Couchsurfing and traveling

by Matt Dela Peña

Slowly, but surely!

Last year, I discovered an online community dedicated to penny-pinching backpackers who can request to be hosted by their fellow travelers—for free—in the cities they're going to visit. It's called Couchsurfing.

Right off the bat, I know it doesn't sound like the safest way to go about traveling, but it is nonetheless one of the best ways to connect with people from all over the world without having to spend a lot of precious dough.

However, you really have to rely on your gut feeling for this kind of thing especially when you entrust your belongings and, to a much greater extent, your life in the hands of someone you just met.

Anyway, this is kind of how I made my way down to San Francisco this spring break. Via ridesharing.

Through Couchsurfing, you can also hitch a ride with other members of the community by relieving them a fraction of what they would've spent on gas driving by themselves. It's a lot like hitchhiking only you get to see what the driver looks like before you hop on through their online profile.

It's without a doubt a win-win situation! They're driving down anyway and would appreciate saving money on gas and you, of course, also save money on travel costs.

Luckily, I found a couple that was headed down to the Bay the same day I was so I asked if I could join them. Although my friends didn't support me going and even feared for my life, I knew that if I wanted to backpack around the world in the future, this was something I should be willing to do. So, I went.

In the end, the two people I drove down to California with were one of the nicest folks I've ever met. Not only that, but when we reached our destination, we each paid $35 for gas. How's that for a cheap travel fare?