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Keith McCord reportingThe summer vacation season will soon be here, and if you're planning an out-of-town trip someplace, you're probably going to stay in a hotel. That can get pricey, depending on where you go. But what if we told you that you can bed down for free almost anywhere in the world?
Meet Peter and Thi-ly Hayes of Salt Lake. They are part of a huge, worldwide network of people who offer their couches to complete strangers -- people on vacation whose idea of accommodations does not include a hotel room. They call themselves "couch surfers."
Peter says, "And when we open our home, we're opening it to like-minded people who are trusting you, you trust them, we give them a key."
Peter and Thi-ly have offered their couch, with a great backyard view, at no charge, to nearly three-dozen travelers over the past three years. It's all arranged on the Web site couchsurfing.com.
There are people in more than 220 countries who are offering free couches for a night or two. Before you travel, you click on a potential host's profile, see what they look like and learn about their interests and backgrounds. Some even show the couch you'll be sleeping on.
"We actually stayed at a wonderful beach house in Florida -- five days, Cocoa Beach, no charge," Thi-ly said.
The couch surfing project was launched in 2003 and today has more than a half-million members participating. And it's not just about a free place to stay; the Hayes' say it's more about creating new and long-lasting friendships.
"We're getting great international cultural experiences. We have people who come here and cook meals from their country, give us gifts from their country, share stories," Peter said.
Thi-ly said, "I think that's really the best part of it for us, and it's a benefit for them as well. It's a win-win."
The most popular couch surfing cities are: Paris, London, Montreal, Berlin and Vienna. Nearly 50 percent of the "surfers" are between the ages of 18 and 24. And, even though it's called couch surfing, many hosts put their guests in a spare bedroom.
