Remember my last post about when the worst time is to send a coucusurfing request?
Now I have to tell you for sure that…..
2 weeks before your arrival is a really really bad time to send out a request, especially if it is summer.
Why? Because it makes a lot of sense. Other people are also traveling. And your hosts probably are traveling too, and if they are staying at home and hosting, trust me, they have got other requests months ago. Why would they accept your last minute request?
My host in Oslo who accepted my request 2 months before my arrival sent me a bad news 2 weeks before I went to Oslo. And I had to find a new host in 2 weeks. And well, I sent out about 15 requests, but those potential hosts were
1. Busy with other plans
2. Already hosting someone at the same time
(or you can read my post Why you can’t find a Couchsurfing Host?)
I got declined messages again and again. And eventually we went camping in Oslo.
If you are just one or two people, maybe you can find a host in 2 weeks. From my experience I have to look for a host who can host 3-4 people, and hence it takes more commitment for my potential hosts to agree to host.
So, if you are also traveling as 3 or 4, try to send out requests 2 months in advance.
Now I can tell you there is a chance that your host can have last minute emergency, but I also had 6 hosts who still hosted me as planned. It is actually easier for the hosts to plan ahead than to make last minute arrangements for guests.
- My host in Sweden had water problem one day before my arrival, she sent me a message explaining the situation and also telling me the problem may not be fixed before I arrive. And she asked me if I would still be willing to stay in her house in a polite way (and that she was still looking forward to host us). We still went, and she went to the city center to pick us up. The water problem was fixed the day we arrived. There was no problem and we had a great time with our host.
- My other host in Latvia had to go to a rehabilitation program in another city. And she was traveling to another country a few days after we left. She did not tell us about this until we arrived and were relaxed. She wasn’t there the last day we stayed at her house (she went back to another city) and her family took care of us. I didn’t know she was going through so much trouble just to host us. And I am really….. thankful.
- And my host in Copenhagen also had a last minute emergency. She had to work in another city and she would only come back the night we arrived. And her husband just came back from the hospital. Even in this scenario she said she was still looking forward to meet us. We had a great time with her and her family. And she had not have couch surfers for about 2 years because she was busy with her life.
So, I have to say this, from experience a lot of people make the effort to host. They are not hosting just because they are tired or bored with their lives, or because they wanted company or inspiration. No. Actually a lot of people do it out of generosity and hospitality.
For these good host, they do have plans and their own lives. Of course it depends on how many you are, but if it is summer and you are 4 people, it is difficult to accept to host under less than 2 weeks’ notice.
Traveling Mega
