safety?

I have a relative who is leaving for France this week with a backpack - planning to stay with people through couchsurfing.com. and hostels. I%26#39;m very worried about him. Any comments?

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Why are you worried about him?

Is he naive and inexperienced? How old is he?

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Never heard of couchsurfing.com, but hostels are a very common way for young travelers to make their way through France and the rest of Europe. I have stayed in multiple all over Europe and they are a lot of fun, you meet young people from all over the world. And I would venture that couchsurfing is very similar to that. He%26#39;ll be fine.

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It%26#39;s a site to stay with people all over - on their couch. He%26#39;s 23, speaks no foreign language.

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I spent 4 months backpacking in a different era..pre-cellphone and with travellers checks...and I think it was Europe on $15/day (or maybe it was 20) so this dates me. I was 21 and travelled with 2 other leveled headed women (though I think we were termed girls then). We had a great time and lived to tell the tale. Your relative should have no problem if he just uses common sense. He should try to have at least have a few words of the local language (between the 3 of us we were semi- fluent in 3 languages plus English) but it shouldnt stop him..and remember Europe is much %26quot;closer%26quot; given modern communication than it was in the old days.

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As long as he trusts his instincts he%26#39;ll be fine. I%26#39;d be more worried if I had a relative doing something like this in the States, but over here in Europe we don%26#39;t have too many nutters around. It sounds like a great way of really experiencing the local cultures.

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Surely it%26#39;s the people who allow strangers in to sleep on their couch who should be most worried? It%26#39;s good to know that there are still people around who can show that kind of trust in strangers. Too much worry of this kind can unwittingly sow a culture of mistrust, which would be sad.

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Tigger, there are plenty of nutters in the U.K. Just your sophisticated %26quot;hot potatoes in the mouth%26quot; wonderful accent just makes your nutters seem in a higher class. :)

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Oops, I didn%26#39;t mean to imply that there were more nutters in the States. Sorry!

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I have heard of that couchsurfing thing,, it was even on a travel show once.

I suggest you go on a website that focuses more on low budget /alternate travel styles, this board is pretty middle of the road( which is not a bad thing, but not as much on hostels , couch surfing, sleeping in airports,,etc as a young budget traveller might do)

Try Lonely Planets forum,, I think its called Thorntree ,, just google,, and also see if Rough Guides has a forum. People on those forums are more likely to be familar with the couchsurfing site.

Don%26#39;t over stress. My friend and I did Europe for a almost 3 months when we were 23, and this was way before cell phones and emails,, we contacted our families about once a month,, and had no set itinerary,, so they never knew where we were.. and we were female,, your relative ,, if possessing even a bit of common sense will be fine. He will also likely hook up with other folks so won%26#39;t be alone all the time.. we met and travelled with a guy from South Africa , a few American girls, and a couple guys from Australia on our travels.. its fun to be young and free!!( Platonic travel, nothing nasty,LOL)

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PS If really worried,,, gift him a couple hundred bucks to use for emergency cash if he can%26#39;t find a free or cheap place to sleep.. thats better then worrying about him!!