Things You'll Need:
- internet access
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Step 1
Once you have your destination (or destinations) in mind, work your friend network! Situations like these are practically the reason online social networking was invented. Most people don’t mind hosting the friend of a friend for a night or two, so use that to your advantage. Tweet, wall-write or just casually post that you’re looking for a place to crash in XXXX Town, and see where it gets you.
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Step 2
Check with the ‘rents. Seriously…you may have cousins you’ve never heard of, in places you’re dying to see. Think Six Degrees of Separation – chances are, you have a million relatives, and relatives are notoriously good about hosting other family members. Family is family. Spending three nights with Aunt Tabatha and her seven cats might be a little slow, but if she’s hosting you for free, you get to use the money you would have spent on hotel/hostel accommodations on having a great time all day. Plus, if your relative turns out to be awesome, you’ll get the dirt on all your other family members. Sweet!
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Step 3
If you’ve got a few days before you’re arriving at your destination or are feeling lucky, try Globalfreeloaders.com. It’s a website dedicated to the notion of mutual crashing: You offer your place as a potential place for weary travelers to stay when they’re in your neck of the woods, and you then gain access to a massive database of people willing to host you when you’re in their city. Couchsurfing.org works in a similar way, though you’ll have less luck using this community if you haven’t been vouched for.
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Step 4
Broker a deal with a hotel or hostel manager. You’ll probably have a lot more luck trying this at a Mom and Pop-run place, instead of a chain, but if you’re desperate, you’re desperate. Let it show! Maybe you have an amazing talent for karaoke, you play the piano like Glen Gould, or you’re a budding magician – offer to do a floor show in exchange for a night’s sleep. If you can bounce a quarter off your sheets at home, or scrub a floor till you could eat off it, now’s the time to mention it!
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Step 5
Know the laws about staying outside or camping before you leave. In New Zealand, it’s perfectly legal to sleep overnight on certain beaches. In Australia, it’ll likely get you fined. And in the US, sometimes you may not even be able to stay in a local park after it gets dark.
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Step 6
Be the pathetic foreigner. Do-gooders are all around, believe it or not. If you’re tired and cold and have nowhere to go, try a church. They may be able to direct you to a place you can stay, or to a family who can help you. If you try this however, remember that there’s a HUGE karmic difference between trying to save some money so you can play more, and literally having no means to pay for a night’s stay. So don’t try this unless you’re desperate, broke and totally miserable.
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Step 7
If all else fails and you’re truly stuck, try a 24-hour restaurant or take the all-night bus routes. You won’t get much sleep, but you’ll be able to sit down and relax for awhile while planning your next move. Stay out of parks, however, and be extremely cautions bunking down anywhere exposed – this goes double if you’re a woman!
