Communities

Travel communities put you in touch with people who know a place: locals, other travellers and people who have already made the trip you are planning. They are useful for questions a guidebook cannot answer, for finding company on the road and for experiences run by residents rather than tour companies.

Treat advice from strangers as a starting point. Check how recent an answer is, whether the person has actually been there, and whether others agree. When meeting someone you found online, choose a public place, tell someone your plans and keep to the platform's own messaging and reviews, which also help if something goes wrong.

For time with a local, Withlocals' private tours with local hosts are built around cultural exchange, from food tours to personalised city walks. For road trips and camping in the United States and Canada, Campendium's campground listings are shared and reviewed by RV travellers and campers.

For free stays with local hosts, see Couchsurfing, and for shared housing with a community built in, Coliving.

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  Campendium

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  Withlocals