A Brief Guide To Hospitality Exchange Websites
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

A Brief Guide To Hospitality Exchange Websites

If you've ever wanted to travel the world for free, check out these five best websites for hospitality exchange.

127
A Brief Guide To Hospitality Exchange Websites

As a college student and/or young person just figuring out just how big and magnificent the world is, it is absolutely necessary to gain some overseas life experience. Many students decide to travel abroad, but not all can afford international travel; especially with the rising worries about debt and whether or not your degree is worth it. College life is definitely full of nerve-wracking doubts.

The sites below are meant to offer experience abroad – in exchange for free accommodation, you offer some volunteer work. Listed are a few key features along with pros and cons to each service.

1. http://www.staydu.com

“Stay it your way – choose the type of your stay. You and your host decide. Staydu is the best way to experience cultural exchange. It allows you to become a part of a foreign culture. Using Staydu is more than just being a tourist.”

This site allows you to search for places to crash for free, places to volunteer, and places to stay for a fee. There aren't many cons to using Staydu, but it is a rather small community, you can't filter for hosts, and you can either pay for membership privileges or do activities in the community to get started.

2. http://www.globalfreeloaders.com

“GlobalFreeloaders.com is an online community, bringing people together to offer you free accommodation all over the world. Save money and make new friends whilst seeing the world from a local's perspective!”

This site has a terrible layout, but when it comes down to finding hosts, it is efficient and saves time. One major flaw of GlobalFreeloaders is their plethora of inactive community members.

3. http://www.hospitalityclub.com

“The club is supported by volunteers who believe in one idea: by bringing travelers in touch with people in the place they visit, and by giving 'locals' a chance to meet people from other cultures we can increase intercultural understanding and strengthen the peace on our planet.”

HospitalityClub has an engaged community and active hosts and is quite easy to use.

4. http://www.wwoof.net

“WWOOF is a worldwide movement linking volunteers with organic farmers and growers to promote cultural and educational experiences based on trust and non-monetary exchange, thereby helping to build a sustainable, global community.”

This website offers a unique and nature-based experience for people who don't necessarily want to spend their time abroad in packed cities. It is for a good cause and one of the best movements for cultural experience.

5. http://www.couchsurfing.com

“Couchsurfing is a service that connects members to a global community of travelers. Use Couchsurfing to find a place to stay or share you home and hometown with travelers. Couchsurfers organize regular events in 200,000 cities around the world. There's always something to do and new friends to meet.”

Of course, Couchsurfing is an option. The site is easy to use and you can filter hosts by a number of criteria. It is also convenient in its option to search by map. Because there is such a large community on Couchsurfing, it may be difficult to find hosts, but this service offers events, meet-ups, and rides as well as finding free places to stay.



Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

12009
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

943323
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

120841
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lots of people sat on the cinema wearing 3D glasses
Pinterest

Ever wonder what your friend meant when they started babbling about you taking their stapler? Or how whenever you ask your friend for a favor they respond with "As You Wish?" Are you looking for new and creative ways to insult your friends?

Well, look no further. Here is a list of 70 of the most quotable movies of all time. Here you will find answers to your questions along with a multitude of other things such as; new insults for your friends, interesting characters, fantastic story lines, and of course quotes to log into your mind for future use.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments