Online networks of home exchange and couchsurfing are the best options for those wishing to travel around the world without having to shoulder the costs of stay and overnight and at the same time make new acquaintances. Couchsurfing (which means "jumping from one couch to another) is a trend that started recently in the United States, while the swap of homes is a practice which has been occurring for a while around the world.
Home Exchange is the vacation alternative where two families agree to swap homes for a vacation... "You stay in my house while I stay in yours." Home Exchange is a service offered by online networks that act as intermediaries to bring together those people (in general, those ho useholds) who wish to share their home with another. The only expenditure required is the payment of and annual fee (60-100 euros) to make use of the service.
The cost is certainly lower compared to what one usually pays for a short stay in a hotel, serviced apartment or camping site. Once one is registered and has paid the annual fee what one has to do is to prepare a detailed and illustrated description of his/her home. Thereafter onecan browse the homes on offer for exchange, check the periods of availability and get in touch with other members to discuss the terms of agreement, dates and duration of the swap.
There are no doubts that the system is cost-effective. For example a family of 4-5 people swapping their home with a two-room apartment on the Lake of Como in Italy for two weeks in August saves 3000-3500 euro, which they should have paid for renting an equivalent facility during the same period.
The CouchSurfing project is the largest hospitality exchange network, with approximately 1.5 million members in 231 countries and territories according to Heesakkers, P.J.A (2008). According to Alexa (an online ranking service) it is currently the most visited hospitality service on the Internet, averaging around 40 million daily page views over the period October-December 2009.
Couchsurfing works similarly to “home exchange”, although the swap is limited to a bed, couch or corner in the garden where to set up a tent. The former was born, however, as an initiative conceived to facilitate cultural exchange between travellers ready to sleep on a couch in order to visit foreign countries and learn about new cultures, rather than as an option for low-budget travellers. CouchSurfing International Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation incorporated in the U.S. The mission of CouchSurfing is not about helping people to find free accommodation around the world, but about facilitating networking and making connections worldwide. The registration on the Coachsurfing website is free of charge like the accommodation one can find in exchange for similar accommodation in ones’ own home or against the provision of services like giving a hand in cleaning or arranging the garden.
After registering, members are invited to provide information and pictures of themselves and of the sleeping accommodation on offer, if any. The more information provided, the higher are the chances that someone will find the member trustworthy enough to be his/her host or guest. Members looking for accommodation can search for hosts using several parameters such as age, location, gender and activity level. Home stays are entirely consensual between the host and guest, and the duration, nature, and terms of the guest's stay are generally worked out in advance to the convenience of both parties. No monetary exchange takes place except under certain circumstances (e.g. the guest may compensate the host for food). After using the service, members can leave a noticeable reference about their host or guest. In addition to accommodation, members can offer guide services or travel-related advice. (Source Wikipedia)
Another portal like CouchSurfing is Hospitality Club. The mission of Hospitality Club is similar to the one of CoachSurfing: building intercultural understanding and peace through hospitality exchange. Members of the Hospitality Club offer each other help when they travel, be it a tour around town, free accommodation or an invitation to dinner. There are no obligations, what matters is the personal contact. Use of the club is totally free as the Hospitality Club is not commercial. The Hospitality Club makes use of feedback mechanisms to increase security: every member can write a comment about any member he/she knows. Those comments appear in the profile. Guests are required to show their passport on arrival to identify themselves. Also, sensible data is not displayed on the site - name and address can be hidden and the email address is not visible online - first contact has to be made through the website. Registrations can be made on the internet, by email, fax or by sending a normal postal letter to a volunteer who will enter the information into the database. The club is supported by volunteers who believe in the idea that bringing travellers in touch with people in the place they visit and giving "locals" a chance to meet people from other cultures can make this world a better place to live.
References:
Heesakkers, P.J.A (2008). The CouchSurfing Project; Participate in Creating a Better World, One Couch at a time. An Explorative Study on the Phenomenon of CouchSurfing. NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences
Wikipedia: CouchSurfing, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couchsurfing
