A Number of New Stay-for-Free Accommodation Services Are Now Competing for Our Attention

As far as websites for finding a free homestay are concerned (the right to sleep free of charge in the apartment or home of some generous, gracious out-of-town or foreign resident), pioneers like CouchSurfing ( www.couchsurfing.org ) and GlobalFreeloaders.com ( www.globalfreeloaders.com ) dominate the field. Some budget travelers obviously feel that you needn't go anywhere else for your free crashpad.

But lately, a host of additional free-homestay websites have emerged, and it never hurts to consult them when you're looking to avoid the cost of accommodations. While none comes close to having the membership of several-million-plus persons enjoyed by CouchSurfing, they each claim a hefty list of potential hosts and guests. Consider the following:
Tripping ( www.tripping.com ): 15,191 members in 135 countries; interesting in that its safety features include a Skype interview in which users must show ID before they can joinBeWelcome ( www.bewelcome.org ): 14,185 members in 140 countriesThe Hospitality Club ( www.hospitalityclub.org ): 647,000 members in 231 countriesStay4free ( www.stay4free.com ): Some of its 9,240 members offer free homestays as wellAs far as the much-different pay-to-stay services go (for apartments and homes around the world), this blog has heavily featured the impressive Airbnb ( www.airbnb.com ), Crashpadder ( www.crashpadder.com ), and the relatively new iStopOver ( www.istopover.com ). But you might also want to consider the far quirkier Campinmygarden.com ( www.campinmygarden.com ), a U.K.-based site that lets homeowners offer travelers a spot to pitch a tent in the backyard for as little as £4.