Slovenia, Croatia, and Austria: Camping and Couchsurfing

Yes, I’ve been away.  Yes, I know I didn’t write, and yes, I’m sorry for not keeping in touch.  BUT, I’m back from the road trip now.  I have power outlets, internet access, and things to share.

Where was I?  Well, with a friend from grad school, I travelled Slovenia, Croatia, and Austria.  We camped and couchsurfed.

Couchsurfed — what’s that, you ask?


It’s a community where people offer free housing to other couchsurfers.  Essentially, it’s built on a big karmic agreement — you host me with the expectation that one day you will be hosted by some other couchsurfer.

Don’t worry; it’s reputable.  Couchsurfers give and receive references according to the couchsurfing experience.  I can easily rank each of my hosts as 5 star.  They were all so accommodating and so generous with their time!  My friend and I got a guided walking tour of Ljubljana from my host there.

In Zagreb, our hostess directed us all around the city (and patiently waited as we got lost over and over and over again).

In Split, our host showed us the famous restaurants and bars.  Delicious!!

Our host in Vienna took us on a convertible tour of the city.

Finally, in Salzburg, we got to see the lesser known sides of the city thanks to the guidance of our fabulous host.


In addition to couchsurfing, we camped.  Talk about economical accommodations!  Everywhere we stayed was cheap, comfortable, and fun!  (Yes, I know I sound like an advertisement for couchsurfing.  I’m not, I just think it’s really cool and want to share it with everyone).

So, to wrap up, let me just finish by saying that the Croatian coast is the most beautiful and peaceful place to set up your tent.  If you’re ever near Dubrovnik, be sure to camp out.  Just don’t forget a rain tarp (like we did):

Yes, we used garbage bags as a rain tarp. Everyone may have thought we were crazy, but by golly, our method worked!

-S.