It's not the first time I've heard of it, and probably won't be the last either. 'Couch Surfing' has become a worldwide trend for budget-conscious travellers, and those who have the urge to not only travel to new places, but meet the locals who live there as well.
Get this. You sign up on www.couchsurfing.org and create a profile. Add as much or as little info as you'd like, including whether or not you are willing to host someone 'on your couch'. Then search other profiles, according to the city and country, and get in contact with the hosts through the website.
Sound sketchy? It's surprisingly safe. Every profile is monitored and many are verified as well. Users can post reviews on profiles (positive and negative) which cannot be removed. So, if Sally flies out to Germany and Mr. Schnitzel's apartment is absolutely disgusting and he claims to live in the city centre but is really in a sketchy suburb... she can report it on his profile and he cannot remove it. Thus, informing all other surfers to stay away.
I think this is a great idea, because hostels can be overrated, and who REALLY wants to visit a foreign country but be surrounded by other random North Americans whose sole purpose there is to get drunk? With couch surfing, you get a chance to meet real locals, and experience what travel is all about- adventure and the unknown. I don't advise women traveling alone to do this. Although it may still be safe, most of the hosts are men (what I've come across so far) and it may not be in your comfort level to go ahead with that. But for people traveling in small groups, or in couples, it may just be the perfect way to save a few extra hundred dollars on your trip and potentially meet some interesting people.
Check out this article I found online about couch surfing: http://www.viennareview.net/story/02756-couchsurfing-world-free
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