People can travel without much money by staying in other people's house Sometimes the travelers may sleep for a few nights on other people's couch (沙发) for free. This way of travelling is called couch surfing.
Couch Surfing.org is an organization that connects travelers all around the world. Members of it can find a place to stay when they travel or share their homes and hometowns with travelers from other places. In this way strangers can help strangers in order to make the world a better place.
The organization has millions of members in 238 different countries and it has changed the way of travel forever. Jamie from Australia has traveled in this way all over the world. "When I travelled before, I used to find a cheap hotel to save money, now I stay in really nice houses and apartments. But the best thing isn't the free-living condition, it's the people you meet. A couch surfing host will usually cook you a meal which helps break the ice. Then they'll often introduce you to their friends and take you to the places they enjoy: Couch surfing allows you to experience a country and its culture."
Why do people agree to let a stranger sleep on their couch? Delphine, an experienced host from Paris, has an answer. "They say that money makes the world go round but I try to help people go round the world without much money!" she says with a smile. So far she has received more than 100 travelers. "I enjoy meeting people from different cultures and I've made friends from all over the world," says Delphine, who is also a professional cook. "And of course, I like sharing French food with them. Usually, my guests love trying it but I've had problems sometimes. Once I cooked roast lamb for a guest but unfortunately, when she got here, she told me she was only used to eating vegetables!"
The idea of travelling the world for free has even been made into a TV series. Alex and Zsolt from the US set out with no money at all. They relied on social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter to ask for help. They say, "wherever we went we were always provided with food. All over the world, food is a common bond." They travelled sixteen different countries and the results were turned into the TV show Around the World for Free.
