Hostels- easier to meet people to do tourist stuff. If I'm feeling isolated. If other options aren't sketch (see below), when your schedule is less flexible and you need to know you have a place

CS- better in more Western countries, when you are really trying to get inside a culture and have already done the "tourist" bit if that's what you're after, when you are really broke, when you have backup plans or a flexible schedule

When NOT to do CS- in cities where apparently no women host or reply back (if you are a woman like me). I asked for a host in Nizwa, Oman (a university town) and in Dubai- I got ZERO replies from women and I kid you not, over 100 replies from mostly really sketchy, assuming I am "easy", dudes that I didn't even ask in the first place (ex- "I only have one bed, but it's no problem to share it" "I would love to take you shopping, for drinks, and then have a good time after" etc). I guess now they post your request to everyone in the city's "network" whether you like it or not, a change they must have made in the last year.

I asked again in Cape Town thinking it wouldn't be so pervvy, and it was the same thing. I also get a lot of requests from people in places that I don't plan to travel to. I think CS seems to have devolved in some instances to a hook-up thing between travelers, which is really sad.

As you can see I'm not a huge fan of CS right now, but I believe in the principle. I just try to err on the side of caution being an unmarried female with some of the places/situations I've been in.