Travel Hosting Options

International travel can be an exciting and educational adventure for people of all ages. But with the cost of hotel rooms, airfare, food and other travel-related expenses, vacations may be out of reach for the budget-conscious traveler.
 
Luckily, there is another way to experience the joy of travel while meeting new people and saving money: travel hosting.

How Does Travel Hosting Work?

The Travel Hosting Forums section of TravelHosting.org allows travelers to exchange information and itineraries on the Internet. For example, a traveler planning to go to London can browse the TravelHosting.org forums and find someone who lives there and is willing to show them around the city. You may even find someone who is willing to host one or more guests and offer free accommodations!
 
It's up to the host to decide what kind of accommodations they will offer and how much time they can spend with their guests. The guests can then choose their hosts based on the offered accommodations. TravelHosting.org community members can indicate their travel plans and goals, food preferences, whether they will be traveling with children and other likes and dislikes.

Travel Hosting Accommodations

The accommodations hosts choose to offer can be as simple as a floor where the traveler can lay his sleeping bag or as deluxe as a private room with kitchen privileges and private tours around town. Or, a host can simply offer his time to the travelers.
 
For example, the host may offer a place to sleep and directions to the bus station. Or, he may want to show his guests the city's best restaurants. This kind of informal tour can save the traveler tons of money and give him an insider's look at a new city.
 
The hosts can help the guests find places that may not be in the typical visitor's guides. Whether your interests involve sampling local cuisine or listening to jazz bands in small clubs, travel hosting can help you make connections with likeminded people.

Travel Hosting and Social Networking

Travel hosting is a great way to experience new cultures and meet new people through social networking. In 1985, Mike Amanuel hosted his first international visitor, a woman he met while traveling in New Zealand. Since then, he's hosted a steady stream of visitors, many of whom have become lifelong friends.
 
Not only has Mike hosted travelers, but people have also hosted him in other countries. On a trip to Britain, he even met his future son-in-law while golfing with a group of locals!
 
Through travel hosting, Mike has spent years making friends all over the world. He has connected with many cultures and has helped people get to know his country as well. What started out as budget travel evolved into a tight social networking group.

Travel Hosting in the Internet Age

In the age of the Internet, making connections with other likeminded travelers and participating in travel hosting is easier than ever. By using a moderated Web site travelers can find friends all over the world.
 
Travel hosting can provide so much more than just a warm bed. It allows you to practice budget travel while also providing a lifetime of memories, good friends and the chance to truly experience another culture.