If you ever wondered what it’s like being the owner of a hostel, this is your chance to experience all the cultural exchanges that are going to happen in the comfort of your own home. Basically, you create a website on Couchsurfing, then do your homework and make sure your couchsurfers are trustworthy before you welcome them into your home with an open mind. You then provide the couchsurfers with a couch or spare mattress to sleep on.

If you’re not that adventurous, Couchsurfing gives you the option of hosting couchsurfers just for a drink or a meal - still allowing you to meet people from all over the world without the risk of inviting them into your home.

Read about our writer Cherie's couchsurfing experience here, where she spent just $200 on accommodation over 2 months travelling across Europe.