No, I'm not suggesting you let any old Tom, Dick or Harriet kip on your rickety old settee, living room floor or spare bed. I'm referring to the venerable act of Couchsurfing, an online hospitality exchange that helps world-weary travellers find a place to sleep for free.
Couchsurfing is the brainchild of Casey Fenton, a 30-year-old computer programmer, who came up with the idea while planning a visit to Iceland.
With little or no money, he needed to find somewhere cheap to stay, so he emailed 1500 students at the University of Iceland asking if anyone could put him up for a couple of nights.
Within 24 hours, he'd received more than 50 offers of free accommodation and, after a successful trip, he decided to set up a website for likeminded travellers wanting to replicate the experience.
Five years later and
www.couchsurfing.com has more than 900,000 members worldwide in 231 countries with thousands more joining each week. The idea is simplicity itself: you log onto the website, create a profile, choose where you want to go and then request accommodation from potential hosts who live in the area.
If all goes well, you'll receive a number of offers of a place to stay for free. It really couldn't be any easier and is a great way to see the world without being saddled with expensive hotel bills. And, as an added bonus, you'll get a unique insight into the life of your host and the city he or she lives in.
It all sounds absolutely brilliant, if you ask me, and a great way to facilitate cultural exchanges and save a bit of money on pricey accommodation.
I might not fancy sleeping on someone else's couch these days, but I'm certainly going to put my name down as a host.
