I’ve read most people saying that 2-3 weeks is the best time to send a couchsurfing request.
So here’s the question, should you really wait till 2-3 weeks before your trip to start finding a host?
If you are traveling in a popular city, or if you already have a plan that is fixed by your air tickets, my logic tells me there’s no harm in getting in touch with hosts first. Why? If you don’t find a host 2-3 weeks before your trip, that’s a 0. But if you don’t find a host 2 months before your trip, that is a 0 with more hope and possibility. Yay!
So here’s my experience- My scenario was that I knew my dates so I knew exactly when I’d be in that city, and when I’d leave. Now it’s not always that perfect for backpackers who tend to have last minute changes, but well, for people who have a long trip once in a year, sometimes you do know your dates. So here’s what I experienced in getting confirmation from hosts:
- Stockholm- Got a host 80 days before my arrival. (2015)
- Copenhagen- Got a host 54 days before my arrival. (2015)
- Oslo- Got a host 56 days before my arrival. (2015)
- Reykjavik (Iceland)- Got a host 54 days before my arrival. (2015)
- Riga (Latvia)- Got a host 90 days before my arrival.'(2015)
- Vilnius (Lithuania)- Got a host 47 days before my arrival. (2015)
- Siaulial (Lithuania)- Got a host 51 days before my arrival. (2015)
- Jerusalem (Israel) -Got a host 53 days before my arrival. (2016)
- Maktesh Ramon (Israel)- Got a host 61 days before my arrival. (2016)
- Galilee (Israel)-Got a host 60 days before my arrival. (2016)
- Nazareth (Israel)- Got a host 64 days before my arrival. (2016)
- Rotterdam (Netherlands)- Got a host 73 days before my arrival. (2016)
- Heidelberg (Germany)-Got a host 83 days before my arrival. (2016)
Oh yes! You can see, the range is 47 to 90. With a mean of 61.7 days. That’s roughly, 2 months.
It means that for some people, they know their plans in an average of 2 months before my request dates. Of course there are people who prefer last minute requests, or requests not sent earlier than 2 weeks notice. But I’d say if you are looking for hosts who have family (children), keep in mind that their schedule isn’t that flexible. If they want to host you, it means they are actually putting you on their calendar, so yes, that 2 months is possible!
I hope my experience helps yours! Feel free to share yours with me 🙂
