Couchsurfing: more than just a free place to stay {Gadling}

Jul 11th 2011 2:18AM I'm a 'couch surfer' who has hosted many people and travelled extensively around the world staying with complete strangers who often end up becoming friends. Like your wife I do like the creature comforts afforded by hotels, however Iwould encourage anyone to check couch surfing and give it a try. It's not always easy to find hosts. Having a complete profile and some good pictures/references is essential.

The advantage of couch surfing over hostels is that you'll have a friendly local who can give you 'in the know' local hints and tips, plus it always feels to me MUCH more relaxed and safer than a hostel where there are sometimes people who are less than honest.

I'm currently couch surfing my way up the easy coast of Australia, and writing this comment from a balcony of a tree house where my current couchsurfing host lives, not far from Byron Bay.

If you're curious you can see pictures from my ongoing couchsurfing adventures at http://www.beforeiforget.co.uk