TripUp has created and launched CouchSwap, a new social travel application developed specifically for the Facebook platform. CouchSwap is TripUp’s first product launch since its recent acquisition by Sidestep.

CouchSwap is a simple application that allows Facebook users to offer up their available couches to friends and other travellers as well as find an available couch offered up by another member, thus offering a different kind of lodging experience while travelling. CouchSwap users can search available couches on a world map, rate the comfort of their friends’ couches, and even request various locations where they’d like to find a couch on which to crash; the only pre-requisite is that a user needs to offer up a couch in order to take advantage of other people’s couches. The feature is open to Facebook members worldwide.

“CouchSwap isn’t just about finding a free place to crash; it offers a way to connect with others while travelling in addition to sharing your own local experience by lending your couch to a fellow travel enthusiast,” said Brian Stolte, Director of Product Management, SideStep. “We’re excited to offer this new TripUp application, particularly since it meshes well with existing SideStep applications for Facebook such as Trips.”
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