AmyHuang
Sleep, for free
Besides the return flights, accommodation costs are usually the next big thing on your holiday spending, and for some people they simply cannot justify spending so much just for a night's sleep.
Well, during my backpacking years (and even now, when I am not travelling with my husband) I sought help from fellow travellers when it comes to spending the night. The Hospitality Club and CouchSurfing are two communities of like minded people that give travellers the opportunity to bunk in someone's spare room and the chance to meet the locals and exchange travel ideas.
I know some of you may find the concept a little weird and uncomfortable, but it has been tried and tested (by me) and I have found the experiences easy on the wallet and very rewarding. Of course, the concern that there may be fraudulent members using the site for purposes other than just meeting travellers, but the organisations have put in place several measures to minimise the risk. When using these sites, look for the following:
1. Profiles with photos and enough personal information. There are some profiles that do not have photos, and do not provide any of their personal information such as their full name, their location and others such as interests and where they've travelled to. Those people who bother to provide as much information as possible are those you want to meet, as they are more likely to really be there for the purpose to sharing a travel story or two.
2. Profiles that are verified. In the case of CouchSurfing, they have a method of verifying members to highlight those members that truly want to be part of the community. You can see a green tick on someone's profile who has been verified.
3. Profiles with recommendations from other fellow travellers. Those people who have already hosted a traveller or have stayed with a host are able to leave comments and recommendations for each other. Look for those with lots of recommendations! It'll give you an indication of what sort of person they are and whether you'll get along with them.
4. Use your common sense. If you have started to communicate with a member and feel something isn't quite right, then look for someone else. Simple.
Then, when you are staying at someone's place, make sure you thank them. Offer to put some money towards groceries or take your hosts out to dinner one day will go a long way. You never know you might find a friend for life! (I am still in touch with a few people that I have stayed with, and have stayed with me).
So, what about those who are just hoping to sleep well for the 8 hours transit?
Well, there is a website for that too. Sleeping in Airports is dedicated to... well... sleeping in airports. Why fork out $200 a night at an airport hotel when you can just find a corner to sleep for free? Once again I am not saying this experience is for everyone, but for those tight on budget it may be a good option. The website allow travellers to rate different airports around the world for their sleep-ability and also provide tips for where to go in a particular airport to get the most comfortable seats.
I personally have tried Kuala Lumpur international airport, Frankfurt international airport and Lima international airport. Most airports have good security so that's one less worry out of the way, I did almost miss a flight because I overslept, so make sure you set an alarm!
Well, during my backpacking years (and even now, when I am not travelling with my husband) I sought help from fellow travellers when it comes to spending the night. The Hospitality Club and CouchSurfing are two communities of like minded people that give travellers the opportunity to bunk in someone's spare room and the chance to meet the locals and exchange travel ideas.
I know some of you may find the concept a little weird and uncomfortable, but it has been tried and tested (by me) and I have found the experiences easy on the wallet and very rewarding. Of course, the concern that there may be fraudulent members using the site for purposes other than just meeting travellers, but the organisations have put in place several measures to minimise the risk. When using these sites, look for the following:
1. Profiles with photos and enough personal information. There are some profiles that do not have photos, and do not provide any of their personal information such as their full name, their location and others such as interests and where they've travelled to. Those people who bother to provide as much information as possible are those you want to meet, as they are more likely to really be there for the purpose to sharing a travel story or two.
2. Profiles that are verified. In the case of CouchSurfing, they have a method of verifying members to highlight those members that truly want to be part of the community. You can see a green tick on someone's profile who has been verified.
3. Profiles with recommendations from other fellow travellers. Those people who have already hosted a traveller or have stayed with a host are able to leave comments and recommendations for each other. Look for those with lots of recommendations! It'll give you an indication of what sort of person they are and whether you'll get along with them.
4. Use your common sense. If you have started to communicate with a member and feel something isn't quite right, then look for someone else. Simple.
Then, when you are staying at someone's place, make sure you thank them. Offer to put some money towards groceries or take your hosts out to dinner one day will go a long way. You never know you might find a friend for life! (I am still in touch with a few people that I have stayed with, and have stayed with me).
So, what about those who are just hoping to sleep well for the 8 hours transit?
Well, there is a website for that too. Sleeping in Airports is dedicated to... well... sleeping in airports. Why fork out $200 a night at an airport hotel when you can just find a corner to sleep for free? Once again I am not saying this experience is for everyone, but for those tight on budget it may be a good option. The website allow travellers to rate different airports around the world for their sleep-ability and also provide tips for where to go in a particular airport to get the most comfortable seats.
Some airports have very comfy corners!
I personally have tried Kuala Lumpur international airport, Frankfurt international airport and Lima international airport. Most airports have good security so that's one less worry out of the way, I did almost miss a flight because I overslept, so make sure you set an alarm!
