by Christine Norris

Created on: October 23, 2008   Last Updated: October 30, 2008

Hostels are budget-oriented accommodations where you can get a bed. You may also be in a bunk bed or dormitory and have to share a bathroom. Private rooms and baths may be available, but you will need to check when making arrangements to stay. This is an extremely popular way to stay in Europe and is slowing gaining popularity in the United States.

When looking for a hostel to stay at it. I recommend asking friends and family first. If that fails, the Internet is a great resource for looking hostels in the area you planning on visting. Try searching at www.hostels.com featuring over twenty-five thousand hostels through out the world. You can search by the world, country, cities and region. There are no booking fees and you can register for monthly savings offers. Some sites do not allow booking with hostels.com, but they will provided you the contact information for the site.

Couch Surfing? Well what could be better than "crashing" at someone's home? Making a new friend and getting an insider's view of what to see and where to go. Couch Surfing is the new alternative to hostels. Ordinary people offering you a place to sleep within their home. www.couchsurfing.com provides users with access to provided a free place to stay or look for a free place to stay. There countries all over the world with people offering a place to stay. Do not want to use Couch Surfing.com? Try your favorite search engine, you will find dozens of alternatives.

Is Couch Surfing safe? The Couch Surfing Community has implemented several precautionary measures for the benefit of its users. Every user is linked to the other users he or she knows in the system through a network of references and friend links. Also, there is a vouching and verification system. Members become verified by having their name and address checked. You can choose to contact and stay with only verified members, if you choose.

Some things to remember when traveling at hostels or couch surfing. Take your own toiletries, like a bar of soap, shampoo, tooth brush. I would suggest also packing along your own towels and wash cloth. If you are couch surfing, remember this is someone's home. Do you not leave a mess, clean up after self. But the most important thing, remember to have fun!

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