Clark Howard's Tips

CouchSurfing.com may appeal to low-budget travelers

Feburary 4, 2008

It's been 28 years since Clark checked in a suitcase when he was traveling on a plane. That was 1979. Clark doesn't like the process of watching the carousel go 'round and 'round and hoping to see your bag.

He was recently on a flight where the attendant had a sense of humor and announced, "You can claim your bags on carousel whatever and they should be there by tomorrow."

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Clark is not thrifty, he's cheap. But there are some lines he won't cross. For example, he will not bunk with a stranger he's never met. Yet his responsibility on this show is to bring you ideas to save you money. So if the shoe fits, wear it.

CouchSurfing.com is a site that allows people to meet others around the world and stay at their homes. It's like crashing at a friend's pad, but you don't know the friend! This site -- with its MySpace-like interface -- makes hostels seem expensive. Clark admits he wouldn't have done this even in his young, mostly broke days.

Show staffers Joel and Kim have been having animated discussions about the possible dangers of CouchSurfing.com. Joel says he has stayed with people he didn't know before, but he didn't meet them through CouchSurfing.com. He does, however, tentatively have plans to try out this site and see how the experience goes.

Kim, meanwhile, found an article on ABC News that reports CouchSurfing.com has been around for 5 years and only had one minor safety incident in all that time. While it is not a dating site, the article also reports that there is one known baby that's come about as a result of a CouchSurfing.com connection.

More Clark Howard Travel Tips Hotels deals, baggage warning for travelers  Frequent flyer miles an increasingly bad option  Travel deals still available  Cruise crime remains a persistent problem  CouchSurfing.com may appeal to low-budget travelers  Travel substitution the key to cheap international vacations  Hotels offering gas incentives  Bolt Bus, Mega Bus offer bus travel on the cheap  Slow economy, soft travel means globe-trotting deals  Orbitz responds to complaint  Full list