Touring - hospitality clubs and biking

Have any of you used a hospitality network to arrange places to stay on an extended tour? If so, how did that work and was your experience good?

Some example of these clubs are:
http://www.hospitalityclub.org/ (thanks Aggressor)
http://www.globalfreeloaders.com

JLahr

I was just about to ask the same question. I am signed up as a host but nobody has called or e_mailed. I am about to do a tour down to south america, where lodging is cheap, but first I have to go through california , so I would love to know if the hospitality clubs work. Has anyone ever stealth camped along the pch? Can it be done?

I used the Australian Bicycle Traveller's Home Hosting Network when in Adelaide last year (I'll track down the link when I get home this evening if I remember). I camped in someone's backyard. It was good because I had a place to stay free (close to the airport - I was flying back the next morning) and had the privacy that goes with camping on your own.

However, I think the quality of an experience like this would depend on your host and what they were intending to provide. I think it might be prudent to ask a few questions of the prospective host in such a situation.

Hospitalityclub.org is fantastic, I've made so many international contacts, giving me places to stay when I go overseas.. I've met quite a few of the Australians who participate on such organisations, and most seem to be wonderful people. I'd serious suggest being careful when considering international contacts though, as you know the dangers.

Its a fantastic idea anyway :)

What are the dangers? I mean, obviously if your in a stranger's house your exposed in many ways, but why would somebody join a hospitality club just to mess with their guests? It seems like since you have their contact info and whatnot that there's not much they could get away with.

Here's another one:

http://www.servas.org/

This was from Dave's "Cycling the Americas" homepage...

Jay

And another one.... http://www.rogergravel.com/wsl/vh_for_a.html

I have been a member of Servas for over 10 years and have travelled and hosted with them. All participants are screened and must pay some fee. They have a system of checks so if there is a complaint regarding a guest or host, that information can be broadcast to others rather quickly (although I have only seen it a few times, mainly due to unregistered people using the addresses).

Most of my Servas travelling has not been while touring by bike. Servas is not supposed to be a cheap place to stay but is rather a way to promote peace through getting to know people of other cultures. Guests are expected to stay 2 nights and should plan on spending some time with the hosts. As a guest, you get quite a bit of information about the host from the directory. You do not need to be a host to be a travellor.

I have had amazing experiences while visiting Servas hosts - they are usually the highlight of my trips. I've done things like look for endangered cacti in Mexico, visit farms in Brazil, go on a picnic in Slovakia, ... Sometimes language is an issue and it does require some advance planning and lots of flexibility but it can be an entrance to a new place. I did most of my travelling as a single woman travelling alone and I never had the slightest hesitation about staying with Servas "strangers" and they would often offer me keys before they even met me.

We've been on Roger Gravels Warm Showers List for 4 years and have yet to hear from a single person. I don't know how used it is.