jhawk

Hi all,

Planning my maiden tour on the new bike very soon and am hoping to Warmshower it, as I've yet to buy/find a good tent for cycling.

What are your experiences with Warmshowers.org, and their respective hosts? I'll be touring in New Brunswick, Canada, for two days and hoping to stay in Moncton for those two days. But I'm having trouble getting a response from the people who are signed up as "hosts" on Warmshowers.org.

Does anyone know of any alternatives to warmshowers? Any similar organisations?

Other than paying an extortionate amount for motels/hostels (yes, there's only one in Moncton, and it's extortionately priced).

Thanks,

Jack.

mobile_simon

Go on Kijiji and find yourself a cheap tent

MAybe try Couchsurfing otherwise!

Good Luck.

Ronno6

+1 on Couchsurfing.org
I am members of both sites, and have had great luck so far in both being a host and a guest
using both organizations.
For some inexplicable reason, I tend to get a warmer, fuzzier feeling with Warmshowers tho.
YMMV

VT_Speed_TR

Well, I'm a Warmshowers host and I wouldn't be interested in hosting someone for 2 days. I view myself as a stopover for a night as someone travels, I'm not a hotel. but that's just me. I would however respond to a request and just explain.

When I look to contact a Warmshower host, I always note their last login date. i've seen host who have not logged in for over a year. Their email address could have changed in that time or they are no longer interested in hosting. I tend to contact host who are active. Not sure if that is the case in Moncton.

spinnaker

Same here. VT_Speed_TR spent one night here and it was all I could stand. Seriously I can't remember if you where one of the throng that stayed here or found a room elsewhere.

Once in a while I might make an exception for 2 nights, say if they are on a long tour and it is the weekend. I sure would not want to host you for two nights for your short little tour just so you can tour my town since you are a local anyway.

But I have always had good experience as both a warmshowers host and guest. As a guest I would not want to stay more than a day. While my experience has been really good you still have to get used to how others do things, eat, go to bed etc.

I do not like couch surfing in the us. It's emphasis is on social followed by a place to stay. While warmshowers is a place to stay followed by social. If you just want a place to stay then couch surfing is not for you. In fact some members will post a keyword in their profile. If you don't mention the keyword then they will not respond, figuring you did not take the time to read their profile they are not going to take the time to host you.

Motels and for sure hostels are not extortionate. You can get a room at a hostel for $15 US.

And warmshowers is not always free either. As a guest, if I am dealing with a single or couple, I always offer to buy dinner. At the very minimum, I take a small gift. Usually refrigerator magnets from my hometown.


And VT_Speed_TR could come and stay a week if he wants but I am guessing he would be ready to kill me by the end of the week,

spinnaker

Same here. A lot of CS folks I have met here in the US are a bit strange. Europe seems to be a little better for CS or more to my liking. Though my buddy and I stayed at one CS host. I am male, my buddy is male. The host knew this ahead of time but still seemed disappointed when we showed up and we were still males. His name was Masimo (maximum in Italian). His name sure fit his personality.

fietsbob

pre Web . I just Go and things worked out .. Hostels camping and so forth .

I went to Europe and Ireland and Scotland on my trips to see other countries than my own.

raybo

As Spinnaker says, you have to be willing to engage with people if you are going to spend the night (or two) in their homes. If you just want a place to stay, get a tent or a motel room.

I use couchsurfing and warmshowers whenever I can on tour. I have done a lot more couchsurfing (cs) than warmshowers only because cs is so much larger than warmshowers. CS people don't usually have a clue about long distance bike touring and it is always a source of ready conversation, so I don't find starting conversations with hosts a problem. But, then I am a gregarious guy who likes to talk to people. If this isn't your natural style, maybe this kind of travel isn't your best option.

Warmshowers, on the other hand, are always bicyclists and usually people who have done a tour. The conversation often starts with bicycles and usually becomes a bit of tour sharing.

I can't say that the kind of people I've met (I've done dozens of hosted overnights and 2 night visits) are much different between CS and warmshowers. But, the CS site offers more information about people and members leave references more on CS than warmshowers. When I have met odd people on CS, it was usually obvious from their profiles. Not so much on warmshowers.

Like Spinnaker, I often offer to take hosts out to dinner. Though, more likely, I offer to cook them one. As a vegetarian, I come with a bit of a dietary limitation that many people don't know how to deal with. Also, there might not be a suitable restaurant in the area. I simply buy a bit of extra food, ride in, cook, spend the night, and leave the next morning. It is a great way to spend time with new people.

My hierarchy for spending the night is Hosted Visit first (CS or warmshowers), motel second, tent third.

valygrl

if you can't afford to travel, and plan on relying on the 'kindness of strangers' to put you up, then get a job until you can afford it.

There, I said it.

Couchsurfing and warmshowers might be ok for some people as a small part of your touring lodging (it's not for me) but if you plan on using that exclusively, you are just mooching.

spinnaker

Same with my touring buddy. He decieded that cs / ws is not for him. He would just rather not deal with at the end of the day and be able to do his own thing.