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Staying with hosts

Hospitality networks for cyclists.

Warmshowers remains the largest hospitality network for touring cyclists, with around 200,000 members, but access is now paid: 30 US dollars for life. Free alternatives exist — smaller, and more concentrated geographically.

By Paul Sokol · Updated 17 September 2026 · Where these figures come from

The networks, compared

All rest on the same principle: people host touring cyclists in their homes for free. What differs is the cost of reaching the directory, and geographic coverage.

Hospitality networks for cyclists and slow travellers, compared.
NetworkCost to the travellerWhereWhat to know
Warmshowers$30 for life (about €25–30)Worldwide, around 200,000 membersBy far the densest. Free if you sign up purely as a host and never travel on it.
BikipiFreeMostly French-speakingNo subscription, no commission, no hidden fees. Younger, so fewer hosts, but growing.
Welcome To My Garden€36/year for travellers; free as a hostMainly Belgium, some France, Netherlands, GermanyA garden to pitch a tent in rather than a bed. Open to walkers too.
HaltaFreeFrance, at launchHosting is one option among four, alongside mapped campsites, huts and bivouac spots.

Warmshowers is still the most useful if you are crossing several countries. Nothing comes close to its density outside France, and a lifetime membership costs less than two nights of camping. Saying otherwise would be dishonest.

What hospitality is not

The most common misunderstanding, and the source of most bad experiences on both sides: this is not free accommodation, it is hospitality.

  • It is not a booking. You write, you introduce yourself, you wait for an answer — and a refusal is normal.
  • It is not a free hotel. The host shares their home and their time; the evening is part of the exchange.
  • It is not instant. A message sent at 7 pm for the same night rarely works.
  • It does not scale. On a busy route in August, hosts are saturated.

The practical consequence: a hospitality network is not a substitute for a plan B. It works alongside the 22 519 campsites and 5 247 bivouac spots listed across France, which are always there.

Writing a message that gets an answer

  1. Write two or three days ahead

    Early enough for the host to organise, late enough for your date to be reliable.

  2. Say who you are and where you have come from

    Three sentences is enough: your trip, yesterday’s stage, tomorrow’s. A copy-pasted message is spotted instantly.

  3. Give an arrival time and a departure time

    It is the information hosts most need, and the one most often left out.

  4. Say what you do not need

    “I’m self-sufficient for food”, “a patch of garden is plenty”: that removes most of the hesitation.

  5. Plan for a no

    Find a campsite or bivouac spot on the same stage before you send the message, not after.

Frequently asked questions

Is Warmshowers free?

The hosting itself is free, but access to the platform is not: membership costs 30 US dollars, valid for life, roughly €25–30. Signing up purely as a host, without travelling on the network, remains free.

What is the best free alternative to Warmshowers?

Bikipi is the most developed free alternative, French-speaking: no subscription, no commission, no hidden fees. Its community is smaller than Warmshowers’, so thinner outside the main French routes.

Can non-cyclists stay with hosts on these networks?

Welcome To My Garden accepts all slow travellers, walkers included. Warmshowers and Bikipi are for cyclists only: reciprocity between touring cyclists is the founding principle.

How far ahead should you write to a host?

Two to three days ahead: early enough for the host to organise, late enough for your date to be reliable. A message sent the same day for the same night almost never gets an answer.

Do you need a fallback plan?

Always. A refusal is normal and frequent. Finding a campsite or bivouac spot on the same stage before you write costs two minutes and saves hunting for shelter after dark.

Sources

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