10 Tips for Successful Couchsurfing In South America, I chose hostels as my main accommodation, with a few exceptions. I stayed with friends in Peru and Argentina and loved getting a taste of the daily life of a local. I was also grateful that they didn't charge me anything which helps tremendously in long-term travel. So, when I was planning the Europe part of my trip and began researching hostels, I realized how much more expensive accommodations would be compared to South America. I'd heard about Couchsurfing from travelers I'd met in South America and they all raved about it.