Trustroots Wiki - User contributions [en]

User:Ashuri

2014-12-26T20:56:57Z

Ashuri:

== Profiles ==

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=CJ1OA6K Profile on CouchSurfing]

[[bw:people/AshleyHolding|Profile on BeWelcome]]

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-13T17:39:29Z

Ashuri: /* Step 4: */

This is a step-by-step guide aimed at beginners and first-time users of [[CouchSurfing]]. In this guide we will show you how to search for a [[couch]], or a place to stay with a [[host]] on the [[CouchSurfing]] [[hospitality exchange]] network.

== Step 1: Fill out your Profile. ==

Fill out your [[Couchsurfing profile]]. Tell your potential host who you are, and what you are about! Write about your interests, your experiences, and your motivations. It doesn't have to be an essay - the important thing is to give it a try. Upload a profile picture, preferably one which shows your face. '''You are unlikely to find a place to stay without a fully filled in profile page.''' If you need more information, see [[How to fill out your profile]].

== Step 2: Where would you like to go? ==

* At the top of every page you will should find a '''search bar''' with the words '''"Where would you like to go?"'''.
* Type your destination into the search bar, then click '''Surf''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* In this example we have used [[Paris]], France as an example.

[[File:Where_would_you_like_to_go.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]
[[File:Searching_for_paris.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]

== Step 3: Find a place to stay ==

===The CORRECT way ✔===

* Searching for your destination takes you to the [[place page]] associated with your destination. In this example, we are taken to the [[place page]] for the [[Paris]] area.
* At the top of the [[place page]] for your destination you will find a box with the text '''Find a place to stay for [ ] traveler(s)'''

[[File:Find_a_place_to_stay.PNG |alt=Find a place to stay|Find a place to stay]]

* Select the number of people that require a place to stay and click '''Go!''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* You will be taken to the [[Couch search results page]].

===The WRONG way ✘===

* The [[place page]] also acts as a hub for the local community. To the bottom of the '''Find a place to stay''' section is the [[conversations]] section.
* The conversations section is a '''public forum''' where locals and travellers can discuss the local area, for example, to arrange meetups or discuss events that may be happening.
* '''Do not post a [[request]] for a [[couch]] in this section.'''

[[File:Conversations_no.png |alt=Don't do this|Don't do this]]

* For more details see [[community guidelines]].
* ''Why?'' '''Safety''': by posting in a public forum, you are inviting strangers to contact you.
* ''Why?'' '''Simple courtesy''': it is more polite to ask people directly for their hospitality. You will be more successful finding a place to stay through personalized messages.
* ''Why?'' '''Spam''': Thousands of people are looking for hosts. Filling up the [[conversations]] forum prevents the local community from using the forum for legitimate uses.
* ''If you still decide to go ahead'': your post will most likely be [[flagging|flagged]] and then '''deleted'''.

== Step 4: ==

* You now arrive at the [[Couch search page]]. Here you can browse the available [[host]]s, and click through to visit their [[CouchSurfing profile|profiles]].
* This is the most important part of your search. Look through the list of available hosts and decide who you would like to stay with.

* A brown couch (right of the username) symbolises that the member has a [[couch]] available.
* You can use the '''filters''' (bottom left corner) and the '''sort these people by:''' menu (top) to further refine your search.
* Visit the profile of a potential [[host]] and '''read their profile thoroughly'''.

[[File:Surf_results_annotated.png|alt=Couch search results page|Couch search results page]]

== Step 5: Read a profile! ==

== Step 6: Send a Couch Request ==

== Step 7: ==

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Beginners]]

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-13T17:39:11Z

Ashuri: /* Step 4: */

This is a step-by-step guide aimed at beginners and first-time users of [[CouchSurfing]]. In this guide we will show you how to search for a [[couch]], or a place to stay with a [[host]] on the [[CouchSurfing]] [[hospitality exchange]] network.

== Step 1: Fill out your Profile. ==

Fill out your [[Couchsurfing profile]]. Tell your potential host who you are, and what you are about! Write about your interests, your experiences, and your motivations. It doesn't have to be an essay - the important thing is to give it a try. Upload a profile picture, preferably one which shows your face. '''You are unlikely to find a place to stay without a fully filled in profile page.''' If you need more information, see [[How to fill out your profile]].

== Step 2: Where would you like to go? ==

* At the top of every page you will should find a '''search bar''' with the words '''"Where would you like to go?"'''.
* Type your destination into the search bar, then click '''Surf''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* In this example we have used [[Paris]], France as an example.

[[File:Where_would_you_like_to_go.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]
[[File:Searching_for_paris.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]

== Step 3: Find a place to stay ==

===The CORRECT way ✔===

* Searching for your destination takes you to the [[place page]] associated with your destination. In this example, we are taken to the [[place page]] for the [[Paris]] area.
* At the top of the [[place page]] for your destination you will find a box with the text '''Find a place to stay for [ ] traveler(s)'''

[[File:Find_a_place_to_stay.PNG |alt=Find a place to stay|Find a place to stay]]

* Select the number of people that require a place to stay and click '''Go!''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* You will be taken to the [[Couch search results page]].

===The WRONG way ✘===

* The [[place page]] also acts as a hub for the local community. To the bottom of the '''Find a place to stay''' section is the [[conversations]] section.
* The conversations section is a '''public forum''' where locals and travellers can discuss the local area, for example, to arrange meetups or discuss events that may be happening.
* '''Do not post a [[request]] for a [[couch]] in this section.'''

[[File:Conversations_no.png |alt=Don't do this|Don't do this]]

* For more details see [[community guidelines]].
* ''Why?'' '''Safety''': by posting in a public forum, you are inviting strangers to contact you.
* ''Why?'' '''Simple courtesy''': it is more polite to ask people directly for their hospitality. You will be more successful finding a place to stay through personalized messages.
* ''Why?'' '''Spam''': Thousands of people are looking for hosts. Filling up the [[conversations]] forum prevents the local community from using the forum for legitimate uses.
* ''If you still decide to go ahead'': your post will most likely be [[flagging|flagged]] and then '''deleted'''.

== Step 4: ==

* You now arrive at the [[Couch search page]]. Here you can browse the available [[host]]s, and click through to visit their [[CouchSurfing profile|profiles]].
* This is the most important part of your search. Look through the list of available hosts and decide who you would like to stay with.

* A brown couch symbolises that the member has a [[couch]] available.
* You can use the '''filters''' (bottom left corner) and the '''sort these people by:''' menu (top) to further refine your search.
* Visit the profile of a potential [[host]] and '''read their profile thoroughly'''.

[[File:Surf_results_annotated.png|alt=Couch search results page|Couch search results page]]

== Step 5: Read a profile! ==

== Step 6: Send a Couch Request ==

== Step 7: ==

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Beginners]]

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-13T17:37:23Z

Ashuri: /* Step 1: Fill out your Profile. */

This is a step-by-step guide aimed at beginners and first-time users of [[CouchSurfing]]. In this guide we will show you how to search for a [[couch]], or a place to stay with a [[host]] on the [[CouchSurfing]] [[hospitality exchange]] network.

== Step 1: Fill out your Profile. ==

Fill out your [[Couchsurfing profile]]. Tell your potential host who you are, and what you are about! Write about your interests, your experiences, and your motivations. It doesn't have to be an essay - the important thing is to give it a try. Upload a profile picture, preferably one which shows your face. '''You are unlikely to find a place to stay without a fully filled in profile page.''' If you need more information, see [[How to fill out your profile]].

== Step 2: Where would you like to go? ==

* At the top of every page you will should find a '''search bar''' with the words '''"Where would you like to go?"'''.
* Type your destination into the search bar, then click '''Surf''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* In this example we have used [[Paris]], France as an example.

[[File:Where_would_you_like_to_go.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]
[[File:Searching_for_paris.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]

== Step 3: Find a place to stay ==

===The CORRECT way ✔===

* Searching for your destination takes you to the [[place page]] associated with your destination. In this example, we are taken to the [[place page]] for the [[Paris]] area.
* At the top of the [[place page]] for your destination you will find a box with the text '''Find a place to stay for [ ] traveler(s)'''

[[File:Find_a_place_to_stay.PNG |alt=Find a place to stay|Find a place to stay]]

* Select the number of people that require a place to stay and click '''Go!''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* You will be taken to the [[Couch search results page]].

===The WRONG way ✘===

* The [[place page]] also acts as a hub for the local community. To the bottom of the '''Find a place to stay''' section is the [[conversations]] section.
* The conversations section is a '''public forum''' where locals and travellers can discuss the local area, for example, to arrange meetups or discuss events that may be happening.
* '''Do not post a [[request]] for a [[couch]] in this section.'''

[[File:Conversations_no.png |alt=Don't do this|Don't do this]]

* For more details see [[community guidelines]].
* ''Why?'' '''Safety''': by posting in a public forum, you are inviting strangers to contact you.
* ''Why?'' '''Simple courtesy''': it is more polite to ask people directly for their hospitality. You will be more successful finding a place to stay through personalized messages.
* ''Why?'' '''Spam''': Thousands of people are looking for hosts. Filling up the [[conversations]] forum prevents the local community from using the forum for legitimate uses.
* ''If you still decide to go ahead'': your post will most likely be [[flagging|flagged]] and then '''deleted'''.

== Step 4: ==

* You now arrive at the [[Couch search page]]. Here you can browse the available [[host]]s, and click through to visit their [[CouchSurfing profile|profiles]].
* This is the most important part of your search. Look through the list of available hosts and decide who you would like to stay with.
* You can use the '''filters''' (bottom left) and the '''sort these people by:''' menus to further refine your search. [[Couchsurfing profile page|Click here for more detailed information]] .
* Visit the profile of a potential [[host]] and '''read their profile thoroughly'''.

[[File:Surf_results_annotated.png|alt=Couch search results page|Couch search results page]]

== Step 5: Read a profile! ==

== Step 6: Send a Couch Request ==

== Step 7: ==

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Beginners]]

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-13T17:36:55Z

Ashuri: /* Step 1: Fill out your Profile. */

This is a step-by-step guide aimed at beginners and first-time users of [[CouchSurfing]]. In this guide we will show you how to search for a [[couch]], or a place to stay with a [[host]] on the [[CouchSurfing]] [[hospitality exchange]] network.

== Step 1: Fill out your Profile. ==

Fill out your [[Couchsurfing profile]]. Tell your potential host who you are, and what you are about! Write about your interests, your experiences, and your motivations. It doesn't have to be an essay - the important thing is to give it a try. Upload a profile picture, preferably one which shows your face. '''You are unlikely to find a place to stay without a fully filled in profile page.''' If you need more information, see [[How_to_fill_out_your_profile]].

== Step 2: Where would you like to go? ==

* At the top of every page you will should find a '''search bar''' with the words '''"Where would you like to go?"'''.
* Type your destination into the search bar, then click '''Surf''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* In this example we have used [[Paris]], France as an example.

[[File:Where_would_you_like_to_go.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]
[[File:Searching_for_paris.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]

== Step 3: Find a place to stay ==

===The CORRECT way ✔===

* Searching for your destination takes you to the [[place page]] associated with your destination. In this example, we are taken to the [[place page]] for the [[Paris]] area.
* At the top of the [[place page]] for your destination you will find a box with the text '''Find a place to stay for [ ] traveler(s)'''

[[File:Find_a_place_to_stay.PNG |alt=Find a place to stay|Find a place to stay]]

* Select the number of people that require a place to stay and click '''Go!''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* You will be taken to the [[Couch search results page]].

===The WRONG way ✘===

* The [[place page]] also acts as a hub for the local community. To the bottom of the '''Find a place to stay''' section is the [[conversations]] section.
* The conversations section is a '''public forum''' where locals and travellers can discuss the local area, for example, to arrange meetups or discuss events that may be happening.
* '''Do not post a [[request]] for a [[couch]] in this section.'''

[[File:Conversations_no.png |alt=Don't do this|Don't do this]]

* For more details see [[community guidelines]].
* ''Why?'' '''Safety''': by posting in a public forum, you are inviting strangers to contact you.
* ''Why?'' '''Simple courtesy''': it is more polite to ask people directly for their hospitality. You will be more successful finding a place to stay through personalized messages.
* ''Why?'' '''Spam''': Thousands of people are looking for hosts. Filling up the [[conversations]] forum prevents the local community from using the forum for legitimate uses.
* ''If you still decide to go ahead'': your post will most likely be [[flagging|flagged]] and then '''deleted'''.

== Step 4: ==

* You now arrive at the [[Couch search page]]. Here you can browse the available [[host]]s, and click through to visit their [[CouchSurfing profile|profiles]].
* This is the most important part of your search. Look through the list of available hosts and decide who you would like to stay with.
* You can use the '''filters''' (bottom left) and the '''sort these people by:''' menus to further refine your search. [[Couchsurfing profile page|Click here for more detailed information]] .
* Visit the profile of a potential [[host]] and '''read their profile thoroughly'''.

[[File:Surf_results_annotated.png|alt=Couch search results page|Couch search results page]]

== Step 5: Read a profile! ==

== Step 6: Send a Couch Request ==

== Step 7: ==

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Beginners]]

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-13T17:36:16Z

Ashuri: /* Step 1: Fill out your Profile. */

This is a step-by-step guide aimed at beginners and first-time users of [[CouchSurfing]]. In this guide we will show you how to search for a [[couch]], or a place to stay with a [[host]] on the [[CouchSurfing]] [[hospitality exchange]] network.

== Step 1: Fill out your Profile. ==

Fill out your [[Couchsurfing profile]]. Tell your potential host who you are, and what you are about! Write about your interests, your experiences, and your motivations. It doesn't have to be an essay - the important thing is to give it a try. Upload a profile picture, preferably one which shows your face. '''You are unlikely to find a place to stay without a fully filled in profile page.''' If you need more information, see [[Couchsurfing profile]].

== Step 2: Where would you like to go? ==

* At the top of every page you will should find a '''search bar''' with the words '''"Where would you like to go?"'''.
* Type your destination into the search bar, then click '''Surf''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* In this example we have used [[Paris]], France as an example.

[[File:Where_would_you_like_to_go.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]
[[File:Searching_for_paris.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]

== Step 3: Find a place to stay ==

===The CORRECT way ✔===

* Searching for your destination takes you to the [[place page]] associated with your destination. In this example, we are taken to the [[place page]] for the [[Paris]] area.
* At the top of the [[place page]] for your destination you will find a box with the text '''Find a place to stay for [ ] traveler(s)'''

[[File:Find_a_place_to_stay.PNG |alt=Find a place to stay|Find a place to stay]]

* Select the number of people that require a place to stay and click '''Go!''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* You will be taken to the [[Couch search results page]].

===The WRONG way ✘===

* The [[place page]] also acts as a hub for the local community. To the bottom of the '''Find a place to stay''' section is the [[conversations]] section.
* The conversations section is a '''public forum''' where locals and travellers can discuss the local area, for example, to arrange meetups or discuss events that may be happening.
* '''Do not post a [[request]] for a [[couch]] in this section.'''

[[File:Conversations_no.png |alt=Don't do this|Don't do this]]

* For more details see [[community guidelines]].
* ''Why?'' '''Safety''': by posting in a public forum, you are inviting strangers to contact you.
* ''Why?'' '''Simple courtesy''': it is more polite to ask people directly for their hospitality. You will be more successful finding a place to stay through personalized messages.
* ''Why?'' '''Spam''': Thousands of people are looking for hosts. Filling up the [[conversations]] forum prevents the local community from using the forum for legitimate uses.
* ''If you still decide to go ahead'': your post will most likely be [[flagging|flagged]] and then '''deleted'''.

== Step 4: ==

* You now arrive at the [[Couch search page]]. Here you can browse the available [[host]]s, and click through to visit their [[CouchSurfing profile|profiles]].
* This is the most important part of your search. Look through the list of available hosts and decide who you would like to stay with.
* You can use the '''filters''' (bottom left) and the '''sort these people by:''' menus to further refine your search. [[Couchsurfing profile page|Click here for more detailed information]] .
* Visit the profile of a potential [[host]] and '''read their profile thoroughly'''.

[[File:Surf_results_annotated.png|alt=Couch search results page|Couch search results page]]

== Step 5: Read a profile! ==

== Step 6: Send a Couch Request ==

== Step 7: ==

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Beginners]]

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-13T17:32:59Z

Ashuri: /* Step 1: Fill out your Profile. */

This is a step-by-step guide aimed at beginners and first-time users of [[CouchSurfing]]. In this guide we will show you how to search for a [[couch]], or a place to stay with a [[host]] on the [[CouchSurfing]] [[hospitality exchange]] network.

== Step 1: Fill out your Profile. ==

Fill out your [[Couchsurfing profile]]. Tell your potential host who you are, and what you are about! Tell us about your interests, your motivations, Give yourself a profile picture. You are unlikely to find a place to stay without a fully filled in profile page.

== Step 2: Where would you like to go? ==

* At the top of every page you will should find a '''search bar''' with the words '''"Where would you like to go?"'''.
* Type your destination into the search bar, then click '''Surf''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* In this example we have used [[Paris]], France as an example.

[[File:Where_would_you_like_to_go.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]
[[File:Searching_for_paris.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]

== Step 3: Find a place to stay ==

===The CORRECT way ✔===

* Searching for your destination takes you to the [[place page]] associated with your destination. In this example, we are taken to the [[place page]] for the [[Paris]] area.
* At the top of the [[place page]] for your destination you will find a box with the text '''Find a place to stay for [ ] traveler(s)'''

[[File:Find_a_place_to_stay.PNG |alt=Find a place to stay|Find a place to stay]]

* Select the number of people that require a place to stay and click '''Go!''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* You will be taken to the [[Couch search results page]].

===The WRONG way ✘===

* The [[place page]] also acts as a hub for the local community. To the bottom of the '''Find a place to stay''' section is the [[conversations]] section.
* The conversations section is a '''public forum''' where locals and travellers can discuss the local area, for example, to arrange meetups or discuss events that may be happening.
* '''Do not post a [[request]] for a [[couch]] in this section.'''

[[File:Conversations_no.png |alt=Don't do this|Don't do this]]

* For more details see [[community guidelines]].
* ''Why?'' '''Safety''': by posting in a public forum, you are inviting strangers to contact you.
* ''Why?'' '''Simple courtesy''': it is more polite to ask people directly for their hospitality. You will be more successful finding a place to stay through personalized messages.
* ''Why?'' '''Spam''': Thousands of people are looking for hosts. Filling up the [[conversations]] forum prevents the local community from using the forum for legitimate uses.
* ''If you still decide to go ahead'': your post will most likely be [[flagging|flagged]] and then '''deleted'''.

== Step 4: ==

* You now arrive at the [[Couch search page]]. Here you can browse the available [[host]]s, and click through to visit their [[CouchSurfing profile|profiles]].
* This is the most important part of your search. Look through the list of available hosts and decide who you would like to stay with.
* You can use the '''filters''' (bottom left) and the '''sort these people by:''' menus to further refine your search. [[Couchsurfing profile page|Click here for more detailed information]] .
* Visit the profile of a potential [[host]] and '''read their profile thoroughly'''.

[[File:Surf_results_annotated.png|alt=Couch search results page|Couch search results page]]

== Step 5: Read a profile! ==

== Step 6: Send a Couch Request ==

== Step 7: ==

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Beginners]]

Place page

2013-03-13T06:54:15Z

Ashuri: /* = Controversy */

Place pages replace the old city Groups on the [[CouchSurfing]] website. They are intended to act as a hub for the [[community|local community]] and as a way to search for a host in the area.

== Controversy ==

{{stub}}
[[Category:CS User Interface]]

Place page

2013-03-13T06:53:57Z

Ashuri: Created page with "Place pages replace the old city Groups on the CouchSurfing website. They are intended to act as a hub for the local community and as a way to search for a h..."

Place pages replace the old city Groups on the [[CouchSurfing]] website. They are intended to act as a hub for the [[community|local community]] and as a way to search for a host in the area.

=== Controversy ==

{{stub}}
[[Category:CS User Interface]]

Couchsurfing profile

2013-03-13T06:50:05Z

Ashuri: Created page with "The profile page is an essential part of the CouchSurfing website. On a members profile page you can find a profile picture, detailed information about a member an..."

The [[profile page]] is an essential part of the [[CouchSurfing]] website. On a members [[profile page]] you can find a profile picture, detailed information about a member and whether they can [[host]] or offer a [[couch]], or perhaps meet for a coffee or drink.

{{stub}}[[Category:CS User Interface]]

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-13T06:44:07Z

Ashuri: /* Step 1: Fill out your Profile. */

This is a step-by-step guide aimed at beginners and first-time users of [[CouchSurfing]]. In this guide we will show you how to search for a [[couch]], or a place to stay with a [[host]] on the [[CouchSurfing]] [[hospitality exchange]] network.

== Step 1: Fill out your Profile. ==

Fill out your [[Couchsurfing profile]]. For step-by-step guide see [[how to fill out your profile on CouchSurfing]]

== Step 2: Where would you like to go? ==

* At the top of every page you will should find a '''search bar''' with the words '''"Where would you like to go?"'''.
* Type your destination into the search bar, then click '''Surf''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* In this example we have used [[Paris]], France as an example.

[[File:Where_would_you_like_to_go.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]
[[File:Searching_for_paris.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]

== Step 3: Find a place to stay ==

===The CORRECT way ✔===

* Searching for your destination takes you to the [[place page]] associated with your destination. In this example, we are taken to the [[place page]] for the [[Paris]] area.
* At the top of the [[place page]] for your destination you will find a box with the text '''Find a place to stay for [ ] traveler(s)'''

[[File:Find_a_place_to_stay.PNG |alt=Find a place to stay|Find a place to stay]]

* Select the number of people that require a place to stay and click '''Go!''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* You will be taken to the [[Couch search results page]].

===The WRONG way ✘===

* The [[place page]] also acts as a hub for the local community. To the bottom of the '''Find a place to stay''' section is the [[conversations]] section.
* The conversations section is a '''public forum''' where locals and travellers can discuss the local area, for example, to arrange meetups or discuss events that may be happening.
* '''Do not post a [[request]] for a [[couch]] in this section.'''

[[File:Conversations_no.png |alt=Don't do this|Don't do this]]

* For more details see [[community guidelines]].
* ''Why?'' '''Safety''': by posting in a public forum, you are inviting strangers to contact you.
* ''Why?'' '''Simple courtesy''': it is more polite to ask people directly for their hospitality. You will be more successful finding a place to stay through personalized messages.
* ''Why?'' '''Spam''': Thousands of people are looking for hosts. Filling up the [[conversations]] forum prevents the local community from using the forum for legitimate uses.
* ''If you still decide to go ahead'': your post will most likely be [[flagging|flagged]] and then '''deleted'''.

== Step 4: ==

* You now arrive at the [[Couch search page]]. Here you can browse the available [[host]]s, and click through to visit their [[CouchSurfing profile|profiles]].
* This is the most important part of your search. Look through the list of available hosts and decide who you would like to stay with.
* You can use the '''filters''' (bottom left) and the '''sort these people by:''' menus to further refine your search. [[Couchsurfing profile page|Click here for more detailed information]] .
* Visit the profile of a potential [[host]] and '''read their profile thoroughly'''.

[[File:Surf_results_annotated.png|alt=Couch search results page|Couch search results page]]

== Step 5: Read a profile! ==

== Step 6: Send a Couch Request ==

== Step 7: ==

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Beginners]]

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-13T06:37:03Z

Ashuri: /* Step 4: */

This is a step-by-step guide aimed at beginners and first-time users of [[CouchSurfing]]. In this guide we will show you how to search for a [[couch]], or a place to stay with a [[host]] on the [[CouchSurfing]] [[hospitality exchange]] network.

== Step 1: Fill out your [[Profile]]. ==

Fill out your [[profile]]. For step-by-step guide see [[how to fill out your profile on CouchSurfing]]

== Step 2: Where would you like to go? ==

* At the top of every page you will should find a '''search bar''' with the words '''"Where would you like to go?"'''.
* Type your destination into the search bar, then click '''Surf''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* In this example we have used [[Paris]], France as an example.

[[File:Where_would_you_like_to_go.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]
[[File:Searching_for_paris.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]

== Step 3: Find a place to stay ==

===The CORRECT way ✔===

* Searching for your destination takes you to the [[place page]] associated with your destination. In this example, we are taken to the [[place page]] for the [[Paris]] area.
* At the top of the [[place page]] for your destination you will find a box with the text '''Find a place to stay for [ ] traveler(s)'''

[[File:Find_a_place_to_stay.PNG |alt=Find a place to stay|Find a place to stay]]

* Select the number of people that require a place to stay and click '''Go!''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* You will be taken to the [[Couch search results page]].

===The WRONG way ✘===

* The [[place page]] also acts as a hub for the local community. To the bottom of the '''Find a place to stay''' section is the [[conversations]] section.
* The conversations section is a '''public forum''' where locals and travellers can discuss the local area, for example, to arrange meetups or discuss events that may be happening.
* '''Do not post a [[request]] for a [[couch]] in this section.'''

[[File:Conversations_no.png |alt=Don't do this|Don't do this]]

* For more details see [[community guidelines]].
* ''Why?'' '''Safety''': by posting in a public forum, you are inviting strangers to contact you.
* ''Why?'' '''Simple courtesy''': it is more polite to ask people directly for their hospitality. You will be more successful finding a place to stay through personalized messages.
* ''Why?'' '''Spam''': Thousands of people are looking for hosts. Filling up the [[conversations]] forum prevents the local community from using the forum for legitimate uses.
* ''If you still decide to go ahead'': your post will most likely be [[flagging|flagged]] and then '''deleted'''.

== Step 4: ==

* You now arrive at the [[Couch search page]]. Here you can browse the available [[host]]s, and click through to visit their [[CouchSurfing profile|profiles]].
* This is the most important part of your search. Look through the list of available hosts and decide who you would like to stay with.
* You can use the '''filters''' (bottom left) and the '''sort these people by:''' menus to further refine your search. [[Couchsurfing profile page|Click here for more detailed information]] .
* Visit the profile of a potential [[host]] and '''read their profile thoroughly'''.

[[File:Surf_results_annotated.png|alt=Couch search results page|Couch search results page]]

== Step 5: Read a profile! ==

== Step 6: Send a Couch Request ==

== Step 7: ==

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Beginners]]

Talk:How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T22:13:43Z

Ashuri:

This guide will aimed at the flood of people on couchsurfing place pages who literally do not know where to click to search for a couch. --[[User:Ashuri|Ashuri]] ([[User talk:Ashuri|talk]]) 23:31, 7 March 2013 (CET)

:Great! Communities in many "places" will be happy with this article! [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 12:01, 8 March 2013 (CET)

Please check [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screenshot#Copyright_issues WP about copyright of screenshots] and add [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Software_screenshots#Copyright_tags proper tags] to screenshots. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 23:04, 10 March 2013 (CET)
:Thanks for the heads up. I should have thought about the legal implications of using screenshots ... after the recent debacle the last thing we want is a takedown notice from CSHQ. --[[User:Ashuri|Ashuri]] ([[User talk:Ashuri|talk]]) 23:13, 10 March 2013 (CET)
----

Talk:How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T22:11:54Z

Ashuri:

Berlin

2013-03-10T19:05:56Z

Ashuri: Undo revision 7568 by Ashuri (talk)

{{Germany}}
{{Berlin}}
{{TOCright}}

== General information ==
Berlin is the capital of [[Germany]]. Berlin has a population of around 3,5 million people. It is estimated that annually 100 million people visit Berlin, of which roughly 10 million stay in a hotel, hostel, guesthouse, etc. Tourism is one of the pillars of the economy of the city.

Berlin has a relatively high unemployment rate. Around 12% of the people in Berlin is officially unemployed and almost 19% of the Berliner lives on social security benefits.

== Berlin's Couch Situation ==
To find the right host for you, please look on [https://www.couchsurfing.org/n/locals/in/place/69 Couchsurfing] or [http://www.bewelcome.org/searchmembers BeWelcome]

Berlin is a major Couchsurfing and BeWelcome city where there are events happening almost every day. Berlin is a favourite city to surf, especially around New Year's Eve and in summer. Since many people try to surf in Berlin, it can be hard to find a host. Make sure you have a filled out profile and a profile picture. Write personal requests. Hosts in Berlin are getting many copy-paste requests, so a personal one could make a difference. It's recommended to write your requests between 3 weeks and 5 days before arrival. Your chances increase if you have some references (from your local community, for example).

If you haven't found any host and still want to surf in Berlin, you can try the [https://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=7910 Last Minute Couchsearch Group] or the [http://www.bewelcome.org/groups/590 Berlin Emergency Host Group in BeWelcome]

==Stay in Berlin==
===Berlin Hostels and Guesthouses===
Hostels cost of €5 to €65 a night, depending on the season, location and type of room.

To find hostels and reviews, try these links:
*[http://www.berlin.de/hotels/adressen/hostel/ list of hostels (non-commercial)]
*[http://www.hostelworld.com/hostels/Berlin Hostelworld (commercial)]
*[http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/germany/berlin/ Hostelbookers (commercial)]
*[http://www.hostelz.com/hostels/Germany/Berlin Hostelz (commercial)]
*[http://www.hostels.com/berlin/germany Hostels.com (commercial)]

=== Short/Long term stay (finding a flat/WG) ===
Some websites that can be used if you're looking for flatshare(WG)/renting a flat in Berlin:
*[http://www.wg-gesucht.de/en/ WG-Gesucht.de (German/English)] The most used website to search for accomodation/house mates
*[http://www.studenten-wg.de Studenten-wg.de (German)] Another website to find WG's
*[http://www.immobilo.de/mieten/berlin Immobilo.de (German)] Searches multiple websites that lists accomodations.
*[http://www.immobilienscout24.de/Suche/S-T/WG-Zimmer/Berlin/Berlin Immobilienscout24 (German)] For apartments, less used for flatsharing.
*[http://www.wgcompany.de/cgi-bin/seite?st=1&mi=10&li=100 WGcompany (English)] Has a glossary in english with all important terms. Used for flatsharing.
*[http://kleinanzeigen.ebay.de/anzeigen/s-immobilien/berlin/c195l3331 E-bay Kleinanzeigen (German)] Germans offer everything on E-bay.
*[http://berlin.en.craigslist.de/hhh/ Craigslist (English)] Not all very reliable, but sometimes it contains a hidden treasure.
*[http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=19711/ CouchSurfing Group 1 (English)] Find local CSers looking for flatmates, available sublets, etc.
*[http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=9251/ CouchSurfing Group 2 (English)] Find local CSers looking for flatmates, available sublets, etc.
*[http://www.toytowngermany.com/forum/index.php?showforum=84/ ToyTown (English)] Expat community.
*[https://www.facebook.com/groups/easy.wg/ A Facebook Group (English/German)] A good group to find housing.

Or try our [https://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=19711 Accommodation] subgroup under the CS Berlin group.

Once you have found a place to live, and you're planning to stay in Berlin for a long period, it might be wise to [[Berlin#Registering_in_Germany.2FBerlin_-_B.C3.BCrgeramt|register yourself]] at the Bürgeramt as an inhabitant of the city.

== Getting Around ==
[[File:U-Bahn_S-Bahn_02_2013.png|400px|thumb|right|U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines of the inner city of Berlin, as of February 2013]]Public transportation generally goes almost everywhere in whole Berlin. Read more and plan a journey at the [http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/index.html BVG Website].

=== Tickets ===
Tickets for public transport can be bought at every S- and U-Bahn station from machines, at ticket offices on the main stations. Daily tickets or tickets for short rides can be bought in busses and trams as well. Tickets are valid for all ways of public transport within the chosen area (A, B and C).
==== Short term tickets ====
'''Short trip fare''' (Kurzstrecke) is valid for either 3 U- or S-Bahn stops, or 6 tram- or busstops. Costs €1,40

'''Single tickets''' (Einzelfahrschein) is valid for 2 hours. Officially you can not travel back to the station you started, so it's a one-way ticket. Costs €2,40 (AB), €2,80 (BC) or €3,10 (ABC).

'''4-Trip-ticket''' (4-Fahrten-Karte) is the same as 4 single tickets, but slightly cheaper when bought in this way.

'''Day ticket''' (Tageskarte) can be used for an entire day, until 3:00am next day. Costs €6,50 (AB), €6,80 (BC) or €7,00 (ABC).

==== Long term tickets ====
'''7-Day-ticket''' (7-Tage-Karte VBB-Umweltkarte) is valid for an entire week. With this ticket you can travel with an additional adult or 3 children between 8:00pm end 3:00am, on saturdays and sundays and at public holidays. Costs €28,00 (AB), €28,90 (BC) or €34,60 (ABC).

'''Monthly ticket''' (Monatskarte VBB-Umweltkarte) is valid for an entire month. With this ticket you can travel with an additional adult or 3 children between 8:00pm end 3:00am, on saturdays and sundays and at public holidays. The ticket is transferable and some people offer their monthly ticket (or the part that's left) on the internet. Costs €77,00 (AB), €78,00 (BC) or €95,00 (ABC).

'''10am Monthly ticket''' (10-Uhr-Karte) is a limited version of the monthly ticket. You can not take other people on the same ticket. Furthermore, you're only allowed to travel after 10:00am. Therefore the price is better than the regular monthly ticket: €55,50 (AB), €56,50 (BC) or €68,00 (ABC).

==== Special tickets ====
'''Small group ticket''' (Kleingruppen-Tageskarte) is a daily ticket for group of up to 5 persons. It pays itself back when traveling with 3 or more persons. Costs €15,50 (AB), €15,80 (BC) and €16,00 (ABC)

'''Berlin Welcome card''' 2/3/5 days - Next to travelling, you can use this card to get discounts at touristic attractions, in restaurants and free entrance at some museums (with 3/5-day ticket). Can not be bought at ticket vending machines. [http://www.visitberlin.de/en/welcomecard Read more]

'''Berlin CityTourCard''' 2/3/5 days - Next to travelling, this card provides some discount on some touristic attractions. This ticket can also be bought at ticket vending machines. [http://www.citytourcard.com/en Read more]

For more information on tickets and pricing: [http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/17181/name/Fares+Overview.html BVG Tickets]

=== From Airport to City ===
For the time being, Berlin has 2 major airports, 'Tegel' in the northwest and 'Schönefeld' in the southeast.

'''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_S-Bahn S-Bahn]'''

Schönefeld Airport is directly connected with S-Bahn. Line S9 connects the airport with the eastern and northern part of the city. Line S45 connects the airport with the southern part of the inner-city. Both lines pass stations located on the S-Bahn circular railway (Ringbahn), which makes it easy to travel to other parts of the city, changing trains just once.

'''Bus'''

Tegel Airport is accessible by bus. There are 2 shuttle buses: '''X9''' between Tegel and 'S+U Zoologischer Garten' (western Berlin); '''TXL''' between Tegel and 'S+U Alexanderplatz' (eastern Berlin). There are also 2 normal bus lines: '''128''' in the direction of 'U Osloer Straße' and '''109''' in the direction of 'S+U Zoologischer Garten'.

'''Taxi'''

Expected price for a [[Berlin#Taxi|taxi-ride]] from/to the airport is between €20,00 and €35,00.

=== Underground/ U-Bahn ===
The subway/underground in Berlin is called the U-Bahn. The U-Bahn is efficient and reliable and it covers the major areas of the city.

Most U-Bahn trains drive frequent, every 5 or 10 minutes. In the late evening and night the frequency can be reduced to one train every 15 or 20 minutes. Except for Friday- and Saturday night, the U-Bahn stops working after approximately 1:00h. All lines are then replaced by night buses, which drive every 30 minutes and follow the same route as the U-Bahn (some minor exceptions).

===Buses===
Buses normally drive in the 'gaps' of the U- and S-Bahn net. Most people only take buses if they have to go to area's that are on the outskirts of town.
The exceptions are bus lines '''100''' and '''200'''. These bus lines are well known for the ''touristic'' route they are following. It crosses several points of interest, and therefore used by many tourists as a cheap alternative for the sightseeing buses.

===Tram (Straßenbahn/Metro)===
The tram in Berlin is called Straßenbahn (street train), or sometimes Metro. The tram network especially is big in the eastern part of town. The trams drive in the 'gaps' of the U- and S-Bahn net, while crossing many of their stations on the way.

=== Taxi ===

There are fixed prices for taxi's in Berlin. There's no difference between day- and night prices. The prices are calculated as follows:
*Basic price: €3,20
*Per kilometre (first 7): €1,65
*Per kilometre (after 7): €1,28

You'll pay additional if:
*''you're travelling more than 4 persons: €1,50 per extra person''
*''the taxi has to wait for you: €25,00 per hour''
*''you have big luggage: €1,00''
*''you are paying with credit card: €1,50''
*''you are coming from Tegel Airport: €0,50''
'''The common taxi companies:'''
*[http://www.taxi-berlin.de Taxi Berlin] (+49 30) 20 20 20
*[http://www.taxifunkberlin.de Taxi Funk Berlin] (+49 30) 44 33 22
*[http://www.funk-taxi-berlin.de Funk Taxi Berlin] (+49 30)26 10 26

===Bicycle===
If you're lucky, you can borrow a bike for free through [http://bikesurfberlin.blogspot.de BikeSurfBerlin].

===Important information on transportation===
*Some of the tickets has to be validated before use. If you forget, the fine is 40 Euro.
*Except for friday and saturdaynight, all S-Bahn trains stop driving after approximately 1 o'clock
*Except for friday and saturdaynight, all U-Bahn trains are replaced by night buses (U1->N1; U2->N2; etc.)
*At some stations, people are selling tickets. Although they don't all look that bonafide, they resell tickets other people used. They should be still valid. If you are planning to buy those tickets, check if they are still valid. Also, it's officially forbidden to resell tickets, so you might be involved in a small crime by doing it.

== Nightlife, Dining and Entertainment ==

===Main Nightlife Areas===
The main nightlife areas of Berlin are:
*Warschauer Straße and Simon Dach Straße - pubs and clubs
*Oranienburger Tor/Oranienburger Straße - pubs and restuarants
*Kreuzberg around [[File:U1.png]]Kottbusser Tor, [[File:U1.png]]Görlitzer Bahnhof and [[File:U1.png]]Schlesisches Tor - pubs, restaurants, music stages
*Schönhauser Allee and direct surrounding - pubs, restaurants, clubs

===Magazines and Event listings===
The following websites can help bring you up to speed on the local club scene, nightlife, concerts, festivals and shows:
*[http://www.blitzgigs.de/ Blitzgigs] (English)
*[http://www.exberliner.com/ Exberliner] (English)
*[http://www.zitty.de/ Zitty] (German)
*[http://www.top10berlin.de/ Top 10 Berlin] (German)
*[http://www.bln.fm/category/termine/ BLN FM] (German)
*[http://www.nachtagenten.de/events/ Nachtagenten] (German)
*[http://www.tip-berlin.de/ Tip Berlin] (German)
*[http://www.berlin030.de/ (030) MAGAZINE] (German)

===Bars===
Some favourite local haunts include:

===Clubs===

===Comedy===

===Restaurants===
There are hundreds of restaurants in Berlin. In most districts you'll find typical restaurants with foreign food, mostly turkish, asian and arabic. Meals that are often consumed are Döner and Falafel. Both meals cost between €2,00 and €4,00 depending on district and quality.

On several places you can find the typical Berlin Currywurst (curry sausage)

'''Meat/mixed restaurants:'''
*[http://www.nil-imbiss.de/ NIL] - Sudanese food (incl. Sudanese falafel)
*Al Faruk - one of the best falafel in town

'''Vegetarian Restaurants:'''
* [http://www.yellow-sunshine.com/ Yellow Sunshine] - Fast food
* [http://www.vego-foodworld.de/ Vego Foodworld] - Vegan/vegetarian hamburgers
* [http://www.ponteverde.de/ Ponte Verde] - Italian food

'''Vegan Restaurants:'''

[[Restaurants in Berlin]]

===Seasonal activities===
====Karneval der Kulturen====
====Berlinale====
====Fête de la Musique====

==Sports, Activities and the Great Outdoors==
===Parks===
Berlin is said to be the greenest capital of Europe. There are many big parks, and many more small green areas. All parks have their own charms and every season they look different. In spring and summer, when the temperatures reach 20 degrees Celsius or more, you will see many people visiting parks to walk, run, cycle, play outdoor games and most of all sunbathing with a beer!

===Lakes===

===Tempelhof===

===Climbing===

==Learning German==
There are lots of language exchange options available in Berlin from one on one meetups to clubs that meet regularly in person to social networks available online at your convenience. Here are some of your options:
===Free online courses===
*[http://www.dw.de/learn-german/s-2469 Deutsche Welle] is actually a news website, but offers some courses and tests online. The best feature: slowly spoken news in German with transcript.
*[http://www.goethe.de/lrn/duw/lad/deindex.htm?wt_sc=lernabenteuer App for iPhone or Android] from Goethe Institut
*[http://online-lernen.levrai.de/ Website] with all background information on the German language
*[http://www.goethe.de/lrn/duw/auf/stb/enindex.htm Exercises] from the Goethe Institut
*[http://www.deutsch-perfekt.com/deutsch-lernen Exercises] from Deutsch Perfekt
*[http://www.deutschakademie.de/online-deutschkurs/ Test] from Deutsch Akademie
*[http://www.goethe.de/lrn/lks/enindex.htm Links from the Goethe Institut] to very useful websites
*[http://livemocha.com/ Live Mocha] Amazing website and community of language learners that help each other

===For one on one / tandem===
*[http://www.sprachenzentrum.fu-berlin.de/slz/tandem/index.html Tandem program] of the Freie Universität
*[https://www.international.hu-berlin.de/an_die_hu-en/studierende/orbis/sprachboerse Language exchange market of the Humbolt University]

===Groups that meet regularly===
[[File:Gaudy_exchange.png|200px|thumb|left‎|Gaudy Exchange]]St. Gaudy Cafe weekly language exchange
*http://www.gaudycafe.com/
*Gaudystraße 1
*[[File:U2.png]]Schönhauser Allee

===Language exchange social networks:===

===Paid language courses===
*[http://www.berlin.de/vhs/ Volkshochschule]
*http://www.speakeasy-sprachzeug.com/en/
*http://www.hartnackschule-berlin.de
*http://www.die-deutschule.de
*http://www.sprachenatelier-berlin.de
*http://www.deutschakademie.de
*http://kapitel-zwei.de/en
*http://www.deutsch-in-berlin.de
*http://www.goethe.de/lrn/enindex.htm

== Sightseeing ==
Berlin is extremely easy to get around by [[Berlin#Getting_Around|public transport]]. You can easily visit several locations on one day.

=== Typical touristic attractions ===
[[File:20c_German.jpg|100px|thumb|left|Brandenburger Tor on German euro-coins]]
==== Brandenburger Tor ====
The Brandenburger Tor ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburger_gate Brandenburger gate]) is one of the most famous buildings of both Berlin and Germany. It has been build as a city gate, but is now known as a symbol of the reunion of Germany.

==== Reichstagsgebäude ====
The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_%28building%29 Reichstag building] is the former and present building for the German parliament. The burning of the building in 1933 was the direct cause of Hitler taking over all power. The building was not in use as a parliament between 1933 and 1999.
[[File:Fernsehturm_Berlin2.jpg|100px|thumb|left|Fernsehturm (TV-tower)]]
==== Fernsehturm ====
The 368 metres high TV-tower near Alexanderplatz that can be seen everywhere in the city. You can go up in the tower and look back at the city. Entrance fee is €12 for adults. There is a possibility to have diner in the rotating restaurant, but you have to make reservations. For more info, visit [http://www.tv-turm.de/en/index.php].

==== Museuminsel ====
Island in the city center with many museums, mostly classical and historical art and artifacts.
==== Eastside Gallery ====
1,5 kilometre long gallery of painted pieces of the Berlin Wall.
==== Checkpoint Charlie ====
The famous checkpoint where diplomats could cross the border with the DDR.
==== Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer ====
History of the Berlin Wall, with a real life simulation of the Berlin Wall and a watchtower.
==== Gendarmenmarkt ====
Square with 2 symmetrical churches (French and German) facing each other.
==== Berliner Dom ====
Protestant cathedral
==== Nikolaiviertel ====
Origin of Berlin. Lots of old buildings, including the Nikolai-church, mixed with renovated buildings and typical DDR/communistic architecture.
==== Siegessäule ====
Victory column, built after the victories in the wars against Denmark, Austria and France in the late 19th century.

=== Museums ===
If you're planning to visit many museums during your stay in Berlin, you might want to buy the '''[http://www.museumsportal-berlin.de/en/plan-your-visit/all-about-admission-fees/everything-three-days/ Museum pass]'''. It costs €19, can be bought at any participating museum and is valid for 3 days.

If you want to see both city and museums, and you're not sure how many museums you'll be visiting, you might be interested in the [[Berlin#Special_tickets|Berlin Welcome Card]] which gives you discount on museums and free use of public transport.
*[http://www.dhm.de Deutsches Historisches Museum] - German history
*[http://www.smb.museum/smb/standorte/index.php?objID=24&p=2 Altes Museum] - Ancient and classical art and artifacts
*[http://www.smb.museum/smb/standorte/index.php?p=2&objID=27&n=15 Pergamommuseum] - Ancient art and artifacts
*[http://www.mauermuseum.de Haus am Checkpoint Charlie] - Berlin Wall
*Alte Nationalgalerie
*Neues Museum
*Bode-Museum
*Museum für Naturkunde
*Hamburger Bahnhof Museum
*Jüdisches Museum
*Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer
*Topographie des Terrors
*DDR-Museum
*Story of Berlin

=== Less touristic attractions ===
==== Sowjetisches Ehrenmal ====
==== Tempelhof ====
==== Teufelsberg ====

=== Flea markets and other famous markets ===
Berlin is well known for its flea markets. There are several weekly flea markets. The most famous ones:

'''Mauerpark''' 
The most famous flea market of Berlin, close to [[File:U2.png]]Eberswalderstraße. Has a lot of 2nd hand stalls, mixed with creative people that make jewelry, paintings, photos/cards, wallets and other stuff themselves. When the weather is right, there's a huge karaoke in the park next to the flea market. Can be very crowded, especially in spring and summer.
*[http://www.mauerparkmarkt.de/ Website]
*Bernauer Straße 63
*Sunday 7:00-17:00h

'''Boxhagener Platz''' 
Easy to oversee, since all stands are built around the Boxhagener square. You can take a rest on the square itself, or make a round in approximately an hour. Especially known for its records, books and posters. Other stands sell furniture and objects, but not so many clothes.
*Boxhagener Platz 1
*Sunday 10:00-18:00h

'''Schöneberg'''

'''Arkonaplatz'''

'''Straße des 17. Juni'''

'''Ostbahnhof'''

'''OBI Neukölln'''

== Travelling from Berlin ==
Apart from the 2 airports, several (international) trains and busses arrive at and leave from Berlin.
===Trains===
Most '''international trains''' arrive at and depart from Berlin Hauptbahnhof (main railway station).
*to the Netherlands (Berlin-Schiphol)
*to Poland (Berlin-Warsaw/Gdansk/Wrocław Główny)
*to Switzerland (Berlin-Basel)
*to Denmark (Berlin-Copenhagen/Arhus)
*to the Czech Republic (Berlin-Prague)
To find the best connections, or for booking tickets, you can check out the website of the [[http://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml German Railway]]. Booking tickets on forehand can make a huge difference in price.

'''(inter)regional trains''' depart from every major station, such as Alexanderplatz, Ostbahnhof, Spandau and Sudkreuz. There's a difference between regional trains ('''RB''' (Regionalbahn) and'''RE''' (Regionalexpress)) and inter-regional trains ('''IC''' (Intercity) and '''ICE''' (Intercity Express)). The IC's and ICE's drive much faster and over a long distance, mostly to other big cities in Germany. The RB and RE only drive short distances and stop at many smaller stations on the way.

===Buses===
Berlin has 2 major bus stops for international and inter-regional bus lines: ZOB in western Berlin (near S-Bahn Messe Nord/ICC and [[File:U2.png]]; Ostbahnhof Bus Station in the eastern side of the city, next to S-Bahn Ostbahnhof.

====International Buses====
Some major bus lines that will bring you abroad are:
*[http://www.eurolines.com/en/ Eurolines] - to almost any place in Europe
*[http://ecolines.net/en/ Ecolines] - Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine
*[http://eclubreisen.de Eclubreisen] - to Ukraine

====Inter-regional buses====
*[https://www.berlinlinienbus.de/index.php?lang=en BerlinLinienBus]
*[http://www.eurolines.de/index.php?id=14&L=1 Eurolines]

===Car===
====Car sharing====
It's easy to find car sharing online. Cars travel from every city to every city. You can find rides or travellers at [http://www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de Mitfahrgelegenheit.de] or [http://www.mitfahrzentrale.de Mitfahrzentrale.de].

====Hitchhiking====

Naturally, [[:hitch:Berlin|Hitchwiki]] has the best and most up-to-date resources about thumbing your way out of Berlin.

== Necessary bureaucracy ==
(This information is NOT official, it is simply advice)

Very important and will tell you everything: http://www.cautionrobots.com/getartistvisa.pdf

And another helpful link: http://4dayvisa.tumblr.com/

===VISA===
====VISA Office====
[http://www.berlin.de/labo/auslaender/dienstleistungen/ Ausländerbehörde (ABH)] 
Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24 
13353 Berlin 
abh@labo.berlin.de 
+49-30 902690 
[http://osm.org/go/0MZv6kuHu-- MAP]

Opening times:
* Monday 07:00-14:00h
* Tuesday 07:00-14:00h
* Wednesday closed
* Thursday 10:00-18:00h
* Friday closed

Schedule an appointment ahead of time http://www.berlin.de/labo/auslaender/dienststelle/index.html
The wait times are not THAT bad, but it's always best to have an appointment.

They REALLY don't speak English consistently so just be prepared :)
Bring someone with you if at all possible. Have everything you need when you go.
I talked with many people there and they don't assign you to one person. They don't answer emails for nearly 1 month so don't bother there. You can call and ask questions, but have someone call for you and speak German and then you might get answers.

====Freelance VISA and Artist VISA====
(This is written from a US citizen. Different rules may apply to you, although they may be similar).

These are 2 different things. I obtained my Artist's visa while I was waiting for my Freelance visa to be approved (this will take 6-10 weeks). The Artist's visa does NOT allow you to work. The Freelance one does (you can list more than one profession on this visa).

====List of things that you need====
* Completed Form (http://www.berlin.de/formularserver/formular.php?72301)
* Letter stating your intentions, how you plan to support yourself, everthing you can think of
* CV
* Passport Copy
* 2 Biometric Photo (not smiling... these can be done in the bottom level of the office... leave an extra 10 minutes for this).
* Bank Statement (proving that you can support yourself without working)
* All Certificates
* All Diplomas
* All Transcripts
* Health Insurance (GERMAN) Proof and all documents
* German Address Registration (do NOT show up without this. You will be turned away. You must register your address)
* References
* €50 in cash (sometimes this is more)
* Artist portfolio (this must be hard copies of your work)
* Letter from 2 prospective employers (I fought this, but it's technically required and you should have it)

===Registering in Germany/Berlin - Bürgeramt===
'''Registering your address'''
Fill out page 3 of this form and then go to register.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/1RBnLXCEqJ-le6hyQSsyvQ2_0u7Uo7tF-tG4lUc76EPDL6r-8O6ipxGPkZt2-/edit

You must register your address within 2 weeks of coming to Germany and before you can do anything really.
You need to either have a rental agreement or have the main renter to sign the paper or write a letter for you.

These are all the places you can go to register.
http://www.buergeramt.info/berlin.htm

Give yourself a couple hours to do this.
(it is my understanding that you now need an appointment to do this. Please check)

===Health insurance===

This is a biggie. They need proof that you have GOOD GERMAN health insurance. It's very expensive. Be prepared (especially if you have to pay for it on your own).

I myself have AOK insurance and I am very happy with it http://www.deutscheinsurance.com/aok.html
(They also off a travel insurance that will cover you worldwide, outside of the EU for only €6 per year).

Someone also mentioned this and it might be a little cheaper http://www.hansemerkur.de/

If you want to apply to KSK (you must be an Artist legally here, they will help you with the price of your insurance, but there are a LOT of rules you must follow), you can contact this woman.
Ilka Lacherbauer
Medien und Künstler Beratung Ltd.
Tucholskystr. 35
10117 Berlin - Mitte
Fon.: +49 30 - 75 00 86 00
e-mail: info@bmkb.de or lacherbauer@bmkb.de

more information about KSK

===SIM Cards===
(this information was gathered from forums)

* http://www.callmobile.de/
* http://www.fonic.de
* http://www.blau.de
* You can get great deals on SIM's at any Saturn store. They have T-Mobile SIM cards for only 5 euro and they come with 10 euro worth of call minutes for free.
* some Turkish phone shops, they sell Vodafone cards with credit for half-price (usually a card with 10 EUR credit for about 6 EUR, and one with 1 EUR credit for 60 cents), and what's best these are pre-activated and work right away, no need to fill out any stupid forms online.
* new SIM. For instance if you take an O2 one for 28.50E, you get 21E credit plus two months of freecalls to O2 (has a good subscrirption in Germany) numbers and to any landline. I think it is a great offer but something that you cannot renew; just comes with the new number.
*Aldi or Penny (yes, the discount stores) have easy prepaid cards for 15euro or something with the same amount of credit on it so you basically pay nothing for it. I don't know if they offer data as well, but the Aldi card uses ePlus networks so you can also charge your credit with ePlus prepaid cards if there is no Aldi around to buy new credit. adli 300mb 300 minutes = less 10 euro ;)

===Bank account===
(There are many opinions on this. Please add yours)

'''Berliner Sparkasse'''

So email the guy below to make an appointment. (speaks english and helped me and many other CS) ... They also have a nice referral program. If you open an account and have the referring person sign the paper, they get €25. I like to send people there and then take them out to lunch on Sparkasse :) :)

Here is the contact. The guy is great and he's signed a lot of my friends and I up.

René Schneider, Berliner Sparkasse

Friedrichstrasse 148, 10117 Berlin

STOP: Stadmitte or Friedrichstrasse MAP: http://g.co/maps/93gyu]http://g.co/maps/93gyu

email: rene.schneider@berliner-sparkasse.de

You need to bring proof of your address registration and your passport. That was it.

'''Sparda Bank'''

Another interesting option for people who plan to stay in germany long term and have a regular income could be Sparda Bank. It is a credit union and upon opening an account you will be required to buy a cooperative share of 50EUR. other than that, you will never have to pay anything again for the rest of your life.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparda-Bank_%28Deutschland%29

==Baggage Storage==
Berlin Hbf

==Cost of living==
In Berlin you have many choices on how to spend your money. Berlin is a relatively cheap city, although the prices raised over the years.

Below is a list of estimations of prices. The prices can differ a lot, depending on district, location, season, etc.

'''Renting a room''': €150-€600 per month 
'''Renting apartment''': €200-€1000 per month 

'''Restaurant''': €2 - €15 for a main dish 
'''Beer''': €0,70 - €4,00 for 0,5 liter 

==FAQs==

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T18:52:25Z

Ashuri: /* Step 2: Where would you like to go? */

This is a step-by-step guide aimed at beginners and first-time users of [[CouchSurfing]]. In this guide we will show you how to search for a [[couch]], or a place to stay with a [[host]] on the [[CouchSurfing]] [[hospitality exchange]] network.

== Step 1: Fill out your [[Profile]]. ==

Fill out your [[profile]]. For step-by-step guide see [[how to fill out your profile on CouchSurfing]]

== Step 2: Where would you like to go? ==

* At the top of every page you will should find a '''search bar''' with the words '''"Where would you like to go?"'''.
* Type your destination into the search bar, then click '''Surf''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* In this example we have used [[Paris]], France as an example.

[[File:Where_would_you_like_to_go.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]
[[File:Searching_for_paris.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]

== Step 3: Find a place to stay ==

===The CORRECT way ✔===

* Searching for your destination takes you to the [[place page]] associated with your destination. In this example, we are taken to the [[place page]] for the [[Paris]] area.
* At the top of the [[place page]] for your destination you will find a box with the text '''Find a place to stay for [ ] traveler(s)'''

[[File:Find_a_place_to_stay.PNG |alt=Find a place to stay|Find a place to stay]]

* Select the number of people that require a place to stay and click '''Go!''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* You will be taken to the [[Couch search results page]].

===The WRONG way ✘===

* The [[place page]] also acts as a hub for the local community. To the bottom of the '''Find a place to stay''' section is the [[conversations]] section.
* The conversations section is a '''public forum''' where locals and travellers can discuss the local area, for example, to arrange meetups or discuss events that may be happening.
* '''Do not post a [[request]] for a [[couch]] in this section.'''

[[File:Conversations_no.png |alt=Don't do this|Don't do this]]

* For more details see [[community guidelines]].
* ''Why?'' '''Safety''': by posting in a public forum, you are inviting strangers to contact you.
* ''Why?'' '''Simple courtesy''': it is more polite to ask people directly for their hospitality. You will be more successful finding a place to stay through personalized messages.
* ''Why?'' '''Spam''': Thousands of people are looking for hosts. Filling up the [[conversations]] forum prevents the local community from using the forum for legitimate uses.
* ''If you still decide to go ahead'': your post will most likely be [[flagging|flagged]] and then '''deleted'''.

== Step 4: ==

* You now arrive at the [[Couch search results page]]. Here you can browse the available [[host]]s, and click through to visit their [[CouchSurfing profile|profiles]].
* This is the most important part of your search. Look through the list of available hosts and decide who you would like to stay with.
* You can use the '''filters''' (bottom left) and the '''sort these people by:''' menus to further refine your search. [[Couchsurfing profile page|Click here for more detailed information]] .
* Visit the profile of a potential [[host]] and '''read their profile thoroughly'''.

[[File:Surf_results_annotated.png|alt=Couch search results page|Couch search results page]]
== Step 5: Read a profile! ==

== Step 6: Send a Couch Request ==

== Step 7: ==

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Beginners]]

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T18:50:10Z

Ashuri: /* The WRONG way ✘ */

This is a step-by-step guide aimed at beginners and first-time users of [[CouchSurfing]]. In this guide we will show you how to search for a [[couch]], or a place to stay with a [[host]] on the [[CouchSurfing]] [[hospitality exchange]] network.

== Step 1: Fill out your [[Profile]]. ==

Fill out your [[profile]]. For step-by-step guide see [[how to fill out your profile on CouchSurfing]]

== Step 2: Where would you like to go? ==

* At the top of every page you will should find a '''search bar''' with the words '''"Where would you like to go?"'''.
* Type your destination into the search bar, then click '''Surf''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* In this example we have used [[Paris]], France as an example.

[[File:Where_would_you_like_to_go.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]

== Step 3: Find a place to stay ==

===The CORRECT way ✔===

* Searching for your destination takes you to the [[place page]] associated with your destination. In this example, we are taken to the [[place page]] for the [[Paris]] area.
* At the top of the [[place page]] for your destination you will find a box with the text '''Find a place to stay for [ ] traveler(s)'''

[[File:Find_a_place_to_stay.PNG |alt=Find a place to stay|Find a place to stay]]

* Select the number of people that require a place to stay and click '''Go!''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* You will be taken to the [[Couch search results page]].

===The WRONG way ✘===

* The [[place page]] also acts as a hub for the local community. To the bottom of the '''Find a place to stay''' section is the [[conversations]] section.
* The conversations section is a '''public forum''' where locals and travellers can discuss the local area, for example, to arrange meetups or discuss events that may be happening.
* '''Do not post a [[request]] for a [[couch]] in this section.'''

[[File:Conversations_no.png |alt=Don't do this|Don't do this]]

* For more details see [[community guidelines]].
* ''Why?'' '''Safety''': by posting in a public forum, you are inviting strangers to contact you.
* ''Why?'' '''Simple courtesy''': it is more polite to ask people directly for their hospitality. You will be more successful finding a place to stay through personalized messages.
* ''Why?'' '''Spam''': Thousands of people are looking for hosts. Filling up the [[conversations]] forum prevents the local community from using the forum for legitimate uses.
* ''If you still decide to go ahead'': your post will most likely be [[flagging|flagged]] and then '''deleted'''.

== Step 4: ==

* You now arrive at the [[Couch search results page]]. Here you can browse the available [[host]]s, and click through to visit their [[CouchSurfing profile|profiles]].
* This is the most important part of your search. Look through the list of available hosts and decide who you would like to stay with.
* You can use the '''filters''' (bottom left) and the '''sort these people by:''' menus to further refine your search. [[Couchsurfing profile page|Click here for more detailed information]] .
* Visit the profile of a potential [[host]] and '''read their profile thoroughly'''.

[[File:Surf_results_annotated.png|alt=Couch search results page|Couch search results page]]
== Step 5: Read a profile! ==

== Step 6: Send a Couch Request ==

== Step 7: ==

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Beginners]]

Berlin

2013-03-10T18:45:44Z

Ashuri: Reverted edits by Amnesiac84 (talk) to last revision by Iotrj

{{Germany}}
{{Berlin}}
{{TOCright}}
{{stub}}

== General information ==
Berlin is the capital of [[Germany]]. Berlin has a population of around 3,5 million people. It is estimated that annually 100 million people visit Berlin, of which roughly 10 million stay in a hotel, hostel, guesthouse, etc. Tourism is one of the pillars of the economy of the city.

Berlin has a relatively high unemployment rate. Around 12% of the people in Berlin is officially unemployed and almost 19% of the Berliner lives on social security benefits.

== Berlin's Couch Situation ==
To find the right host for you, please look on [https://www.couchsurfing.org/n/locals/in/place/69 Couchsurfing] or [http://www.bewelcome.org/searchmembers BeWelcome]

Berlin is a major Couchsurfing and BeWelcome city where there are events happening almost every day. Berlin is a favourite city to surf, especially around New Year's Eve and in summer. Since many people try to surf in Berlin, it can be hard to find a host. Make sure you have a filled out profile and a profile picture. Write personal requests. Hosts in Berlin are getting many copy-paste requests, so a personal one could make a difference. It's recommended to write your requests between 3 weeks and 5 days before arrival. Your chances increase if you have some references (from your local community, for example).

If you haven't found any host and still want to surf in Berlin, you can try the [https://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=7910 Last Minute Couchsearch Group] or the [http://www.bewelcome.org/groups/590 Berlin Emergency Host Group in BeWelcome]

==Stay in Berlin==
===Berlin Hostels and Guesthouses===
Hostels cost of €5 to €65 a night, depending on the season, location and type of room.

To find hostels and reviews, try these links:
*[http://www.berlin.de/hotels/adressen/hostel/ list of hostels (non-commercial)]
*[http://www.hostelworld.com/hostels/Berlin Hostelworld (commercial)]
*[http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/germany/berlin/ Hostelbookers (commercial)]
*[http://www.hostelz.com/hostels/Germany/Berlin Hostelz (commercial)]
*[http://www.hostels.com/berlin/germany Hostels.com (commercial)]

=== Short/Long term stay (finding a flat/WG) ===
Some websites that can be used if you're looking for flatshare(WG)/renting a flat in Berlin:
*[http://www.wg-gesucht.de/en/ WG-Gesucht.de (German/English)] The most used website to search for accomodation/house mates
*[http://www.studenten-wg.de Studenten-wg.de (German)] Another website to find WG's
*[http://www.immobilo.de/mieten/berlin Immobilo.de (German)] Searches multiple websites that lists accomodations.
*[http://www.immobilienscout24.de/Suche/S-T/WG-Zimmer/Berlin/Berlin Immobilienscout24 (German)] For apartments, less used for flatsharing.
*[http://www.wgcompany.de/cgi-bin/seite?st=1&mi=10&li=100 WGcompany (English)] Has a glossary in english with all important terms. Used for flatsharing.
*[http://kleinanzeigen.ebay.de/anzeigen/s-immobilien/berlin/c195l3331 E-bay Kleinanzeigen (German)] Germans offer everything on E-bay.
*[http://berlin.en.craigslist.de/hhh/ Craigslist (English)] Not all very reliable, but sometimes it contains a hidden treasure.
*[http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=19711/ CouchSurfing Group 1 (English)] Find local CSers looking for flatmates, available sublets, etc.
*[http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=9251/ CouchSurfing Group 2 (English)] Find local CSers looking for flatmates, available sublets, etc.
*[http://www.toytowngermany.com/forum/index.php?showforum=84/ ToyTown (English)] Expat community.
*[https://www.facebook.com/groups/easy.wg/ A Facebook Group (English/German)] A good group to find housing.

Or try our [https://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=19711 Accommodation] subgroup under the CS Berlin group.

Once you have found a place to live, and you're planning to stay in Berlin for a long period, it might be wise to [[Berlin#Registering_in_Germany.2FBerlin_-_B.C3.BCrgeramt|register yourself]] at the Bürgeramt as an inhabitant of the city.

== Getting Around ==
[[File:U-Bahn_S-Bahn_02_2013.png|400px|thumb|right|U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines of the inner city of Berlin, as of February 2013]]Public transportation generally goes almost everywhere in whole Berlin. Read more and plan a journey at the [http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/index.html BVG Website].

=== Tickets ===
Tickets for public transport can be bought at every S- and U-Bahn station from machines, at ticket offices on the main stations. Daily tickets or tickets for short rides can be bought in busses and trams as well. Tickets are valid for all ways of public transport within the chosen area (A, B and C).
==== Short term tickets ====
'''Short trip fare''' (Kurzstrecke) is valid for either 3 U- or S-Bahn stops, or 6 tram- or busstops. Costs €1,40

'''Single tickets''' (Einzelfahrschein) is valid for 2 hours. Officially you can not travel back to the station you started, so it's a one-way ticket. Costs €2,40 (AB), €2,80 (BC) or €3,10 (ABC).

'''4-Trip-ticket''' (4-Fahrten-Karte) is the same as 4 single tickets, but slightly cheaper when bought in this way.

'''Day ticket''' (Tageskarte) can be used for an entire day, until 3:00am next day. Costs €6,50 (AB), €6,80 (BC) or €7,00 (ABC).

==== Long term tickets ====
'''7-Day-ticket''' (7-Tage-Karte VBB-Umweltkarte) is valid for an entire week. With this ticket you can travel with an additional adult or 3 children between 8:00pm end 3:00am, on saturdays and sundays and at public holidays. Costs €28,00 (AB), €28,90 (BC) or €34,60 (ABC).

'''Monthly ticket''' (Monatskarte VBB-Umweltkarte) is valid for an entire month. With this ticket you can travel with an additional adult or 3 children between 8:00pm end 3:00am, on saturdays and sundays and at public holidays. The ticket is transferable and some people offer their monthly ticket (or the part that's left) on the internet. Costs €77,00 (AB), €78,00 (BC) or €95,00 (ABC).

'''10am Monthly ticket''' (10-Uhr-Karte) is a limited version of the monthly ticket. You can not take other people on the same ticket. Furthermore, you're only allowed to travel after 10:00am. Therefore the price is better than the regular monthly ticket: €55,50 (AB), €56,50 (BC) or €68,00 (ABC).

==== Special tickets ====
'''Small group ticket''' (Kleingruppen-Tageskarte) is a daily ticket for group of up to 5 persons. It pays itself back when traveling with 3 or more persons. Costs €15,50 (AB), €15,80 (BC) and €16,00 (ABC)

'''Berlin Welcome card''' 2/3/5 days - Next to travelling, you can use this card to get discounts at touristic attractions, in restaurants and free entrance at some museums (with 3/5-day ticket). Can not be bought at ticket vending machines. [http://www.visitberlin.de/en/welcomecard Read more]

'''Berlin CityTourCard''' 2/3/5 days - Next to travelling, this card provides some discount on some touristic attractions. This ticket can also be bought at ticket vending machines. [http://www.citytourcard.com/en Read more]

For more information on tickets and pricing: [http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/17181/name/Fares+Overview.html BVG Tickets]

=== From Airport to City ===
For the time being, Berlin has 2 major airports, 'Tegel' in the northwest and 'Schönefeld' in the southeast.

'''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_S-Bahn S-Bahn]'''

Schönefeld Airport is directly connected with S-Bahn. Line S9 connects the airport with the eastern and northern part of the city. Line S45 connects the airport with the southern part of the inner-city. Both lines pass stations located on the S-Bahn circular railway (Ringbahn), which makes it easy to travel to other parts of the city, changing trains just once.

'''Bus'''

Tegel Airport is accessible by bus. There are 2 shuttle buses: '''X9''' between Tegel and 'S+U Zoologischer Garten' (western Berlin); '''TXL''' between Tegel and 'S+U Alexanderplatz' (eastern Berlin). There are also 2 normal bus lines: '''128''' in the direction of 'U Osloer Straße' and '''109''' in the direction of 'S+U Zoologischer Garten'.

'''Taxi'''

Expected price for a [[Berlin#Taxi|taxi-ride]] from/to the airport is between €20,00 and €35,00.

=== Underground/ U-Bahn ===
The subway/underground in Berlin is called the U-Bahn.

The U-Bahn is efficient and reliable and it covers the major areas of the city.

===Buses===
Buses normally drive in the 'gaps' of the U- and S-Bahn net. Most people only take buses if they have to go to area's that are on the outskirts of town.
The exceptions are bus lines '''100''' and '''200'''. These bus lines are well known for the ''touristic'' route they are following. It crosses several points of interest, and therefore used by many tourists as a cheap alternative for the sightseeing buses.

===Tram (Straßenbahn/Metro)===
The tram in Berlin is called Straßenbahn (street train), or sometimes Metro. The tram network especially is big in the eastern part of town. The trams drive in the 'gaps' of the U- and S-Bahn net, while crossing many of their stations on the way.

=== Taxi ===

There are fixed prices for taxi's in Berlin. There's no difference between day- and night prices. The prices are calculated as follows:
*Basic price: €3,20
*Per kilometre (first 7): €1,65
*Per kilometre (after 7): €1,28

You'll pay additional if:
*''you're travelling more than 4 persons: €1,50 per extra person''
*''the taxi has to wait for you: €25,00 per hour''
*''you have big luggage: €1,00''
*''you are paying with credit card: €1,50''
*''you are coming from Tegel Airport: €0,50''
'''The common taxi companies:'''
*[http://www.taxi-berlin.de Taxi Berlin] (+49 30) 20 20 20
*[http://www.taxifunkberlin.de Taxi Funk Berlin] (+49 30) 44 33 22
*[http://www.funk-taxi-berlin.de Funk Taxi Berlin] (+49 30)26 10 26

===Important information on transportation===
*Some of the tickets has to be validated before use. If you forget, the fine is 40 Euro.
*Except for friday and saturdaynight, all S-Bahn trains stop driving after approximately 1 o'clock
*Except for friday and saturdaynight, all U-Bahn trains are replaced by night buses (U1->N1; U2->N2; etc.)
*At some stations, people are selling tickets. Although they don't all look that bonafide, they resell tickets other people used. They should be still valid. If you are planning to buy those tickets, check if they are still valid. Also, it's officially forbidden to resell tickets, so you might be involved in a small crime by doing it.

== Nightlife, Dining and Entertainment ==
XX

===Main Nightlife Areas===

===Magazines and Event listings===
The following websites can help bring you up to speed on the local club scene, nightlife, concerts, festivals and shows:
*[http://www.blitzgigs.de/ Blitzgigs] (English)
*[http://www.exberliner.com/ Exberliner] (English)
*[http://www.zitty.de/ Zitty] (German)
*[http://www.top10berlin.de/ Top 10 Berlin] (German)
*[http://www.bln.fm/category/termine/ BLN FM] (German)
*[http://www.nachtagenten.de/events/ Nachtagenten] (German)
*[http://www.tip-berlin.de/ Tip Berlin] (German)
*[http://www.berlin030.de/ (030) MAGAZINE] (German)

===Bars===
Some favourite local haunts include:

===Clubs===

===Comedy===

===Restaurants===
There are hundreds of restaurants in Berlin. In most districts you'll find typical restaurants with foreign food, mostly turkish, asian and arabic. Meals that are often consumed are Döner and Falafel. Both meals cost between €2,00 and €4,00 depending on district and quality.

On several places you can find the typical Berlin Currywurst (curry sausage)

'''Meat/mixed restaurants:'''
*[http://www.nil-imbiss.de/ NIL] - Sudanese food (incl. Sudanese falafel)
*Al Faruk - one of the best falafel in town

'''Vegetarian Restaurants:'''
* [http://www.yellow-sunshine.com/ Yellow Sunshine] - Fast food
* [http://www.vego-foodworld.de/ Vego Foodworld] - Vegan/vegetarian hamburgers
* [http://www.ponteverde.de/ Ponte Verde] - Italian food

'''Vegan Restaurants:'''

[[Restaurants in Berlin]]

===Seasonal activities===
====Karneval der Kulturen====
====Berlinale====
====Fête de la Musique====

==Sports, Activities and the Great Outdoors==
===Parks===
Berlin is said to be the greenest capital of Europe. There are many big parks, and many more small green areas. All parks have their own charms and every season they look different. In spring and summer, when the temperatures reach 20 degrees Celsius or more, you will see many people visiting parks to walk, run, cycle, play outdoor games and most of all sunbathing with a beer!

'''Hiking'''

'''Running and Hiking events'''

'''Swimming and Beaches'''

'''Camping'''

'''Wakeboarding and Waterskiing'''

'''Windsurfing and Kayaking'''

''' Diving'''

'''Rock Climbing'''

'''Para-gliding'''

'''Snowboarding'''

==Learning German==
There are lots of language exchange options available in Berlin from one on one meetups to clubs that meet regularly in person to social networks available online at your convenience. Here are some of your options:
===Free online courses===
*[http://www.dw.de/learn-german/s-2469 Deutsche Welle] is actually a news website, but offers some courses and tests online. The best feature: slowly spoken news in German with transcript.
*[http://www.goethe.de/lrn/duw/lad/deindex.htm?wt_sc=lernabenteuer App for iPhone or Android] from Goethe Institut
*[http://online-lernen.levrai.de/ Website] with all background information on the German language
*[http://www.goethe.de/lrn/duw/auf/stb/enindex.htm Exercises] from the Goethe Institut
*[http://www.deutsch-perfekt.com/deutsch-lernen Exercises] from Deutsch Perfekt
*[http://www.deutschakademie.de/online-deutschkurs/ Test] from Deutsch Akademie
*[http://www.goethe.de/lrn/lks/enindex.htm Links from the Goethe Institut] to very useful websites
*[http://livemocha.com/ Live Mocha] Amazing website and community of language learners that help each other

===For one on one / tandem===
*[http://www.sprachenzentrum.fu-berlin.de/slz/tandem/index.html Tandem program] of the Freie Universität
*[https://www.international.hu-berlin.de/an_die_hu-en/studierende/orbis/sprachboerse Language exchange market of the Humbolt University]

===Groups that meet regularly===
[[File:Gaudy_exchange.png|200px|thumb|left‎|Gaudy Exchange]]St. Gaudy Cafe weekly language exchange
*http://www.gaudycafe.com/
*Gaudystraße 1
*[[File:U2.png]]Schönhauser Allee

===Language exchange social networks:===

===Paid language courses===
*[http://www.berlin.de/vhs/ Volkshochschule]
*http://www.speakeasy-sprachzeug.com/en/
*http://www.hartnackschule-berlin.de
*http://www.die-deutschule.de
*http://www.sprachenatelier-berlin.de
*http://www.deutschakademie.de
*http://kapitel-zwei.de/en
*http://www.deutsch-in-berlin.de
*http://www.goethe.de/lrn/enindex.htm

== Sightseeing ==
Berlin is extremely easy to get around by [[Berlin#Getting_Around|public transport]]. You can easily visit several locations on one day.

=== Typical touristic attractions ===
[[File:20c_German.jpg|100px|thumb|left|Brandenburger Tor on German euro-coins]]
==== Brandenburger Tor ====
The Brandenburger Tor ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburger_gate Brandenburger gate]) is one of the most famous buildings of both Berlin and Germany. It has been build as a city gate, but is now known as a symbol of the reunion of Germany.

==== Reichstagsgebäude ====
The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_%28building%29 Reichstag building] is the former and present building for the German parliament. The burning of the building in 1933 was the direct cause of Hitler taking over all power. The building was not in use as a parliament between 1933 and 1999.
[[File:Fernsehturm_Berlin2.jpg|100px|thumb|left|Fernsehturm (TV-tower)]]
==== Fernsehturm ====
The 368 metres high TV-tower near Alexanderplatz that can be seen everywhere in the city. You can go up in the tower and look back at the city. Entrance fee is €12 for adults. There is a possibility to have diner in the rotating restaurant, but you have to make reservations. For more info, visit [http://www.tv-turm.de/en/index.php].

==== Museuminsel ====
Island in the city center with many museums, mostly classical and historical art and artifacts.
==== Eastside Gallery ====
1,5 kilometre long gallery of painted pieces of the Berlin Wall.
==== Checkpoint Charlie ====
The famous checkpoint where diplomats could cross the border with the DDR.
==== Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer ====
History of the Berlin Wall, with a real life simulation of the Berlin Wall and a watchtower.
==== Gendarmenmarkt ====
Square with 2 symmetrical churches (French and German) facing each other.
==== Berliner Dom ====
Protestant cathedral
==== Nikolaiviertel ====
Origin of Berlin. Lots of old buildings, including the Nikolai-church, mixed with renovated buildings and typical DDR/communistic architecture.
==== Siegessäule ====
Victory column, built after the victories in the wars against Denmark, Austria and France in the late 19th century.

=== Museums ===
If you're planning to visit many museums during your stay in Berlin, you might want to buy the '''[http://www.museumsportal-berlin.de/en/plan-your-visit/all-about-admission-fees/everything-three-days/ Museum pass]'''. It costs €19, can be bought at any participating museum and is valid for 3 days.

If you want to see both city and museums, and you're not sure how many museums you'll be visiting, you might be interested in the [[Berlin#Special_tickets|Berlin Welcome Card]] which gives you discount on museums and free use of public transport.
*[http://www.dhm.de Deutsches Historisches Museum] - German history
*[http://www.smb.museum/smb/standorte/index.php?objID=24&p=2 Altes Museum] - Ancient and classical art and artifacts
*[http://www.smb.museum/smb/standorte/index.php?p=2&objID=27&n=15 Pergamommuseum] - Ancient art and artifacts
*[http://www.mauermuseum.de Haus am Checkpoint Charlie] - Berlin Wall
*Alte Nationalgalerie
*Neues Museum
*Bode-Museum
*Museum für Naturkunde
*Hamburger Bahnhof Museum
*Jüdisches Museum
*Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer
*Topographie des Terrors
*DDR-Museum
*Story of Berlin

=== Less touristic attractions ===
==== Sowjetisches Ehrenmal ====
==== Tempelhof ====
==== Teufelsberg ====

=== Flea markets and other famous markets ===
Berlin is well known for its flea markets. There are several weekly flea markets. The most famous ones:

'''Mauerpark''' 
The most famous flea market of Berlin, close to [[File:U2.png]]Eberswalderstraße. Has a lot of 2nd hand stalls, mixed with creative people that make jewelry, paintings, photos/cards, wallets and other stuff themselves. When the weather is right, there's a huge karaoke in the park next to the flea market. Can be very crowded, especially in spring and summer.
*Bernauer Straße 63
*Sunday 7:00-17:00h

'''Boxhagener Platz'''

'''Schöneberg'''

'''Arkonaplatz'''

'''Straße des 17. Juni'''

'''Ostbahnhof'''

'''OBI Neukölln'''

== Travelling from Berlin ==
Apart from the 2 airports, several (international) trains and busses arrive at and leave from Berlin.
===Trains===
Most '''international trains''' arrive at and depart from Berlin Hauptbahnhof (main railway station).
*to the Netherlands (Berlin-Schiphol)
*to Poland (Berlin-Warsaw/Gdansk/Wrocław Główny)
*to Switzerland (Berlin-Basel)
*to Denmark (Berlin-Copenhagen/Arhus)
*to the Czech Republic (Berlin-Prague)
To find the best connections, or for booking tickets, you can check out the website of the [[http://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml German Railway]]. Booking tickets on forehand can make a huge difference in price.

'''(inter)regional trains''' depart from every major station, such as Alexanderplatz, Ostbahnhof, Spandau and Sudkreuz. There's a difference between regional trains ('''RB''' (Regionalbahn) and'''RE''' (Regionalexpress)) and inter-regional trains ('''IC''' (Intercity) and '''ICE''' (Intercity Express)). The IC's and ICE's drive much faster and over a long distance, mostly to other big cities in Germany. The RB and RE only drive short distances and stop at many smaller stations on the way.

===Buses===

===Car===
====Car sharing====
It's easy to find car sharing online. Cars travel from every city to every city. You can find rides or travellers at [http://www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de Mitfahrgelegenheit.de] or [http://www.mitfahrzentrale.de Mitfahrzentrale.de].

====Hitchhiking====

Naturally, [[:hitch:Berlin|Hitchwiki]] has the best and most up-to-date resources about thumbing your way out of Berlin.

== Necessary bureaucracy ==
(This information is NOT official, it is simply advice)

Very important and will tell you everything: http://www.cautionrobots.com/getartistvisa.pdf

And another helpful link: http://4dayvisa.tumblr.com/

===VISA===
====VISA Office====
[http://www.berlin.de/labo/auslaender/dienstleistungen/ Ausländerbehörde (ABH)] 
Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24 
13353 Berlin 
abh@labo.berlin.de 
+49-30 902690 
[http://osm.org/go/0MZv6kuHu-- MAP]

Opening times:
* Monday 07:00-14:00h
* Tuesday 07:00-14:00h
* Wednesday closed
* Thursday 10:00-18:00h
* Friday closed

Schedule an appointment ahead of time http://www.berlin.de/labo/auslaender/dienststelle/index.html
The wait times are not THAT bad, but it's always best to have an appointment.

They REALLY don't speak English consistently so just be prepared :)
Bring someone with you if at all possible. Have everything you need when you go.
I talked with many people there and they don't assign you to one person. They don't answer emails for nearly 1 month so don't bother there. You can call and ask questions, but have someone call for you and speak German and then you might get answers.

====Freelance VISA and Artist VISA====
(This is written from a US citizen. Different rules may apply to you, although they may be similar).

These are 2 different things. I obtained my Artist's visa while I was waiting for my Freelance visa to be approved (this will take 6-10 weeks). The Artist's visa does NOT allow you to work. The Freelance one does (you can list more than one profession on this visa).

====List of things that you need====
* Completed Form (http://www.berlin.de/formularserver/formular.php?72301)
* Letter stating your intentions, how you plan to support yourself, everthing you can think of
* CV
* Passport Copy
* 2 Biometric Photo (not smiling... these can be done in the bottom level of the office... leave an extra 10 minutes for this).
* Bank Statement (proving that you can support yourself without working)
* All Certificates
* All Diplomas
* All Transcripts
* Health Insurance (GERMAN) Proof and all documents
* German Address Registration (do NOT show up without this. You will be turned away. You must register your address)
* References
* €50 in cash (sometimes this is more)
* Artist portfolio (this must be hard copies of your work)
* Letter from 2 prospective employers (I fought this, but it's technically required and you should have it)

===Registering in Germany/Berlin - Bürgeramt===
'''Registering your address'''
Fill out page 3 of this form and then go to register.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/1RBnLXCEqJ-le6hyQSsyvQ2_0u7Uo7tF-tG4lUc76EPDL6r-8O6ipxGPkZt2-/edit

You must register your address within 2 weeks of coming to Germany and before you can do anything really.
You need to either have a rental agreement or have the main renter to sign the paper or write a letter for you.

These are all the places you can go to register.
http://www.buergeramt.info/berlin.htm

Give yourself a couple hours to do this.
(it is my understanding that you now need an appointment to do this. Please check)

===Health insurance===

This is a biggie. They need proof that you have GOOD GERMAN health insurance. It's very expensive. Be prepared (especially if you have to pay for it on your own).

I myself have AOK insurance and I am very happy with it http://www.deutscheinsurance.com/aok.html
(They also off a travel insurance that will cover you worldwide, outside of the EU for only €6 per year).

Someone also mentioned this and it might be a little cheaper http://www.hansemerkur.de/

If you want to apply to KSK (you must be an Artist legally here, they will help you with the price of your insurance, but there are a LOT of rules you must follow), you can contact this woman.
Ilka Lacherbauer
Medien und Künstler Beratung Ltd.
Tucholskystr. 35
10117 Berlin - Mitte
Fon.: +49 30 - 75 00 86 00
e-mail: info@bmkb.de or lacherbauer@bmkb.de

more information about KSK

===SIM Cards===
(this information was gathered from forums)

* http://www.callmobile.de/
* http://www.fonic.de
* http://www.blau.de
* You can get great deals on SIM's at any Saturn store. They have T-Mobile SIM cards for only 5 euro and they come with 10 euro worth of call minutes for free.
* some Turkish phone shops, they sell Vodafone cards with credit for half-price (usually a card with 10 EUR credit for about 6 EUR, and one with 1 EUR credit for 60 cents), and what's best these are pre-activated and work right away, no need to fill out any stupid forms online.
* new SIM. For instance if you take an O2 one for 28.50E, you get 21E credit plus two months of freecalls to O2 (has a good subscrirption in Germany) numbers and to any landline. I think it is a great offer but something that you cannot renew; just comes with the new number.
*Aldi or Penny (yes, the discount stores) have easy prepaid cards for 15euro or something with the same amount of credit on it so you basically pay nothing for it. I don't know if they offer data as well, but the Aldi card uses ePlus networks so you can also charge your credit with ePlus prepaid cards if there is no Aldi around to buy new credit. adli 300mb 300 minutes = less 10 euro ;)

===Bank account===
(There are many opinions on this. Please add yours)

'''Berliner Sparkasse'''

So email the guy below to make an appointment. (speaks english and helped me and many other CS) ... They also have a nice referral program. If you open an account and have the referring person sign the paper, they get €25. I like to send people there and then take them out to lunch on Sparkasse :) :)

Here is the contact. The guy is great and he's signed a lot of my friends and I up.

René Schneider, Berliner Sparkasse

Friedrichstrasse 148, 10117 Berlin

STOP: Stadmitte or Friedrichstrasse MAP: http://g.co/maps/93gyu]http://g.co/maps/93gyu

email: rene.schneider@berliner-sparkasse.de

You need to bring proof of your address registration and your passport. That was it.

'''Sparda Bank'''

Another interesting option for people who plan to stay in germany long term and have a regular income could be Sparda Bank. It is a credit union and upon opening an account you will be required to buy a cooperative share of 50EUR. other than that, you will never have to pay anything again for the rest of your life.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparda-Bank_%28Deutschland%29

==Baggage Storage==
XX

==Cost of living==
In Berlin you have many choices on how to spend your money. Berlin is a relatively cheap city, although the prices raised over the years.

Below is a list of estimations of prices. The prices can differ a lot, depending on district, location, season, etc.

'''Renting a room''': €150-€600 per month 
'''Renting apartment''': €200-€1000 per month 

'''Restaurant''': €2 - €15 for a main dish 
'''Beer''': €0,70 - €4,00 for 0,5 liter 

==FAQs==
XX

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T17:10:03Z

Ashuri:

This is a step-by-step guide aimed at beginners and first-time users of [[CouchSurfing]]. In this guide we will show you how to search for a [[couch]], or a place to stay with a [[host]] on the [[CouchSurfing]] [[hospitality exchange]] network.

== Step 1: Fill out your [[Profile]].==

Fill out your [[profile]]. For step-by-step guide see [[how to fill out your profile on CouchSurfing]]

== Step 2: Where would you like to go? ==

* At the top of every page you will should find a '''search bar''' with the words '''"Where would you like to go?"'''.
* Type your destination into the search bar, then click '''Surf''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* In this example we have used [[Paris]], France as an example.

[[File:Where_would_you_like_to_go.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]

== Step 3: Find a place to stay ==

===The CORRECT way ✔===

* Searching for your destination takes you to the [[place page]] associated with your destination. In this example, we are taken to the [[place page]] for the [[Paris]] area.
* At the top of the [[place page]] for your destination you will find a box with the text '''Find a place to stay for [ ] traveler(s)'''

[[File:Find_a_place_to_stay.PNG |alt=Find a place to stay|Find a place to stay]]

* Select the number of people that require a place to stay and click '''Go!''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* You will be taken to the [[Couch search results page]].

===The WRONG way ✘===

* The [[place page]] also acts as a hub for the local community. To the bottom of the '''Find a place to stay''' section is the [[conversations]] section.
* '''Do not post a [[request]] for a [[couch]] in this section.'''

[[File:Conversations_no.png |alt=Don't do this|Don't do this]]

* For more details see [[community guidelines]].
* ''Why?'' '''Safety''': by posting in a public forum, you are inviting strangers to contact you.
* ''Why?'' '''Simple courtesy''': it is more polite to ask people directly for their hospitality. You will be more successful finding a place to stay through personalized messages.
* ''Why?'' '''Spam''': Thousands of people are looking for hosts. Filling up the [[conversations]] forum prevents the local community from using the forum for legitimate uses.
* ''If you still decide to go ahead'': your post will most likely be [[flagging|flagged]] and then '''deleted'''.

== Step 4: ==

* You now arrive at the [[Couch search results page]]. Here you can browse the available [[host|hosts]], and click through to visit their [[CouchSurfing profile|profiles]].
* This is the most important part of your search. Look through the list of available hosts and decide who you would like to stay with.
* You can use the '''filters''' (bottom left) and the '''sort these people by:''' menus to further refine your search. [[Couchsurfing profile page|Click here for more detailed information ]].
* Visit the profile of a potential [[host]] and '''read their profile thoroughly'''.

[[File:Surf_results_annotated.png|alt=Couch search results page|Couch search results page]]
[[Category:Guides]][[Category:Beginners]]

== Step 5: Read a profile! ==

== Step 6: Send a Couch Request ==

== Step 7: ==

File:Searching for paris.PNG

2013-03-10T17:06:22Z

Ashuri:

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T17:02:22Z

Ashuri: /* Step 4: */

This is a step-by-step guide aimed at beginners and first-time users of [[CouchSurfing]]. In this guide we will show you how to search for a [[couch]], or a place to stay with a [[host]] on the [[CouchSurfing]] [[hospitality exchange]] network.

== Step 1: Fill out your [[Profile]].==

Fill out your [[profile]]. For step-by-step guide see [[how to fill out your profile on CouchSurfing]]

== Step 2: Where would you like to go? ==

* At the top of every page you will should find a '''search bar''' with the words '''"Where would you like to go?"'''.
* Type your destination into the search bar, then click '''Surf''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* In this example we have used [[Paris]], France as an example.

[[File:Where_would_you_like_to_go.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]

== Step 3: Find a place to stay ==

===The CORRECT way ✔===

* Searching for your destination takes you to the [[place page]] associated with your destination. In this example, we are taken to the [[place page]] for the [[Paris]] area.
* At the top of the [[place page]] for your destination you will find a box with the text '''Find a place to stay for [ ] traveler(s)'''

[[File:Find_a_place_to_stay.PNG |alt=Find a place to stay|Find a place to stay]]

* Select the number of people that require a place to stay and click '''Go!''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* You will be taken to the [[Couch search results page]].

===The WRONG way ✘===

* The [[place page]] also acts as a hub for the local community. To the bottom of the '''Find a place to stay''' section is the [[conversations]] section.
* '''Do not post a [[request]] for a [[couch]] in this section.'''

[[File:Conversations_no.png |alt=Don't do this|Don't do this]]

* For more details see [[community guidelines]].
* ''Why?'' '''Safety''': by posting in a public forum, you are inviting strangers to contact you.
* ''Why?'' '''Simple courtesy''': it is more polite to ask people directly for their hospitality. You will be more successful finding a place to stay through personalized messages.
* ''Why?'' '''Spam''': Thousands of people are looking for hosts. Filling up the [[conversations]] forum prevents the local community from using the forum for legitimate uses.
* ''If you still decide to go ahead'': your post will most likely be [[flagging|flagged]] and then '''deleted'''.

== Step 4: ==

* You now arrive at the [[Couch search results page]]. Here you can browse the available [[host|hosts]], and click through to visit their [[CouchSurfing profile|profiles]].
* This is the most important part of your search. Look through the list of available hosts and decide who you would like to stay with.
* You can use the '''filters''' (bottom left) and the '''sort these people by:''' menus to further refine your search. [[Couchsurfing profile page|Click here for more detailed information ]].
* Visit the profile of a potential [[host]] and '''read their profile thoroughly'''.

[[File:Surf_results_annotated.png|alt=Couch search results page|Couch search results page]]
[[Category:Guides]][[Category:Beginners]]

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T16:51:24Z

Ashuri:

This is a step-by-step guide aimed at beginners and first-time users of [[CouchSurfing]]. In this guide we will show you how to search for a [[couch]], or a place to stay with a [[host]] on the [[CouchSurfing]] [[hospitality exchange]] network.

== Step 1: Fill out your [[Profile]].==

Fill out your [[profile]]. For step-by-step guide see [[how to fill out your profile on CouchSurfing]]

== Step 2: Where would you like to go? ==

* At the top of every page you will should find a '''search bar''' with the words '''"Where would you like to go?"'''.
* Type your destination into the search bar, then click '''Surf''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* In this example we have used [[Paris]], France as an example.

[[File:Where_would_you_like_to_go.PNG|alt=Where would you like to go?|Where would you like to go?]]

== Step 3: Find a place to stay ==

===The CORRECT way ✔===

* Searching for your destination takes you to the [[place page]] associated with your destination. In this example, we are taken to the [[place page]] for the [[Paris]] area.
* At the top of the [[place page]] for your destination you will find a box with the text '''Find a place to stay for [ ] traveler(s)'''

[[File:Find_a_place_to_stay.PNG |alt=Find a place to stay|Find a place to stay]]

* Select the number of people that require a place to stay and click '''Go!''' or hit '''Enter'''.
* You will be taken to the [[Couch search results page]].

===The WRONG way ✘===

* The [[place page]] also acts as a hub for the local community. To the bottom of the '''Find a place to stay''' section is the [[conversations]] section.
* '''Do not post a [[request]] for a [[couch]] in this section.'''

[[File:Conversations_no.png |alt=Don't do this|Don't do this]]

* For more details see [[community guidelines]].
* ''Why?'' '''Safety''': by posting in a public forum, you are inviting strangers to contact you.
* ''Why?'' '''Simple courtesy''': it is more polite to ask people directly for their hospitality. You will be more successful finding a place to stay through personalized messages.
* ''Why?'' '''Spam''': Thousands of people are looking for hosts. Filling up the [[conversations]] forum prevents the local community from using the forum for legitimate uses.
* ''If you still decide to go ahead'': your post will most likely be [[flagging|flagged]] and then '''deleted'''.

== Step 4: ==

* You now arrive at the [[Couch search results page]]. Here you can browse the available [[host|hosts]], click through to visit their [[CouchSurfing profile|profiles]]

[[File:Surf_results_annotated.png|alt=Couch search results page|Couch search results page]]
[[Category:Guides]][[Category:Beginners]]

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T16:47:31Z

Ashuri: /* The WRONG way ✘ */

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T16:45:16Z

Ashuri: /* The CORRECT way ✔ */

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T16:44:21Z

Ashuri: /* The WRONG way ✘ */

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T16:43:56Z

Ashuri: /* The WRONG way ✘ */ can it be any more obvious?

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T16:43:06Z

Ashuri: /* The WRONG way ✘ */

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T16:26:18Z

Ashuri: /* Step 3: Find a place to stay */

File:Conversations no.png

2013-03-10T16:17:19Z

Ashuri: NO!

NO!

User:Ashuri

2013-03-10T16:00:40Z

Ashuri: /* Stuff and things */

== Stuff and things ==

Ashuri, aka Ashley Holding has been using hospitality exchange networks since 2010.

He lives in [[Helsinki]], [[Finland]] but is actually [[United Kingdom |British]].

He contributes to his local 'hosp ex' community by hosting and organising lots of 'fun' events (he hopes)

He would like to see the community to grow, to stick together, and to end it's reliance on [[CouchSurfing]], the corporation.

He is talking in third person

By profession he is research scientist (Chemist)

== Profiles ==

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=CJ1OA6K Profile on CouchSurfing]

[[bw:people/AshleyHolding|Profile on BeWelcome]]

User:Ashuri

2013-03-10T16:00:12Z

Ashuri: Created page with "== Stuff and things == Ashuri, aka Ashley Holding IRL has been using hospitality exchange networks since 2010. He lives in Helsinki, Finland but is actually [[United..."

== Stuff and things ==

Ashuri, aka Ashley Holding IRL has been using hospitality exchange networks since 2010.

He lives in [[Helsinki]], [[Finland]] but is actually [[United Kingdom |British]].

He contributes to his local 'hosp ex' community by hosting and organising lots of 'fun' events (he hopes)

He would like to see the community to grow, to stick together, and to end it's reliance on [[CouchSurfin]]g, the corporation.

He is talking in third person

By profession he is research scientist (Chemist)

== Profiles ==

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=CJ1OA6K Profile on CouchSurfing]

[[bw:people/AshleyHolding|Profile on BeWelcome]]

Trustroots Wiki:Community portal

2013-03-10T15:06:09Z

Ashuri: /* Flagcounter or: do we want to enable external images? */

{{Couchwiki}}
:''Feel free to leave questions and comments here. Also see [[project:tech]] for technical issues.''

== Flagcounter or: do we want to enable external images? ==
For use a visit counter (FlagCounter), how integrate the FLAGCOUNTER Code in a page CouchWiki ?
Here is my code given by FlagCounter :
<pre><a href="http://info.flagcounter.com/s7xP">
<img src="http://s10.flagcounter.com/count/s7xP/bg_FFFFFF/txt_000000/border_CCCCCC/columns_6/maxflags_30/viewers_0/labels_0/pageviews_0/flags_0/" alt="Flag Counter" border="0"></a></pre>

This code never runs in CouchWiki !!!!
Thanks for your replies (bernard9277@hotmail.fr) or BERNARD9277 on CS. [[User:ROBERT48]]

:I could enable [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:$wgAllowExternalImages the AllowExternalImages setting] to enable this but let's get the opinion of some more couchwiki editors as there is a [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:$wgAllowExternalImages#Why_disallow_external_images.3F valid reason for not allowing external images]. (Note that you can sign messages on talk pages with <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>.) [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 16:05, 9 March 2013 (CET)

::I strongly disagree with external pictures, especially if it's used as a snooping tool like here. A free and open projekt should not allow user snooping from third parties. (A simple access counter is at the bottom of couchwiki pages anyway.)[[User:Midsch|Midsch]] ([[User talk:Midsch|talk]]) 16:41, 9 March 2013 (CET)

::I agree with the reasoning for disallowing external images. I always though these flag counters were a bit dodgy. I really don't think it is necessary. --[[User:Ashuri|Ashuri]] ([[User talk:Ashuri|talk]]) 16:06, 10 March 2013 (CET)

::OK Midsch, I'm agree with you, but for us, this counter is not a snooping tool, but only for know if our city arouses an interest by presentation that's made, that's all !![[User:ROBERT48|ROBERT48]] ([[User talk:ROBERT48|talk]]) 18:31, 9 March 2013 (CET)

:::Well, if you're not paying for it you're the product. I'm sure this flagcounter company is making money by tracking people. But with <tt>$wgAllowExternalImagesFrom</tt> (which I just found now) we could allow this flagcounter and just this flagcounter. I'm personally okay with that, and people who care about privacy can use ghostery or other privacy plugins to block it. Midsch, what do you say? [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 19:54, 9 March 2013 (CET)

== Avoid Copying Wikivoyage and Duplicating information ==

WikiVoyage is a much more detailed and regularly updated source of '''general''' travel information. Avoid simply duplicating this information on your city or country page. Make your wiki information tailored specifically to travlers (on any of the hosp ex networks). Example - rather than giving a comprehensive list of every bar, every transport route, etc, give details on locals top favourite places, locals favourite things to do in your place, specific tips in travel in your region, etc. You get the idea. Get you local community to contribute suggestions. Include a list of frequently asked questions. Send people off to wikivoyage for detailed and general information. Once I have finished editing my local place page I can give an example. Some of the city groups have the right idea but I'm of the opinion that this wiki could be so much more!--[[User:Ashuri|Ashuri]] ([[User talk:Ashuri|talk]]) 21:07, 6 March 2013 (CET)
:Although I agree with you about your arguments and goals, I'd also like to stress that we should use a more neutreal language regarding hospex networks. Your paragraph is using only CS as a reference. Off course CS is still the major player and some content is from the dead cs-only CSwiki, but some people contributing here don't use Couchsurfing (anymore). Local pages should off course have links to local groups and network related tips, but pages like [[http://couchwiki.org/en/Category:100_Things 100 Things to Do in XY]], or hints how to search hosts in a specific region are not necessarily cs-only ... [[User:Midsch|Midsch]] ([[User talk:Midsch|talk]]) 19:48, 6 March 2013 (CET)
::That was my intention, although it may not have come off that way, hence I wrote that section under 'Example'. Of course the argument applies for any hospex network. I've wrote on other forums that the worldwide hospex community should really be 'tool agnostic' so I understand your point about the neutral language. I edited the orginal comment to make it more neutral. --[[User:Ashuri|Ashuri]] ([[User talk:Ashuri|talk]]) 21:03, 6 March 2013 (CET)

:Cool. Let's write some [[project:Guidelines|Guidelines]]. Couchwiki was started in 2009 but only now it's coming off the ground. (And yes, I'm thankful to CSHQ for making this possible ;) [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 00:09, 7 March 2013 (CET)
::Sounds like a good idea - is there somewhere we can keep track of all the ongoing projects and current tasks needed on the wiki?
:::[[Tasklist]] was supposed to be a page for collecting this stuff. It's outdated though, as I just reacted on "recent changes" for quite a while. But if we get this wiki more a life, it's probably a good starting point. [[User:Midsch|Midsch]] ([[User talk:Midsch|talk]]) 16:41, 9 March 2013 (CET)

==[[Couchwiki:For_different_organizations| For different organisation]]==

[[Couchwiki:For_different_organizations| Here]] a page about using couchwiki for [[BeWelcome]], [[Hospitality Club]], BeLodged, Global Freeloaders, Servas etc...

==Interwiki links==
I'm trying to set up some interwiki links. But there always seems to be a caching issue. So far I've done [[:hitch:|hitch]], [[:trash:|trash]], [[:cs:|cs]] and [[:csgroup:7621|csgroup]], if you want any others, just let me know. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 15:43, 30 April 2009 (UTC)

Sharewiki.org please [[User:Matrixpoint|Matrixpoint]] 05:43, 15 October 2009 (UTC)

BW groups please [[User:Midsch|Midsch]] 19:50, 15 October 2009 (UTC)

wikipedia (probably active by default) and wikitravel please --[[User:Metal.lunchbox|Metal.lunchbox]] 20:39, 20 October 2009 (UTC)

Wikivoyage would be nice --[[User:MrTweek|MrTweek]] 10:20, 21 October 2009 (UTC)

would it be possible to make a page about interwiki in couchwiki (brief explanation and how to use it ?) [[User:Bikepunk|Bikepunk]] 01:13, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

:Wikipedia has a [[wikipedia:InterWiki|nice article about interwiki]] :) Of course it could be useful to have [[project:interwiki|an article here as well]], feel free to start it, and note that this wiki is license compatible with Wikipedia, so you can copy parts from the Wikipedia article. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 10:42, 31 October 2009 (UTC)
:: [[project:interwiki| Job done !!!]] [[User:Bikepunk|Bikepunk]] 03:27, 2 November 2009 (UTC)
Guaka, Are you the only person able to make interwiki links ? If no, how can we do that ? [[User:Bikepunk|Bikepunk]] 15:34, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

==Other languages==
There's also a version of [http://couchwiki.org/fr/ Couchwiki in French] now :) The links aren't working properly yet. I'll happily set up other languages if there's enough interest, (especially German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian or Swedish). We just need some people (or even just one person) who is willing to take care of it enough, i.e. put up a front page and check for spam regularly, and ideally make sure there are new articles every week. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 20:27, 14 October 2009 (UTC)

==Feature request: Category sitemap in footer==
If we could find an extension to display a context-sensitive sitemap based on the categories of a page, wouldn't that be awesome? Maybe this could even be done with jquery, so the browser could cache the category information between requests, and it doesn't add up to page size.

(maybe "sitemap" is the wrong term here, because I only want to show related stuff)

I could work on that when I have time.

--[[User:Lemon-head|Lemon-head]] 19:03, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

:Hey. Sure, could be nice. :) [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 23:32, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

== Basic Organization of the wiki ==
Well there are a few pages and enough interest to start talking a little bit about how to organize the wiki. So far there seem to be 3 kinds of pages- location guide pages, pages about the wiki, and other pages. The later two will sort themselves out but the location guides follow an obvious logical hierarchy- World, region, country, (state,province), city, and extra pages attached to one of those levels like "Cycling in Germany" or "100 things to do in.." simple wiki links and templates could keep the pages organized according to the above logic and categories could help enforce it. does everyone pretty much agree on this?

I also want to say that generic categories like "Cities" or "country guides" are not useful and should be avoided. what do you guys think? --[[User:Metal.lunchbox|Metal.lunchbox]] 04:16, 24 October 2009 (UTC)

:Hey Lunchbox! I agree. Feel free to remove those generic categories. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 22:39, 24 October 2009 (UTC)
:: Actually I like a category like Hamburg, as it keeps all Hamburg related stuff together. But obviously it doesn't make sense if there is only one page for a city. BTW: Heavy usage of templates makes everything look the same and clean, but it stops people from editing as it looks complicate at first. [[User:Midsch|Midsch]] 19:52, 21 December 2009 (UTC)

== Shared user accounts and shared images ==
Now you can use your login on the English couchwiki also for the other languages (so far French and Italian). And you can use images that have been uploaded here in other languages as well. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 22:56, 28 October 2009 (UTC)

== It's now possible to directly use images from [[commons:Wikimedia Commons|Wikimedia Commons]]! ==
Just find the image you want to use and put it here, e.g. <nowiki>[[File:Bandeau_France.png|300px]]</nowiki> for [[File:Bandeau_France.png|300px]] from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bandeau_France.png [[User:Guaka|guaka]] Almost all images on Wikimedia Commons have been checked on copyrights, and it's highly encouraged to use them, and also to upload your own work there and then use it here. :) [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 23:35, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

== Main Page layout ==

The Main Page is getting messy and ugly : [[Mainpagelayoutbikepunk| here]] is a first draft/attempt to make it a bit better.
(I would like to know how to use the "class=" in mediawiki, I didn't find anything ''clear'' with google). What do you think about it ? [[User:Bikepunk|Bikepunk]] 22:26, 11 November 2009 (UTC)
:I just moved the new layout to the mainpage, it's much better than before, but off course needs more improvement. Hey, css-gurus! Your turn! And the structure/navigation is also looking for some more improvement! [[User:Midsch|Midsch]] 20:24, 21 December 2009 (UTC)

== Added cheat sheet from wikipedia - compatible licence? ==

I've copied across the [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Cheatsheet&action=edit Wikipedia cheat sheet] to [[Help:Editing]]

Also needs a bit of a cleanup as templates in wikipedia aren't always here. --[[Special:Contributions/118.208.108.138|118.208.108.138]] 10th to 20th December 2009 (UTC)

:It's totally fine to copy from Wikipedia, just add a template <nowiki>{{wikipedia}}</nowiki> to indicate that it's copied from Wikipedia. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 16:03, 21 December 2009 (UTC)

== Copy across openid explanation from old plugin ==

@[[User:Guaka|guaka]]: The previous version of the plugin Couchwiki had a better and easier to understand explanation for why OpenID was good. Please recover that explanation and put it in the new plugin.

In a related note is it possible to assume credit for edits done before the plugin became available? --[[User:Daz|daz]] 19:08, 12 May 2010 (UTC)

:Sorry, not on the top of my priorities right now. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 23:40, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

== MediaWiki mobile plugin ==

Is there any interest in installing the mobile plugin that is being rapidly developed and used in WikiPedia? I want it but not sure if activity warrants it. On the otherhand this is a travel site so access to it in a mobile friendly format might actually increase activity. --[[User:Daz|daz]] 19:08, 12 May 2010 (UTC)

:Could be nice, link? I'd probably first wanna try it at Hitchwiki though. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 23:40, 16 June 2010 (UTC)
:: Not sure? You seem to be more in tune with the wiki community then me. [[User:Daz|Daz]] 15:14, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

== Data dumps ==

The availability of frequently updated [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/mediawiki/wiki/Manual:Backing_up_a_wiki#XML_dump XML dumps of the database] (content only, no user data) would increase the sustainability and reusability of couchwiki. This seems to be listed as todo at [[Couchwiki:Tech]]. Will this be done in the near future?--[[User:Konrad|Konrad]] 20:59, 11 September 2011 (UTC)

:Finally did it. Check http://couchwiki.org/dumps/ :) [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 14:07, 3 December 2012 (CET)

== Offline versions ==

In a discussion with [[User:TimUbaldo|Tim]] he mentioned the idea of an offline versions (e.g. in [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/EPUB epub format]) which might be handy for travelers. There is an [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/mediawiki/wiki/Extension:EPubExportexisting MediaWiki extension for epub export] but I have no experiences with it so far. --[[User:Konrad|Konrad]] 20:59, 11 September 2011 (UTC)

I used a web service like [http://www.web2fb2.net/ Web2FB] to convert wikitravel pages for my ebook reader. While this is an easy solution, it might put more load on the server than necessary. --[[User:TimUbaldo|Tim]] 21:12, 11 September 2011 (UTC)

:I've set up dumps for sharewiki, I'll look into setting it up for couchwiki as well. Not right now but get back to me in a month if I haven't done it by then. Also let me know if you want me to install a specific extension. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 22:31, 11 September 2011 (UTC)

:: Great! The dumps at sharewiki look fine. A dump every week (at share wiki there is one every day) would be even enough IMO if space becomes an issue.--[[User:Konrad|Konrad]] 04:15, 12 September 2011 (UTC)

::: I just tried setting this up but ran into a "MediaWiki internal error." (with same script that works fine on sharewiki). I can look further into this if this is still wanted. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 08:02, 17 July 2012 (UTC)

== Merge into Wikimedia travel guide? ==
Wikimedia is likely to [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Travel_Guide start a travel guide], mainly thanks to a group of Wikitravel admins who can't deal any more with Internet Brand. Considering the current status of Couchwiki it could be very interesting to see if it's possible to also merge Couchwiki into the WMF travel guide. Being non profit (forever) and about traveling it suits the spirit. It would be a big advantage in maintenance and it would also promote hospitality exchange (not just couchsurfing) to a larger audience that is hopefully more inclined to choose non profit hospex (especially the active editors). [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 08:02, 17 July 2012 (UTC)
:If we're honest, there is very little content here and I'd love to see it merged into a bigger/active project. So if the wikimedia project is really happening, let's go for it. Some active pages here like [[Guide_to_punk]] will get in trouble though. Also BeWelcome workpages - to bypass the rotten bw-wiki - won't survive the move. And the cynic in me is afraid in the german section of the wikimedia travelguide most areas will be white spots for not meeting the admins criterias of relevance ... anyway, it's time for a general travelguide wikistyle! [[User:Midsch|Midsch]] ([[User talk:Midsch|talk]]) 20:58, 13 August 2012 (CEST)

:If couchsurfing finally takes the couchsurfing wiki offline today we'll probably have some more activity here :) and it's probably good to just keep it independent as it as. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 00:44, 14 December 2012 (CET)

== Wikitravel links ==
Wikitravel was another nice project that was taken over by money. Meanwhile Wikivoyage has come up as a very decent alternative :) I was so free and changed all Wikitravel interwiki links into links to Wikivoyage. I hope nobody minds. If so, let me know and I'll see what I can do about it. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 16:31, 7 December 2012 (CET)

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T14:56:12Z

Ashuri:

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T14:54:06Z

Ashuri:

File:Surf results annotated.png

2013-03-10T14:50:08Z

Ashuri:

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-10T14:33:09Z

Ashuri:

Hospitality exchange

2013-03-09T08:02:17Z

Ashuri: /* How they work */

The concept of '''Hospitality Exchange''', also known as “accommodation sharing”, “hospitality services” (short “hospex”), and “home stay networks”, refers to centrally organized [[social network]]s of individuals, generally travelers, who offer or seek accommodation without monetary exchange. Generally, these services connect users via the internet.

==History==

In 1949, Bob Luitweiler founded the first hospitality service called [[Servas Open Doors]] as a cross national, non-profit, volunteer run organization advocating interracial and international peace. In 1965, John Wilcock set up the Traveler's Directory as a listing of his friends willing to host each other when traveling. In 1988, Joy Lily rescued the organization from imminent shutdown, forming Hospitality Exchange. In 2000, Veit Kuhne founded [[Hospitality Club]], the first widely known Internet-based service (many others existed since the late 90s but never reached the high number of users that HC reached). In 2004, Casey Fenton started [[CouchSurfing]], now the largest hospitality exchange organization.

==How they work==

Generally, after registering, members have the option of providing very detailed information and pictures of themselves and of the sleeping accommodation being offered, if any. The more information provided by a member improves the chances that someone will find the member trustworthy enough to be their [[host]] or guest. Names and addresses may be [[verification|verified]] by volunteers. Members looking for accommodation can search for [[host|hosts]] using several parameters such as age, location, sex, and activity level. Home stays are entirely consensual between the [[host]] and guest, and the duration, nature, and terms of the guest's stay are generally worked out in advance to the convenience of both parties. No monetary exchange takes place except under certain circumstances (e.g. the guest may compensate the host for food). After using the service, members can leave a noticeable reference about their host or guest.

Instead of or in addition to accommodation, members also offer to provide guide services or travel-related advice. The websites of the networks also provide editable travel guides and forums where members may seek travel partners or advice. Many such organizations are also focused on "social networking" and members organize activities such as camping trips, bar crawls, meetings, and sporting events.

Some networks cater to specific niche markets such as students, activists, religious pilgrims, and even occupational groups like police officers.

==Benefits==
===Monetary savings===
As these networks provide accommodation at no charge, monetary savings can be significant.

===Local contact===
Hospitality exchange gives travelers the chance to experience what life is like for people living in other places. In addition, making interpersonal connections and fostering understanding of different cultures may in the long run also be important to international relations. During hospitality exchanges, hosts may show off their local knowledge and exciting places “off the tourist map”. Not only may travelers get a distinct experience, but they will also get a feel for the everyday lives of local residents.

===Reciprocity===
These systems foster richer and more convenient travel experiences not so much on the premise of [[altruism]], but on the basis of [[social exchange theory]]. Implicit in the agreement to host travelers is the ability to ask to be hosted by them in the future. If one enjoys having interesting guests in their home, this works out well for both parties. It works comparatively better if you are visited by travelers from a locale you find particularly attractive. Thus, hosting someone from [[New York City]] in [[Gainesville, Florida]] seems to be an unbelievable opportunity. Moreover, if you are a Westerner visiting someone in a [[developing country]], your stay might be the only way that this individual or family could afford a trip to a rich nation. This may mean more than just a relaxing vacation for such disadvantaged parties.

===Ecological sustainability===
Accommodation sharing reduces the demand for hotels, which, depending on the location can be detrimental for the environment.

==Drawbacks==
===Lack of guarantee===
There is no contractual agreement between users in these systems. Reservations are made, but if they are for some reason broken, there is no higher authority to which one could plead for a refund or other compensation. The only repercussion will be the poor rating you give that user and your only consolation will be that your warning will deter others from visiting or hosting them. For those who feel insecure unless their travel arrangements are written in stone before departure, this system will not be comforting.

===Potential interpersonal conflict or awkwardness===
There is a chance that guest and host will not get along. Perhaps there will be scheduling or ideological conflicts. Maybe you will find that hosts or visitors have misrepresented themselves. Perhaps the experience will not live up to your expectations. Intense interpersonal communications in advance and a flexibility once you have arrived is your best bet. These experiences require additional planning and courtesy towards the demands of your host. Thus, your living conditions, length of stay, and overall experience will be circumscribed by the living conditions you enter into.

===Digital divide and demographic segregation===
As use of these services generally requires access to the internet and knowledge of the English language, the sample population found in searches of these databases is really much less diverse than a geographical representation of worldwide users might suggest.

===Security===
Staying in someone's house, or inviting people into your house leaves open the possibility of being taken advantage of.

==Example networks==
There are countless websites that serve the idea of hospitality service, with new ones appearing as this phenomenon becomes more popular. While this page is not intended to be a directory listing, here is a small sample of the well-established and long-standing networks:

* [[CouchSurfing]] - A very active network with over 1.3 million members in more than 200 countries
* [[Hospitality Club]] - A very active network with over 550,000 members in more than 200 countries
* [[Servas Open Doors|Servas International]] - human rights and global peace oriented since 1949. A relatively small network now with over 15,000 members(?) with a very long history.

===Specialized networks===

Some networks offer specialised hospitality services. There are at least 15 (specialised) hospitality services.<ref>[http://www.hospitalityguide.net/ HospEx - Hospitality Exchange Networks Overview]</ref>, here are some examples:

* [[Lesbian and Gay Hospitality Exchange International]] [http://www.lghei.org/];
* Warm Showers[http://www.warmshowers.org/] - Hospitality network towards touring cyclists;
* Dachgeber[http://dachgeber.de/] - Hospitality network towards touring cyclists in Germany with about 3000 members. (See our German article [[:de:Dachgeber|Dachgeber]].)
* [[Pasporta Servo]][http://www.tejo.org/eo/ps_lingv_en/] - for [[Esperanto]] speakers;
* [[WWOOF]][http://www.wwoof.org/] - "Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms", help on the property is exchanged for food, accommodation, education and cultural interaction;
* HelpX[http://www.helpx.net/] - "Help Exchange", help is exchanged for food, accommodation, experience and cultural interaction;
* Homeshare International [http://www.homeshare.org/] -- charity organisation providing exchange of housing for help in the home.
* Ridester[http://www.ridester.com] -- ride sharing for travelers.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://wikitravel.org/en/Hospitality_exchange Article on www.wikitravel.org]

{{wikipedia}}
[[Category:Hospitality exchange networks]][[Category:Concepts]]

File:Find a place to stay.PNG

2013-03-08T12:13:37Z

Ashuri:

File:Where would you like to go.PNG

2013-03-08T12:13:01Z

Ashuri: Where you like to go? Textbox, CouchSurfing header.

Where you like to go? Textbox, CouchSurfing header.

Trustroots Wiki talk:How we want to keep this wiki

2013-03-08T08:26:39Z

Ashuri:

== CouchSurfer (TM) vs surfer vs BeWelcomer vs ? ... ==

A current the definition of 'couchsurfer' is almost synonymous with ''a person who uses a [[hospitality network]] to travel'' or alternatively ''an active member of a hospitality exchange community''. However, this leads to problems trying to use neutral language on a this wiki - CouchSurfer (TM) is a registered trademark of the couchsurfing corporation. How should we (and how should we advise other editors) to refer to ''a person who uses a [[hospitality network]] to travel'' or a ''an active member of said community'' (without using a registered trademark)? Is it appropriate, for example, to call ''a person who uses BeWelcome to travel'' a BeWelcomer? Or could we refer to them both generally as surfers? (or something else). --[[User:Ashuri|Ashuri]] ([[User talk:Ashuri|talk]]) 15:24, 7 March 2013 (CET)

:TM? [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bran_Van_3000#1994.E2.80.931996:_Formation Bram Van wrote Couch Surfer in 1996]. I don't give a rat's **s about the TM but I wouldn't mind using another word either. I think "guest" and "host" are fine usually, these words have been literally around [http://guaka.org/2012/some-linguistic-origins-hospitality for thousands of years], so why not use them? :) [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 02:18, 8 March 2013 (CET)
::I've been using the word 'host' and 'guest' and 'member' (of the network).

Talk:How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-07T22:31:12Z

Ashuri: Created page with "This guide will aimed at the flood of people on couchsurfing place pages who literally do not know where to click to search for a couch. --~~~~"

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-07T22:25:19Z

Ashuri:

This guide is aimed at [[beginners and newbies]].

-- Step by step photo guide

[[Category:Guides]][[Category:Beginners]]

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-07T22:24:45Z

Ashuri:

This guide is aimed at [[beginners and newbies]].

-- Step by step photo guide

[[Category:Guides]]

How to search for a couch on CouchSurfing

2013-03-07T22:23:12Z

Ashuri: Created page with "This guide is aimed at beginners and newbies. Category:Guides"

This guide is aimed at [[beginners and newbies]].

[[Category:Guides]]

Searching and requesting a couch

2013-03-07T22:18:36Z

Ashuri:

'''Searching for a [[couch]]''' is one of [[CouchSurfing]]'s most important functionalities.

In advance: [[host|Hosts]] are naturally concerned about security, and the more that they know about you, the more likely that they will be willing to host you; accordingly, the more detailed your profile is, the better. So fill in your own profile page with interesting (true!) information about yourself, and be sure to upload a photograph of yourself - again, that helps the host to decide yes or no.

===Searching for a couch===
*If the profile says "Coffee or a drink", that means the surfer cannot host anyone at the moment. But it does mean that they would love to chill with you during the day, show you around, etc, but you just can't crash there.
*Don't just contact the top five hosts in any city - they are probably inundated with requests. Explore the other pages in your search results too.
*Especially with big and popular CS cities, try searching couches further away from the main city area. These people get less requests and are thus more likely to host.
*Be sure to read a potential host's profile thoroughly to understand any conditions they might have set, e.g. only one guest at a time, maximum three nights, vegetarians only, etc.
*Women: choose women's couches, if you feel safer with them. See also the [[Tips for solo women]].

===Requesting a couch===
*Be specific about your intended arrival and departure dates and times - that helps the host to decide yes or no. (And they don't want to wait for you all day!)
*If possible, send a request well in advance
#In some cases, you will have to plan a month in advance. Others do not require that much time. Remember: some hosts in popular places receive more than ten requests each week!
*If requesting a last minute couch:
#Check the last login time and place (potential host who just logged in from the other side of the world is very unlikely to host you)
#Still read the profile carefully - being in a hurry is no excuse to be ignorant
*A few days before you get there, remind your host you'll be arriving soon.
*If you have special needs or request (i. e. [[allergies]]) mention them in advance.
*Try to identify interests between you and your hosts. Many hosts are willing to basically provide a free hotel, but it is more interesting for the host if they know something about your background or can learn something even when you are just stopping in to rest at night.
*Be specific if you have special plans for the city or region.
*Ask about the couch: air-mattress, couch, bed of your own
*Ask about the location of the couch (separate room or couch in a 1-room-apartment/loft).
*Ask if sleeping bag is needed or if sheets are provided.
*Ask if there will be other CouchSurfers or guests at that time.
*Ask about public transportation options. Can you get to the city center without riding with your host? Is there a good train or bus system near their home? Is there a reliable taxi service you can use? (If you are uncomfortable staying somewhere that has no public transport available, you may want to rethink your destination.)
*Ask for needed information (phone number, adress, ...)
#If possible, you could ask your host to meet you in advance at any certain place.

* Also look at tips about [[Keeping in touch cheaply when travelling]]

===Changing plans===
*If you change your plans and don't plan to arrive after all, tell your host as soon as possible. Hosts are generously providing their couches for you! Be respectful of their lives and plans!
*DECLINE A HOST IF YOU DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE. It is OK to do this! You are allowed to change your mind, but be respectful and let them know in advance of your decision.
*Have a back-up plan! Have addresses and phone numbers of a hostel in the surrounding area, just in case.

===Asking more than one host at the same time===
Asking more than one member for a couch increases your chances to finally get a couch when/as you want it. This is quite ok, especially when you're in a hurry or your dates are fixed. But please keep in mind: When hosts agree to host you then they will definitely have made changes in their schedule - just for you. So
*Don't flood the community with requests. Try to filter out only a few hosts-to-be by carefully reading profiles.
*Decide as soon as possible for one host.
*Tell any other immediately that you will not make use of their offer. Don't let somebody prepare your stay in vain. Remember: you had time enough to ask, they invested their time to think about it and to give you a positive response. So whatever hurry you are in, you must have the time to write at least a short message.
*Maybe you can „meet them for a coffee or a drink“ instead.

([http://www.couchsurfing.com/groups.html?group_category=1 Groups related to the city, region or country] are not recommended to search couches. But in case of emergency [budget traveling is not an emergency] it's an option to ask around there if people are interested in hosting you.)

===Travelling from one couch to the next===
*If you are leaving your host, make sure you have planned the next segment of your trip properly (by rideshare, bus, train, etc.)
*Consider having a plan to contact your former host upon arrival at your new destination. Before you leave, set a latest possible time with them by which you should have got into contact to let them know you're ok. That way, if there is no sign of you by the decided upon time, your former host can probably act immediately in case something has happened.
*Contact your new host in advance: fix dates, set time of arrival, tell them about the method of arrival, etc
*Always get the address of a hostel in the surroundings, just in case.
*Find out who the ambassadors in the area are. Even if you're not surfing with them, they can be a valuable resource to you.

===No host or other accommodation is available?===
Stay at a hostel or look for a camping site. I. e. check out these sites:
*http://www.hostelworld.com/
*http://www.hostelworld.com/en/index.html
*http://www.itravelnet.com/ directories/camping.html

[[Category:Travel]]
[[Category:Couch requests]]

Searching and requesting a couch

2013-03-07T22:18:17Z

Ashuri:

'''Searching for a [[couch]]''' is one of [[CouchSurfing]]'s most important functionalities.

In advance: [[host|Hosts]] are naturally concerned about security, and the more that they know about you, the more likely that they will be willing to host you; accordingly, the more detailed your profile is, the better. So fill in your own profile page with interesting (true!) information about yourself, and be sure to upload a photograph of yourself - again, that helps the host to decide yes or no.

===Searching a couch===
*If the profile says "Coffee or a drink", that means the surfer cannot host anyone at the moment. But it does mean that they would love to chill with you during the day, show you around, etc, but you just can't crash there.
*Don't just contact the top five hosts in any city - they are probably inundated with requests. Explore the other pages in your search results too.
*Especially with big and popular CS cities, try searching couches further away from the main city area. These people get less requests and are thus more likely to host.
*Be sure to read a potential host's profile thoroughly to understand any conditions they might have set, e.g. only one guest at a time, maximum three nights, vegetarians only, etc.
*Women: choose women's couches, if you feel safer with them. See also the [[Tips for solo women]].

===Requesting a couch===
*Be specific about your intended arrival and departure dates and times - that helps the host to decide yes or no. (And they don't want to wait for you all day!)
*If possible, send a request well in advance
#In some cases, you will have to plan a month in advance. Others do not require that much time. Remember: some hosts in popular places receive more than ten requests each week!
*If requesting a last minute couch:
#Check the last login time and place (potential host who just logged in from the other side of the world is very unlikely to host you)
#Still read the profile carefully - being in a hurry is no excuse to be ignorant
*A few days before you get there, remind your host you'll be arriving soon.
*If you have special needs or request (i. e. [[allergies]]) mention them in advance.
*Try to identify interests between you and your hosts. Many hosts are willing to basically provide a free hotel, but it is more interesting for the host if they know something about your background or can learn something even when you are just stopping in to rest at night.
*Be specific if you have special plans for the city or region.
*Ask about the couch: air-mattress, couch, bed of your own
*Ask about the location of the couch (separate room or couch in a 1-room-apartment/loft).
*Ask if sleeping bag is needed or if sheets are provided.
*Ask if there will be other CouchSurfers or guests at that time.
*Ask about public transportation options. Can you get to the city center without riding with your host? Is there a good train or bus system near their home? Is there a reliable taxi service you can use? (If you are uncomfortable staying somewhere that has no public transport available, you may want to rethink your destination.)
*Ask for needed information (phone number, adress, ...)
#If possible, you could ask your host to meet you in advance at any certain place.

* Also look at tips about [[Keeping in touch cheaply when travelling]]

===Changing plans===
*If you change your plans and don't plan to arrive after all, tell your host as soon as possible. Hosts are generously providing their couches for you! Be respectful of their lives and plans!
*DECLINE A HOST IF YOU DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE. It is OK to do this! You are allowed to change your mind, but be respectful and let them know in advance of your decision.
*Have a back-up plan! Have addresses and phone numbers of a hostel in the surrounding area, just in case.

===Asking more than one host at the same time===
Asking more than one member for a couch increases your chances to finally get a couch when/as you want it. This is quite ok, especially when you're in a hurry or your dates are fixed. But please keep in mind: When hosts agree to host you then they will definitely have made changes in their schedule - just for you. So
*Don't flood the community with requests. Try to filter out only a few hosts-to-be by carefully reading profiles.
*Decide as soon as possible for one host.
*Tell any other immediately that you will not make use of their offer. Don't let somebody prepare your stay in vain. Remember: you had time enough to ask, they invested their time to think about it and to give you a positive response. So whatever hurry you are in, you must have the time to write at least a short message.
*Maybe you can „meet them for a coffee or a drink“ instead.

([http://www.couchsurfing.com/groups.html?group_category=1 Groups related to the city, region or country] are not recommended to search couches. But in case of emergency [budget traveling is not an emergency] it's an option to ask around there if people are interested in hosting you.)

===Travelling from one couch to the next===
*If you are leaving your host, make sure you have planned the next segment of your trip properly (by rideshare, bus, train, etc.)
*Consider having a plan to contact your former host upon arrival at your new destination. Before you leave, set a latest possible time with them by which you should have got into contact to let them know you're ok. That way, if there is no sign of you by the decided upon time, your former host can probably act immediately in case something has happened.
*Contact your new host in advance: fix dates, set time of arrival, tell them about the method of arrival, etc
*Always get the address of a hostel in the surroundings, just in case.
*Find out who the ambassadors in the area are. Even if you're not surfing with them, they can be a valuable resource to you.

===No host or other accommodation is available?===
Stay at a hostel or look for a camping site. I. e. check out these sites:
*http://www.hostelworld.com/
*http://www.hostelworld.com/en/index.html
*http://www.itravelnet.com/ directories/camping.html

[[Category:Travel]]
[[Category:Couch requests]]

Searching and requesting a couch

2013-03-07T22:17:56Z

Ashuri:

'''Searching for a [[couch]]''' is one of [[CouchSurfing]]'s most important functionalities.

In advance: Hosts are naturally concerned about security, and the more that they know about you, the more likely that they will be willing to host you; accordingly, the more detailed your profile is, the better. So fill in your own profile page with interesting (true!) information about yourself, and be sure to upload a photograph of yourself - again, that helps the host to decide yes or no.

===Searching a couch===
*If the profile says "Coffee or a drink", that means the surfer cannot host anyone at the moment. But it does mean that they would love to chill with you during the day, show you around, etc, but you just can't crash there.
*Don't just contact the top five hosts in any city - they are probably inundated with requests. Explore the other pages in your search results too.
*Especially with big and popular CS cities, try searching couches further away from the main city area. These people get less requests and are thus more likely to host.
*Be sure to read a potential host's profile thoroughly to understand any conditions they might have set, e.g. only one guest at a time, maximum three nights, vegetarians only, etc.
*Women: choose women's couches, if you feel safer with them. See also the [[Tips for solo women]].

===Requesting a couch===
*Be specific about your intended arrival and departure dates and times - that helps the host to decide yes or no. (And they don't want to wait for you all day!)
*If possible, send a request well in advance
#In some cases, you will have to plan a month in advance. Others do not require that much time. Remember: some hosts in popular places receive more than ten requests each week!
*If requesting a last minute couch:
#Check the last login time and place (potential host who just logged in from the other side of the world is very unlikely to host you)
#Still read the profile carefully - being in a hurry is no excuse to be ignorant
*A few days before you get there, remind your host you'll be arriving soon.
*If you have special needs or request (i. e. [[allergies]]) mention them in advance.
*Try to identify interests between you and your hosts. Many hosts are willing to basically provide a free hotel, but it is more interesting for the host if they know something about your background or can learn something even when you are just stopping in to rest at night.
*Be specific if you have special plans for the city or region.
*Ask about the couch: air-mattress, couch, bed of your own
*Ask about the location of the couch (separate room or couch in a 1-room-apartment/loft).
*Ask if sleeping bag is needed or if sheets are provided.
*Ask if there will be other CouchSurfers or guests at that time.
*Ask about public transportation options. Can you get to the city center without riding with your host? Is there a good train or bus system near their home? Is there a reliable taxi service you can use? (If you are uncomfortable staying somewhere that has no public transport available, you may want to rethink your destination.)
*Ask for needed information (phone number, adress, ...)
#If possible, you could ask your host to meet you in advance at any certain place.

* Also look at tips about [[Keeping in touch cheaply when travelling]]

===Changing plans===
*If you change your plans and don't plan to arrive after all, tell your host as soon as possible. Hosts are generously providing their couches for you! Be respectful of their lives and plans!
*DECLINE A HOST IF YOU DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE. It is OK to do this! You are allowed to change your mind, but be respectful and let them know in advance of your decision.
*Have a back-up plan! Have addresses and phone numbers of a hostel in the surrounding area, just in case.

===Asking more than one host at the same time===
Asking more than one member for a couch increases your chances to finally get a couch when/as you want it. This is quite ok, especially when you're in a hurry or your dates are fixed. But please keep in mind: When hosts agree to host you then they will definitely have made changes in their schedule - just for you. So
*Don't flood the community with requests. Try to filter out only a few hosts-to-be by carefully reading profiles.
*Decide as soon as possible for one host.
*Tell any other immediately that you will not make use of their offer. Don't let somebody prepare your stay in vain. Remember: you had time enough to ask, they invested their time to think about it and to give you a positive response. So whatever hurry you are in, you must have the time to write at least a short message.
*Maybe you can „meet them for a coffee or a drink“ instead.

([http://www.couchsurfing.com/groups.html?group_category=1 Groups related to the city, region or country] are not recommended to search couches. But in case of emergency [budget traveling is not an emergency] it's an option to ask around there if people are interested in hosting you.)

===Travelling from one couch to the next===
*If you are leaving your host, make sure you have planned the next segment of your trip properly (by rideshare, bus, train, etc.)
*Consider having a plan to contact your former host upon arrival at your new destination. Before you leave, set a latest possible time with them by which you should have got into contact to let them know you're ok. That way, if there is no sign of you by the decided upon time, your former host can probably act immediately in case something has happened.
*Contact your new host in advance: fix dates, set time of arrival, tell them about the method of arrival, etc
*Always get the address of a hostel in the surroundings, just in case.
*Find out who the ambassadors in the area are. Even if you're not surfing with them, they can be a valuable resource to you.

===No host or other accommodation is available?===
Stay at a hostel or look for a camping site. I. e. check out these sites:
*http://www.hostelworld.com/
*http://www.hostelworld.com/en/index.html
*http://www.itravelnet.com/ directories/camping.html

[[Category:Travel]]
[[Category:Couch requests]]

Searching and requesting a couch

2013-03-07T22:17:46Z

Ashuri:

'''Searching for a [[couch]]''' is one of[[CouchSurfing]]'s most important functionalities.

In advance: Hosts are naturally concerned about security, and the more that they know about you, the more likely that they will be willing to host you; accordingly, the more detailed your profile is, the better. So fill in your own profile page with interesting (true!) information about yourself, and be sure to upload a photograph of yourself - again, that helps the host to decide yes or no.

===Searching a couch===
*If the profile says "Coffee or a drink", that means the surfer cannot host anyone at the moment. But it does mean that they would love to chill with you during the day, show you around, etc, but you just can't crash there.
*Don't just contact the top five hosts in any city - they are probably inundated with requests. Explore the other pages in your search results too.
*Especially with big and popular CS cities, try searching couches further away from the main city area. These people get less requests and are thus more likely to host.
*Be sure to read a potential host's profile thoroughly to understand any conditions they might have set, e.g. only one guest at a time, maximum three nights, vegetarians only, etc.
*Women: choose women's couches, if you feel safer with them. See also the [[Tips for solo women]].

===Requesting a couch===
*Be specific about your intended arrival and departure dates and times - that helps the host to decide yes or no. (And they don't want to wait for you all day!)
*If possible, send a request well in advance
#In some cases, you will have to plan a month in advance. Others do not require that much time. Remember: some hosts in popular places receive more than ten requests each week!
*If requesting a last minute couch:
#Check the last login time and place (potential host who just logged in from the other side of the world is very unlikely to host you)
#Still read the profile carefully - being in a hurry is no excuse to be ignorant
*A few days before you get there, remind your host you'll be arriving soon.
*If you have special needs or request (i. e. [[allergies]]) mention them in advance.
*Try to identify interests between you and your hosts. Many hosts are willing to basically provide a free hotel, but it is more interesting for the host if they know something about your background or can learn something even when you are just stopping in to rest at night.
*Be specific if you have special plans for the city or region.
*Ask about the couch: air-mattress, couch, bed of your own
*Ask about the location of the couch (separate room or couch in a 1-room-apartment/loft).
*Ask if sleeping bag is needed or if sheets are provided.
*Ask if there will be other CouchSurfers or guests at that time.
*Ask about public transportation options. Can you get to the city center without riding with your host? Is there a good train or bus system near their home? Is there a reliable taxi service you can use? (If you are uncomfortable staying somewhere that has no public transport available, you may want to rethink your destination.)
*Ask for needed information (phone number, adress, ...)
#If possible, you could ask your host to meet you in advance at any certain place.

* Also look at tips about [[Keeping in touch cheaply when travelling]]

===Changing plans===
*If you change your plans and don't plan to arrive after all, tell your host as soon as possible. Hosts are generously providing their couches for you! Be respectful of their lives and plans!
*DECLINE A HOST IF YOU DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE. It is OK to do this! You are allowed to change your mind, but be respectful and let them know in advance of your decision.
*Have a back-up plan! Have addresses and phone numbers of a hostel in the surrounding area, just in case.

===Asking more than one host at the same time===
Asking more than one member for a couch increases your chances to finally get a couch when/as you want it. This is quite ok, especially when you're in a hurry or your dates are fixed. But please keep in mind: When hosts agree to host you then they will definitely have made changes in their schedule - just for you. So
*Don't flood the community with requests. Try to filter out only a few hosts-to-be by carefully reading profiles.
*Decide as soon as possible for one host.
*Tell any other immediately that you will not make use of their offer. Don't let somebody prepare your stay in vain. Remember: you had time enough to ask, they invested their time to think about it and to give you a positive response. So whatever hurry you are in, you must have the time to write at least a short message.
*Maybe you can „meet them for a coffee or a drink“ instead.

([http://www.couchsurfing.com/groups.html?group_category=1 Groups related to the city, region or country] are not recommended to search couches. But in case of emergency [budget traveling is not an emergency] it's an option to ask around there if people are interested in hosting you.)

===Travelling from one couch to the next===
*If you are leaving your host, make sure you have planned the next segment of your trip properly (by rideshare, bus, train, etc.)
*Consider having a plan to contact your former host upon arrival at your new destination. Before you leave, set a latest possible time with them by which you should have got into contact to let them know you're ok. That way, if there is no sign of you by the decided upon time, your former host can probably act immediately in case something has happened.
*Contact your new host in advance: fix dates, set time of arrival, tell them about the method of arrival, etc
*Always get the address of a hostel in the surroundings, just in case.
*Find out who the ambassadors in the area are. Even if you're not surfing with them, they can be a valuable resource to you.

===No host or other accommodation is available?===
Stay at a hostel or look for a camping site. I. e. check out these sites:
*http://www.hostelworld.com/
*http://www.hostelworld.com/en/index.html
*http://www.itravelnet.com/ directories/camping.html

[[Category:Travel]]
[[Category:Couch requests]]

Host

2013-03-07T22:07:35Z

Ashuri:

A host is a member of a [[hospitality exchange]] network who is willing to offer another member of the network a place to stay or sleep in their home. The sleeping arrangements and accommodation provided by a host is often refered to a [[couch]], even if it not in actuality. Hosts are typically willing to host other members under the pretext of [[cultural exchange]], sharing, and mutual respect but [[freeloader|freeloading]] is frowned upon. Hosts should not expect money or payment for their services. However, they may be reimbursed by their guests for any expenses, such as food.

== See Also ==

[[How To Be A Good Host]]

{{stub}}
[[Category:Concepts]]

Couch

2013-03-07T22:05:47Z

Ashuri:

A ''couch'' is synonymous with the sleeping arrangement or accommodation provided by a [[host]] on a [[hospitality exchange]] network.
Even though it may be referred to as a ''couch'' the sleeping arrangements provided by the [[host]] may be any number of things, including a couch, but also a bed, mattress or space on the floor. The name has it's origins in the concept of 'couchsurfing', a term which originally referred to the practice of moving from one friend's house to another, sleeping in whatever spare space is available. In this sense the idea of a ''couch'' as as a synonym for sleeping arrangement pre-dates the [[CouchSurfing]] hospitality exchange network.

{{stub}}[[Category:Concepts]]