indyfabz

+1. I don’t want to feel like I have to choose between obliging or coming off as rude.

The first time we stayed with a (non-Showers) host crossing the country (there were 13 of us), I felt uncomfortable, especially because the house was on the small side. The second time was much better because the host was a former bike tour leader. I think he knew how to give us space, and the house was much larger. The third time was somewhere in the middle, but again, it was a pretty large house.

CMAW 

When I put food on the table I see the face of these brooding guest-cyclists brighten up in no time! There's really no need to worry.

str

If you know how to cook

In our family we love to cook and we buy (ONLY) fresh food nearly every day.

Some forums have these ""show us what do you cook for dinner tonight"" threads, what we see there looks most of the time a bid sad, not not say very sad.

str

I am sure there are wonderful people out there, and one can have great experiences.

jkinner

Popular in Europe, slowly integrating into USA: https://www.bewelcome.org/

axolotl

I had zero hosting requests last year, and only one request the year before. Before covid I used to get at least a couple of requests each year, and I usually said yes. I've also read complaints that very few European or Latin American hosts even respond to hosting requests. My sense is that Warmshowers seems to be slowly dying. The current unelected Board of Directors and paid director made some very bad decisions IMO. They seem intolerant of any criticism and unwilling to change directions.

gauvins

Not consistent with my experience. Last year, I could very often spend the night at a warmshower's home. (UK). This year, I got early confirmation for several nights in France & Spain.

I would also take offence at the notion of "complaint". Nobody in entitled to a be a guest. It is a privilege. There is an hospitality industry catering to those who are expecting quick replies.

axolotl

I think it's reasonable for someone to be annoyed if they're not even getting responses to hosting requests, especially if the person making the request has hosted a lot of cyclists him or herself. I always respond to requests, and almost always say yes. I always refuse requests from people who aren't cycling, however. I respond to them and tell them why I won't host them.

I haven't even sought hosting in many years, so I'm not the one complaining.

John N

+1
I definitely agree that the current admin is making WS go downhill.

Roughstuff

"I never thought of that as necessarily a terrible thing. I always assumed that folks would be using it to get help and may not be hosting. I was fine with that. The only time I felt like they crossed the line was when they weren't actually touring...."

This is exactly what spoiled "youth hostels" or later on just "hostels." They were supposed to be for hikers and bikers traveling under their own power. Instead I found myself riding all day to a hostel (in Europe, usually) only to find a train or bus just pulled in and dozens of "backpackers" were all checked in.

zacster

In Europe they were always full of the "backpacker" type even when I did it in 1979, but that was what they were for. The young crowd travels all around Europe, Asia too, staying at hostels and cheap hotels. Few of these hostels are specific to hikers or bikers. When I did it with a Eurail pass I visited 14 countries in 10 weeks, including what was then a few communist countries that were NOT generally visited. I met this Australian girl in Vienna that was adventurous and convinced me to go. Once in Prague I wanted to continue on to what was then still Leningrad but you needed to get the visa in the west with western cash. And it is a very long train ride on the old USSR rail system.

I think of the AirBNBs I've used and some of them are entire houses or apartments but some the hosts live in. I much prefer having the entire house/apt. With VRBO you always get the whole house, and they advertise that as their main benefit. I don't always want to make small talk. It's ok when you arrive but when you go about your business for the day you just want to go to your room and chill sometimes. It's the same at regular BnBs too, I don't want to make small talk with the other guests at breakfast.

My wife and I are thinking of opening a "make your own damn bed and get your own damn breakfast" inn. Maybe hospitality isn't our thing.

sapporoguy

Yes, please! My stoker and I--team age 133--have talked about wanting an option like this.