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-   -   Want to find host family in Munich, Germany (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/want-to-find-host-family-in-munich-germany-927901/)

Iowafarmer50 Mar 16th, 2012 07:43 AM

Want to find host family in Munich, Germany
 
Would love to take my children ages 28, 30, and 31 to Munich and stay with a family. Anyone know of websites or info on doing this. We probably would like to stay 12 days. We would also want to do some touring while there. Any info appreciated.

nytraveler Mar 16th, 2012 10:02 AM

You want complete strangers to put up a pack of people for 12 days???? (How many peple in Munich do you think have houses large enought to have several extra bedrooms? Would you expect thee people to pay for the water and electricity you use??? Wuld you also expect them to pay for your food?)

If someone were interested in doing that - they would open a gasthaus and charge for it.

Pegontheroad Mar 16th, 2012 11:05 AM

Yeah, I think it's unrealistic to expect people to do that.

laurie_ann Mar 16th, 2012 11:40 AM

There might be few ways you can do this.

Consider a language study course. Many offer housing with them as "homestays". You probably would have to split up, maybe each staying with a different family but that could be fun too.

Consider contacting Servas (www.servas.org), Couchsurfing (www.couchsurfing.com) and other "free" stay organizations.

Also your title says Munich but if it doesn't have to be in a city consider the German equivalent of Italy's agriturismos at a rural property.

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/pub...ralbandb.shtml

laurie_ann Mar 16th, 2012 12:00 PM

And a search on Munich tourist information website turned up these:

Private rooms in Munich houses

www.wimdu.de

http://www.muenchen.de/int/en/accomo...odation/airbnb

Both of these have a "private rooms" category (They both also offer entire homes or apartment but if you wanted a "host" there you probably want "private rooms").

quokka Mar 16th, 2012 02:19 PM

"Private rooms" does not mean you will be part of the host family. It means you'll have a room, a bathroom either ensuite or shared, and you will be served breakfast. But do not expect any interaction with the hosts beyond some short smalltalk in the corridor or during your breakfast.

nytraveler Mar 16th, 2012 04:57 PM

Yes - but the OP said "host family" implying that people would be doing this at no cost - not that it was a commercial enterprise.

If he asked for a gasthaus, B& B, pension, zimmer frei etc - people could give him places to look. But if there are 4 or 5 people total - even those families with an extra room to rent out won't be able to help them.

As for couchsurfing - dose the OP plan on bring sleping bags and spreading them out all over someone's house. (Houses in europe are generally much smaller than in the US - and fitting 4 or 5 more adults into a small 2 or 3 bedroom house really won;t work.)

janisj Mar 16th, 2012 05:19 PM

I could see <i>maybe</i> a family w/ young children wanting to look for working farm accommodations or something like that. But you are talking about thirty year old adults, not kids - and want to plop down w/ a German family??

Why not just go to Germany how most everyone else does - renting an apartment or staying in hotels/guesthouses?

auntgrapes Mar 16th, 2012 07:05 PM

Possibly this website will be of help to you:
www.bensbauernhof.com

lavandula Mar 16th, 2012 07:43 PM

"Yes - but the OP said "host family" implying that people would be doing this at no cost - not that it was a commercial enterprise."

Host families in my experience do get paid something towards the upkeep of their charges, but it's only a small amount of money. Perhaps there are programs that do not remunerate the host, but I haven't come across them. But this kind of scheme is usually for young people, not people the ages of those mentioned, so that is a sticking point.

I think laurie_ann's idea of a language school with homestays is an excellent idea, and Servas in principle would be helpful, just that you might not find a household where 5 people at once can be accommodated. If you were to find 5 Servas households in the one city (less likely), think about splitting up.

Lavandula

AisleSeat Mar 18th, 2012 02:19 PM

There may be too many of you to do couch surfing but I think there is a couch surfing website (google it) where people let you crash on their couch for a few nights. You may end up with some interesting future visitors crashing on your couch back home.

kubrahering Sep 29th, 2014 10:45 PM

Would you consider doing a home exchange instead. if so we are also interested in doing a home exchange. Please let us know.

janisj Sep 29th, 2014 10:54 PM

Kubrahering: welcome to Fodors. I'm sure iowafarmer isn't still looking since the thread is more than two years old . . .

kubrahering Sep 29th, 2014 10:58 PM

Well maybe he still has the wish.

janisj Sep 30th, 2014 03:27 AM

I doubt it - this was his one and only ever post on Fodors.


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