I’d been reading about Couchsurfing – which had sounded both scary and exciting – so my interest was piqued when I spotted a book called ‘On the Couch – Tales of Couchsurfing a Continent’.

Not only was this a first hand account of couchsurfing, but was also a tale of crossing Russia, China and Central Asia on the Trans Siberian railway (amongst other means).

Fleur Britten is another journalist, leading to a well written, entertaining (if contrived) book.

Couchsurfing as a concept appeals to me greatly – the actual practicalities of it however, have me running in the other direction. From the snippets I knew (or thought I knew) before starting this book I thought it was for the backpacking generation as was – those that believe the true essence of backpacking has been spoilt by the flashpacker generation, and have regressed into kipping on couches of strangers.

The reality appears to be greatly different. A whole community and ethos has been spawned by a simple idea of you stay on my couch for free, and then I’ll stay on yours – not necessarily of course said between the same two people. Giving back can be to anyone who needs it – not necessarily the people that have given to you.

I loved her accounts of meeting new hosts, and the Britishness that had to be shed in order to truly ‘get it’ and relax into accepting free hospitality from strangers. Which, actually, she never really seemed to do.

I do take my hat off to Fleur – going it alone after her travelling companion has to fly home for medical reasons when they have barely started is hugely brave – when she doesn’t speak the language and is far far from home staying on someones living room floor. I honestly don’t think I would have been brave enough.

As a piece of entertainment – fab, as a piece of travel writing, not so great. Yes, I now understand what couchsurfing is all about and that I shouldn’t take chocolates to my host, however; how much did I learn about travelling the Trans Siberian railway or visiting Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan? Not a great deal. BUT – just how much did I know about the homes and people in these parts of the world before reading this book – anyone can write about visiting China and her tourist attractions, and I can get all that elsewhere.

One teeny irksome thing was The Emperor. I didn’t care, and was sorely disappointed that they ended up back together. The book was not about her boyfriend – so why keep bringing it up?