How to Join CouchSurfing & 5 Reasons Why You Should

A souvenir from Dan & Jen who surfed our couch in Yantai

Ever heard of the Couch Surfing project? If not, you're long overdue! Couch Surfing is a network of people who offer their couch, guest room, back yard or floor space for someone to occupy for a short while.

It allows you to meet people from all over the world (host) and experience a country from the local perspective (surf).

We've been couch surfers for about a year, and have only had wonderful experiences so far!

1. Couchsurfing could enrich your life in many ways. It allows you to get to know fascinating people  you may otherwise have never met, and actually share some real experiences with them.
   
   
2. It can also save you a lot of money otherwise spent on hotels. Though that shouldn't be your sole reason for surfing couches, it's definitely a big attraction for many.
   
   
3. You can learn and teach new things. Many surfers love to exchange experiences and will ask you to teach what you know. I've taught about baking bread and playing Mahjong. I've learned about places to visit and cooking.
   
   
4. You get all the insight information about the places you visit. No more trying to get to those packed Lonely Planet recommended eateries, just ask your host for their favorite restaurant, or better yet, cook together! Ask them about what to do in the city, where to hang out, etc.
   
   
5. Meeting local hosts and travelers can help you discover new places nearby your hometown or current location that could be worth a visit. If you're hosting someone who just visited a nearby city, they could provide great information about this location.
   It's also nice to hear about a home country you might not know very well, and you can always visit your surfers at some point in the future.

Signing up on the website will only take you 5 minutes. Go to the sign up page and take it from there. There's no need to get verified, but you can if you want. and you can always refuse surfers that you wouldn't be comfortable with. Wouldn't you like to find out just how wonderful the experience could be?
Want to surf our couch in Yantai, or wherever we are? Check out my profile on the website. Also feel free to add me as a connection!