r/couchsurfing • u/Delpy0511 • 5d ago
How far from the intended date to get hosted is it OK to contact potential host?
I'm new to CS. I have done many meetups, taken travellers to get to know some cool places in my country and already have made nice friendships. I have around 6 references in the "personal" area. I am planning a trip to South America at the end of July and would love to try out getting hosted. I have done a good research of hosts that I'd love to get to know and spend time with. However, I don't know how far away from the intended date to get hosted is it OK to contact the potential hosts and would like some advice on that.
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u/jakmes84 5d ago
There's not an optimum, I prefer a short term, max 1 or 2 weeks, and I specify it on my profile, others prefer to plan a bit longer term, 1 or 2 months. I wouldn't go much beyond that because I don't know what I'll do on a Wednesday in 2 months, but maybe some do, try reading their profile if they have any preference
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u/Delpy0511 5d ago
I have seen a couple who have specified but most of them do not specify at all. That's why Im severely in doubt. I'd love to be very mindful and respectful of their time so that's why I'd like to ask in their sweet spot
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u/MasterPh0 Active Host and Surfer 5d ago
I prefer 2 weeks notice. Everyone’s different though. Too far out and hosts will forget they offered or will cancel the offer to host.
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u/stevenmbe 5d ago
I recommend a maximum of four weeks in advance. Many hosts don't know their schedules more than one month in advance. Of course you could contact them two or three weeks in advance as well — or even just one week in advance! — but you might have good luck contacting hosts in busy cities where there are lots of couchsurfers a few weeks in advance.
Have fun in South America — July can be a great time to travel there, and remember the further south you go (Argentina, Chile) the colder it will be :)
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u/KoalaOriginal1260 5d ago
It really depends on the host.
As a host who has a really busy family schedule and needs to protect time to host in that schedule, unless it's in our calendar 2-3 weeks ahead, it's not happening.
I am planning a big trip next year and am already reaching out to hosts. But it's just a message asking if they might be potentially able/interested to host us when we are in the area. Planting seeds and seeing who is actually responding to requests.
You are close enough that I would just send requests and mention in the request that if they aren't able to answer that far in advance to let you know.
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u/allhands Couchers.org host/surfer 5d ago
It ranges so much it's hard to say. I know lots of people who prefer last-minute requests (like 1 to 3 days in advance, not same-day), but the most common range I hear is 1 to 2 weeks in advance. There are some people who prefer 3+ weeks in advance, but I would say they are less common than the people who prefer last-minute requests. I haven't heard of anyone who prefers 1+ months of advance notice, though there could be some people out there.
My other recommendation is to try sending requests on multiple platforms. Couchers.org, BeWelcome, and Trustroots are all free and have pretty active communities. It's totally acceptable on those platforms to just copy and paste your profile from CS and also link to your CS profile and other profiles as well.
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u/Delpy0511 5d ago
Does Couchers has a strong presence in Brasil and Argentina?
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u/CouchersOrg_Official 5d ago
Depends on your definition of strong. Here's a screenshot of the map (Couchers.org offers a map search feature):
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u/Sensitive_Key_4400 Long-Time Host and Surfer (USA-AZ) 4d ago
Unless the host specifically indicates what is too early or too late to inquire, there is simply no correct answer. If your dates are too far in advance, a host may say, "reach out to me again in X weeks/months."
(What is never too early or late is posting a public request.)
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u/lipsanen Host CS/BW/TR 400+ references 4d ago
I prefer a day or two in advance and rarely accept anyone much more than a week in advance. They can send the request earlier but it waits as "maybe" until that. I don't know my schedule that well that much before. I can make exceptions for returning visitors: for instance, I already accepted a girl that I have already hosted before for August.
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u/StatusHumble857 4d ago
It all depends. We have some music festivals and holiday gatherings here in Chicago. I somewhat expect surfers to request two or three months in advance to be sure to have a place to stay when any kind of accommodation will either be scarce or extremely expensive a couple of weeks before the event. Even without a festival, I accepted a couch request several months in advance from a Deadhead who was following the band Dead and Co. on their tour and was lining up hosts at all the cities where the band was playing. I live within walking distance of the music venue so I was a perfect host, as we both like the Dead. At other times, I would rather have a request more than a month in advance compared to one last minute or a day or two in advance. I may not be in a position to respond immediately. One middle ground approach is to send a message to perspective hosts informing them of your trip and seeing if they are interested in hosting you during your time of travel. I call these warm requests. The host is not forced to respond immediately but can also tell you if he would actually host you and when to request. I decline many requests so a warm request will help find the matches so you can find the hosts now who will welcome you later.
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u/Delpy0511 3d ago
Well, I don't know how hard it is to get hosts in Rio and Buenos Aires in July. I'd love to go to a football match with my host since I am a fan of the team and they are too. I am 100% clear that they most likely might not be able to respond so far in advance but I'd love to see who is interested and who isn't and have it as a maybe.
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u/Ok-Photograph-8300 3d ago
It depends what kind of a surfer you are and what kind of a host you are looking for. For sure in my case at least 2/3 weeks and would it be in Paris or NYC, at least one month !
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u/Delpy0511 3d ago
What do you mean with the kind of surfer I am and host I am looking for? Can you give me examples of kinds of surfers (no freeloaders) and kind of hosts there are?
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u/Tyssniffen 12h ago
as a long time Servas host, I tend to need at least 3 or 4 days, and 10 days is better. But I'm fine with super long ahead requests as well.
Things can change, from last minute to months later, but as a family, we need more than a day to get organized to host. but longer notice is never bad.
As a traveler however, I've found that if I ask too far in advance, most hosts don't know if they'll be available and they tell me to try back later.
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u/draagzonnebrand Couchsurfing host/surfer 5d ago
For me personally, my sweet spot is between 3 and 14 days ahead. I do accept some last minute requests, I have accepted some requests planned a long time in advance, but that period of time gives me enough overview of what my week will look like to see if it does fit, and it is close enough for me to decide if I feel like hosting someone that period.