them in your house - there are many open-minded remarkable people too, who do know how do enjoy their life. There are many other people who would tell you why it is so amazing to travel, here is an example from some TEDx Events :

• Learn to travel ---Travel to learn by Robin Esroc at TEDxVancouver
• The value of travel by Rick Steves at TEDx Rainier

 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.

Still not sure if you want to travel?
Keep in mind that studies have shown that people who tend to spend money on travel will make you happier than buying material goods. So, if you buy a pair of shoes worth £300, they will still remain "shoes" after some time, but with money spent on travel you will be able to live unforgettable experiences or in some cases change your life in a better way. Even if your trip is short or long it is still worth doing it. And how can travelling affect your skills? talk to strangers or people who you not share a common language between you, you will immediately improve your communication skill! you missed a train? you will think of alternative ways to get to your destination on time, working on your problem solving skills!
Travelling as a hobby in your CV is interesting, and make you differ from the typical hobbies of other applicants for a job.

/*How to purchase the tickets? Quite easy, whether you are a EU or non-EU citizen you can get a pass that will offer you free or low priced tickets (depends in which country you are).
Where EUrail pass is for non-EU citizens (unfortunately the prices are not the same) and Interrail pass for EU citizens. You can choose between a Global pass and 1-2-3 country pass, for both categories (global pass is more expensive as you expected). */




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?