Sleeping Around The World On A Couch

One of the most notable trends in the world of travel in the last 5 years or so has been the growth of couch surfing. It’s a phenomenon whereby people offer the couches in their homes to travellers to sleep on for free.

Most people offering a couch connect with travelling strangers seeking a couch via the popular Couchsurfing.org network. If you have a couch you create a personal profile and offer your couch. Those looking for a couch in your town will also create a profile and contact you. As a couch host you can accept or decline the person seeking a place to stay. Both Host and Traveller can look at each other’s respective profiles and trust/reputation ratings added by the couch surfing community ensure a level of expectation is met by both.

I mention couch surfing is a phenomenon because any social network that can boast 938,995 members (as at 7 February 2009) must have something going for it. It shows what’s possible where an idea + technology = meeting a latent demand. Couch surfing’s growth has mirrored the rise of internet social networking generally. The couchsurfing website uses many of the common attributes of social media - user generated reviews/ratings, personal profiles, peer to peer connections, viral membership drives, trust circles to ascribe authority within the membership, and google mapping integration.

Couch surfing clearly isn’t a secret waiting to get out, but a popularisation of the concept as a mainstream travel choice might be about to begin.  Certainly there’s perhaps no better time to go couch surfing than in these financially troubled times since free nights of accommodation are on offer.

Travel writer Brian Thacker has recently released his latest book, “Sleeping Around: A Couch Surfing Tour Of The Globe”. It’s a humorous and idiosyncratic look at couch surfing from first hand experience. Some readers might remember him as the author of the travellers’ classic “Rule No. 5: No Sex On The Bus”.

Travel Generation recently caught up with Brian to ask him about his couch surfing world tour and what exactly people are getting themselves in for.

Can you sum up the premise of the book and why it appealed to investigate more thoroughly?

The book is a snapshot of the world by staying on strangers couches around the globe. The whole concept of ‘couch surfing’ appealed to me fro two reasons. First of all it offered FREE accommodation all around the world - I admit I am somewhat frugal when I travel  and will happy wallow in my own sweat to save a dollar on a room ‘without’ air-conditioning! But mostly it gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture. Or as Couch Surfing puts it: ‘ we seek to create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance and facilitate cultural understanding.’

The best aspect of couch surfing from your experience(s) that you could not have got by convential accommodation means?

Quite simply it’s the spending time with ‘locals’. There is no better way to know a place than through the eyes of a local. I said to one of my couch surfing hosts in Chile that I’d learnt more about the country and it’s people in one week than if I’d spent three months in a hotel.

The worst experience?

None really. The only bad thing is telling your life story over and over again to new hosts. next time I think I’ll put together a ‘fact sheet’ to hand out!

What are 5 points of etiquette you  think should be observed by the novice couch surfer?

Here are my 5 favourite ‘etiquette rules’ from the couch surfing website:

Toilets: Some sewage systems are not designed to take tampons; others may not take toilet paper (for example, you may be expected to clean yourself with water, or to put toilet paper in a special bin for other disposal). If in doubt, ask beforehand. (In some cultures, it may be polite to talk about such subjects only with a member of the same sex. Or not raise the topic at all. But it may be better to risk being rude, than to clog the only household toilet.)

Adapt to your host’s rhythm at home: Is the “couch” in a “high traffic” area for the household? If so, do people tend to stay up late, or wake up early? Be sensitive to your host’s style, preferences, and schedule, and everyone will enjoy the experience. If you go to a party host, then sure, party on! (Only at their invitation, of course.) If you go to a family, take it easy.

Bringing guests back: Expecting to bring back a guest “to spend the night with you” is nearly always considered extremely inappropriate.

Helping out: When you eat together, offer to wash dishes. Nothing is better for a couch surfer than doing the dishes. Everyone likes to have a clean kitchen, even if they are too lazy to deal with it. And cleaning the kitchen is usually “safe”: people are unlikely to be offended by your help there, and you can usually figure out where things go.

Say “thank you” when you’re with your host, but also after you leave.

Anything you did on your couch-travels you wish you hadn’t or wouldn’t do again?

No, not really. The only thing is I’d break up my trip by staying at hostels or hotels as it’s nice to have a ‘break’ from being a ‘guest’ and having your own space.

Is couch surfing for the tight arse or someone who just wants to get ‘in’ to the culture by staying with a local? Or both? Who do you think would best appreciate a good couch surf?

I think it’s both, but most people find that ’staying’ with a local is the real bonus! Anyone can couch surf. Although the average is 27, there are 156 people over 80! There are also families, shared households and every occupation you can possibly think of.

In your book you rated the couches you experienced. In the same way site users rate their past couches. This seems to be the key to ensure safety  and expectations being met. Just like when you buy something off Ebay. I guess the only difference is the personal unpredictability of the people  you actually meet?

Yes, but many of the references are very detailed and you can find many people with long lists of references. I think you can get a very good idea what the host (or potential guest) if they also have a detailed profile (which many have also).

There is a lot of personal information and preferences that you can read about the people you will stay with. Not least the couch info that is uploaded. Come to think of it, you probably have a much better idea of what your couch will be like for the night than you do about a random hostel bed you might stay in. That’s got to be a good thing?

Yes! And some people have very nice couches! Or, even better (and this happened in almost half the places I stayed in) you get your very own room!

Another aspect of the phenomenon is the pride which hosts have in their city and want to show this off.

The city groups are huge all around the world and most cities hold weekly meetings and dinners and even week long ‘couch surfing festivals’. Melbourne held one recently

I presume hosts literally give you the keys to the house? Do you literally  become part of the family for a few days?

The trust factor is amazing. After usually only a couple of email exchanges with a total stranger to ‘book’ your couch you are then often given the keys the moment you meet them! And yes, you definitely can become part of the family. I went to a family barbecue in Chile and sat down for lunch at 12.00 and dessert was served at 7.00. I also went to a Thanksgiving family dinner in Canada and was invited to my host’s uncle’s house in Kenya to eat some goat intestines and goat brains!

When I signed up to the site there was a disclaimer that I had to acknowledge. It read: I understand CouchSurfing Is NOT A Dating Site. A cynic might suggest that couch surfing cuts out time spent in backpacker bars chatting up other backpackers to later stay at their houses with the wrong intentions. What are your thoughts?

I didn’t think it would happen that often, but then I was proved wrong! I was discussing it  with my host in Iceland one day over lunch and we decided that it wouldn’t happen that often. But then… that night he had another Australian girl ‘couch surfing’ at his place and I lost them that night during a pub crawl and when I got back I found my host and his new guest naked in bed!

The bottom line: Would you couch surf the world again?

Definitely. It such a great way to see the world. oh, and I still love the FREE bit!

“Sleeping Around: A Couch Surfing Tour Of The Globe” by Brian Thacker is published by Allen & Unwin and can be purchased here and from all good bookstores.