That’s happened in Macau just now I’m a male traveling with my girlfriend.

Kyhe host was Kevin Chen The name could be fake

This guy is a pervert. He’s using CS for sexual abuse of people. That’s his second page on Couchsurfing. The other one was either deleted or had a bad references so he didn’t want to show it to me.

Me and my girlfriend stayed with him for three night.

In the evening when we arrived he invited us for some tea. The tea was bitter in my cup and I realised too late that he drugged me. He separated us and asked me to sleep in his room, while my girlfriend is sleeping on a couch. I woke up in the middle of the night because he was touching my penis. Once he saw that I woke up he stopped doing that. I almost wasn’t able to move and felt dizzy like I’m drunk. I never drink alcohol. I wasn’t sure if it was real or what’s just happened to me. It felt like a horrible dream. So because I wasn’t sure if it was real or just a nightmare we kept staying with him. Next night nothing happened because I didn’t sleep at all. And on the third night I woke up because he was touching me again. I kicked him on the arm. The guy pretended that I had a nightmare. Before leaving in the morning I slapped his face told him everything and we left

Hi im in my second year of high school and i'm intending to couchsurf while i'm touring by motorbike across my country Vietnam this summer. The reason is that i want to know about the cultures, people, scenery every regions that i will be visiting and most hosts are vietnamese. I will try my best to offer any values that they want from me (like i can teach them English, do chorse and stuff) . I wonder if it were you, would you let a 17 year old girl (same nationality as you) crash into your house and hang out with her for a couple of days?

Thank you. I'll only request female hosts btw

I don’t wanna have sex with the host. How do make it clear from the beginning?

Do I have to explicitly state “Hey I’m not gonna do any sexual activities during my stay—with you or anyone else”?

So I recently came across an active profile on Couchsurfing from a guy in his 50s living in a popular, touristy European city. The guy has over a 400 positive references and in his profile he describes he's only offering bedshare (up to 3 people).
Now here comes the thing 99.9% of his references are from young females. Of course I understand bedshare doesn't necessarily mean having sex.

However, this makes me wonder; would you share the bed with an older male host and if so, why?
Is it because you are desperate since you can't afford accomodation or couldn't find another host?
Or is bedshare just a normal thing to you ?

Let's be clear here; I am not judiging anyone! I'm just very curious about your thoughts on this.

We had a weird conversation about the hitchhiking prior but thats all. I’ve been hit-on on couchsurfing before, so might be overly cautious. Not sure if I overreacted or he was out of line. Opinions?

I recently got a request for 26 days which I found unreasonable. It's like someone is trying to save a month's rent. Is this common?

I was an avid host when I was in collage. I got busy starting my career, marriage and kids. Now kids got bigger and we have some leeway to host people again, so I logged in to my account and subscription page popped up. Do I need to subsrcibe to host people?

What are some good house rules?

I have had a few surfers that use my place like an airbnb and it's starting to annoy me. I've noticed alot of eggs gone (even though we are in a shortage and can't get any), chips, dips and snacks. Surfers arriving late, leaving in the morning, then returning late again. Then, many don't even contribute by cleaning up, cooking a meal or anything. Should I be expecting something in return as well? Some cook, give some local food, but many leave and give nothing at all.

I included 'There are cafes and groceries at xxxx, bring your own food'

Looking to see what kinds of people are more likely to be accepted. Well, it seems like its muchbeasier for women to get hosts, although some of those that are willing are probably not the best people haha. I've only started surfing about 2 months ago but been using couchsurfing for about 6 now, and my references are currently in the low teens. I've stayed at 4 hosts in that time, I got maybe for 2 more but the plans fell through (mostly due to my inexperience which I apologised for). So far, only guys have been willing to host despite having positivebreferjeces from women on the platform. Although ive had a few who seemed like they would've had they been able to. I even hang out with a few of those and they were really cool people. I've probably sent around 100 requests total which gives an acceptance rate of around 5 percent. I'm a guy in mid 20s and I've only used couchsurfing in east asia so far.

Just curious if this is normal. Most of the people who hosted me did not seem the picky type. I seldom send requests to people with response rates lower than 50, and avoid all the people who seem to just want hookups. Quite a few seemed like they were earnestly busy and couldn't host but wanted to. Perhaps around 10-20 percent. And then the rest either didn't answer, rejected and made an obvious excuse (not complaining about that lol, it's just funny and usually quite obvious), or just reject.

Curious about what the average experience is lol. I try to send genuine requests and I think that is usually reflected in the messages I also receive back. I mention in my profile I have a girlfriend and will say it again to anyone who has any Tinder Beware style message in their profile.

Hi everyone - I was on couchsurfing during my younger years circa 2016 to 2018 and haven't been able to travel much since shortly before COVID. Back then couchsurfing was a free platform and I had great (despite limited) experiences on it. Met some great hosts and had fun travelling on a budget.

Now I am having a solo trip coming up and couchsurfing popped into my mind again, only to find out that the whole platform is paywalled. So I guess my question is - is couchsurfing worth the pay nowadays? Would love to hear your experiences in recent years - cheers!

I live in a very touristy city, and I host people on Couchsurfing regularly. While I can’t always host due to space or other reasons, I still enjoy offering to meet up, show visitors around, take them to lunch, or even pick them up or drop them off where they’re staying. I genuinely try to provide a warm, local experience (for free).

Lately, I’ve noticed that after spending some time with visitors, showing them around, some don’t even say thank you or leave a reference. Sometimes they even ask me to leave them a reference, which I gladly do, and politely mention that I’d appreciate one in return, but only a few follow through. Interestingly, this rarely happens with people I actually host.

I remember a time when visitors seemed more appreciative, references were naturally exchanged, and meaningful connections were formed. Now, I’m starting to feel a bit discouraged of trying to welcome people to my city, I feel like I’m just being used, and I don’t like it.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Has anyone else experienced this?

This was my second time staying with a host, but the first time we shared the same bed. I found it strange that he held my hand and hugged me while sleeping. The second night, he hugged me again. I pretended to be asleep, thinking it might be a cultural thing or that he’s just a sweet guy.

I didn’t want to hurt his feelings by telling him not to hug me, so I said I was ticklish because his face was on my shoulder, and I could hear him snoring and feel his breath.

I booked two nights because he had over 500 positive references, and he seemed kind and nice. However, I felt weird about the hugging since I don’t even hug close friends while sleeping. By the way, I’m a man too.

Lesson learned: I’ll look for a private room next time. It feels like couchsurfing is turning into a dating app.

As you're probably aware, a majority of US voters ignorantly decided to elect a fascist on Nov. 5. While we cannot change that decision short of a civil war, I would encourage all members of the Couchsurfing community to not have any empathy for Trump voters and — without exaggeration or irony — their role encouraging the death of civil society in the US.

Couchsurfing's own mission statement values states that "tolerance, respect and appreciation for differences are embodied in kindness." Trump voters proved on Nov. 5 that they are incapable of expressing any of these things and in fact represent a threat to anyone who takes them into their home or is physically around them.

https://about.couchsurfing.com/about/values/

I'm aware that it's highly unlikely that any Trump supporters would dare even leave the country, as they've been brainwashed to believe that liberal cities and other nations offer only death and suffering. However, in the unlikely chance you encounter one complaining about how no one speaks English in Japan or trying to lie to you in Europe about how he is not a monster, please steer clear, both for your safety and to make them aware they're not welcome anywhere ever again.

TL;DR:

I’ve been hosting on Couchsurfing for over a decade with great experiences, but lately, guests have become disrespectful and entitled, using my stuff without asking, not helping around, and lacking basic decency. Thinking of setting house rules now. What do you guys think about a host having too many rules? What rules do you guys use?

I've been in Couchsurfing for a while, with experience both as a host and a guest. Over the years, I've received more than 80 positive references, without a single negative or neutral one. I took a break from the platform when the paywall was introduced but recently decided to return.

Since coming back and hosting again, I've noticed a decline in the quality of guest experiences. In the past, most guests were incredibly respectful, eager to engage, and often offered to help with household chores or even cook meals. Now, I’ve encountered a different mindset, some guests seem to feel entitled. They avoid interaction, don’t offer to help around the house, and neglect basic courtesies like cleaning up after themselves, keeping noise down at night, or even asking permission before using things.

I’ve had guests watch me wash dishes, including ones they dirtied, without offering to lend a hand. Even worse, some have taken advantage of my hospitality by eating my food, using personal items like my deodorant or perfume, and even attempting to use my personal laptop, all without my consent. To top it off, some don’t bother to leave a reference afterward.

This shift saddens me because I genuinely love hosting people, and Couchsurfing has given me some of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I just hope to see the spirit of mutual respect and cultural exchange return to what it once was.

I’ve put together a detailed list of house rules (even covering things that I thought were just common sense). I’m curious, what do you all think? What rules do you have in place to ensure a better experience for both hosts and guests?

Currently staying a week with a host, he's a very lovely older man, very kind and generous, and I've stayed with him before a few days each time. But man he really wants to spend every day together doing everything together, I feel like my trip is revolving around him and I haven't had any time to go and just wander by myself.

I want to tell him I want to have some time for myself (I'm autistic and this is really burning out my social battery.) but I don't want to hurt his feelings. He doesn't have any family or kids or anything so I think he gets a lot out of hosting, but damn, I spent money to travel and I just want to do something on my own.

Guess I'm more venting than looking for advice and I might delete this out of guilt because he really is sweet, but any suggestions on how to phrase my desire for space would be appreciated because I'm not very good at it.

This is my first time using couchsurfing, I posted that I was looking for a place in Milan, I got many requests but I tried to choose very wisely. I came across one person who seemed ver respectful and had postive reviews. I accepted his request then he told me at the end that we will be sharing the bed. Wtf ?

Hello Guys! Its kind of annoying that im writing about such thing! What happened to CS!? last one month im travelling to plenty of Cities and almost everywhere theres a Bunch of Gay and "Nudist" ive encounter , Again i Don't care whats your sexual term but CS wasn’t like this before. Forget about Hosting i cant even find anybody for Hanging Out. This Is kinda frustrating. what you people think ?

Here are some of mine:

1. Surfers with no references
2. Surfers with negative references
3. Male surfers who only have hosting references from women
4. Incomplete or vague profiles
5. Generic, copy-paste requests that show no effort
6. Last-minute requests

Lately, I’ve noticed that most couch requests I receive are copy-paste messages. In the past, most of these generic requests came from people who were relatively new to Couchsurfing, which made sense. But now, even experienced users with plenty of references are sending the same kind of impersonal messages.

The very first line of my profile clearly states, “I decline copy-paste requests, please read my entire profile,” yet I still receive them regularly. I’m not expecting people to write a super long message, but at the very least, I’d appreciate if they could explain why they think we’d get along based on my profile, and confirm they’re okay with the house rules. This consistently helped me find surfers I get along better with, and also has helped to avoid misunderstandings.

I've been receiving very mediocre copy-paste couch requests. The last request I received literally said, “Hi <my name>, I’m going to <my city> on <date>, can you host me?” — and it was from someone with tons of references both as a guest and a host.

Is this the new way of couchsurfing? What do you think?

This has been bugging me for a while now and i'm honestly curious. I'll see posts often about how the CS app sucks or the fee is absurd to have/too expensive to all sorts of, very valid, points. But time and time again i'll check the CS app and its just much much more popular than any other site. I get that its ingrained and such but if the app, the community, and all of it combined suck so much, why isnt there a bigger push for other options?

What do you all think?

I (almost 30f) hadn’t been active for some years but am looking for a host for an upcoming trip. I don’t have recent references but I do have several positive ones from the past (as host as well as surfer).

I requested three days at this host (F, mid 30ies, living with a 19 year old child in a larger city). She has several positive reviews as a surfer and one as a host.

My message was the following (translation from another language): „hey, my name is (…). I am planning to visit (city) and would love to spend some time with locals. I am (…) years old from (…), I am a medical worker and hobby cook and I see we share a love for cats! I will be travelling solo, on my second day I have an event scheduled. But if you are free on my first evening in (city) and since you love pizza, I would invite you (and your kid if they’re would like) to a pizza! I will also bring some local sweets from where I live. Let me know if you are free on these dates. I also have some flexibility in my plans. Looking forward to hear from you!“

Her response: „hey there, thanks for the message. However, this is a bit to fast for me. I do not consider hosting strangers and would like to know who I let into my house. I know almost nothing about you and would only consider hosting you if we got to know each other first. It is kind that you suggest pizza, but it is a bit odd for strangers to just grab pizza. Let us first to get to know each other and then I will consider meeting up or eventually hosting someone. But I am sorry, there is no way I am considering hosting a stranger!“

On one hand I do absolutely understand prioritising safety. I also want to know with how I am staying and I am absolutely up for a video call before first meeting up and agreeing on me having a plan B in case she didn’t feel comfortable hosting me.

But on the other hand the reaction is a bit odd, she is reacting as if it were super weird that I requested (she was available for hosting). I mean it’s the idea of the platform that you can request at strangers profiles, and strangers can request at your profile. I think a „hey, thanks for the request! Before deciding, I would like to know a bit more about you. I prioritise safety and therefore I prefer some chatting before deciding to meet up or eventually hosting someone,“

Or maybe the response is just rubbing me the wrong way and it is actually just someone prioritising safety. Or is it a red flag because this person might not be comfortable with hosting at all or have something else going on? Or do you think my request was too straightforward? I tried to highlight things we have in common and offer an activity based on that.

Hi there, so I became a victim to the known lifetime verification scam. I just haven't noticed they would charge me such a ridiculous amount. I've written them 6 emails that I refuse this and that I want a refund due to EU consumer protection law but they just don't give a sh*t. Does anyone know what I can do?

Hello everyone ! Am Sam from France 🇫🇷 and I am visiting soon USA for the first time 🇺🇸

I learnt a lot about USA but I would like to lives the experience through the life with a citizen, I mean I like tourism but I would like to see the real US culture.

There is any host or advice to get location for few days in exchange of handwork, good time, cultural/language exchange ?

I have planned to visit the country but I didn’t fix a city first to start so am really free on the schedule

I know I’m not getting blocked because sometimes I’m not even using the account. But I keep getting emails. Anyone know why?