Couchsurfing.org

20 nights of travel across Europe. Total cost of lodging: $184.75.

How’d we do it? Say hello to couchsurfing. Couchsurfing is literally one of the greatest inventions ever in my opinion .During our trip we spent a couple nights at local cheap hotels (some free with points, some I had to pay for), a couple nights at Hiltons (free with points!), some with family and the rest through couchsurfing. It was incredible to me to witness firsthand how many authentically kind people there are in our world.

So what exactly is it? Couchsurfing.org is a website dedicated to travelers who are curious about the world, meeting individuals from other cultures, and traveling on a small budget. The whole premise is that you join the site to open your home to travelers free of charge. It provides a connection for travelers to contact other couchsurfers to find a place to stay. There is absolutely no money involved at all- you do not charge guests for staying with you and you’re not expected to pay anything when you stay with someone else either.

It’s set up similar to facebook where you create a profile telling the world about yourself: your philosophy, hobbies, travel experiences and travel dreams. In addition, you include details of what sleeping arrangements you have available for guests to use, such as a guest room, pullout couch or even floor space with an air mattress. It’s also quite safe as you can read an individual’s references on their profile from guests or hosts who have met them. If someone receives a lot of negative feedback, they are removed from the site. But out of everyone I’ve spoken to so far through couchsurfing, no one has ever had a bad experience.

It may sound similar to other programs like airbnb.com where people offer their homes to rent out to travelers on vacation. But what I love about couchsurfing, is that it’s free! Not only this, but it has a strong focus on building relationships. So when you stay at a host’s house, they are there too. You meet them, swap stories, sometimes share meals and just learn about so many fascinating people! If you’re looking more for just a free place to stay, this probably isn’t it for you. Couchsurfers like interacting and getting to know their guests.

When we used this for our trip to Europe this summer, EVERYONE was skeptical. Some people were scared for our lives, while others just thought it sounded very uncomfortable staying with people we had never met. But it was incredible! Some days were tough, as I was exhausted and felt much more like going straight to bed than staying up and chatting. But we have so many good stories from it, I would definitely recommend it again! And you will be shocked at how considerate people are. The majority of our hosts actually came and picked us up at the train stations when we arrived- they had no reason to have to do that other than out of the kindness of their hearts. It made things so much easier than wandering around looking for their houses, and even those who couldn’t meet us provided us with very detailed directions. Many times they gave us maps, tips and advice on where to go and what to see. It was like having our own inside scoop at all times. Some made us breakfast the next morning, so made us dinner when we arrived. Everyone was extremely understanding. When we missed our connections a couple days because of train delays, our hosts were not put off by our late arrival at all. In fact, they still came to pick us up and still waited to meet us!

Anja told us her story of backpacking South America for 6 months with a friend- at least that was the plan until her friend met a man in Mexico, he proposed that weekend and she stayed to marry him! Anja spent the rest of the trip traveling by herself (and yes, the friend is still happily married a year and a half later. She’s never even been home to collect her things).

Stijn opened his home to us which was pretty much like staying in Miracle Max’s house from Princess Bride. Stone floors, wooden ladder to second floor, fireplace with an easy chair pulled up to it and sheepskin rugs and blankets everywhere. Plus he had the coolest accent ever and told us about his non-profit business (even gave us a tour!) helping young people plan their trips around the world at low costs.

Nina gave up her own bedroom for us and slept on the couch in the living room. Etienne had dinner waiting for us even when arrived an hour late due to some issues with getting in his apartment building (the intercom was broken and we had to wait for someone to walk by and let us in!). Mayte toured Paris with us and took us an to authentic Parisian lunch. And that’s not to mention those we’ve hosted at our home as well! Our first couchsurfer happened to be from New Hampshire, about 10 minutes from where my grandparents live and where Pablo and I got married! Other guests traveling from Utah have told us if we want to go skiing/snowboarding in the winter we’re welcome to stay with them as they live close to a great mountain.

We never once had any sketchy guests or hosts. No one tried to rob or kill us in our sleep. I have to say I was blown away by the amount of kindness shown to us during our trip. And we LOVE hosting people at our house as well. Given my passion for travel, it’s always so sad to see others who are unable to go out and see the world because of financial limits. What an incredible thought someone had in creating such a wonderful program that opens doors to so many more people to travel, even if they had never considered it before. If you’re thinking about it, stop hesitating and give it a try! You won’t regret it.