I had plans to join a group for a 6 month cycling tour and it was canceled! I had already quit my job and rented out my house, so I decided to try couchsurfing and just do the trip on my own… best time I ever had! I stayed with over 30 hosts, people and families of all different types and backgrounds… it was just a blast! I called the tour Riding and Eating… put thousands of miles on my bike and fed my hosts wonderful meals in exchange for letting me stay and use their showers… win-win!!
I’d wait until about a week before I was to arrive somewhere before sending out requests. It seems I’d have to put out 5 requests in order to get 1 message back. This was before covid, and I assume that number would be even greater now.
I had 3 hard rules when looking for hosts: they’d have to be verified, they’d have to have a non-smoking environment, and they’d have to have references. From there, if there were more than 15 to choose from, I’d use filters to narrow the results even more. Then I’d have a template set up introducing myself, stating why I was expecting to be in their area and what I was looking for, and then saying what I’d provide in return. Boy, did I meet some great people, and have some wonderful dinner conversations!
Someday I will live in my house again and open it up to be a host. I have over 30 people to invite!
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