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Travel Cheaply: Join a Homestay Group

Find Free or Low Cost Lodging and New Friends

Apr 10, 2009 Judith Wylie

Travelers can save money and meet congenial people, too, by joining organizations which arrange bookings in spare rooms of members' homes.

There are several home stay organizations that help travelers make real connections with people who live in the places they are visiting, boosting global understanding. Here are three of the best:

The Evergreen Club Helps Seniors Make Connections and Stay With All the Comforts of Home

The Evergreen Club is for travelers over 50 who like to get to know people when they travel. Guests stay in no-longer-needed guest rooms, and enjoy breakfast and conversation with their hosts. Sometimes the host has time to take them around to see the sights, depending on their availability. The Evergreen network has hundreds of lodgings in members' private homes, most in the U.S. or Canada. After becoming a member, travelers can arrange for stays with other members and pay as little as $15 per person or under $25 per day for two.

Servas is an Organization Dedicated to Making Meaningful Connections For Travelers

Servas is a world peace organization that interviews applicants before permitting them to become members. One applies to a regional coordinator. Check the Web site for the coordinator in your region. A member can become a hosting member or traveling member or both. When a trip is planned, the traveling member requests a membership list for the destination region, then writes and arranges a stay directly. Guests are expected to stay a minimum of two days in order to get to know the host. Some hosts guide guests to local sights, others offer only lodging. The membership list offers descriptions of each home and the host's background. profession, and availability. There is no fee for a stay.

Places2Stay.net is a Hip Way to Find Free Lodging Worldwide

This Web site, www.places2stay.net, is a mobile organization that promotes a worldwde network of free private accommodation and exchange of lodging for travelers. The home stays are offered all over the world, and can range from one spare bed to one room, to a whole house or flat. Travelers must register on the site to find hosts in preferred locations, but there is no fee to register. There is also no fee for staying in these homes. It is hoped that travelers will also host, but it is not required. One can decide if the host is compatible by chatting with them in the site's chat room and by reading the posts of previous travelers on the forum. It is possible to try out the site without registering by following the online directions. Pick a country and see sample host listings.

The copyright of the article Travel Cheaply: Join a Homestay Group in W Europe Travel is owned by Judith Wylie. Permission to republish Travel Cheaply: Join a Homestay Group in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Travelers often stay in a family's guest room