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Home » Budget Travel » How to Travel FOR FREE: No Money, No Problems!

How to Travel FOR FREE: No Money, No Problems!

It’s something I’ve never been able to fully instil in my non-travelling friends back home:  just how cheap travel can be.  The myth is that travelling the world is expensive; the reality is that it’s often cheaper than being at home. Travellers don’t pay taxes, or electricity bills, or student loans. Travellers live cheap.

So what if we took it one step further? Today, we’re talking about how to travel the world for free!

The best things in life are free, or so it’s been told. Everything we need is right here. Maybe these things are true, I’m not sure. What I do know is…

Life is as simple as we choose to make it.

Nothing in this list of tips for travelling without money is complicated (except maybe frequent flyer miles – goddamn credit cards). Everything in this guide is easy and actionable – the more you apply, the more inexpensive your travelling will be. With enough practice and ingenuity, you may even find yourself spending  $0 !

Did anyone say  “Take a vacation for free” ? Yes, me, right now! Weren’t you listening? Well, you better start because I’m about to teach you…

How to travel for free!

Dis shit is gonna get cheap, yo!

A Big, Sexy Disclaimer

Folks, this article is not about how to travel the world like a dickweed. Anyone can travel for free if they take advantage of people along the way, lying, cheating, stealing, and being an all-round douchenozzle.

Similarly, though we’ll cover some of the more crusty methods of travel, as well as tackle that sticky topic of ‘begpacking’ , THAT’S not what this article is about either.

This article is about  learning how to live a low-cost lifestyle of travel. One that’s sustainable in the long-term as well as financially independent.  Travelling until you run out of cash and move back in with your Mum or Dad is cute in your early 20s, but that’s not what we’re about at The Broke Backpacker. That’s not what a broke backpacker is .

At The Broke Backpacker, we’re about teaching you how to live a lifestyle of indefinite travel in a responsible way – responsible to the world, yourself, and those who love you. Go out, travel, see the world, and do it for as long as you like, but do it right.

Don’t begpack, don’t abuse your privilege, and don’t ever expect a handout. Free travel is NOT about exploitation; it’s about travelling without burning through your savings in a way that’s more authentic and less insipid than simply blowing your funds on all the cheap booze and drugs .

Oh, and it shouldn’t have to be said, but, please,  don’t ever go travelling with literally $0 in your bank account. That’s just bloody stupid.

The Best Ways to Travel for Free

How to get a free vacation, how to travel when you’re broke, travel the world for free: is it possible, remaining tips for how to travel free, closing thoughts on free travel.

Let’s start by talking about how to travel for a living. These options for free travel mean exchanging your time and energy (i.e. working) for the freedom of being on the road. (And probably somewhere super-duper pretty too!)

Yes, ok, they aren’t all strictly ‘free trips’ but you’re away from home, not burning through your savings, and, potentially, maybe even saving some money too! If you disagree with my criteria, well, shush your face! Go travel the world for more than three years with your savings still intact like I have and then come back and we’ll argue semantics.

Still with me? Good because I want to travel the world for free and you should too!

Travel the World for Free Volunteering

Volunteering abroad for free – ahhh . This is where it all began for me and, sometimes, when it all becomes too much, it’s back with the hippies in the fields, shoes off and muddy, that I return to. For me, this will always be one of the most authentic and best ways to travel for free or otherwise.

The name of the game is simple: you work some agreed subset of hours, you get a place to sleep and food in return. Hopefully, a washing machine too!

Travelling free by way of volunteering could mean a lot of things: hostel work, farms, working with kids, charities, construction, kitten sanctuaries (god yes). The only way to find out what’s out there is to get out there! (You could also start by reading this review/guide/informational post on Workaway .)

Interested in travelling the world for free volunteering? Here are some excellent platforms:

• Workaway – The biggest in the game. Follow the link and sign up to receive an extra 3 months on your subscription!
• HelpX – The oft-forgotten cousin of Workaway.
• WWOOF – Exclusively for organic farm work.
• Talking to people – In the 21st-century? Get outta my house!
• Facebook and other platforms – Plenty of groups for this stuff but it’s best to search by the country or local area.
• Worldpackers – Follow the link or enter the code BROKEBACKPACKER to get $10 off your subscription. We’ve also reviewed Worldpackers !

Note:  Most of the platforms have an initial subscription fee (nothing in life is  truly  free). It’s a small price to pay in exchange for a year of travelling and volunteering around the world for free.

Work and Travel for Free Teaching English

If you’re reading this sentence, then you probably speak English. Awesome! Step one complete! What’s step two?

Get your TEFL certificate. With that in hand, it’s time to discover another one of the best ways to travel the world. Didja guess yet?

Yup, teaching English!

There’s a whole host of ways to get involved teaching English overseas and what an experience it is! Impart wisdom, see cute Asian kids smile (yay), and learn how to travel abroad for free. Well, not free… you’re actually earning money – oh snap!

If you want to take it a step further, you can teach English online . You’re entering the realm of the digital nomad which is certainly a different way to travel but that’s ok because – BOOM, SEGUE!

Ditch Your Desk for a Different Way to Travel

Now entering the realm of the digital nomad . If you really want to learn how to travel more, nothing will give you quite so much geographical freedom.

Anywhere your laptop (and stable internet connection goes), your source of revenue goes. Living the vanlife? Easy.

Renting a nudists-only Airbnb by a beach somewhere? Making money online is best done while tanning your best bits.

Volunteering at a kibbutz in Israel? Now you’re actually travelling for free, costs covered, WHILE earning money. Level-up!

Learning how to travel the world for a living is a whole new ball game. It’s the holy grail for many travellers but beware of the ‘grass is greener’ syndrome: it’s a lotta work and a lot to take on and, at times, your brain will hate you. Is it awesome though?

Fuck yes it is.

So, yeah, this may be stretching the how to travel for free concept but it’s an important mention for anyone looking at opportunities to travel free and extend their already indefinite adventures. Theoretically, we all gotta grow up eventually and make some cash, right?

I dunno, don’t ask me. I’m still Peter Pan-ning it up over here.

Or Just Work for Inexpensive Travelling

If a job that glues you to your laptop isn’t appealing but adopting the low-cost travel lifestyle of a working traveller is, then maybe just get a job-job. You know, one that sounds better on your Tinder profile than “influencer” .

What kind of job? Well, potential travel jobs is a long-ass list (which we conveniently have right here) , but if you’re starting from scratch and need to know how to travel the world with no money, here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Busker – Traveller-life and street performance go together like drugs and sex.
• Bartender – A extremely internationally-transferable trade and lucrative too… if you know how to bat those eyelids just right.
• Scaffolding and stage construction – Construction/labouring is good in general, but the stage construction and scaffolding industries are very international.
• Picking/Trimming – Also a lucrative industry IF you’re fast.
• Flight attendant – How to travel around the world for free 101.
• Cruise ship work – The money can be good contingent on the company and you’ll always have the added bonus of copious amounts of drugs and sex!
• Tuk-tuk races in Sri Lanka – I dunno; my cousin does them and he seems to be doin’ alright!

Do You Want to Travel FOREVER??

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Free international travel is about to get hacked! Ready to hack? It’s time to hack with these hacks!

Did I say ‘hack’ too much? Righto, moving along.

These following ways to travel the world for free are more courtesy of the convenience of the 21st-century. And, that’s exactly where we like to be.

Being a “nomad” these days is very different from what it used to be. No longer do we have to hunt elk and forage for berries in the woods – now we can just order a pizza with UberEats!

Now, we have a whole host of tools and platforms to uncover and exchange free travel opportunities!

Catch Flights Right: How to Travel Overseas for Free

It doesn’t matter how cheap you live when you arrive, you’ll still have to pay for an expensive-ass flight to get there… right? Wrong!

Learning how to catch cheap flights is going to be integral to learning how to travel without money. Error fares, mega-discounts, turning on incognito mode… booking flights does my head in – truly. I just want to travel the world; I don’t have time for this humdrum!

I’d suggest reading the above-linked post because it’s really a whole other Pandora’s Box.

To take it one step further, you can sign up with airlines to earn frequent flyer miles. Accrue enough of these and you’re looking at a cheap or even free trip overseas. A travel rewards credit card is going to stack up points in much the same way until, eventually, you get a free trip.

All of this credit stuff does my head in but the point is obvious. Do your research and find the best program to sign up in. Don’t you be wasting them points!

Or, if you’re like me and credit cards and booking flights gives you anxiety, just do what I do – overland it ! Planes are for fools; border crossings are where it’s at. And cheaper!

Apps and Platforms with Opportunities for Free Travel

Ok, now it’s really time to hack this open, right to the gooey, delicious centre. Oh, sorry, I made it weird, didn’t I?

No matter. It’s the 21st-century and now the smartphone has paved the way in much the same way that the wheel once did. These days, a lot of good platforms exist online that offer their own free ways to travel the world:

• Couchsurfing – Where to go when you have no money… to a mate’s couch! Except now all your mates are strangers and internationally based. Check out our Beginner’s Couchsurfing Guide for more info but it’s basically a platform where travellers asked to be hosted by people with a sleeping space to spare.
• Housesitting – You’ll need to build up a few references and pay a membership fee but then you can get all kinds of free accommodation… and in a private home too! Travelling by housesitting is a fantastic way to travel for free with the bonus of never having to share a hostel dorm with fatty, unshowered humans.
• Fly and swap vacations – It’s kind of like housesitting except your swapping homes with someone. That means it’s a bit more nuanced – you need to actually have a home to swap away. HomeExchange and HomeLink are two platforms that cover this.
• Au Pair – If you enjoy the company of miniature-monster-gremlins hiding in the bodies of children, then consider working as an Au Pair . Travel around the world for free, connect with a family and their spawn, and make some money too!

Yay, ok, my speciality! I may get anxiety from credit cards and fancy hotels but the broke-ass swashbuckling backpacker lifestyle is my answer to the emptiness of existence. Life gets simpler.

Real quick, these tips can be also found in our Budget Backpacking 101 article – some crossover is inevitable in the world of low-cost travel!

There’s a whole host of good advice in there if you’re not just specifically looking at how to travel for free but also at the cheapest way to travel the world. Yeah, these two posts may crossover a bit but hand-in-hand they make for some excellent reading (self-plug) if you’re dedicated to learning about how to backpack around the world with no money.

Consider this your Budget Backpacking Light.

Believe it or not, there is a lot of free food out there! The first and most common way (arguably) to eat for free is dumpster diving . People throw away a lot of perfectly edible food and useful stuff (half my wardrobe comes from late-night scores) and getting good at harnessing this awesome power of wastage is going to go a long way if you want to travel for free.

From the humble park trashcan up to the almighty power of the supermarket skip, free food is everywhere. Alternatively, you can acquire food before it hits the bin by asking for food wastage: bakeries, fruit and veg shops, food markets especially. Then there’s tablesurfing too – eating someone’s leftovers at a restaurant.

It’s an excellently fun game!

You’ve also always got food giveaways (we’ll touch on that tentative topic of begpacking in a moment) and religious shindigs too. The Hare Krishnas love, love, love feeding travellers for nothing or next to it.

I’ve eaten free Prasad in the streets of Varanasi and in Gurdwaras in Agra. There’s free food near the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron and free bread at every turn in Jerusalem (it might be for the cats…). Hell, there’s even an online platform dedicated to helping us intrepid raccoons find excellent freegan sources (urban fruit trees are shockingly common).

The point is if you’re travelling without money, there are still heaps of ways to fill your belly. You just gotta get creative!

This one is a pretty basic tip for free travel. I’ve already mentioned Couchsurfing but option two is to just sleep where you land . It’s a big, wide world out there with ample floor space!

For this, except for truly warm and rain-free climates, you’re gonna need a few things. In my personal order of importance:

• A sexy-warm sleeping bag
• Backpacking sleeping pad (the floor is cold)
• A budget backpacking tent (you could get really nice tent but I’ve always found it to be overkill)
• A sleeping bag liner
• Or, alternatively to the tent and pad, a backpacking hammock

With a combination of these things, you can sleep free while travelling pretty much anywhere. Camp out in the woods, in urban environments, or if you think the cops will get funny about you pitching a tent, sleep under a bridge or in a bus station or abandoned building. As my dirtbag travel companion in New Zealand always said: we can sleep anywhere!

This, however, is not a commentary on safety. I’ve never had an issue but also I’m a white man covered in tattoos that looks like he sleeps with a knife in his pocket. Be smart, be safe , don’t go past your limits, and learn what a good pitch looks like.

Pro-tip: No one goes into graveyards at night. Oh, and on that note, leave no fucking trace.

Travel Free

If we’re talking the most literal definition of the term, there’s only one way to travel for free that I can think of: hitchhiking. I love hitchhiking! It’s free travel to places, you meet local people – people you never would have met otherwise – and see many worlds from the inside (or outside) of many vehicles.

Hell, sometimes people invite you over, offer to let you stay the night, or to go on an adventure. I don’t do it as much as I used to but sometimes, when I’m just needing a holiday from the work and travel life, I take a break from the tech and hit the road.

I see who picks me up and sleep where I land – no schedule, no itinerary. Simplicity at its finest. Hitchhiking is grand! And to those who question if it’s ethical – I can assure you some of my best travel memories involve those that gave me a ride.

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I guess that’s the last big question:

How can I travel for free? Is it really possible? Teach me sensei that hasn’t bought a new piece of clothing in almost-three-and-a-half years!

Yes! It is. Buy a plane ticket on miles, choose a visa-waiver country, hitchhike from the airport to your volunteering gig, eat only the finest cuisine from the dumpster! It’s a free year long trip !

Ok, look, that may not be your ideal vacation (free or not), but it’s a portrayal of an extreme circumstance. This isn’t a strict guide to travelling the world for free; it’s a handbook. Take what works, when it works, and apply it at will.

Practice makes perfect and pretty soon you’ll be finding that you’re having some pretty dope-ass adventures on some pretty low spendings. Hell, why not set up some passive income at home and then earn a bit while you’re volunteering abroad cheaply. (Or just Couchsurfing.)

I met a dude in New Zealand way back near the beginning and he said something very insightful.

“You don’t need a lot to travel. A plane ticket, $500, and you can be gone for a while.”

He was so right.

Why travel without money?

Because it’s fucking awesome!

Seriously, the stunning sunrises and sunsets I’ve seen only because my days hitching ended where they did. The adventures I’ve ended up on just because I was asking around for a spot of work. The things I’ve done because I was working for a bed and feed… I milked a goat once!

Learning how to start travelling abroad for free opens up a lot of doors, both in the world and in yourself. Pretty soon you start to realise that you’re pretty damn capable! That in all likelihood, you got dis.

And, on the off-chance you don’t, chances are there’ll be someone around to lend a hand.

Give it some time and you’ll start to find that there’s always somewhere to sleep and something to eat. There’s always a spot of work that needs to be done by a willing hand.

After a bit more time travelling the world without money, you may start finding you already have everything you need. If not the best, then at least some pretty insanely spectacular things are free, and, best of all…

Simplicity is so damn blissful!

“I want to travel but have no money.” – Voluntourism, begpacking, and tact.

I said we were gonna touch on this, yeah?

Voluntourism is one can of worms; one that I feel fewer people take issue with. There are some points against it, and some validity in these points, but nothing that I truly believe is able to undo the sheer amount of good that comes from people travelling through volunteering overseas.

Connections between local communities and travellers are made and something is returned while travelling around the world. It’s a symbiotic relationship – if you’re heart is equally in it for the work as it is for the free-living – and it works, usually for the best.

Begpacking gets stickier – it’s a modern-day complaint against a style of living that has existed much longer. That, somehow, choosing to travel with no money makes you self-entitled and undeserving of the kindness of strangers. However, even the name “begpacking” itself stands as a bit of a misnomer.

I’ve never “begged” for something and I don’t know anyone who has. (However, travellers who do quite literally “beg” exist and they should promptly hand in their backpacker card).

I’ve hitchhiked but I’ve never even directly asked someone for a ride. I’ve never asked someone for a place to stay and certainly never for money. I have eaten at free food giveaways but only ones that were welcoming and warm to travellers and wanted me there (sometimes, with some volunteering on the side).

Usually, if someone wants to offer you something, then that’s a gift of kindness (except when ulterior motives may be at play). As a traveller, a long way from the comfort of home, a bit of kindness goes a long way.

I know there are people out there that abuse this kindness in their attempts to get a free trip. This is a reminder not to .

It’s about having tact and moving with grace; leaving places in the world better than when you arrived. Be a little bit of good in the world wherever you go. Considering all the places you’ll go, that’s a lot of good.

If you’re choosing to travel without money, then remember that’s your choice. A long way from home or not, no one owes you a hand, so be grateful when they lend it.

Before I tie up the ‘How to Get a Free Vacation Handbook’, it’s time for the final bonus tips. These may not individually rock your boat, but together they’ll groove it a bit for sure!

• Don’t burn out – Always stressing about money, looking for the cheapest way to travel to your next destination, and racing against yourself: it can be exhausting. Don’t push yourself too hard. Take a rest sometimes, go slow, and remember that when travelling without money gets stressful, home is always waiting.
• Every country is unique – Every country has its own nuances. What food is cheap, expectations on people volunteering abroad, even the hitchhiking hand signals! It takes time to learn a new place and mistakes probably will happen so cut yourself some slack, alright?
• Mistakes do happen – On that note, so as much as free travelling around the world may be the goal, it pays to stockpile a little rainy day money. Unless you don’t mind calling in financial favours from the ‘rents.
• There’s free food in more places than the dumpster – Many countries have food growing in abundance that isn’t privately owned (or in a bin). Learning edible plants and how to forage is pretty goddamn top-tier Broke Backpacking, but it’s certainly possible.
• Know your rights volunteering – While it’s important to put the hard work in for your hosts when volunteering, it’s equally important that you aren’t being exploited either. Not all hosts are top blokes and some do seek to take advantage of backpackers. Remember that no one is doing anyone any favours: it’s an exchange.
• You’re broke but you’re not poor – This is especially true when travelling in developing nations. It does get tiresome feeling like you’re being targeted as a tourist by touts and beggars, but you are a tourist. Travelling without money doesn’t bring you down to the level of the legitimately homeless and impoverished; one party chose to be there, the other did not. Just keep that in mind.

Our GREATEST Travel Secrets…

Pop your email here & get the original Broke Backpacker Bible for FREE.

Oh, and one last tip… Get insured before embarking on your free travel adventure!

Yeah, ok, insurance isn’t free (or cheap) but when you’re lying in a hospital bed with some truly astounding food poisoning from the dumpster diving, at least your treatment will be! Seriously, travel insurance is a super important consideration for any journey.

Members of The Broke Backpacker team have been using World Nomads for some time now and made a few claims over the years. They’re an easy to use and professional provider that the team swears by.

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing .

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

You don’t need a lot of money to travel: that’s the takeaway! Maybe eventually you’ll need some money so leaving the country with $0 in the bank account isn’t necessarily smart. That said, I have a friend that got his working visa in Australia by photoshopping his bank statement, so, really, anything is possible!

Even if the low-cost world traveller game isn’t for you, I still think everyone should try it once. It changes your perspective a lot.

It changes your perspective on the idea of what you need and what you need to be happy; on what is possible. I have a friend that lost it all in Australia (a different friend) and spent months as a hammock-hobo in Melbourne. He says it was the happiest time of his life.

I can relate. My first experience travelling still remains some of my sweetest memories. It was free travel in New Zealand – a smelly backpacking vagabond volunteering, hitching, busking, dumpster diving, and sleeping in parks – and It taught me how beautiful life is. It taught me how kind people are and how simple things can be, should we so choose.

Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

To close, I’d like to repeat what a friend said to me today as we bid farewell (at another hippy farm). He said:

“No, I won’t wish you ‘safe travels’ because everywhere you go, you are safe. You have a good heart and many adventures ahead. I wish you to be free because that is the most important thing.”

And I smiled because I understood (and because he’d just written my outro for me). That’s all it is: be free, travel the world with a good heart, and learn what joy there is in nothing. You don’t need anything to learn how to travel for free.

And you don’t need money to travel.

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

Ziggy Samuels

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16 Comments

Awesome article for traveller specially who has low budget. Wonderful Insight.

Hey, great blog, read it like 3 times already!!! One question though…do you also get jobs ‘under the table’ with tourist Visa? Cause everyone talks about working and traveling to finance their further travels, but nobody talks about Visa issues. Could I work for a bit of money (whatever crappy job) with a tourist Visa/Visa waiver? And would people actually accept my work for cash on the hand, or can you actually find people who would accept your work for them although it could cause trouble because of the ‘under the table’ issue? Cause Work and travel Visa is too expensive for a broke gal like me and one year a long time for one country. I’m talking more about the ‘getting a bit of cash for travel’ kinda thing. Answers would be so so appreciated. Greetings from germany Svenja

People find, and will continue to find all sort of ways to make it work, Svenja… and so will you I’m sure. Some countries do have very strong rules against this type of thing tho, so it may be better looking for other things to trade for, such as food, accommodation, transport.

Wonderful and surprising information, Thank you

What a blog! Very funny and different, I was delighted with this wonderful content.

😀 dumpster eating

Thank you so much for sharing all this wonderful info with us! It is so appreciated and I would suggest you travel once to India

Hahah guess where that first picture of me in the tree is taken? Gokarna, baby! 😀

now i know how to travel, the next thing that is left is how to have guts to travel lol

Just do it, dude – you got this!!! All you gotta do is take the first step :)))

Is panhandling, begging/scamming arrogant rich backpackers and sneaking into peoples bushes/fields to sleep considered douchebaggery?

Scamming people is morally deplorable on every level.

As for sleeping in peoples fields and bushes, well as long as you remember the “leave no trace” principle.

Ziggy Samuels, it is very courageous of you to be able to travel like this. Besides, in the middle of the way, find good people to help you, even without asking. Good luck in this adventure that in a way is the best freedom.

Thanking you kindly, Sam – Perhaps it’s equal parts courage and stupidiity 😉 You’re 100% right though. There are good and kind people everywhere, and often, travel wouldn’t be possible (nor nearly as special) without them.

Last year i traveled for Australia for volunteering work and i can say it was one of the best experience of my life without any cost.

One good App for volunteering work is Workaway and it was that i used.

Interesting, I never thought that one can travel so easily without expenses a penny. But few ideas are really I think works like “volunteering the work” helps one to travel without any cost. I’m curious to check how this work. You shared some great ideas here to work on…Thank you for sharing such wonderful post.

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10 Ways to Travel the World For Free in 2023

Sustainable travel expert, adventure seeker

Chicago, IL, USA

5-star resorts, private shuttles, and business class have conditioned us to think that travel is always going to break the bank. Of course there’s space for budget-minded travelers, but have you ever pondered how to kick it up a notch and really save money — perhaps by spending hardly any? With some creative spirit, there are plenty of ways to travel the world for (nearly) free.

Most of these are for the adventurous soul, so prepare to exit your comfort zone and enter that money-saving mode. From sleeping in airports to crashing on random couches, there’s no shortage of ways to cut costs. Try one of these 10 ways to make it work:

See the world for free by joining a work exchange platform

Can you pick fruit all day? Clean a questionably nasty bathroom? Wash piles of dishes? If the answer is yes and you’re willing to do it, you can find an opportunity for these types of jobs (and a handful more) by joining a work exchange platform. Participating travelers provide their labor in exchange for a free place to stay, with occasional bonuses like food or drinks, depending on your setup. With opportunities all over the world, this is one of the most common methods to get a free place to stay on the road.

How: Some of the more popular platforms include Workaway and Worldpackers .

Work in a hostel, earn free accommodation

For those who gravitate towards the backpacker lifestyle, working in a hostel gives you a cost-free place to hang your hat, cultivate a community, and have fun while doing it. Many hostel jobs are posted on the aforementioned work exchange platforms, but cold emailing is another useful tactic. Most hostels will ask for several days per week of work in exchange for a free dorm bed — and don’t be surprised when you receive free drinks, either. It almost makes up for the moldy shower that you now call yours.

How: Check out Hostel Jobs to find your new home.

Hack your hotel budget by becoming a house sitter

Enter house sitting: a far more comfortable way to be a total cheapskate. Studies have shown significantly lower volumes of snoring bunkmates and moldy showers by taking this avenue. It’s a bit more competitive — but not impossible. General duties include making sure that no one breaks in, occasional care for pets, garden tending, and any other upkeep that requires a traveler’s touch.

How: Aspiring house sitters can check out House Carers and Mind My House . Word of mouth is fairly popular with this option, but the magic of the Internet can pull through too. Either way, references are a big help. And, if you have a home of your own, check out HomeExchange : a unique, mutually beneficial way to share your home in exchange for a stay in someone else’s.

Save cash for future travel by Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is a global network of travelers and gracious hosts opening their homes (and often hearts) at zero cost. That’s right—it’s 100% free, and often an awesome social experience.

How: For social butterflies who embrace unpredictability, Couchsurfing is a one-of-a-kind way to make connections across cultures and stay for free all over the world.

Score a free stay while WWOOFing

No, it doesn’t have to do with dogs (sorry). World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is a database filled with international organic farms that offer once-in-a-lifetime volunteer opportunities for those who wish to explore their green thumb. You can earn a free stay and learn about local life, all while contributing to sustainable practices.

How: Visit wwoof.net to register and find farms in your destination of choice. Membership costs a small fee, but it pays for itself, especially if you plan to travel long term.

Make bank by teaching english abroad

Teaching English abroad can take many forms: TEFL certified teaching positions, online teaching, or a less formal arrangement. The good news is: this option can actually be quite profitable, especially if you’re living somewhere in Southeast Asia where the cost of living is dramatically low.

How: Paid jobs usually require TEFL certification , which can be achieved through a variety of in-person or online classes. The uncertified can still volunteer their knowledge of the English language by participating in a volunteer program in exchange for room and board. Diverbo and Culture Go Go are online resources to jumpstart your experience.

Earn free travel opportunities by living on a boat

Have you ever said screw land and lived on a boat? If you haven’t, it’s time to consider it. Cruise lines and yacht companies are always looking for crewmembers, especially during the high seasons for tourism. Whether you have experience in hospitality, cleaning, kitchens, or entertainment, the available positions vary greatly.

How: Carnival and Royal Caribbean are the biggest companies, offering seasonal positions and year round options. For yacht opportunities, try out Crew Seekers .

Cut transport costs with ride shares

While there’s no guarantee of safety for this one, there are several countries in the world where hitchhiking is both acceptable and common. HitchWiki breaks it down by country, so you can be the judge of your own chances. Proven fact: hitchhiking builds character, so stick out your thumb and hope for the best.

How: If you prefer a tad bit more of an organized process, try out an arranged rideshare. These long-distance carpool services can be incredibly cheap, despite the lengths traveled. Blablacar is worldwide, and Ridesharing.com is popular in the U.S. and Canada. And hey, it’s good for the environment too!

Travel the world for free by becoming an au pair

Think babysitting, but instead of your childhood suburb, it’s a beautiful coastal town in the south of France. Au pairs are in high demand in several countries, and it’s a formidable way to learn about a different culture, and also live for free. There are both English and non-English speaking opportunities, but knowing a foreign language opens up more doors. France, England, and Australia are three of the more popular destinations for au pairs, but the opportunities are worldwide.

How: Visit AuPairWorld or AuPair.com to connect with families around the globe.

Save money on travel by signing up for airfare alerts

Okay, okay, it’s not completely free, but it can still save tons of money when you play the cards right. There are a few budget airlines worth keeping an eye on. Sales and promotions are common, and if you can hop online when they go live, there’s a great chance at scoring a major deal.

How: A few to keep in mind are Ryan Air , Air Asia , Jetstar , and Virgin Australia . In addition to the airlines themselves, fare finders like Scott’s Cheap Flights can send you alerts based on the latest and greatest deals. There’s no guarantee for legroom, but who needs it anyway? You’ll be on the beach in a few hours.

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How to travel for free: the secret that no one tells you

Want to travel the world for free? I've been doing that for a long time. In this article, you'll get an in-depth view of what I do, how I do it, and how you can do it too!

Ayla Life in Lala's Land

Dec 19, 2023

Of course I have seen people all over Instagram and Facebook living these incredible lives, getting to see amazing places all over the world. I must confess I always thought this was fake or that they were all rich people. But since I came across the answers of how to travel for free (that no one told me) it completely transformed my life.

The purpose of this article is not to simply give you a list of the options you have to travel for free. You can find that on the internet anywhere.

I’m here to give you real life proof of how I already travel the world for free , since I’ve been travelling and living the nomadic life since July 2019. I'm crazily excited to share this, knowing just how much of an impact it can make to a person's life.

Some people get a little sceptical before they really get what I do , which I completely understand. If someone I didn’t know told me I could travel the world for free, I would probably think they were trying to scam me or something. But I didn’t have anyone tell me about it. I found it myself , and now I want to help others do the same.

I knew I wanted to travel and quit my job to do it . That would mean no money coming in - an exceptionally tight budget. So, I found a solution to the problem:  free food and accommodation !

In this article I’m going to walk you through how to do that. You can travel the world doing activities you love and get free accommodation - and even get paid to do it!

You might also like :  14 TOP cheapest countries to visit as a Worldpackers volunteer

Travelling for free: how it all started

One day I woke up and realised just how much I hated my daily life . I was working a ludicrous number of hours to get a great paycheck each week, but I was miserable. I decided that I had to take it into my own hands and create a life that I enjoyed living. And for me, that means new discoveries and environments.

In February of 2019 I handed in my resignation with 4 months’ notice. This was mainly for me to know I finally had a date I would be escaping the rat race. By July of that year, I was on a one-way flight to volunteer in India with a backpack and a suitcase with everything I owned in them.

When I said goodbye to all my friends and family, they knew that I had no intentions of ever returning to Australia or the life I was so eager to leave behind. 

I had no idea of what I was going to do, how I would be making money travelling or being able to survive, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I had left behind a life that I didn’t want, in search of one that I loved.

It was then that I happened to stumble across the greatest life hack known to mankind – how to travel the world for free ! I have now been doing this and enjoying every moment of it.

I have the freedom to go anywhere I want in this world, and know that I am able to support myself. With a combination of these two life hacks that I will be speaking about here, I get almost all my food and accommodation paid for. 

I write for about two hours a day and I'm able to actually save a significant amount of money whilst I am travelling and experiencing the world.

How to travel for free: here's the secret

The number one best life hack that I have ever known is Worldpackers , hands down. 

Worldpackers is a platform that connects volunteers with certain skills or abilities to hosts who are looking for help in these areas. The method behind it is work exchange , where volunteers give their time helping out around the place in exchange for accommodation  and other benefits like meals, classes and tours.

It has provided me with numerous opportunities to travel through different countries on a tight budget, by not having to worry about accommodation and food. Not only that, but it has also given me an opportunity to build my name as an artist through both India and Sri Lanka .

As a girl who had a dream of travelling the world for free - with no idea of how to actually do it when I started - I am so lucky and grateful to have stumbled across Worldpackers!

Basically, you pay one fee of $49 USD which gives you access to all the hosts for a full year. To put that into perspective, $50 USD is likely A LOT less than you pay for one night of food and accommodation in most countries . And then you can spend 12 months with free accomodation and food wherever you want!

Seem’s crazy not to do it right? And what you give in exchange for the ability to travel for free, is often an experience you would be paying a hefty price for.  So really, it’s wins all around! You’re saving sooooo much money when you travel the world with Worldpackers.

Volunteer and travel for free

There are heaps of different options available when it comes to volunteer programs. So you’re sure to find something that calls to your heart. Some of them that I have chosen to work with are:

• Work in Schools
• Work on Eco projects
• Work with Hostel Administration 
• And primarily Art Projects

There are so many more options available , but these are the ones I have volunteered with so far. I typically look for art projects as I love painting. But other times I will apply for positions that pique my interest such as eco projects, because I am very much a save the world type of gal.

I have been very lucky to have had a range of volunteering experiences , mostly with painting. Mural painting is not something that I had ever even considered doing before.

I was so excited to do my first one and put my heart and soul into it, and surprisingly it was actually  not that bad. From there I was able to apply for more Worldpackers positions as an artist where I received free accommodation and all my meals for free.

This is a dream come true for someone who had been travelling for two months. I had no idea how to make any money and was just trying to spend as little as possible to stretch the money I did have as far as it could go. 

I’ve built great connections throughout communities doing this, and I’ve been asked to come back to a number of places, which is so heartwarming.

If you’re wondering how to travel for free, making an impact and giving more value to your contribution in this world , this is the secret. There are volunteer options that suit a range of different personality types and interests.

How to travel for free and also get paid

Although using Worldpackers covers almost all my expenses that I need to survive , there are still other things I need to pay for as I travel. Any flights, visas, sightseeing and going out with friends are costs that come out of my own pocket.

But someone I met at my first volunteer position provided me with a solution. I was only about two months into my travels at this point, when I explained to her my situation. She was blown away that I had no plan to balance working and travelling . In hindsight, it's a pretty crazy thing to do. Quit your job, pack your stuff and leave your own country without any means of income.

So, she introduced me to the world of  freelancing . This is something I had never heard about before then. She explained to me that there are many people that work remotely and get paid for it, which is what she does for a company she worked for back in Germany.

I told her that I wouldn’t be able to do it as I was absolutely terrible with technology and had no skills that would be of any value . She convinced me that I had everything I already needed: fluent English and a tablet I could write on.

She told me about some freelancing websites and I signed up to both Freelancer and Upwork . I then started applying for different positions but was not getting any luck. I had been trying for basic administration positions, which of course every other unskilled person was also applying for, so I was just getting lost in the masses.

Earlier in 2019 I had decided that I wanted to write a novel , which I am currently still working on, and this is something that I had shared with the girl who told me about freelancing. She saw me working on my novel all the time and motivated me to apply for some content writing positions . 

"The worst they could do is say no, and the best that can happen is you start getting paid to travel."

Eventually one company gave me a trial. Turns out they loved my writing style and offered me an ongoing position.

Becoming a digital nomad

The work I do could not be more perfect. It is incredibly flexible, I can ask for as much or as little work as I want, and it is something that I enjoy doing. 

I write content for businesses all over the world . Each piece might take me around 3 hours and will make me $50 USD. It’s not a lot, in fact, this job pays pretty terribly compared to the others I have now.

But depending on which part of the world I am, it pays for a LOT more than it would be back home. 

And I have such a different relationship with money than I did when working a ‘normal’ job. I am only interested in making enough money to cover my expenses from the previous month or to splurge on a vacation, such as a fancy resort somewhere.

Not only has securing a freelancing job been able to free me financially, it is such a different experience to be working on your own clock . Sometimes I might go a few days or a week without writing at all. Because I don’t have the need for money. But other times I might write for a full week and do nothing else. That is the beauty of freelancing.

Each week I decide how many projects I want, which generally is anywhere between two and 10. So that is a maximum of 30 hours a week if I really want to make some serious money, but I rarely have the need for that. So most times, I only work about 6 a week.

Combining this small amount of income with travelling the world for free with Worldpackers, I am able to save money while I’m travelling ! How crazy is that? I never would have thought that was possible.

An added benefit to freelancing is how much y ou learn about the potential of online work. I went from a non-tech savvy girl 15 months ago, to now having my own digital marketing agency . 

I do this by outsourcing all the work to the talented freelancers I’ve met along my journey . So whether you’ve got that business mind, or just want to work 5 hours a week to live as a digital nomad, it works for everyone.

Balancing freedom and motivation

When I was in Australia, I was a businesswoman. Always in a suit rushing around from meeting to meeting and under immense stress. Now I wouldn’t be recognisable to any of the people from my old position, or the clients that I worked with so closely. I am able to completely and freely express myself.

I now have blue hair and am starting to gather a collection of tattoos , and do you know what? It makes me so happy that I am able to live a life that is true to my own personality . Not to be living life restricted by the confines of society. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t have responsibilities.

I have the freedom to now travel where I want, dress (country-specific of course) and later my appearance as I please. And all I need to do is work about 5 hours a day to make that happen. So on average, I would spend 1 hour a day working and another 4 volunteering.

Although it can be tempting to run out with my friends as soon as the volunteering is done, I just give myself a reality check. It’s one hour. And if I schedule my time well, it makes little difference to my day, but a big difference to my life.

For me, I found setting out schedules works best for me. Mine looks something like this: yoga, breakfast, work, volunteer, lunch, write my novel, then free time. Sometimes I find myself creating stress out of nothing , but finding my balance with a schedule and yoga always helps me to keep motivated.

What in the world are you waiting for?

Yes, there is a legitimate way to travel the world for free and get paid, if that is the kind of life you want to live. I do it myself, and I’m just your average everyday person. Sometimes I realize how lucky I am to live this life, and then remember that luck had nothing to do with it . I found this out through research and took a leap of faith.

Seeing new countries and experiencing new cultures has been eye opening for me. And this is not something I would have been able to do for so long if I hadn’t stumbled across this life hack so early into my trip.

But luckily for everyone reading this, I have found them so that you don’t have to go searching . So now that you know how to travel for free, what are you waiting for? Go see the world! 

Join the community!

Create a free Worldpackers account to discover volunteer experiences perfect for you and get access to exclusive travel discounts!

Ayla Carlin

Life in Lala's Land

An Australian solo traveller who set out to find herself while discovering the world. My aim is to discover the untouched, make long lasting connections, and expand my mind through the new people I meet and places I discover. I want to inspire others through my experiences, showing just how important travel is for the soul, and how it can transform your life in the most positive ways.

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Already have an account, are you a host, leave your comment here.

Write here your questions and greetings to the author

Oct 15, 2020

You're living the life, girl! As an author myself, that's pretty much a dream come true. Traveling and writing. Thank you for your words. I wish you all the success!

Oct 22, 2020

I wanna thanks you for your loyalty, and probably encourage you gave too all committee, thanks for who you are

Ayla (Author)

Nov 02, 2020

Thank you beautiful girl!! You also do the same??

Unfortunately, I don't. Right now, I just write in my home country. But I was published by a small publisher this year and I'm working on getting better to write on the road one day

Oct 19, 2020

Wow you're ao cool

Oct 20, 2020

Thank you beautiful people! Let's keep sharing our stories and welcoming more people to the traveling the world for free community!

Amazing text 🤍🤍 thanks for that

Oct 24, 2020

Good job👍👍💐💐

Feb 26, 2023

Amazing. Great job. Good Luck

Thank you ☺️

Oct 31, 2020

Thank you so much❤️

You are so welcome girl! ❤️❤️

Wooaaaaahhh 🤩🤩🤩🤩

Nov 06, 2020

Nov 08, 2020

It's great, I am cherishing the trip like you, currently I am looking for an online job to have money for the trip but I still haven't found it. Please guide and share your online work experience and your itinerary. Look forward to your guidance. My email: [email protected]

Nov 10, 2020

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Nov 11, 2020

Welcome Morocco

Nov 12, 2020

Super inspiring! :)

Nov 25, 2020

Hi Ayla, your story is very encouraging and motivational. I’m a newly certified Health and Life Coach, my dream is to work from anywhere, I got lost and confused, meanwhile I’m working part time as a professional organizer and decluttering, my dream is to travel so I decided enough of waiting to do it so I signed up here. But I’m interested in knowing more about your Marketing Biz, would like to talk to you about my business. Please could you reach out to me, [email protected] Thank You!!!

Nov 27, 2020

Well articulated

Dec 01, 2020

wow i like it thank you so much for sharing this

Dec 03, 2020

Thanks for your inspiring words, keep it up! :)

Cool with patient and courage

Wow, I really needed to hear this. I'd love to chat with you deeper since I have so many questions! How can I contact you? Do you have Instagram?

Dec 04, 2020

Hey Linda, I'd be happy to help 😊 My insta is lifein_lalasland

Sent you a message there!

Dec 08, 2020

Hi there, I admire your courage, wish i can do the same, but i'm in a different situation. I loved your article, it's inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

Dec 09, 2020

Wow! This was such a good read.

Dec 13, 2020

World are amazing & I love Nature 🙏🏞️🌄🌎🌏🗺️🥰

Dec 17, 2020

Hi there we had a small conversation in Bangkok while Brushing the truth i am so glad to meet you cheers Appreciate it

Dec 22, 2020

And you have written a beautiful blog here 😊

Very inspiring after reading what you have wrote. Yes, the money for buying a ticket is really concerning for me to step out from my comfort zone, and was thiking a lot should I make this work with travel the world with FREE. ❤

Dec 29, 2020

Wer are you from

Jan 04, 2021

Thank you dearly, you have helped me and beyond, I have connections and so do they. Keep sprinkling more kindness, also free lol.

Jan 13, 2021

Thank you so much for all what you've shared am impressed good luck to you bye

Jan 17, 2021

I am very much inspired by your story, I have a account in freelance and upwork. But in freelance they ask me to pay security deposit first is it safe to do so .

Jan 18, 2021

Hi I want to travel world for free

Jan 19, 2021

click bait title and too long text which is a lot of filler text. could be shorter and to the point.

Feb 02, 2021

l am active now in France heading to Spain

Mar 26, 2021

Is this possible with two children?

May 16, 2021

مرحبا انا عندى سؤال هل انا بدفع مصاريف السفر صح ام لا وهل ينفع ان اعمل واخد مال ام لا

May 31, 2021

Such a priceless story that you can even describe with words🙏 I absolutely believe that hapiness can change this World. And when everyone starts to SHARE yourself for others - we will make a planet smile and blossom❤👋

P.s. Thank you for that motivation. I will try to spread around the love which I found here

Jul 23, 2021

Oct 09, 2021

great writing. I hope i can join this life soon enough

Hi Pretty I hope you are doing in good health, I am Asif fresh graduate from United Arab Emirates Dubai. i am interests travel to European countries. i am applying many volunteers position. If you are free then guide me which European countries best cheap for foreigner students. Respectfully thanks for your precious time.

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Confirm your trip to enjoy all of the safety of Worldpackers.

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How To Travel The World For Free

Imagine unlocking the secrets of how to travel the world for free.

Sounds enticing, doesn’t it?

If you’re here, it’s likely because the spirit of adventure tugs at your soul, but the strain on your wallet holds you back.

Fear not! This guide is your key to a world where free accommodation isn’t a dream, but your nightly reality, where transportation costs are a thing of the past, and where the global smorgasbord of food doesn’t come with a check.

Sounds like a fairy tale? Believe me, it’s not. Join us on this journey. After all, the joy of travel isn’t just in the destinations, but in the freedom of knowing that the essentials like food and a place to sleep are entirely taken care of, without costing you a dime.

Before we start, a word of to the wise – you know that old saying “ there’s no such thing as a free lunch “? Well, for the most part, we have to agree that it’s true. While we give you plenty of hacks to get free travel here, there’s almost always a different price to pay, whether it’s time invested in research and preparation, hours spent working on an organic farm in exchange for a place to stay, or time spent working a job on the road.

Now that we’ve sparked your imagination, let’s delve into the nitty-gritty of making this free travel dream a reality.

How to Travel the World for Free

We’re going to explore the magic of credit card and rewards points, the potential of working on the road, and the rich experiences offered by volunteering.

We’ll outline ways to score free accommodation, transportation, entertainment, and food as you traverse the globe.

So buckle up, adventurers! It’s time to turn how to travel the world for free from a fanciful notion into your everyday life.

First up, let’s do a quick look at a few quick ways to get free flights, accommodation, meals, and entertainment on your travels: using points, volunteering, getting a job as you travel, and even an unusual tip we haven’t seen anywhere else.

Once that’s done, we’ll get into some real, practical tips for landing free meals, accommodation, flights and entertainment as you vacation around the globe.

Use your points

Let’s start with a tried and true technique of many travelers: redeeming points for travel.

There are two main ways to do this, by using either:

• credit card points, or
• rewards program points, like AIRMILES

Using points for travel works well if you have points that you’ve already earned, or if you’re traveling six or more months in the future, and can earn points by spending in the meantime. It doesn’t work especially well if you don’t have much money to spend, or if you’re traveling right away (and don’t have any points saved up).

I think one of the biggest myths in travel is that you can travel for almost free if you’re willing to volunteer. Unfortunately, it’s pretty darn hard to get a volunteer gig for free. Most volunteer placements require you to pay for your own airfare, and many require a fee for a volunteer placement. Some even require you to pay for your accommodation.

That said, there are a few ways to volunteer on a budget, including this one.

Do you belong to a local church or community association? Churches sometimes send volunteers abroad. You may get your expenses paid, but you’ll definitely need to spend a lot of time and effort to raise money and volunteer once you’re abroad.

That said, volunteering can be a very rewarding way to travel and give you an extended amount of time working closely with locals and learning what real day to day life can be like in some countries. It can also be a great way to learn a language since a lot of placements are far away from the tourist trail.

Learn more in our article Can You Volunteer Abroad Cheap or Free? The Real Cost of Volunteering Overseas .

Work Abroad

While working is often considered the opposite of free, the reality is that not every aspect of travel will always be paid for. So, get a job as you travel so you can pay for items that you can’t get for free.

While there are plenty of jobs, these are our top picks.

Working Holiday Visa

If you’re under 35 years of age, see if your destination country offers a youth working holiday visa.

Many countries (including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) have agreements that allow young people to work on a working holiday visa for up to one year. Check out Wikipedia’s list of  working holiday visa programs .

An au pair or traveling nanny position is a well known way to get free accommodation as you travel, plus a wage. It’s only a great gig if you like kids, though, and if you manage to get a good host family.

Teach English overseas

Teaching English abroad is a great way to get spending cash, and many positions offer free accommodation as well.

It’s also a great way to meet locals (and fellow travelers). China, South Korea, and Middle Eastern countries are often the highest paying countries. Some schools even pay for your flight. You’ll likely need a TEFL certification , and you’ll want to research the differences in TEFL vs TESL vs TESOL .

Check out our article on the Best Countries to Teach English Abroad .

Looking for more great ideas for getting a job as you travel? Check out these articles for helpful tips:

• 45 Great Jobs You Can Do While Traveling The World And How To Get Them
• How to Get a Job Abroad Without Experience
• The Highest Paying Travel Jobs You Can Get Now

Enter contests

I don’t often hear anyone mention entering contests as a way to get free travel. While your chances of winning a major lottery are almost zero, you may actually have a chance to win a smaller contest on a brand’s social media page.

Years ago I won a short haul flight with Flair Airlines (then called New Leaf Airlines) on a contest through their email list.

To find contests with travel prizes, check out Instagram and Facebook, or you can look into contest promoting websites. While bigger companies often have bigger contests, the odds of winning are often much lower so look for smaller run contests with less people signing up to increase your odds.

How to get free accommodation when you travel

Ready to turn your dreams of free accommodation into reality?

As an experienced traveler, I can tell you it’s not as elusive as it might seem. In this section, we share practical tips and tricks to help you secure the coziest corners of the world without loosening your purse strings.

From swapping homes to surfing couches, and from volunteering at local communities to working in exchange for a bed, we’ve got you covered.

Stay with us, as we navigate the exciting landscape of free accommodation, making how to travel the world for free your new normal. It’s not just about the journey or the destination – it’s also about finding a home wherever you go, without it costing you a dime.

Here arr our top ideas for getting a free place to stay as you travel.

Housesitting

Sites like Trusted Housesitters let you swap housesitting for free accommodation. Most housesits involve taking care of pets and plants, in addition to maintaining the house and property so make sure you factor that into your timeline when agreeing to any stay.

Home Exchange and Love Home Swap are great choices if you happen to have a home already. These sites let you swap a stay at your home with someone else in a different area. If your home is in a desirable area, you’ll have better luck finding a house you find equally appealing.

Couchsurfing

This is something we’ve never done, because we like to be more … comfortable as a family.

As a female traveler, crashing at a stranger’s house just makes me uneasy, however there are thousands of people who swear by couchsurfing . We’ve also stayed at friends and have friends and family stay with us so we imagine it’s something like that.

Free accommodation in exchange for work

Worldpackers, Workaway, or WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) all offer time-tested ways to get free accommodation in exchange for time helping your host. Food is often included as well and, since you’re often working with produce daily, you know it will be freshly picked.

Use your personal connections

Looking for someplace free to stay? Go old school, and crash on a relative or friend’s (or friend of a friend’s) couch. Have extended family you barely know? Maybe it’s time to reach out. We’ve heard great stories of people meeting family from generations back that were welcomed in with open arms.

Exchange work for accommodation

Sometimes, you can luck in on a way to make money as you travel, by doing an odd job for a hostel or small hotel. We helped clean a hostel for a couple of weeks in exchange for a free double room in Adelaide, Australia and it was only a few hours a day of work. Saved us a few dollars and gave us a reason to get up earlier than we would have so helped keep our nightly expenses down too.

Camp for free

Camping on Crown land in Canada is free, and camping on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in the USA is free, but there are limits on how long you can stay in one spot. There are similar laws you can find around the globe. You can also use apps like iOverlander to find free spots outside of free public land.

Take advantage of free nights while flying or driving

Take advantage of overnight ferries, night buses and red-eye flights to get a free night’s accommodation. While you might not get the best nights sleep, it’s a good way to save versus having to pay for 1 more nights stay.

Press trips or free nights at a hotel through blogging or influencing

This one’s not for everyone. To get free accommodation as a YouTuber, blogger or influencer, you’ll need a sizeable number of followers, or a great organic engagement in a specific niche, to qualify for press trips or free nights accommodation. Just be warned that press trips involve a lot of work writing and posting on social media, and you’ll need to stick to the organizers (often exhausting) schedule.

The Best Travel Vloggers on YouTube in 2022

Always be polite here, and make sure you truly offer a benefit to the company you’re reaching out to, as a lot of companies are (rightfully) tired of being hit up for free stuff.

University or high school student exchange programs

University, college, and high school student exchange programs can let you visit another country, live with a local family, and get your education at the same time.

Language Exchanges

Look into sites like Lingoo, that offer language exchange holidays and homestays or stay with a teacher.

How to get free food when you travel

It’s time to embark on the tastiest part of our journey – the quest for free food.

As an experienced traveler, I can assure you that dining out doesn’t always mean digging into your savings.

In this section, we feed your wanderlust with a buffet of strategies (see what I did there, lol) to eat for free.

From hunting down free samples in bustling local markets to celebrating your birthday with a feast on the house, we’ve got your plate full. We’ll delve into the world of zero-waste apps and supermarkets where you can fill your bag without emptying your wallet, and explore discount food apps that make dining out a delight rather than a drain on your budget.

Tip: Most of these ideas work better in the USA and Canada, but your mileage may vary in Europe or other parts of the world.

Free samples

Supermarkets often offer free samples in the supermarket aisles, and Costco still offers samples (even after slowing down a bit after the pandemic). You can find free samples in local coffee shops, bakeries, delis and more. While you won’t get full, they do make a great free snack.

Free food on your birthday

Many restaurants still offer free food on your birthday (you usually have to show ID here, but it’ll help for 1 out of 365 days). Some chains and restaurants also offer a discount that can work for the week or even the month of your birthday so it’s not a bad way to save.

Sign up for a delivery app

Sign up for a food delivery app to get the introductory coupon. If you’re careful, you can get a $15 coupon, and order $15 of food, making your meal free. Just don’t be an a$$hole, and spend a couple of bucks to tip the hard-working driver.

Free food for downloading a restaurant’s app or rewards programs

Look for apps that offer a free food bonus just for downloading the app. This is actually pretty common to get a small food item like a free donut (thanks Krispy Kreme) or free Blizzard (thanks Dairy Queen) if you download the app or sign up for their rewards program.

Another option is to forage for food on public land, or politely ask homeowners or farmers if you can harvest extra fruit or veggies from their property. Offering to just grab the fallen fruit or the too overripe to sell produce is your best bet. Just don’t steal and always ask for permission first.

Become a mystery diner

These are competitive gigs, and you’ll often need to pay out of pocket for your meal, write the review, and get reimbursed later.

Look for zero-waste supermarkets and apps

Many of these work with pay-what-you-feel distribution centers, which often let you volunteer to work in the warehouse as payment instead of cash.

You can also look for zero-waste apps to find free food. Apps like Olio connect you to see who has excess food items.

Pancake breakfasts

Looking for a free breakfast? Depending on the time of year, and where you’re located, pancake breakfasts at churches and during some events (like the Calgary Stampede) may be a good option. Look for festivals and upcoming events at the place where you’re heading to see what’s on the menu.

Dumpster diving

This is a pretty extreme option, to be sure, but better than going without food. I haven’t tried this myself, but I’m guessing the best time to do this would be at closing time. Some bakeries and produce centers even offer them out free to closing customers.

Free hotel breakfasts

If you have to pay for a hostel or hotel, look for one that offers free food. Some only offer free cookies and coffee, but others offer a full breakfast, and still others offer manager’s happy hours with plenty of great food to be had.

Check your receipts

Check your receipts for surveys that offer a free food bonus for taking a customer satisfaction survey.

Discounted food apps

Download a discounted food app like Flashfood .

Food isn’t free on these apps, but it is heavily discounted. Flashfood is free to download – check out this helpful Flashfood review here .

Exchange work for food

Not having much luck? Consider exchanging work for food, by working in a restaurant or supermarket that gives you some meals for free as a perk of your employment.

How to get free transportation when you travel

This is a tough one. Transportation might just be the hardest travel cost to get for free.

In this section, we’ll rev up your travel game with a few ways to hit the road, sail the seven seas, or fly the skies for free.

Whether you’re a student looking for the best discounts, an airline employee ready to take advantage of those well-deserved perks, or a social butterfly who loves the idea of carpooling, we’ve got the tickets to your next adventure.

After all, the joy of travel isn’t just in the destination, but also in the thrill of getting there without breaking the bank.

Get a job with an airline

We have a friend who used to work with Air Canada well over a decade ago. He still has several friends and family passes that let him and a guest travel anywhere in the world Air Canada flies for free. I’m not sure if all airlines offer this perk to employees, or even if it’s still available at Air Canada, but it’s one of the best ways to get free flights I’ve ever heard of.

Get free transit passes as a child, student, senior, or if you have a low income

Depending on where you’re visiting, and for how long, you may be able to get discounted or free public transportation. You may also be eligible if you have a disability.

Bicycle (or e-bike)

While you’ll need to pay the upfront cost for a bike (or e-bike), you’ll get plenty of exercise, and never have to pay for gas if you travel by bike.

Working as a yacht crew

We volunteered as yacht crew for evening cruises at the yacht club in Brisbane and found the club and captains to be friendly and open to our help.

Depending on where you volunteer, you may be able to get a ride around the harbor for an afternoon, or embark on a sailing trip around the world.

Have a friend who’s traveling? Ask them if you can exchange some driving time for a ride. Make sure you clarify who’s paying for gas here – many people will expect carpoolers to split the cost of gas (or at least pitch in).

Share your ride sharing refer-a-friend code

Several ride sharing apps (Uber and Lyft) offer a refer-a-friend bonus if you refer someone who creates an account, and uses the service, with your refer-a-friend code.

Transport a vehicle to its final destination

There are sites where you can sign up as a driver and get a gig delivering a car to its destination. Car and RV dealerships or car rental companies sometimes hire people to drive cars to a different destination.

There are no guarantees with these, but you just may luck out with sites like Canada DriveAway, Cars to Florida, or HitTheRoad.ca.

Work on a cruise ship

There are plenty of jobs available on cruise ships, from entertainers, to cooks, to housekeepers, to almost anything you can imagine.

These jobs are better suited to single people, as you’ll be on the road a bit.

You’ll also travel to exotic ports of call, but you’ll likely only stay for less than a day, and return to the same port. The one exception here are repositioning cruises, where you’ll crew a ship on a one way trip to a new destination port.

Work on a cargo or container ship

While not as glamorous as working on a luxury cruise liner, working on a container ship can be a more leisurely way to see the world. Workers often act as lookouts and perform maintenance like painting and maintaining containers. You’ll need a high school diploma and many deckhands have training through industry or labor union schools.

How to get free entertainment when you travel

Let’s set the stage for the most fun part of your journey – scoring free entertainment.

Whether you’re a student in search of cultural enrichment, an airline employee seizing those extra perks, or a savvy traveler ready to tap into the local scene, we have the keys to unlock a world of entertainment. After all, travel isn’t merely about moving—it’s about creating memories, and they are every bit as precious when they come without a price tag.

Volunteer at Events

I’m surprised how rarely I see this tip, but most festivals and events offer their volunteers free tickets (and sometimes extra perks) in exchange for volunteering. Sure, you have to do some work to get the free tickets, but it’s still a pretty sweet deal. You’ll have better luck with smaller local events, and less luck with huge festivals like Coachella or Burning Man but even those positions need to get filled somehow.

Attend free events

Most cities have plenty of free events, which are just an internet search away. Some are surprisingly high quality, ranging from free yoga classes, to theater and late night movies on the lawn events, to festivals, to free sporting matches!

Take advantage of free nights

Many museums and art galleries offer free nights for admission. They’re usually evenings or weekends (though not always). We’ve visited museums around the world on their free entry days. Most weren’t that expensive but when traveling with 4 of us those costs can quickly add up.

Do free things

Luckily, there are plenty of free things to do for fun when you travel. You could wander through the city center (or take a free walking tour), visit local parks or the beach, go to the library, hike, take in the architecture, or people watch.

How to travel the world for free

Are you ready to transform your adventures into priceless moments, all while on a tight budget?

Remember, the world is your oyster and it’s full of treasures that are there for the taking.

The next step? Take the plunge, let go of those financial reins, and embark on your journey to travel the world for free. After all, the greatest adventures you ever take might just be those that cost you nothing, but enrich you in ways beyond measure.

So, here’s to free travel and the endless memories it will bring! Safe journeys fellow nomads​.

The Best Websites to Help You Travel for Free

Want to travel the world for free? Check out these online resources to get you started.

Traveling around the world is something many of us dream of. One of the biggest barriers to worldwide travel, however, is budget. Many of us believe that a life chasing wanderlust can only be achieved with high earnings, or by saving money for a long time.

Jetting around the world is actually more accessible and cheaper than you might think. Read on to find out how you can travel the world for free by using these websites.

Look After Other People's Homes and Pets

Accommodation can be a huge cost to consider when making international travel plans. Perhaps you’ve bought a plane ticket can't find affordable accommodation at your destination. The solution? Sign up for a housesitting service.

Housesitting is a great way to explore new areas rent-free, and many homes have a furry resident to keep you company—perfect if you're a solo traveler. There are hundreds of pet and homeowners around the world who are looking for people to look after their belongings and animals whilst they themselves travel.

Getting started with housesitting is straightforward. Most websites require you to set up an account, fill out a personal profile, and then undertake a few security checks to verify you as a reliable and trusted house sitter. Don’t forget to fill your profile with plenty of info about yourself, including adding some friendly selfies to increase your chance of securing a sit.

It’s worthwhile looking for certified sites, as you’ll be covered by insurance (both pet and home). Plus all household members have to undertake security checks, so you can be assured that you will be staying somewhere safe.

Here are three certified house and pet sitting websites.

TrustedHousesitters

If you love pets, TrustedHousesitters is a great place to start. Sits are available in England, Australia, South America, Asia, and more, with accommodation ranging from houses and apartments, to city or farm sits. Expect to look after all sorts of pets, from cats, dogs, and birds, to tortoises, chickens, and horses.

To become a certified member on TrustedHousesitters, you will need to provide a full profile and undertake some security checks. Couples are also welcome to sign up together under one profile, which is ideal if you're traveling with a friend or partner.

There is a registration fee, but for the money you save on accommodation, electricity, and Wi-Fi, it's a small price to pay.

House Sitters America

If you're keen to discover more of the States, then House Sitters America is the perfect site for you. Hosted exclusively for house sits in the US, sitters can choose to look after homes with or without pets.

There is a joining fee for sitters, but unlike TrustedHousesitters, some homeowners offer to pay their sitters for their services. This means that you have the potential to earn back your registration fee reasonably quickly.

Having a criminal record check and good references will also help your profile stand out amongst the competition of other sitters.

MindMyHouse

Global house sitting service, MindMyHouse, offers sits in Canada, the US, New Zealand, Australia, the UK, South Africa, and more.

Established in 2005, MindMyHouse is a great place for newbie sitters, thanks to its robust online community. It provides encouraging testimonials, helpful advice, as well as blogs and FAQs to answer any questions or concerns of new house sitters.

MindMyHouse claims the "lowest annual fee" on the internet (just $20 per year) and doesn't automatically renew. With a simple sign-up and easy-to-assemble profile, it's a great platform to use to save money on travel.

Related:  Apps for Finding Cheap or Free Places to Stay While Traveling

Work and Live Abroad as a Seasonnaire

Despite the association of university gap years and seasonal work, there isn't an age limit on becoming a seasonnaire. You can find a wide choice of paid roles that are suitable for all ages, skill sets, and experiences, with many perks and freebies included.

Not only do you have the opportunity to live like a local for free, but many employers will also pay for your flights, accommodation, and sometimes meals as part of the employee package.

For example, winter seasonnaires living in a ski resort may receive employee benefit packages which include ski lift passes and ski rental, whilst summer employees can enjoy free excursions, such as boat rides and land tours.

Seasonal work is traditionally split into summer and winter opportunities—although there are positions that span across multiple seasons—where you can find yourself living in a new country for five to six months at a time. You might find yourself taking on the role of a resort representative, kids' club activity leader, or even a tour guide.

There are several online job boards for seasonnaires, including the following.

Season Workers

Season Worker is an easy-to-use bulletin board website. Not only can you find summer and winter seasonal work on Season Workers, but there are also opportunities to undertake courses (e.g. ski instructor or cookery courses), find airline work, and even jobs teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL).

Go Abroad has been helping students travel the world since 1997. You can choose to study, teach, intern, or volunteer abroad, as well as just undertake a worldwide adventure. It offers opportunities for travel around the world, so you aren't limited by location.

Anywork Anywhere

Based in the Netherlands, the international recruitment website Anywork Anywhere offers a huge list of jobs around the world to suit all tastes and experiences. You can find a range of jobs from Au Pair and Activity Instructor positions, to fruit picking, farm, and customer service roles.

With thousands of opportunities worldwide, you're bound to meet like-minded travelers wherever you go.

Related: How to Teach English Online and Work From Anywhere in The World

Volunteer Abroad for Amazing Life Experiences

Volunteering abroad is a way to travel the world whilst getting involved in huge projects, such as helping local communities and tackling poverty. Like seasonal work, you'll meet like-minded people when you volunteer abroad.

Here are some brilliant websites that let you make a difference while traveling.

Volunteer Forever

Volunteer Forever is a comprehensive resource for finding and funding volunteer, internship, and "teach abroad" experiences. Packed with expert information, scholarship advice, and shared experiences, it's a great website to get started as a volunteer.

International Volunteer HQ

If you want to enjoy life-enriching travel experiences that also have a positive impact on a community, check out International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ). You can plan your trip based on the causes you want to help (for example, childcare, conservation, women's empowerment, or community development), or pick a country and see what projects you want to be a part of.

The stressful stuff, like securing plane tickets and booking a hotel, is taken care of by IVHQ. This way, you can fully enjoy the travel and volunteer experience.

International Citizen Service

Funded by the Department for International Development, the International Citizen Service (ICS) is ideal for candidates looking to volunteer for charity services whilst on a budget.

Volunteer placements are available for 18 to 25 year-olds, and anyone age 23 to 35 can sign up for projects as a team leader. Participants are encouraged to raise money before travel, but financial support is given by the ICS staff.

Get Ready to Travel for Less

There are plenty of opportunities and resources online to help you travel for free or on a budget. It's also always worth checking out the World Health Organization 's website ahead of travel to clue up on rules and safety advice of the country or region you're planning on traveling to.

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12 Ways to Travel the World for Free in 2021

There is never going to be a perfect time or the perfect amount of money to travel. Truth is: you can travel the world for free. Whether it’s house-sitting in London or working on an organic farm in Ecuador, there are options for all personalities and lifestyles to travel the world for free.

In 2015, I booked a one-way ticket to Antigua, Guatemala. For two months I worked as a caretaker for an 86-year-old English woman named Annette. I lived for free comfortably in a spacious bedroom in her antique-style home. In exchange, I walked the dog, painted her nails, and helped organize her home.

It was during my time with Annette where I found my passion for free travel.

After my 8 month trip, the memories that stuck out the most were the people and moments that costed nothing.

I’ve compiled a list of 12 ways to travel FOR FREE. They require little-to-no experience.

Now, let’s jump right in!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you use my links, I get a small percentage without costing you a thing. Thank you for using my links and supporting my blog! xoxo

1. Sign up for a work exchange (volunteer abroad)

Work exchange is volunteering your time for 20 hours a week (or less) in exchange for food and housing. Some examples of volunteer jobs are yoga instructor, caretaker, English teacher, hostel worker, and more.

You can use websites like Worldpackers to find work exchange positions. Worldpackers requires a membership fee for their site (valid for one year). Once you’re in, you have access to thousands of work exchange opportunities around the world.

Click here for $10 off a Worldpackers membership or use discount code “courtneytheexplorer10” for $10 off!

How long are the volunteer positions? They can range from a week to a couple months. If you love your position, you can ask to extend. If you hate it, you can leave.

Who is work exchange right for? Work exchange is for anyone looking for a cultural immersion and unforgettable experience. There are so many opportunities, you are bound to find one that fits your personality. Worldpackers also offers an initiative program for writers and video creators who want to share their volunteer experience.

Workaway , Help X , Culture Gogo , and Working Traveller , are also websites in which you can find work exchange opportunities.

Related article: Ultimate Guide to Work Exchange: Travel for Free

2. Work on a farm for a month in the middle of no where

WWOOF is a worldwide movement that links volunteers with organic farmers and growers to promote cultural and educational experiences. Its goal is to build a sustainable, global community. Much like Workaway, hosts provide housing and food in exchange for working on their organic farm.

One of my best friends WWOOFed in Italy for 3 months and loved it. My cousin also WWOOFed all around South America. Both have similar stories of hard hands-on work, hot and sweaty days in the sun, and unforgettable experiences.

Who is WWOOFing right for? I would only recommend this for people who like the outdoors, are interested in sustainable living, and are adventurous travelers. A lot of times things are chaotic, unorganized, and sweaty (like the picture up above.)

Tip: Make sure to check out reviews from former volunteers and always message your host with questions beforehand. My friend even skyped with hosts before she committed to volunteer with them. Never be afraid to ask questions!

Note: you can work on farms using other sites (like Workaway), but WWOOF is one of the most popular.

3. House sit your way around the world

House sitting is when you take care of someone else’s home and pets while they’re away. You get a free place to stay and they get peace of mind knowing their home and furry friends are in good hands. Although house-sitting opportunities are most popular in Europe, you can find opportunities everywhere.

Who is house-sitting right for? House sitting is perfect for long-term travelers or digital nomads who like animals.

How long are house sits? The time period can be anywhere from a week to a couple months.

Related article: How To Housesit Around the World

4. Teach English for a year in Asia

I taught English in South Korea in 2019-2020. English teachers are paid a monthly salary and given an apartment to live in. The job (in some cases) also includes free lunches, flight reimbursement, medical insurance, and paid vacation.

Teaching abroad is most popular and lucrative ($$) in places like Korea and China, but there are opportunities all over the world. I have met a lot of teachers who have paid off student loans and saved thousands of dollars. Even though some days are tough, it can be quite worth it in the end.

Who is teaching abroad right for? I only recommend teaching abroad for people who like kids and are patient, flexible, and adaptable. It’s a challenging and exhausting job. For the right person, it can be a rewarding experience.

Interested in teaching in Korea? Check out, How to Teach in South Korea .

Want to get TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certified? Check out, The Best School for Your TEFL Certification .

Interested in teaching online for $22/hour? Check out, 9 Steps to Getting Hired with QKids

5. Au Pair for a family in Europe

An au pair is a young person (18 to 30 years old) who goes abroad to live with a family and take care of their children in exchange for room and board. The main objective is to have a cultural exchange .

A friend of mine spent 3 months in South Korea traveling around Asia with a Swedish family with 2 small children. Her housing, food, and luxurious trips were all covered by the family. She stayed in a high-rise condo off the ocean with a private bedroom and bathroom. She worked during the week with nights and weekends off.

My friend found a rare (but possible) experience. Most au pair jobs are in Europe or Australia where you live with one family for a summer, a year, or maybe longer. It’s a great option if you’re single, want to travel, and LOVE children . (I repeat: must love children.)

How to become an au pair? You can use an agency ($$) or there are many websites where you can find opportunities ($). Below is an article with the top 10 websites that can help you find an au pair job in different regions of the world.

How much are you paid? The pay ranges, but in most cases the pay is low.

Related article: How to Become an Au Pair

6. Couch surf the world

Couch Surfing is one of my favorite ways to travel. Couch surfing is staying in someone’s home for free as a way to promote free and affordable travel as well as have a cultural exchange.

Couch surfing is super popular in Europe, but there are hosts all around the world. I couch surfed as a solo female traveler and while traveling with a partner in South and Central America.

You simply sign up for a membership (free) , create a profile, and start looking for couch surfing spots. Some people provide private bedrooms and bathrooms, others provide a couch hence the name.

Who is couch surfing right for? I recommend couch surfing for adventurous travelers looking to meet locals and learn the language.

Related article: Solo Female Travel Guide for Couch Surfing

7. Hitchhike

Hitchhiking is simply asking someone for a free ride . It could be to the next town over or a days trip. Hitchhiking originated in the United States, then made its way to Europe and other parts of the world. Hitchhiking has been around forever, but became decreasingly popular in the 70s (in the states). The decrease was caused by a better economy, more access to cars, and the fear of trusting strangers. Hitchhiking has become illegal in most parts of the United States but in Europe and other parts of the world, it is still quite popular.

I met a few hitchhikers in Guatemala and although I was skeptical, I decided to give it a try. I ended up hitchhiking for the remainder of my trip, up through Mexico. It was some of the most adventurous and magical moments of my life . I met kind strangers and have some of the greatest stories to tell from those experiences.

If you are traveling alone, I recommend always hitchhiking with a friend or group of people. Always have a plan and know where you are going. I also recommend knowing the basics of the language.

Related article : Ultimate Guide to Hitchhiking

8. Sign up for free travel opportunities

Gabby Beckford from Packs Light , a blogger I follow, opened my eyes to the possibilities of travel opportunities for young people (mostly 16 to 30). There are plenty of opportunities to travel internationally for conferences, leadership programs, fellowships, internships, scholarships, grants, festivals, and etc. And almost all of them can be completely funded.

This option is mostly for students, but there are grants and free trips for writers, photographers, artists, and entrepreneurs. Gabby always says to apply even if you don’t 100% qualify. It’s worth the shot.

Some examples of current opportunities: Capetown Writer’s Retreat (5-day all expenses paid retreat), Holland Scholarship ($5,000 scholarship to study in Holland), Tinggly Blogger Accommodation (free stay for Bloggers/Creatives in Lithuania). Click here for a full list.

9. Become a travel blogger

Do you love to write, take pictures, and share your experience ? Start a travel blog. It’s never too late.

As a travel blogger or influencer companies will pay you (or give you free product/service/trips) to share an honest review and promote their brand.

Nowadays, companies are spending billions of dollars on influencer marketing. Travel bloggers receive gifted hotel stays, free tours, press trips, and etc., because of their influence and following on social media platforms.

Important Note: you do not need a huge following to get free stuff or get paid. My Instagram following is under 5K, I have under 500 subscribers on YouTube , and my blog numbers aren’t too crazy either and I have worked with brands.

Interested in learning more? Everything I Learned At Travel Con (one of the biggest national travel blogging conferences), Lessons from The Chicago Blogging Conference (7 tips and secrets)

10. Be a travel hacker

Travel Hackers strategically collect frequent flyer miles and points to travel for free. Most miles are earned without ever stepping foot on a plane. To be honest, this is not something I have done. But, I’ve seen friends reap the benefits, so I must share.

Who is travel hacking right for? I think travel hacking is a good option for travelers who book flights often, stay in hotels, and have good credit. With some credit cards you need to spend at least $5,000 in the first couple of months to get the mega rewards. Therefore, this is a good option for people with car payments or those who spend $$ every month. But, I think EVERYONE who owns a credit card should take advantage of points and rewards.

There are Facebook groups, books, and tons of blogs to help you step by step travel for free using travel hacking.

More resources: The Lazy Person’s Guide to Travel Hacking , follow @basictravelcouple on Instagram (they are the bloggers who originally opened my eyes to this form of free travel)

11. Crew a sailboat or work on a luxury cruise ship

Sailing the world is both amazing and expensive. If you can’t afford to buy a sailboat, why not work on one? People who own sailboats and travel the world often hire (both paid and unpaid) help.

How to find opportunities? There are websites to match owners with crew. One popular site is crewseekers.net . There are also Facebook communities and groups. (Facebook groups are great for finding opportunities in general.)

You can also work on a cruise ship and travel the world. To find these sort of jobs, go to the cruise ship’s main website and search for employment. It’s an easy and adventurous way to save money while traveling the seas.

For more information: Check out, How to Get a Job on a Cruise Ship with No Experience , How to Crew a Yacht

12. Join the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps is a government funded organization (like PeaceCorps) who supports non-profits in the United States. These are technically volunteer jobs, but they pay you a housing stipend. AmeriCorps salary ranges from $15,000 to about $27,000/year. At the end of your term, you are given an education award of $5,000 (max).

I volunteered with AmeriCorps for their summer program while I was still in school. I managed the volunteer program for a Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Iowa. It was one of my favorite jobs I’ve ever had . I trained new volunteers, created a volunteer guide, and recruited new volunteers.

AmeriCorps is a way to get away from your home state, go to a new city and live and explore for a year.

The Peace Corps is similar to AmeriCorps, but requires a two-year commitment. I applied for the PeaceCorps after University, but didn’t get accepted. The jobs are pretty lucrative, but I encourage you to apply if it feels fitting to you!

PeaceCorps accepts all ages (over 18) and is a two-year commitment. You must have a bachelor’s and be a US citizen to apply. Jobs range from English teacher (most popular) to environmental specialist to health educator.

For more information: AmeriCorps and Peace Corps

I hope one of these options feels like a good fit for you. Have you ever done a work exchange or been an au pair or even anything on the list? (or not on the list!) I’d love to hear your story! Share in the comments, e-mail me at he***@co*****************.com , or DM @courtneytheexplorer to chat! xoxo

Other resources: 6 Ways to Learn Spanish for Free , How to Quit Your Job to Travel , Tips for Solo Travelers

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Alla Ponomareva

I especially like your tip about Travel Hacking, it’s not very well known among the non-travelers. They think it’s cheating the system or having the need to accumulate millions of points in order to fly once for free. I’d say I fly free maybe every couple of years just from the points I acquire by doing/having everyday expenses.

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Great advice!

My partner and I have been using Workaway for a bit and were full time travel blogging when Covid hit. It was an incredible experience. Thank you for sending me to Gabby! We will definitely be looking further into this.

ramahaj kaur

Hey, my name is Ramanpreet kaur and i am from India . I want to travel for free , now i am student and dont have money . please suggest me something

Places to live in

Your love and respect for the places you visit and the people you meet shine through in your writing. It’s so refreshing to see.

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How Travel Chicago On a Budget

Adios chicago | february 2021 update.

Nomadic Matt's Travel Site

Travel Better, Cheaper, Longer

How to Travel Cheap: 16 Ways to Travel for Cheap or Free

Whenever I ask readers what the number one thing holding them back from traveling is, I almost always get the same answer: Money.

This is something I hear from everyone I talk to: “Matt, I simply don’t have enough money to travel.”

This problem — and how to overcome it — is my most asked question. Over the past 14 years , I have answered this question in a plethora of posts, emails, tweets, and Facebook posts. Long-term readers might even be getting sick of me discussing this subject because it is one I talk about so much. 

But I know no matter how often I address this question, it will come up again.

Since this question comes up so often, I like to constantly remind people of this fact: You do not need to be rich to travel.

Let’s repeat that: You do not need to be rich to travel.

There are plenty of ways to travel on a budget (and for free) — you just need to be willing to get creative.

Traveling the world with no little or no money sounds like an impossible dream. But it is possible. It’s not glamorous, but it’s possible.

It should be said that there are some expenses you shouldn’t compromise on (like travel insurance ) but there are tons of ways you can travel the world on a budget — including plenty of ways you can actually travel for free.

In this post, I’m going to show you two things:

• How to travel cheap
• How to travel for free

Learning how to travel cheap is all about taking advantage of helpful apps and websites that save you money, finding ways to lower your expenses, and even making money as you travel. It’s about finding value and lowering your expenses while still being able to afford to do what you want.

Learning how to travel for free entails taking advantage of free accommodation, transportation, and activities that are already out there, thereby reducing your cost to zero. You can also use points and miles to earn free flights and accommodation . Here, you sacrifice comfort and convenience to extend your travels as long as possible.

With the right budget and the right mindset, you can make your travel dreams a reality. Even if you don’t earn a lot or you have debt, there are still plenty of ways to go overseas (I still had debt when I went on my first trip around the world). They may not be fancy or luxurious, but if travel is your priority then you can definitely make it happen!

Ready to kick-start your budget travels and save money? Just click on either of the links below to jump directly to that section!

Table of Contents

1. Get a Job Overseas

2. teach english overseas, 3. do wwoofing and work on a farm, 4. use the sharing economy, 5. cook your own meals, 6. get rail passes, 7. sleep in large dorms, 8. use student and other discount cards, 9. get city tourist cards, 10. capitalize on your skills, 11. get free flights, 12. stay for free, 13. hitchhike, 14. take free walking tours, 15. house sitting & pet sitting, 16. use your social network.

Not making enough money at your job? Or, even worse, are you working a job you hate? Why not get a job overseas? There are plenty of opportunities in the world as long as you aren’t picky. After all, this isn’t a career you are starting — it’s just a way to earn money for travel.

Here are some popular (and easy to find) jobs you can get when you travel:

• Au pair – An au pair is a live-in caregiver who helps a host family by looking after their children and doing some basic housekeeping. In exchange, you get free room and board and a small salary. This is a great route if you’re looking to learn a new language or immerse yourself in a new culture. You can read this post for more info on being an au pair .
• Bartender – It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere, so if you have the skills then this is an easy job to move overseas. It’s also an easy job to get under the table if you decide to go that route. If you don’t have the skills to tend bar, consider being a dishwasher or busser.
• Hostel worker – Hostel workers rarely stick around for long, which means there is always a demand for new help. It’s a great way to meet other travelers while adjusting to a new location. You can usually also start off as a volunteer (in exchange for a free room) to avoid visa complications. Three websites that can help you find hostels to volunteer at are Worldpackers , Workaway , and HelpX .
• Waitress/waiter – There are tons of seasonal restaurants around the world (and around the US) that need extra help during the busy tourist months. If you have experience, this is an easy job to find abroad.
• Dive instructor – If you have your certification , this is an easy job to travel with as dive instructors are needed everywhere. Best of all, these jobs are usually in picturesque tropical locations !
• Tour guide – If you’ve got a knack for history and don’t mind speaking in front of groups, this is the perfect job for you. It’s also usually a cash job, which means you get your tips directly.
• Cruise ship worker – This is a much more formal position than the ones above, but it’s a great way to travel. The hours are long, but there’s something to be said about living at sea!
• Casino worker – While this might require some training, if you’re a night owl and don’t mind the casino scene this is a fun job to work abroad.
• Seasonal worker at ski resorts – Instructors, restaurant staff, hotel staff, lifeguards — ski resorts need all sorts of staff to keep things moving, making this a goldmine for the overseas traveler (as long as you don’t mind the snow!).
• Yacht worker – While the hours can be long, you can make great money working for the rich and famous on their yachts. Best of all, you’re usually in some pretty amazing destinations!
• Yoga instructor – If you have the skills (and certification), teaching yoga abroad is an easy way to make some spending money. While you might need to know the language, there are yoga studios in pretty much every city in the world.

Working overseas often gets discounted as an option because it seems hard to do. It’s not. Just be open. These jobs don’t require advanced degrees or a lot of work experience either.

Are you going to get a high-paying office job? No.

Will you get a shitty, low-wage job that will pay all your travel bills? Yep!

I’ve met people from all walks of life, both from Western and non-Western countries, funding their travels this way. It’s an easy, fun way to lengthen your travels, deepen your experience, and make a little money so you can keep on traveling.

READ MORE ABOUT WORKING OVERSEAS: 15 Ways to Find a Job and Work Overseas  

All you need is the ability to speak English fluently and a TEFL degree , depending on the country you work in. The world is yearning for teachers, and this is a job in high demand; many companies in Asia will even pay for your flight over as well as cover your rent while you’re there.

If you have a college or university degree you’ll be able to make more money and apply for better positions though it’s not necessary for many countries.

Additionally, there are many websites and services out there that allow you to teach virtually. As long as you have a great Wi-Fi connection, you can help people learn English from anywhere in the world!

Some places you can teach online are:

READ MORE ABOUT TEACHING OVERSEAS:

• The Best TEFL Courses for Teaching English Abroad
• The 9 Best Places to Teach English Overseas
• How Oneika Gets Teaching Jobs Around the World
• Can You Teach English Abroad Without a TEFL?

WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms . It’s a platform that allows you to work on a farm in exchange for free room and board. It’s a great way to see a destination in-depth while allowing you to commune with the great outdoors. You have to pay to get to the farm, but once you are there, everything else is covered! It definitely will help you travel cheap as well as have a unique experience and meet lots of cool people.

WWOOF has opportunities available in 130 countries around the world, with over 12,000 hosts and 100,000 WWOOFers. Some of the most popular destinations for WWOOFers are Portugal, France, Italy, Costa Rica, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.

READ MORE ABOUT VOLUNTEERING :

• How to Travel and Work Around the World with WWOOF
• How to Ethically Volunteer Anywhere in the World

These websites have changed the travel game and made travel more accessible for everyone.

Here are some of my favorite websites:

• BlaBlaCar – A ride-sharing app that connects you with drivers who have extra seats in their car (primarily for medium and long distances, and mainly in Europe).
• EatWith – Platform that connects you with local cooks serving private meals.
• RVShare – Lets you rent RVs and camper vans directly from locals.
• Turo – A car sharing marketplace that lets you rent vehicles from locals.
• Campspace – This platform lets you camp on private property. Properties range from basic tent plots to luxurious glamping and RV stays.
• Trusted Housesitters – Connects you with locals with whom you exchange pet and house sitting services for free accommodation.

READ MORE ABOUT THE SHARING ECONOMY:

• How to Use the Sharing Economy to Travel on a Budget
• How to Find the perfect Apartment on Sites Like Airbnb

The best way to save money on the road is to cook all your own meals. While in Stockholm , I spent $60 USD for a week’s worth of groceries instead of an average of $15 USD per meal eating out! That’s a savings of $150 USD!

I’ve done the same thing in dozens of countries all around the world — especially in expensive destinations like Iceland where eating out can really destroy your budget.

If you are staying in hostels , book accommodation that has a kitchen so you have space to cook. If you’re Couchsurfing or using Airbnb,your host will probably have a kitchen.

No kitchen? Pack your own container and cutlery and make some sandwiches and salads on the go. Not every meal requires a stove, right?

Just because you are traveling doesn’t mean you need to eat out every meal. You won’t ruin your trip to Paris if you decide not to eat out one day! There’s simply no reason to be spending lots of money on food on your trip!

READ MORE ABOUT SAVING MONEY ON FOOD WHEN YOU TRAVEL:

• How to Eat Cheap Around the World
• How to Eat Around the World on a Vegan Diet

If you are booking individual trips, booking ahead of time can usually save you about 50% of the cost of a train ticket. However, that fixes you to a set timeline. If you don’t want to be tied into a fixed schedule, rail passes can save you a lot of money while giving you the flexibility you need. I’ve saved hundreds of dollars in Europe doing this!

READ MORE ABOUT RAIL PASSES:

• Is The Eurail Pass Right For You?
• A Complete Guide To The Eurail Global Pass
• The Ultimate Guide To Saving Money With Eurail Passes
• A Complete Guide to the Japan Rail Pass

Large hostel dorm rooms are the cheapest paid accommodation out there. If Couchsurfing isn’t your thing, this is your next best way to save money on a place to sleep. The bigger the dorm, the cheaper it will be. While a 4-6 bed dorm might give you more privacy, a 12-18 bed dorm is going to be a bit cheaper. In the long run, this will add up. As long as you’ve got earplugs and a sleeping mask, opt for the bigger dorm to keep your budget intact!

If you’re a light sleeper, make sure you read the reviews before you book to ensure you don’t choose a party hostel. In larger cities, you can usually find a hostel that is quieter than the others. It might not be as social or as centrally located, but you’ll at least be able to get a good sleep.

In a large dorm, you’re almost guaranteed to have some snorers. If earplugs don’t quite do the trick, download an app like Rain Rain , which plays rain sounds on a loop. You can set a timer so they stop playing after an hour or two, helping you ignore the noises of the dorm while you try to fall asleep. Spotify also has all kinds of rain and whitenoise playlists too.

For discounts on hostels in Europe, check out HostelPass . This card gives you up to 20% off hostels throughout Europe. They’re constantly adding new hostels too. I’ve always wanted something like this and am glad it finally exists! (Use code NOMADICMATT for 25% off your membership.)

READ MORE ABOUT HOSTELS:

• Why I Still Stay in Hostels When I Travel
• 11 Expert Tips on Picking a Good Hostel
• 6 Ways to Avoid a Bad Hostel
• My Favorite Hostels Around the World

Are you a student, teacher, or under 26? Welcome to the world of 50%-off attractions and a plethora of discounts! Get a student/teacher/youth card and save big while you’re abroad. Even if you’ve recently graduated, chances are you can still get by with your expired ID card (as long as it doesn’t have an expiry date). Always ask if there are discounts available for students or youth as this is an easy way to save tons of cash as you travel around!

Museums, galleries, and other major tourist attractions usually have discounts (especially in Europe ). It never hurts to ask! (There are also often discounts for senior travelers and veterans as well, so always ask!)  

If you plan on seeing a lot of sights in a city, you should get a city tourism card. These will offer you discounted and/or free access to the major attractions and museums, as well as free public transportation. I saved over $100 USD with the London pass, $80 USD with the Paris Museum card, $50 USD with a Helsinki card, and tons more with other city tourism cards.

They are an amazing way to save money on attractions that not enough people use. Just head to the local tourism office to find out what cards are available. They can help answer all your questions and make sure you save as much money as possible. Not every city has them, but most major destinations do and you’ll save a lot of money if you plan on seeing the major sights.  

Need some cash? Use Craigslist (operates in 70 countries), TaskRabbit (mainly in the US and Canada, though also in Italy and Spain), or Gumtree (UK-based) to find paid odd jobs, like assisting people who need a few things done around the house. It’s a way to make money when you travel without committing to a long-term job.

Additionally, if you have a skill, sell it. Offer haircuts to other travelers, busk for money, provide online services like editing, graphic design, or consulting. It’s never been easier to work online. As long as you have Wi-Fi you can make money. The sky is the limit here — get creative!  

These days, there are tons of ways to earn free flights. Simply sign up for a few travel credit cards , collect miles, and then fly for free.

Most cards offer sign-up bonuses of 50,000 points (or more) — which is often enough for a free round-trip flight right there. And if you sign up for both an airline card (e.g., a United credit card) and a general rewards card like the Chase Sapphire, you can combine the two point balances and get a cheap flight faster.

You can go a lot further in the world when you take away the cost of flights and some accommodation. By collecting points and miles through credit card bonuses, smart everyday spending, online surveys, bonuses, and other methods, you’ll accrue a ton of miles even before you’ve left for your trip. There’s even a card now — the Bilt rewards card – that lets you earn points on your rent!

Collecting points and miles isn’t only for Americans either (though US residents have the best options). Canadians can collect points too, as can folks from Australia and New Zealand and the UK .

Europeans also have several options as well, including all kinds of airline cards such as Norwegian Air, SAS, Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, and more.

READ MORE ABOUT POINTS & MILES:

• Points & Miles 101: A Beginner’s Guide
• The Ultimate Guide to Points & Miles
• How I Earn 1 Million Frequent Flier Miles Each Year
• The Best Travel Credit Cards

There are many services that connect travelers with locals who are willing to let them stay with them for free. Using these sites, you will never have to pay for accommodation. Years ago I read about a guy who traveled for years while only Couchsurfing.

I’ve used this service dozens of times over the years and always meet amazing people. Sometimes you get a room, sometimes a couch, sometimes an air mattress, but it’s always free.

Ideally, you’ll want to repay your host’s kindness by cooking them a meal, bringing them a souvenir from home, or taking them out for a drink. But that will still be much cheaper than paying for accommodation!

There are also local Couchsurfing group meet-ups that can help you make friends in your new city. You can even use the app just to meet people without having to stay with them. It’s a great way to connect with local insiders — whether you want a free place to stay or not.

Moreover, because of the rise of the sharing economy in the last few years, there are now websites that let you not only stay with locals but share rides, meals, train tickets, gear, and much more! These websites not only save you a TON of money but also get you off the tourist track and into the local life. Win-win! Here is a list of websites to use for free accommodation:

• Couchsurfing
• Warmshowers

READ MORE ABOUT FINDING CHEAP OR FREE ACCCOMMODATION:

• How to Find Cheap Accommodation
• How to Start House Sitting and Never Pay for Accommodation
• How to Crush it on Couchsurfing

I’ve hitchhiked in more than a handful of countries (and I know solo female travelers who have done the same!). Sure, it has a bad reputation in North America, but with some common sense and a bit of patience, you can hitchhike almost anywhere — saving you tons of money in the process!

Here are a few basic tips to help you get started:

• Use a sign – Make a clear sign that lets people know where you’re heading. That will help drivers decide if they can help.
• Look presentable – Wear clean clothing, smile, and don’t obscure your face with something like sunglasses. People want to see who they are picking up.
• Check the laws – Hitchhiking is illegal in some places. Always check the laws to make sure it’s ok to do where you are.
• Take precautions – Note the license plate of anyone who picks you up and text it to a friend. Chances are you won’t need it but it’s better to be safe than sorry!
• Keep your valuables on you – Don’t leave any valuables in your bag if it goes in the trunk in case it gets left in the car (or stolen).
• Consult Hitchwiki – Hitchwiki is the #1 hitchhiking resource there is. Always consult it before you hitchhike to pick up tips and ensure you’re hitchhiking in a safe place.

READ MORE ABOUT HITCHHIKING:

• 14 Ways to Safely Hitchhike Across the United States
• What I Learned Hitchhiking Around China
• A Lesson in Kindness While Hitchhiking through Iceland

Want to learn about the city, get your bearings, and see the major sights? Take a free walking tour. You can find them in most major cities — just ask the local tourist office, your hostel staff, or Google “free walking tour (city name).”

You’ll get a solid introduction to the city while also getting access to a local guide you can ask questions to. I always start my visits to a new city with one. Just be sure to tip your guide at the end (that’s how they get paid).

READ MORE ABOUT TAKING FREE WALKING TOURS:

• The Best Walking Tours of NYC
• The Best Walking Tour Companies in London
• 8 Ways to Choose the Perfect Tour Company
• The Best Walking Tours in Paris
• The Best Walking Tours in Amsterdam
• A Self-Guided Tour of Colonial New York

You can sign up for one of the sites below to start house sitting, allowing you to stay in one destination for a while without having to pay for accommodation. Everyone’s account is verified and has reviews so you know you won’t get cheated.

This is a great way to travel long-term, with an important added bonus: you get a kitchen to cook your food (which saves you even more money!).

You will also often get access to a vehicle and sometimes will be left a tip or free groceries. It’s generally people who are well enough off that they can afford multi-month vacations, so you’re usually in pretty nice homes and apartments too!

Here are the best house-sitting websites to check out:

• Trusted Housesitters

READ MORE ABOUT HOUSE SITTING:

• How to Become a House Sitter and Never Pay for Accommodation
• How to Start House Sitting

Does your colleague have a relative in Spain? Or maybe you have a distant cousin who lives in New Zealand. Or maybe a childhood friend of yours is working down in Brazil.

These days, we have a vast social network of friends and family that stretches across the globe. Don’t hesitate to use that! Ask your co-workers and friends if they know anyone where you’re going. Get your mom to ask her co-workers and friends, too.

Using your social network can be hugely helpful in traveling the world . You never know who knows who!

By implementing a variety of these tips, you’ll be able to travel for relatively little money. With a little planning and some creativity, you can travel the world for cheap.

Because if I can do it, you can do it too!

Whether it’s two months, two years, or just a two-week vacation, travel doesn’t need to cost a ton. The key is to get out of the mindset that you must travel in the typical manner of simply booking a flight and a hotel. Using out-of-the-box, nontraditional ways to travel can lead to big savings.

But it all starts with a change in mindset. From there, with some patience and practice, you’ll be able to make your travel dreams a reality — without breaking the bank!

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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11 Ways on How to Travel The World for Free

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“I can’t travel because I don’t have the money for it.”

This is everyone’s ultimate excuse for not traveling.

BUT! There are ways to travel for free or very cheap!

If you open your options and mind to other ideas on how to travel, you can end up traveling a country or two and spend very little money doing so. One way is to give up some of your time for some perks.

What does that mean? It means you can give up some of your time to dedicate to a few hours of work each day and in turn, you won’t have to pay for things like shelter, food, and possibility other benefits. On top of this, you will likely be helping a local individual or group accomplish their goals, whether it be a new cafe that needs help being built or a local farmer who needs help in his garden or a dog that needs to be watched over!

This is a chance to get to know the people hosting you and get to know the country as well. People who do these volunteer work exchanges are individuals willing to take on something different, help people, and get a deeper knowledge of a destination.

Oh, and it lets you travel the world for free… That too!

There are even more ways to cut back on major costs, things that are so simple but maybe you haven’t thought of yet. Anything to cut down costs and to travel for almost free is a win!

Let’s get you traveling more and spending less!

Table of Contents

Here’s How to Travel The World For Free… *Almost*

Worldpackers, trusted housesitters, travel credit cards, helpx, work away, and worldpackers, peace corps, 2. how to travel for free: living situation, 3. how to travel for free: transportation, 4. travel hacking can help you travel the world for free, 5. how to travel for free: sightseeing, 6. making friends can help you travel cheaper, 7. how to travel for less by using the seasons, 8. skip a night at a hotel to travel for free, 9. choose a cheaper country to visit, 10. what about a job abroad to support that travel habit, 11. how to travel for free take my tips above and go slower.

So! In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve made it pretty obvious that I’m happy to share with you how to travel the world for free, but it’s not totally for free. Hence the use of “almost” being used. When I say you can travel the world for free, it’s not literal. It’s almost for free.

These opportunities wouldn’t pay for your flight, every single meal, your “in between moments” where you’re looking for your next opportunity…etc. I won’t keep saying it, but yeah, you’ll learn how to travel the world for free here, but just know it’s not entirely free. I think you were smart enough to pick up on that though 🙂

Impatient? Here's a quick list of my TOP and FAV ways to travel for FREE:

Exchange some time helping a local for free rent! Read more about this or click the button to sign up! (discount included at check out!)

Watch cute pets, and get a free house abroad! Read more about this or click the button to sign up! (discount included at check out!)

Get free flights and hotels with your points! Read more about this or click the button to sign up!

1. How to Travel for Free: Volunteer Exchanges

This is a popular choice for many who want to travel the world for free.

If you have a love for everything green, this is the volunteer position for you.

WWOOFing is a volunteer exchange program that connects people to organic farmers who need help on their farms. It’s an excellent way to learn skills about growing organically and helping people make these farms flourish with tons of fresh produce! All while getting a free room to sleep in and organic veggies in your belly. Win-win! No?

RELATED: 10 Jobs Abroad With Accommodation (& Without Experience!)

These are some of my personal favorites on this list. I have been a HelpX-er before and it was an awesome experience! I got to live in Pai, one of my favorite spots, and the work was easy and fun. Not to mention I had a sweet house in the mountains with a kitchen (YAY! Another money saver), a mango orchid in my backyard, and the cutest puppies as my neighbors. Heaven!

These websites require a small fee to join but it’s well worth it. What these sites provide is an opportunity to connect with people around the world who are willing to exchange some shelter and food for your help. Worldpackers has become my favorite because they have a massive selection, not as much competition as WorkAway, and an overall better setup and insurance.

• Worldpackers – Get $10 off with code NINA10! ( Read more on Worldpackers here )

The positions range from helping out at a B&B, running a guesthouse, doing some gardening work, to teaching in an underprivileged school, helping someone build a house, and helping take care of animals. The jobs and benefits have a wide range. Some offer just shelter, some food, some both, some might have other benefits. Sometimes you stay at the guesthouse, sometimes they have a room for you. You have to check it out for yourself.

You can look at the jobs on the website before you buy the membership for the nominal fee. You can even wait to purchase it until you find a job you want to apply to. It’s a great way to connect with people, help them, and a great how to travel for free hack!

Of course, you will also get to know some locals and immerse yourself in the culture during your time. A HUGE added bonus!

• It’s worth noting that the people who post the jobs get reviews so you can make sure the work was fair and the conditions were what was advertised.
• Make sure to see when they signed in last. If it’s been a year, you’ll likely not get a response.
• Don’t send a blanket statement essentially saying, “Hey, I’m trying to travel the world for free and get free shit while in ____ so can I work at your place?” Noooo. Remember you’re going to a locals home or place of business! You’re a stranger. Write a nice introduction, include reasons why you’d be a good choice, and make sure the communication is clear so you don’t get there and have an unwelcomed surprise waiting for you.

These three choices are the epitome of how to travel the world for free!

RELATED: Worldpackers Review: Doing a Work Exchange For Free Rent!

So you’re super hardcore and don’t mind jet-setting for at least two years? Want to help people around the world?

Good for you! The  Peace Corps  gives great benefits for those who join and commit, and opportunities are plentiful. The process might be a bit long but the rewarding positions are worth it. The position might have a small allowance and other benefits such as transportation and accommodation paid for as well.

Even student loan reimbursement is on the table depending on how long you participate in their programs!

An amazing choice and another way on how to travel for free, but it does take some work and a commitment.

Everyone knows about  Couchsurfing . This is a given. If you’re too broke for accommodation, you Couchsurf. If you are in a cheaper country it may seem unnecessary to Couchsurf. Honestly, I haven’t used Couchsurfing very much for this reason, because the cost of accommodation is so low in many countries plus I value my privacy A LOT.

I’m happy to travel the world for free, but I’m OK paying for some things, like my own room.

If you’re not up for the couch-crashing then house sit. It seems so simple. There are actually tons of people who want you to house and pet sit for them and there are websites that help you see this process through.

Let me just repeat – You get a place for FREE and adorable animals to watch over. It’s amazing!

Trusted House Sitters is the website I use to help me travel for free and get my puppy and kitty cuddles in!

Besides being able to live there, you will have access to a kitchen which saves money on meals. Plus a home is way comfier than a hotel room, right?

READ MORE: An Honest TrustedHousesitters Review as a Remote Worker!

Seems silly to mention, but we spend a lot on transportation. How to travel for free when you’re too busy paying crazy prices for transportation?

Well, something I ALWAYS do, especially in pricey countries, is walk.

I always love walking because it’s not only free, but a great way to see what’s around me. If you are underground on a subway or whipping past in a car, how do you see and get to know the area you’re in? Take the time to walk more!

If it’s too far and you have some time, how about hitchhiking? I’ve done it plenty of times by accident. How? I just started walking intending to walk the distance but cars have stopped and offered me a ride. Sweet! Imagine if I was actually trying to hail someone? Free rides are another great to meet locals.

*Obviously be very careful using this and look up safety rules and if it’s accepted in the country you’re going to.

The practically free version: Use what the locals use. For example, songtaews in Thailand are a popular way for locals to get around. They cost less than $2 and sometimes as little as $.07!

Take an Uber, tuk-tuk, taxi, or metro and you’ll be paying way more! Of course, these will be necessary sometimes so use them only when needed.

Sometimes, if you’re REALLY good at travel hacking, you can get parts of your trip for free or very little!

This usually involves using airline miles that you accumulate from using credit cards in a smart way.

Here’s EVERYTHING you need to know on which travel credit card I like using to help me travel for free. The #1 thing you must keep in mind is – DON’T get a travel credit card if you’re not going to pay it off every single month. It won’t be worth it! So be wise and charge carefully.

If you can manage that, then you’ll be earning points like crazy! I charge almost everything I can and pay it off each month. I earn plenty of points which in turn helps me travel for free!

Keep in mind some destinations are very much cashed based so at times, you might not be able to charge much, but you can pay online when you have the chance.

Check here for flight hacks and how I get cheap flights .

So how to travel for free when you’re actually out and about?

Most major cities have FREE walking tours. This is not only a great way to see something for free but it’s an awesome way to spend your first day so you can get to know the place you’re at. You’ll have a guide right there in front of you to ask questions to and you’ll maybe even meet a few friends!

Also, every single place on earth has beautiful places that don’t cost a dime.

Don’t feel obligated to dive in the Silfra Fissure in Iceland, something that will gouge $250-300 USD out of your pocket! Opt to drive around and see literally everything else because it’s FREE. (And thankfully it is because Iceland is otherwise very expensive!)

This is just a small example, there’s always a way to spend money but there’s a lot of free stuff too. And when you travel for free in one place, it leaves you with more money for places that are harder to travel for free in so take your chance when you can.

Making friends will ALWAYS make your costs go down. That tour that needs a minimum of four people on board to do, that taxi that’s the same price regardless if there are 1-4 people in the car, that hotel room that’s going to be pricey alone but will be half the price when you add another human… Everything gets more budget-friendly with friends, so make them, especially if you’re solo on the road!

Are you awkward like me? Are you really crap at being outgoing and making friends? In comes Couchsurfing… again I haven’t used it much for actually crashing on someone’s couch, but I have used it to make friends! It’s a great way to connect with people who are traveling in the same city you are. There are even frequent meetups in some cities too. It doesn’t hurt to try and connect with others this way.

Another way you can make friends if you’re a bit shy is through Facebook groups. Just type in the region or country you’re traveling in and watch tons of groups populate! Join them and ask who is around *insert country/city.*

Oh, and sometimes, finding friends actually does make your travels free! Locals can be so kind and take you in and not accept a dime in return.

If you Google “shoulder season” or “low season” for the country you want to visit when planning a trip , you’ll find that flights, hotels, and even activities can be discounted simply because you won’t be visiting during the high season.

Of course, weather is usually less desirable during the low season but more often than not, it’s fine! Thailand during the wet season really isn’t that much different than my home town in Florida. It only rained for a short period of time a few times a week in the late afternoon and usually only lasted an hour.

During shoulder season, the weather can be just as great as high season and is my favorite time to travel. It’s worth looking into and will often reward you with more budget-friendly choices and more availability too!

REALTED: How To Plan a Trip: 13 Step-by-Step Instructions

If you want a night off from shelling out cash for a hotel room each night, you should use overnight trains and buses or red-eye flights. They are an awesome way to get around!

If you’re going from A to B, and it’s quite a few hours away, make sure to ask if there’s an overnight mode of transportation. Pay for that ticket, sleep on the bus, train (or even plane!), and then you don’t need to spend a night at a hotel. Easy!

Another way to significantly cut down on the costs of your trip is to choose your countries carefully. Plenty of places around the world are significantly cheaper, so if you’re on the fence on where to go – you might want to focus on some more affordable destinations.

Here are the cheapest places to live around the world!

Here are the cheapest places to visit around the world!

So maybe you want to take things a step further? You want to really get a job abroad so you can make some real money and wander about. Sounds good, that’s what I do most of the time! Check out these awesome jobs you can get abroad .

There are TONS of opportunities to live and work abroad . It’s literally my blog’s mission to make this more well known, especially for all my American people here. You guys are my biggest audience, have a badass passport to have, AND have the most opportunity! Yet, we travel and use these opportunities the least.

My top tips for budgeting yourself smarter and on ways to travel for free are all above but my best tip is – TRAVEL SLOWER!

When you travel slower you spend less. No matter where you are, what you’re doing… You’ll save money and time, and if you work online or abroad , you’ll need to travel slower too. It gets too hectic to go quickly. I recommend staying a few months in each country.

The more you travel the country, the more you learn about it, which in turn, helps you become a savvier traveler in that country, saving you money! Check out my travel longer tips for even more money-saving tips.

Come on, guys! Get out there and travel! It doesn’t have to be expensive , especially with these tips. 🙂

So what’s the excuse now? Will you try some of these options out? Do you know any more tips on how to travel for free or practically free?

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Nina Ragusa is an adventurer, messy bun master, breakfast fan, and full-time travel blogger. She's been abroad since 2011 and blogging on Where in the World is Nina? for nearly as long. Nina helps people like you move around the world while making money. She loves talking about how to work abroad and online to travel longer! Read more about Nina

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17 Comments

Wow! So educational and motivational post, Nina! I enjoyed reading it!

Yay thanks, Agness

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Thanks so much for these good suggestions! I have been researching HelpX and Workaway lately and am really interested in trying something like that soon.

They are great resources! Have fun ?

Ahhh great tips you have here. I always get questions from people how they can travel without a lot of money. Somehow people always think that you need to be rich to travel.

Thanks! I know, right! I’m more poor now and I get to travel compared to when I was working my ass off but not getting to enjoy life back home…Hmm… hard decision- poor but get to travel, or working my ass and miserable? 🙂

Thank you for all these suggestions. However, they seem to be geared more towards the American market. As a South African, which of these suggestions would I actually be able to pursue?

Hi Steven, why would being South African put you at a disadvantage? The Peace Corps may not apply to you, but everything else surely does! The other ideas are obtainable by nearly any nationality. I’m curious to know what make you think differently? 🙂

Great suggestions but I would add that collecting miles and points can often help you to travel to those places too – sometimes for free 🙂

Thanks Torsten! You’re 100% right. I actually mentioned that in another blog post about traveling on a budget. 🙂

https://whereintheworldisnina.com/budget-travel-tips/

We helpxed in Italy and it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Seriously.

I can’t wait to HelpX again! It’s awesome!

These are all great suggestions! I get so frustrated when friends back home say they’re envious of my nomadic lifestyle and tell me I’m lucky, because they could absolutely do the same if they wanted!

I know right! Exactly! 🙂

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Budget Travel Guides , Free Travel

How to travel for free: a woman’s guide to traveling the world for free.

First of all, I want to debunk the myth that travel is expensive.  Travel can cost a lot of money, but it doesn’t HAVE to.  There are lots of ways to save money while travelling, and even plenty of ways to travel without spending any money at all!   So, for those of you like me, who love to travel without the hefty price tag, there are some fabulous ways to travel for free, or at a very low cost.  Check out my epic guide to travelling for free, and you’ll learn how to travel for cheap and how to travel for longer!

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Travelling For Free Safely

Before we get into it how to travel for free, I want to talk about travelling safely while still being on a budget.

As a solo female traveller, safety is one of my main concerns.  In this list of tips for travelling for free, I have deliberately left out some suggestions that I have seen some male backpackers recommend, such as sleeping on a park bench or in a phone box because I would not personally do that, or recommend anyone to do that, least of all a woman travelling on her own.

However, I have done my best to include tips for those of you who want to try hitchhiking and Couchsurfing for example.  Your safety should be your priority, but with these budget travel tips and recommendations, I believe that it is possible to travel safely on a budget without resorting to “begpacking”, stealing or any other inappropriate ways to get money!

Now that is out of the way, let’s talk about how to travel with no money, including free travel opportunities for everyone from students to seniors and everyone in between!

Free Accommodation While Travelling

Sleep while you travel.

For cash-strapped travellers, spending the night actually travelling saves a night on accommodation, although you will probably have to sacrifice several hours of sleep.  Red-eye flights and overnight buses and trains are a great idea in theory, as you wake up in your destination and are ready to go.

However, check the arrival times into your destination, as some overnight flights arrive early in the morning so you would have to get a taxi from the airport instead of public transport, which makes that part of the trip more expensive. 

Wild Camping

Depending on where you are in the world, wild camping in a tent or campervan (or car) could be an option to save you lots of cash.  I wild camped for a few nights in my campervan , although I usually prefer the comfort and security of a campsite.

Check the rules of your destination regarding wild camping.  It isn’t usually permitted in England, although it is in some places in Scotland for example.  General guidelines include arriving late and leaving early, camping away from people’s homes so you are not disturbing them, and of course to leave your campsite in the same (or better) condition than you found it, taking all litter home with you.

For campervans and motorhomes, you can often park up for the night in a pub carpark as long as you have something to eat or drink in the pub.  Campervan apps such as Park4Night and iOverlander have hundreds of places where you can spend the night in your camper. 

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing can be a great way to get to know local people, by staying in their homes without paying any money.  Couchsurfing used to be completely free, but now you have to pay to have an account, and your stays are free of charge. 

The whole idea of Couchsurfing is that locals let you crash on their sofa, or in some cases in a spare room, in exchange for chatting, cooking a couple of meals, and essentially having a cultural exchange . 

I love this idea, although I admit have used it sparingly – mainly due to concerns over safety about staying the night in a stranger’s home.  There are frequent complaints that some male hosts use the app as a hook-up. so many female couch-surfers prefer to only stay with female hosts.

Before you stay, check reviews of the person first, exchange a few messages and see if you get along before agreeing to stay.  And be prepared to do your bit, don’t treat your host’s home as a hotel, it might be free but don’t take liberties.

Servas is an international organization created shortly after the 2 nd World War with a view to creating peace and understanding between different cultures.

There is a small membership fee, and in order to join ideally you should apply before you travel, as you will have an interview before being allowed to join, and the process usually takes three to four weeks.  It is a reciprocal arrangement, so you will be expected to host visitors in your home in order to be hosted elsewhere.

Once joined, you will be sent a list of potential host members in the country you plan to visit, at which point you can contact them to arrange a stay, a maximum of two nights per stay.  The site seems more formal than Couchsurfing, but I have heard some excellent recommendations of the site, and the interview process should keep out the creeps!

Volunteering & Cultural or Work Exchanges

Work exchanges.

Work exchange programmes provide a way for backpackers and budget travellers to share their time and skills while saving money. 

Work exchange sites like Workaway , Worldpackers and various others offer a platform for local people, businesses and organisations to advertise for help they need.  Potential volunteers sign up to the websites to search for suitable hosts and volunteer placements in countries all over the world.

The type of work placement available varies from working in hostels to teaching, cooking, cleaning, helping with eco-projects and everything in between.

In exchange for working part-time for their hosts, volunteers get free accommodation in dorms, private rooms or tents, and usually some meals too.  Volunteers may also get other benefits like free tours or language lessons, as well as a cultural exchange by spending time helping local people with their projects. 

You will usually need to commit at least a couple of weeks to each volunteer work placement, so if you are backpacking long-term this is a great option for you to save some cash and stretch your budget.

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I also have a lot of articles all about work exchanges to help you choose the best option for you, check them out for more information, or browse all of my work exchange articles .

Work Exchange Programs: Are They For You?

6 of the Best Work Exchange Sites Compared

Which is Better – Worldpackers or Workaway?

How to Travel for Free by Volunteering Abroad with Worldpackers

Free Accommodation in Exchange for Work as a Hostel Volunteer

Volunteering on a Farm

WWOOF or Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms does what it says on the tin – working in a similar way to the work exchange websites but solely for placements on organic farms.  Each country has its own WWOOF network, and you have to pay for registration for each country’s network which tends to be $20 – $30. 

The farms offer excellent opportunities to experience rural areas of your chosen countries, but by their nature tend to be more isolated from city centres and offer more basic accommodations than you expect to find in hostels or destinations where tourists are. 

I love this idea as it makes me think of the film “The Holiday”, but of course you do need your own home to exchange.  Swapping homes with someone on the other side of the world could be a great way to experience another culture while they do the same in your home, without having to pay for accommodation.

There are various websites that act as an intermediary to help you find a suitable swap, try Home Exchange to get a feel for what is available (there is a membership fee to actually do an exchange, but you can browse for free)

Housesitting or Petsitting

Everyone’s dream: staying at someone’s luxury villa for a week’s holiday with all perks included!  House-sitting is a wonderful way to get free accommodation, although it is generally for more mature travellers – would you want to let a party backpacker into your home unguarded?  It seems to be a harder network to crack into, simply for this reason.

Often people will have pets to look after, and their primary concern is having someone responsible and caring to look after their beloved animals, and of course their home.  Once you have a couple of references under your belt the game gets easier, although it is always best to have a skype call with your potential homeowners to check you will be a right fit, and vice versa. 

One of the largest house-sitting sites is TrustedHousesitters the fees are just under $10 per month for a year’s membership.  They have a large number of sits in Europe, Australia and North America, and are growing steadily in other countries.  I have just started using TrustedHousesitters and am working on a review for you!

How to Get Free Transport While Travelling

Hitchhiking.

Hitchhiking is not my favourite activity, especially as a female solo traveller, but some people swear by it.  I have tried it a few times when I’ve been with a friend, and I must admit that there is nothing quite as liberating as flagging down a pick-up truck and leaping in the back to get to the next town. 

Once I had a lift from a family in their truck, and on another occasion, my friend and I got a lift from a guy who we got on well with and offered to take us out for a drink later – although I’m pretty sure he was already drunk when he was driving which is another risk to bear in mind!

I don’t recommend doing it alone, or at night, or doing anything that may put you at unnecessary risk.  I am a budget traveller, yes, but sometimes it is worth spending the money on a bus or taxi fare. 

If you do want to try hitchhiking, do some research on the destination to make sure that hitchhiking is common, and find out where is a good place to do it.  Make a note of the number plate of the vehicle and text it to a friend – and let the driver know you have done it.    

Get Paid to Drive

What’s better than travelling for free?  Getting paid to travel, that’s what!  In the USA, you can apply to become a driver for Auto Driveaway which hires people to drive their clients’ vehicles from one place to another.  Usually, the trips are one way, so you’ll need to find your own way back – unless there is a request to take a vehicle back the same way! 

It’s also worth noting that you shouldn’t expect to take lots of time on a leisurely road trip – in most cases, you will be given a deadline so may not have time to see the sights along the way. 

Toronto Driveaway run a similar service in Canada, and there may be an equivalent in Europe, but I haven’t come across it yet.

Offer Someone a Lift on Bla Bla Car

If you’re driving your own vehicle and want some help with the petrol costs, put your trip on Bla Bla Car .  You advertise your trip, how many spare seats you have, and how much you want to charge for the trip, and people travelling part or all of the same journey can book a seat in your car. 

The money is all paid via the website and you can check reviews of passengers (and drivers) before accepting them.  You get all or part of your petrol paid for, and you can meet new and interesting people.  Bla Bla Car is a great way to save money while travelling, especially with the price of petrol these days!

Self-Powered Travel

Having your own transport means you don’t need to pay someone else to take you anywhere.  Having my own campervan has given me a lot more freedom than I ever had when I relied on public transport, and I love being able to go anywhere I want, whenever I want!

If you are driving, you’ll need to pay for petrol of course, but walking or cycling are free and better for the environment too!  I love to walk around a destination to explore, but for hiking and walking trips you save a lot of money just using your own two feet.

For longer journeys, bikes offer even more freedom.  I met several people who were travelling around South America on bicycles, which is a challenge but a great way to explore on a budget.  You’ll need to plan carefully to take into account breakdowns and be able to carry everything you need on your bike, but bikepacking can be an incredible adventure if you’re fit and don’t mind a sore bum!

Free Stuff in a Destination

Free activities.

Once you have arrived in your destination, you can enjoy many activities and experiences without spending a penny.  I love walking around the streets, visiting local markets and watching the local people just go about their daily business. 

Free walking tours are a great way to get your bearings in a new city, whilst learning about the culture and getting tips for other places to see or restaurants to dine at.  Although the tours are ‘free’, remember to tip your guide for their time.

There are always parks to enjoy for free, landmarks to admire, and more often than not there are free museums to visit too.  In addition to things that are always free, check out the local newspapers and Facebook pages for free events, music performances and festivals. 

Many destinations also have certain days of the year when museums are free to visit, perhaps on bank holidays, Sundays or other special dates. 

Check out some of these blog posts for inspiration and ideas for free things to do in cities around the world:

Free Things to do in Las Vegas

Free Things to do in New York City

Free Things to do in Vancouver

Free Things to do in Toronto

Free Things to do in Venice

Free Things to do in Edinburgh

Free Things to do in Barcelona

Free Things to do in Budapest

Get Free Wi-Fi

Phone roaming costs can be extortionate, so to avoid the hefty fees try to rely on free wifi whenever you can.  I turn off data roaming and search for free wifi in hostels, accommodation, even in Starbucks or McDonalds if needs be.  Even if the wifi isn’t strong enough for a WhatsApp call, you should be able to send messages for free.

The WiFi Magic app is a useful (if cheeky) way to access as much free wifi as possible during your trip.    Users upload the access passwords for wifi networks in shops, hotels, cafes and other places where you are usually required to be a customer.  I usually prefer to find open wifi signals wherever I can, but in emergencies this app could come in very handy.

Before leaving home, make sure you have an offline (or paper) copy of everything you need for your journey – flight/transport details, the address of your accommodation and directions for how to get there. 

Maps.me is another very useful app which allows you access to maps of your destination while you’re offline, so download the app before you go and download any maps you might need. 

I love foraging for free food, but I mainly stick to blackberries which grow in abundance during late summer in the UK.  I don’t know enough about picking mushrooms or wild herbs to go all out with free food but buying a foraging book for your destination could be useful.  The food available will vary depending on the season but being able to pick your own free food is such a good feeling! 

The Falling Fruit website has some spots where you can pick your own food from public land, as well as places where you can go ‘dumpster diving’ for food which is thrown away by supermarkets, cafes and restaurants. 

I haven’t done this myself, but if you have then please let me know how you get on!  As a middle ground in supermarkets, I always trawl the reduced section to find discounted food to eat that day, which can still save a bunch of cash, although sometimes the discount is negligible so compare the original price with the discount offer.

I’ve also enjoyed plenty of free meals while doing work exchanges , as at least some meals are usually included in placements, and may also be offered for other volunteering or work abroad programs. 

In smaller, rural communities you may also find that people leave out food like fruit or vegetables that they have harvested from their garden and can’t eat themselves.  In those cases, make sure to follow the instructions and leave some money in the honesty box if requested.

Use Your Friends and Family

Heritage travel.

If you are travelling to learn more about your heritage and family history then you may be able to do it for free.    

These programs are usually geared towards young people who stay with host families and have an educational trip to better understand their cultural identity.  In some cases, a portion of the airfare may be covered too.

The programs I’m aware of are: Birthright Israel , Heritage Greece , ReConnect Hungary , Birthright Macedonia , Birthright Armenia and CubaOne , although there may well be more. 

Stay with Friends or Family

One huge benefit of travelling is meeting people from around the world.  If you keep in touch with friends from previous trips, they may well offer you a place to stay or at least show you around some of their favourite haunts. 

Don’t forget to check with relatives for contacts in the area too, a lot of people will be happy to welcome you into their homes – but don’t outstay your welcome! 

Birthday, Christmas, and Wedding Gifts

If travel really is a priority for you, then for Christmas, birthdays, and other celebrations you can ask for money towards your next trip, gear to take with you, or for activities to do while you’re there. 

The best-known ‘free’ holiday is a honeymoon of course, that’s a huge perk of inviting everyone you know to the wedding – a better chance of having a dream trip all paid for!

Want More Travel Gift Ideas?

• The Best Travel Gifts for Travellers
• The Best Backpacking Gifts to Buy This Year
• Awesome Hiking Gifts for the Hiker in Your Life
• 16 Gorgeous Personalised Travel Gifts
• World Map Gifts for Map Lovers
• Campervan Gifts for Motorhome Owners
• Gift Experiences to Give Travel Lovers
• Beach-Themed Gifts for Beach Lovers
• Small Travel Gifts & Stocking Stuffers

Work to Travel

Grabr delivery of stuff.

How would you like to earn money every time you travel, just by delivering something?  And no, it’s not drugs, and yes, it is legal!  In countries all around the world, people want to buy things that aren’t available in their country.  Grabr allows people to request orders from people who are travelling who purchase the item for them and deliver it to them, without having to pay expensive postage and import costs. 

Upload your travel plans to Grabr to see requested orders on your route.  Choose the order(s) you want to deliver and arrange the details with the shoppers.  The shopper pays Grabr, who hold the payment.  You buy the item with your own money and deliver it in person to the shopper, then Grabr will release the funds to you.

It all sounds pretty straight forward, although I haven’t tried it myself, I know people who have.  Next time I set off on a trip I’m definitely going to check it out!

Language Exchanges

I only recently heard about this but am interested to give it a try.  Companies such as Pueblo Ingles and Angloville run language exchange holidays where volunteers get a free stay at one of their holiday centres in Europe.  You pay for your flights to the country, and any accommodation before the program officially begins, then everything is covered by the company.

The catch?  Speaking with the language exchange students for up to 12 hours a day.  You don’t need any teaching qualifications; you simply have to chat.  This type of program is not suitable if you want some relaxing alone time, but if you are a chatty person who has plenty of stories to share from your travels and day to day life this could be a great fit!

Student Working Holidays

Students and young people are often eligible for different visas to allow them to work and travel more freely than the rest of us, so if that’s you, take advantage of it while you can!  When I was studying at University I (as a British person) worked in the USA one summer using the J1 visa exchange program. 

I joined BUNAC’s Work America program which helped me to find a job and arrange the visa I needed to spend the summer working on a ranch in Wisconsin.  I didn’t earn a huge amount of cash, but it was enough to cover my costs for the trip and I had a great time.  It was my first solo trip and it was one hell of an adventure!

BUNAC has been running since the 1960s and can help you arrange working holidays in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, America, Germany and the UK, as well as arranging volunteer opportunities in various countries too.

Become a Digital Nomad

There are hundreds of jobs that you could do online, and work from anywhere in the world.  Even jobs which were traditionally office-based are becoming more flexible, and you can even become a digital nomad without any experience with some beginner-level online jobs.

Working online will of course require a good internet connection, so travelling while working can be a challenge in some countries.  Many digital nomads prefer to find a base for a month or two (or more), so they have a fixed base with reliable internet before moving on to the next destination.

I work full time on my travel blog which means I can work from anywhere, but you don’t need to start a blog to do that.  Writers, web designers, virtual assistants, English teachers, video editors, digital marketing, social media managers can also do that, and there are hundreds of other freelance and permanent jobs which can be easily done 100% online.

Work Abroad

Working in another country obviously isn’t a way to travel for free, but if travel is part of your job, or if your job is in another country, you can still get to travel! 

Working abroad may require a special visa, depending on where you are from and where you are travelling to, so make sure you check what is required and arrange any visas before you travel.  If you want to work with kids, you will also require additional background checks.

You can apply for a permanent job abroad, although some countries often have rules in place which give preference to people from that country, so do some research before applying.  Temporary or seasonal work may be easier to get.

A lot of temporary work abroad is in the tourism industry and can be great fun.  It is still a job though, so you will be expected to start on time, complete all the required tasks and be somewhat professional.  However, after hours, workers have chance to let their hair down and have a great time!

In days off you can explore the area and get to know the local people and culture much better than you would in a ‘normal’ trip.  Some jobs will provide accommodation, whereas others may require you to rent your own room nearby, so check on the costs for that before you accept the job. 

Some jobs are seasonal, others might be full time over the year.  You may choose to work a summer job in one place, then head to the mountains for a ski season over winter. 

There are lots of options for this type of job, you just need enthusiasm and some inspiration!

Here are some ideas for jobs you can get abroad to allow you to travel.

Teach English Abroad

Teaching English abroad is a great way to see the world.  For most teaching positions you will need a TELF (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) qualification, which will give you the training and skills needed to get started.

Organisations like TEFL Org have online and in-person courses and access to job boards and other resources to help you find a job once you are qualified.  As well as placements in specific destinations, you can also teach English online from anywhere in the world.

If you enjoy working with children, getting a job as an au pair could be a great option for you.  Au pairs usually live with a family and look after the children, perhaps taking them to school, doing some housework and cooking some meals for them.  Au pairs are typically younger people from 18-26 years old as they are often eligible for student or exchange visas.

Applying for au pair jobs through an agency is probably best, as they offer more safety and security for you and the families looking for an au pair.  Check out the British Au Pair Agencies Association         in the UK or the Department of State Au Pair program in the US as a good place to start.

Work as a Tour Guide

Travel companies who run tours around the world need tour guides.  Some prefer to have guides who are locally based, so you could guide in your local area or your own country, while others have opportunities to guide tours abroad too.  Overland tour companies such as Intrepid Travel , G Adventures and Oasis Overland are a good place to start.     

Crew a Yacht

Not recommended if you suffer from sea-sickness, but if you are fond of water then working on a yacht can bag you a free adventure on the open sea.

Bar work means long hours and can be very busy and noisy.  But if you’re prepared to work hard and play hard this could be a great choice for you, especially if you can earn extra cash in tips.  

Work on a Campsite

There are various jobs on campsites that you could do – receptionist, cleaner, entertainer or kids club worker among others.  I worked on a campsite in France for the summer after I finished University and had a great time!

Work in a Hotel or Hostel

I’ve done this in several different countries, and I love it.  There are various roles you can apply for from wait staff to receptionist and more.  Speaking other languages is useful for customer-facing roles.  Learn more about working in a hostel by reading about my experience as a hostel volunteer here .

Theme Park Attendant

Theme parks, water parks and funfairs all take on extra staff for busy holiday periods.  Be prepared to spend a lot of time outdoors!

If you prefer the cold, then head to the mountains to work a ski season.  You don’t even need to ski as you can also find jobs as cleaning staff, a chalet cook or working in bars and restaurants too.

Diving Instructor

If you are a diver or are thinking about getting your PADI certificate, build on your training to become a divemaster or instructor so you can get a job in one of the hundreds of diving schools around the world.  Take a look at the PADI website for more information and inspiration to see what you could do.

Travel Hacking

If you’re a savvy shopper and always looking out for the best deals and travel hacks, then these are for you.  You’ll need to spend some money in order to get rewards in return, but it can be worth it if you find the right deal!  Travel hacking is not my forte, but here are some ideas to get you started!

Travel Credit Cards 

Generally, credit cards in the USA have much better points programs than in the UK, but it is worth doing some research.  If you can earn points by spending your day-to-day expenses on a credit card, then it really is a no-brainer, as long as you only spend what you can afford to pay.

Popular options for credit cards with great rewards include Chase Sapphire and other Chase cards in the USA, but I am not a financial advisor and am not responsible for your personal finance so be sure to do your own research before signing up for any credit card.  Remember,  don’t spend money on it if it would mean you end up in debt at the end of the month!  

Airline Rewards

If you are a frequent flyer, for example, due to your work, then airline rewards points can provide you with free flights!  You usually need to take a lot of flights to finally earn enough for a free flight, but if you can earn airline points on your credit card as well then you could end up earning enough much sooner!

Other rewards cards offer benefits such as airport lounge access which can bag you free food and drink at the airport or an upgrade.

Loyalty Programs

Similar to credit card rewards, some loyalty programs award free night stays and other benefits.

As I use Booking for all of my hotel stays I am a Genius member and also get access to special offers for up to 30% discount on rooms and other perks like free breakfast or room upgrades for some bookings, so if you travel regularly that comes in handy! >>>READ MORE ABOUT GENIUS DISCOUNTS

FIND CHEAP HOTELS  

Hotels.com offer the 10 th night free whereas large hotel chains have their own rewards cards which work in a similar way to airline points.  Even car rental companies have their own rewards programs! 

In theory, you may as well sign up for as many loyalty programs as possible but check the rules and benefits of your favourite brand’s program.  Remember that some credit cards may offer points on hotels, flights and car hire which could work out better than signing up for the individual programs as you can earn points quicker.

Cashback Websites

This isn’t exactly a way to travel for free, but it will give you free money to use towards your next trip, so why not?  Cashback websites such as QuidCo (UK) and Rakuten (USA) give you money back on purchases made via their website, which seems like a no-brainer to me. 

Search for cashback websites in your region to find a local equivalent. However, make sure you can’t find what you’re buying cheaper anywhere else before you purchase. 

Volunteer for Bumping

Flight companies assume that a certain percentage of people booked on a flight won’t show up, so they often sell more seats than they actually have available.  This means that popular routes are often over-booked, and when the people all show up and want to fly, the airlines ask for volunteers to be bumped to another flight.

If you are in a rush to get somewhere then this isn’t for you, but if you have time on your hands and a flexible itinerary, volunteers are usually offered vouchers as a thank you for giving up your seat, in addition to putting you on the next available flight.  Use your vouchers to buy a free flight next time, but accept that there is no guarantee.

A good time to try this is over peak times such as Christmas and other holiday periods.  At the gate, hang out close to the boarding gate desk so that you’re at the front of the queue when they ask for volunteers. 

Final Thoughts on How to Travel The World for Free

I truly believe that everyone should be able to travel if they want to, so I hope that these free travel tips will help you to follow your dreams and all you to travel abroad for free, or even explore your own country if you prefer.  I’ve got lots more articles on budget travel and how to travel cheap so browse the site or comment below if you need more help or advice about travelling for free!

You might also want to check out:

How to Save Money for Travel

How to Make Money While Travelling

Like this post?  Pin it to read later:

Hi! I'm Claire Sturzaker, a 30-something foodie traveller who loves to enjoy the best of a destination without breaking the bank. I'm here to help you and all women backpackers to plan their best budget travel adventure. I am an avid supporter of female solo travel, and took my first solo trip 20 years ago! I love to write about travel, hostels, backpacking and van life.

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10 Ways That You Can Travel Around Abroad For (Almost) Free

Many programs, organizations, and jobs offer opportunities to travel for free while providing accommodations as part of the job.

• Traveling for free is possible through options like working on a cruise ship, teaching abroad, or house swapping, among other methods.
• Each option has pros and cons, such as long work days on a cruise ship or the competitive application process for teach abroad programs.
• House sitting, au pair programs, farm stays, travel hacking, and national park jobs are other ways to travel for free or at a minimal cost while saving money, but each comes with its own set of challenges and responsibilities.

If there's one thing travelers dream of, it's getting to travel the world for free. From flights and hotels to meals and unexpected bills, the financial realities of travel make it difficult to see the world. In recent years, it's become easier than ever to hold down remote work, allowing some to continue to earn an income while traveling the world. These types of workers are sometimes referred to as digital nomads .

There are several different types of digital nomad jobs available, and though this can be a rewarding and beautiful experience, there are some things to know about digital nomads , including that this lifestyle and way of travel isn't for everyone. Thankfully, for those who dream of this lifestyle without necessarily being a "remote worker", there are some ways to travel while earning and saving money that don't involve working remotely.

Many programs, organizations, and jobs offer opportunities to travel while providing accommodations as part of the job. Here are some of the best ways to travel abroad for free (or almost for free!).

Related: According To The Ship's Staff: Here's What It's Like To Work For Norwegian Cruises

1 Cruise Ship Jobs

Working on a cruise ship offers the unique opportunity to see the world while working. Cruise ship employees usually have their accommodations and meals covered. Most cruise ships also offer their employees medical insurance, plus additional benefits.

The working days are long, but cruise ship workers can expect to follow a roster system that gives them days off to explore popular and stunning port destinations. Though the hours are long and living at sea can be a difficult adjustment, this can also be a rewarding and exciting way to see the world.

• Pros: Meals and accommodations are covered; meet people from around the world; visit popular port cities around the world
• Cons: Long and demanding work days; adjusting to living full-time at sea

2 Teach Abroad Programs

Not only are teach-abroad programs superb for those pondering how to travel abroad for free, but they are genuinely a unique and enriching way to see the world while teaching English to students. People who commit to a teach abroad program, such as the Japan Exchange and Teach Program , the English Program in Korea , or Government TEFL programs , can expect to achieve cultural immersion, professional growth, and often, free accommodation and competitive salaries.

Teaching abroad allows travelers to build lasting connections with students and locals while also gaining a deep understanding of their host culture. However, it's important to consider the commitment, potential language barriers, and varying living conditions in each destination. The application process to be accepted in teach abroad programs can be competitive, and bachelor's degrees are often required.

• Pros: Salaried positioned; accommodations are often included; learn deep understanding of host country; bond with students and locals
• Cons: Competitive application process; potential language barriers; long-term commitment; living accommodations vary by destination

Related: 10 Great Countries To Teach English In (And 10 To Avoid)

3 House Swapping

Using a house swap agency to see the world for free (or at the very least at a reduced cost) is an exciting way to travel. Travelers who decide to house swap can select from an array of homes in diverse locations. Seeing how hotel and Airbnb costs are at an all-time high, house swappers can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on accommodations.

House swapping allows travelers to see a destination through a local's perspective and the chance to live like a native resident. However, house swapping is not for everyone. It requires a great deal of trust, clear communication, and respect for house rules between swap partners. Not every home is going to draw the same interest as others.

It's important house swappers keep in mind factors like location preferences, their home's home conditions, and the security measures needed to ensure a successful and enjoyable exchange experience.

• Pros: Save money on accommodations; live like a local
• Cons: Have strangers stay in one's home; not every home will draw in offers for a swap; still have to pay for airfare and meals

4 House Sitting

House-sitting through an agency provides an affordable way to explore the world while staying in diverse homes. Websites like Trusted Housesitters and House Carers connect travelers with homeowners looking for someone to look after their properties and pets while they're away. In exchange, house sitters save money on lodgings.

That said, house-sitting requires a great deal of responsibility, adaptability, and adherence to a homeowner's expectations. Additionally, house sitters usually have to cover their travel costs to their house-sitting destination, and they might also have to pay for background checks. Nonetheless, house-sitting can be an immersive and affordable way to see the world while providing a service for someone else.

• Cons: Responsible for taking care of a stranger's house and/or pets; Must cover travel expenses

5 The Peace Corps

For decades, the Peace Corps has served as a life-changing way for volunteers to promote peace, service, and friendship while also exploring the world. Peace Corps volunteers can expect a deep cultural immersion, rewarding community engagement, and a stipend that covers basic living costs. Additional pros include gaining unique skills, making lasting global connections, and contributing to meaningful development projects.

Those looking to join the Peace Corps should keep a few things in mind. The application process is competitive. Working on projects in remote areas of the world can be demanding and even isolating. It is a challenging mission, but it can also be a transformative experience. For those who are passionate about service and cross-cultural exchanges, the Peace Corps is a nearly cost-free way to discover new places in the world.

• Pros: Cultural immersion; rewarding community engagement and service
• Cons: Competitive application process; destinations can be remote and isolated; work can be demanding

6 Au Pair Programs

Becoming an au pair through an agency is a unique opportunity to explore the world with minimal expenses. Au pairs can expect to live with a host family and care for their children in exchange for room, board, and a stipend. Au pair listings can take employees across the globe and allow for cultural immersion, personal growth, and the chance to build strong bonds with host families.

However, working as an au pair also requires a tremendous amount of patience and adaptability when navigating potential language barriers and varying family dynamics. Potential au pairs should also keep in mind the challenges and responsibilities that come with taking care of children.

• Pros: Travel expenses, accommodation costs, meals, and stipend included; cultural immersion; work with children
• Cons: Family dynamics can be challenging; hours can be long

7 Farm Stays For Farm Work

Those wondering how to travel the world for free may find their answer with farm work; programs, such as World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), connect travelers with organic farms that exchange work for free accommodation and sometimes meals in rural parts of the world. WWOOFing offers a unique way to explore the world nearly cost-free.

This experience offers hands-on learning, sustainable living experiences, and cultural immersion. However, it also involves physical labor and varying farm conditions, requiring volunteers to adapt to rural settings in remote parts of the world. Keeping these factors in mind, WWOOFing can be a low-cost adventure that rewards those seeking a deeper connection with nature, agriculture, and local communities.

• Pros: Free accommodation; cultural immersion; learn farming practices from across the globe
• Cons: Labor-intensive work; stationed in rural areas

8 Travel Hacking

Travel hacking involves collecting credit card rewards, hotel points, and airline miles in order to travel at a fraction of the price. Signing up for credit cards that give back the most travel perks or buying hotel points at a discount are just some of the ways travel hackers can save money towards their next trip abroad. Through these spending rewards, it's possible to redeem free flights, free hotel stays, and free travel upgrades.

Travel hacking, however, is not for the faint of heart. Travel hackers need to keep track of their spending to make sure they avoid heavy credit card fees or debt. They also have to track to see when rewards expire. Travel hackers should also keep in mind annual fees, blackout dates, and program limitations. When managed wisely, travel hacking can save travelers thousands of dollars.

• Pros: Everyday spending can earn travel hackers free airline miles, hotel stays, and travel upgrades
• Cons: Limitations to rewards that can be redeemed; travelers must stay on top of payments in order to avoid debt

Related: 10 Travel Hacking Tips For Beginners (Like How To Travel For Free)

9 Yacht And Sailing Crew Jobs

Working on a private yacht or joining a sailing crew is an exciting way to travel the world for almost free. Depending on the vessel, crew members can expect to assist in various onboard roles, including deckhand, steward, or even chef, in exchange for free accommodation, meals, and the chance to explore diverse destination ports. Throughout the journey, crew members can gain diverse cultural encounters and valuable sailing skills while also enjoying unparalleled.

It's important to remember, however, that the hours as a crew member can be long and demanding. And just as with working on a cruise ship, crew members have to adjust to living at sea. The job comes with adjusting to close quarters and sea sickness. For adventure seekers who love the sea, working on a sailing crew is a unique and unforgettable way to travel the world, nearly cost-free.

• Pros: Free accommodations and meals; travel throughout port destinations; meet new people
• Cons: Adjusting to being on a boat 24/7; long and demanding workdays

10 National And State Park Jobs

Working at a designated park is a smart and rewarding way to explore some of America's most beautiful national parks and state parks while also saving money to travel abroad. Many state and national parks hire seasonal workers for roles as park rangers, guides, and maintenance. Housing is often included with the job, allowing workers to save money.

During the time of year when this seasonal work is not available, travelers can go on their next big trip abroad. Seasonal work at one of these parks, however, can take employees to remote locations where they might face challenging weather conditions. Some tasks may also be physically demanding, but that aside, this experience lets travelers live for free at a national park for a few months while saving up money for their next big trip.

• Pros: Free lodging; living in a beautiful national park; save money
• Cons: Seasonal work schedule; face all types of weather conditions

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BUDGET TRAVEL , EUROPE , TRAVEL HACKS · September 14, 2016 Last Updated on March 12, 2024

8 PROVEN WAYS TO STAY ABROAD FOR FREE

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We may receive a small commission when you make a purchase using our link.

Want to travel the world seeking adventure? Relax on the Caribbean coast? Stay at a beautiful villa in France? Experience the magnificent Chinese Culture? Of course, you do! The only problem is how to fund your adventures when paying for hotels and hostels can add up quickly.

Lucky for you, there are lots of ways to stay around the world for free or very cheaply. Here are eight travel hacks to stay abroad for free!

1) Couch Surfing

CouchSurfing.com  is 100% free to join and provides free accommodation. More importantly, it is also an awesome way to meet locals and make life long friends. If you’re the type of person who believes “a stranger is just a friend that you haven’t met,” then this is the website for you!

It is based on references, so you can check to see if other people enjoyed the host that you’re going to stay with before you get there. And if you want to test it before staying at anyone’s house, CouchSurfing.com has lots of free events all over the world that you can check out.

2) Work-For-Stay

Want to gain an exotic work experience on the road, while reaping the benefits of free accommodation? If yes, you should look into work-for-stay options like Workaway .

You can browse through a large range of different jobs ranging from a dairy farmer in Turkey, to organic farming in India, to joining a sailing crew off the coast of Panama. With such an incredible range of jobs, you will surely find something worthwhile!

Look carefully at what they are offering, and put forth your skills! Most places expect you to stay for roughly a month, but it varies depending on the job. You can sign up by yourself or in a pair.

Subscribe to get our FREE eBook with tips on saving money when you travel!

3) House Sitting

If you want a bit more privacy while embarking on cultural endeavors, then you should take a look at house sitting sites like TrustedHousesitters . From websites like these, you can find a beautiful house to look after just about anywhere in the world!

A lot of times they’ll ask you to do small day-to-day things such as bringing in the mail, which is a small price to pay for the comfort of enjoying a house to yourself in the country of your choosing. If you’re a pet lover, there are also many houses that are asking you to take care of their dogs and cats for them! This is a great way to set up a free home base for yourself while you take day trips to surrounding areas.

For more information on house sitting, be sure to read our full We Are Travel Girls house sitting and pet sitting guide !

4) Becoming An Au Pair

Being an au pair is the ideal way to experience the culture through the eyes of a local. You get adopted into the family as an older sibling to the family’s children. Au pairs usually get paid an allowance while getting free accommodation.

You can be an au pair anywhere from Rome, Italy to Sydney, Australia. So if you’ve ever enjoyed babysitting, or have been drawn to the irresistible cuteness of kids, then you should definitely look into being an au pair.

A good site to check out is AuPairWorld . In a lot of the main cities, there is usually a large group of Au Pairs that you can meet up with- so you’ll be able to make friends in no time. The hardest part about being an au pair is saying goodbye to the kids after the contract is up.

5) Working At A Hostel

If you’re a backpacker looking to make heaps of friends from all over the world, then working at a hostel is the best option for you! Many hostels are looking to hire backpackers as receptionists or bartenders. Not only will you be able to bond with all your backpacker co-workers but you’ll also be able to meet all the travelers passing through.

You can either find a hostel job on WorkAway or you can just show up to any popular backpacker city and look around at hostels and ask if anyone’s hiring!

WWOOF, often referred to as ‘wwoofing,’ stands for World Wide Opportunities For Organic Farming. So if that doesn’t give an accurate understanding of the program, then allow me to further explain what it means.

Wwoofing means that you’ll be working alongside other cool travelers like yourself on an organic farm, which will not only help the farmer but it will also help the environment! This method of free accommodation is a great way to go traveling and come home feeling rewarded that you’ve done your part to better the world while on the road. Check out wwoof  for opportunities.

7) Free Hotels Using Points

If you’re the type who’s constantly on the go, either flying from point A to point B every couple weeks or constantly staying in hotels, then you can rack up lots of points that you can later redeem for free accommodation! There are hundreds of loyalty programs that exist that are looking to give you points, you just need to understand how to use the system.

Websites such as TravelAddicts will give you a how-to guide on how to enter the world of ‘travel hacking.’ This will require a commitment but if you do enough research, you will be staying in nice hotels for free or for a small price. And the more hotels that you stay in, the more you’ll be able to stay for free!

8) Find Friends!

The final option is simple, but always effective. Go out there and make friends on the road! Everyone is willing to help out a traveler!

If you’re a social butterfly who can make friends whenever and wherever. Accept the generosity of others. The more that you travel, the more you meet people from all over the world.

You will start to make connections in every country and in every continent, who would look forward to seeing you and sharing their culture with you. It’s also good to go to places where you already have friends or family. You get to travel and also get to see an old family member you haven’t seen in years. It’s a win-win!

The bottom line is that traveling doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think it will be. If you do your research, you can find a type of budget traveling that will work for any type of traveler! Whether you’re an introvert who wants the house to yourself or if you’re the party animal who will be behind the bar of the wildest hostel in the city, there’s a type of budget travel that will work for you!

We hope that this article has inspired you to find new ways to stay abroad. If you have any questions about the destination, please leave these in the comments below.

Want to share your own travel tips by guest writing for We Are Travel Girls? Visit our Contribute page for guidelines and to submit your article.

Subscribe to get access to our FREE eBook with tips for saving money when you travel!

Read More About Travel Hacks 

• 13 Ways To Save Money To Travel
• 12 Ways To Make Money While Travelling
• How I Travelled To 11 Countries By Working Abroad
• 8 Proven Ways To Stay Abroad For Free

We Are Travel Girls Contributor Gail Armor Connect with Gail on Instagram

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Deepti Mittal says

September 14, 2016 at 10:48 am

Very useful post!

KristineBA. says

February 12, 2020 at 12:58 am

Thank you very much! I hope to apply one of these…

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How to Travel the World for Free

This post may contain affiliate links.

How to travel for free? There are many ways to organise free travel and companies that will help you travel for free. Travel doesn’t have to be expensive and it is possible to travel for free, or partially free. This post is on how to travel the world for free, in various ways! We all know the old mantra,  travel is cheaper than staying at home, and it’s true, but who doesn’t want to minimise travel expenses to get maximum mileage from their dollar? We’ve been doing just that for years, supporting our travels on very little cash. These days there are many ways to travel the world for free or at least ultra-cheap. We give you several ideas and opportunities on how to travel the world for free in this post. Some you’ll know about, some you won’t. Let’s take a look at tips, tricks, companies and hacks, working your way around the world, and more, for free, cheap, or super budget.

Free here means, cash-free, of course, you’re likely going to have to exchange something for your free travel and that usually means time, expertise, or work. You also need travel insurance, never skip that.

Travel The World for Free

You can travel the world for free by getting smart. It’s not easy, or everyone would do it, but if you know these tips or are prepared to work or exchange time for free travel, it can be done. The companies below give us opportunities to travel for free or super cheap. They may not make your whole travel experience free, but parts of it can be free. Employ tricks like Couchsurfing, volunteering, crewing, cleaning, farm work, hosting, and you can make a large part of your world travel free, or very cheap.

We made a little video to give you some ideas on how to travel for free. Watch it, then have a look at the ideas below.

Free Travel Video

Just save this post to Pinterest for your future reference. Please double check all information for yourself, particularly visa regulations. We try to keep this page up to date but things change constantly.

Work For Your Bed and Board, Maybe Even Get Paid. Work Your Way Around the World

There are many ways to work your way around the world, some old, some new. Helpex and Workaway are established companies that have been around a long time and are trusted by many. The Working Traveller website stands out as being a genius idea but has cumbersome sign-ups. Some, most, have sign up fees.

Various websites exist to allow you to work as you travel. Check out Workaway, Helpx, CultureGoGo and Working Traveller. The links are on our resources page .

The Working Traveller website maps hundreds if not thousands of employment opportunities around the world. Good workers will gain a good reputation on the site and will build up an online resumé to impress future employers. These future employers can either be through the site or in the real world.

This model could help you get a better job when your travels come to an end. Obviously you need to check working visa requirements for yourself.

I’m hoping my own kids will use this to get valuable work experience and, guess what, we, a family, even got a one-week placement at a hotel in Romania many years ago. Admittedly, we know the owner of this site, just for full transparency.

Where to look: Workingtraveller., similar such as Workaway, also Culturegogo and Helpx. Other sites may exist.

Travel the World For Free With Couchsurfing

Joining Couchsurfers gives you access to a global network of people, happy to open their homes to you for a night or two, just because they’re nice and like to chat.

What goes around comes around, of course, members maybe do better if they also have a couch or spare room to offer and can build up a strong profile, but it works on good reviews of hosts and Couchsurfers.

Couchsurfers could cook dinner of help around the house or garden to say thanks. We take in Couchsurfers whenever we can. I feel like we have enough money to allow young backpackers to take a shower or wash their clothes at our place.

We’ve met some wonderful people this way and sharing makes the world a nicer place. I love this platform and they don’t pay me 1 cent to say that. Where to look:  Couchsurfing.com

Travel for Free by House Sitting and Have a Home, for Free

When homeowners go away, they sometimes like to have somebody move in to look after their dog, cat, goldfish and garden, or maybe just be there to keep an eye on everything and be a deterrent for thieves.

These gigs are sweet if free accommodation is at the top of your list of travel priorities.

Finding a house sit can take a lot of effort, the market is highly competitive and professional house sitters with a string of references get first dibs.

Improve your chances of scoring a house sit by producing a slick video introducing yourselves to prospective homeowners and loading it onto the house sitting website.

Where to look: housecarers, also mindmyhouse.com, housesitworld.com.au, happyhousesitters.com.au,  trusted housesitters or aussiehousesitters.com.au. We’ve also scored house sits through word of mouth.

Travel for Free by House Swapping

Agencies exist to bring homeowners together for mutual benefit through house swapping. You normally have to pay a fee for annual membership of the house swapping site, but after that expense, you could stay in somebody else’s home, for an agreed period, for free.

This obviously works best if your home is in a desirable vacation spot or big city and you will normally have to book your stay well in advance. It’s unusual to find last-minute house swapping opportunities.

Where to look: Home Exchange (this is the site we will be using for our Romania house), homexchangevacation.com, People Like Us also homebase-hols.com

Travel for Free by WWOOFing

If working outdoors, on the land, is your thing,  the World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms offer opportunities for volunteers to help out in exchange for room and board.

Where to look: Visit wwoof.org. to find contact details of the WWOOF office in your destination country. You needed to register and pay a small fee before accessing lists of member farms.

Fly for Free

Budget airlines have been known to offer flights for $0 . OK, you will usually still have to pay taxes, but it’s a sweet deal.

The trick here is to receive notification of upcoming airline sales and be ready to pounce on a bargain the moment the sale goes live. These offers sell out fast.

Where to look: Sign up with the budget airlines relevant to your area of travel, Air Asia have amazing sales, but you could also try ryanair.com, easyjet.com or flymonarch.com, virginaustralia.com (watch for happy hour rates) and jetstar.com. Email notifications of sales and special offers put you in a good position to score the best deals.

Ski for Free

Seasonal jobs in ski resorts give you easy access to the slopes on your days off. Apply early, places fill up fast.

Where to look:  Adventure Work  or  NZSki.com

Teach English Abroad to Help You Travel For Free

You don’t have to go the whole hog and get a TEFL qualification, sometimes you can just be a live-in conversational language improver.

If you are TEFL certified (a course to become an English Second Language instructor, no teaching experience needed), you can receive a salary proportional to the cost of living in your placement country.

The Middle East and Far East pays particularly well according to friends of ours who do this. Sometimes free accommodation comes with the job.

Alternatively, fluent English speakers can receive free room and board during a period of conversational volunteering. Diverbo (see below) accepted English-speaking volunteers for their sites in Germany and Spain and provided some volunteers with full room, board, and transport.

Where to look:  Diverbo . Read up on what it’s like to teach English as a foreign language here, young couple Andrew and Amy spent the last year teaching in Vietnam. Or check out Let’s TEFL for TEFL courses.

Travel The Seas For Free

If you’ve got your sea-legs, opportunities exist to crew on yachts or cruise ships. What an amazing way to see the world for free! You’ll have to work hard but plenty of job opportunities exist for chefs, entertainers, cleaners, and more.

Where to look: For cruise ship opportunities, go direct to the cruise line’s website, try carnival.com or royalcaribbean.com. To find crew posts on yachts try  Crewseekers International, there was a joining fee, or crewseekers.net. Find a Crew is another site to try. Sailing skills are not always required. Skippers sometimes just need company, an extra pair of hands, someone to take turns on watch, and so on. Alternatively, head down to the port, find the yachties and ask around.

Travel For Free by Hitchhiking

In some parts of the world hitchhiking is common, normal and considered safe. For example in Romania locals in rural areas regularly hitch a ride and offer the driver a little petrol money.

Stay safe, use your common sense and trust your gut instinct. I regularly picked up hitchhikers back in Australia, often because I was worried for their safety.

Where to look: Check out Hitchwiki to find general rules of hitchhiking in each country.

Free Travel With Vehicle Returns and Relocations

Certain vehicle rental companies need cars, motor homes and camper vans moving to particular depots. This can be seasonal with specific destinations having a higher demand for vehicles at certain times of year.

This is rather like how relocation cruises work. Alternatively, the vehicle will have to be returned after a previous customer’s lease. You can often score these vehicles along with a fuel allowance from companies like those we mention below.

The catch is usually your time allowance. Unfortunately, you will have limited drive time to get your new home to its destination.

Where to look: transfercar and imoova are 2 examples of vehicle relocation companies.

Food As You Travel for Free

Dumpster diving and Freeganism are two of the buzz words here. I’ve seen city workers in suits picking up sandwiches, usually well wrapped, from the supermarket bins here in London.

So much food is wasted because it’s 5 minutes past its sell-by date and it’s a terrible shame.

Another alternative is gleaning. See the Falling Fruit website, below for information on trees in public places currently producing food.

The Food is Free movement is also taking off around the world. As people return to gardening and growing their own food they are gladly sharing their abundance with neighbours. It’s good for the planet and good for us.

Where to look: Read more about Freeganism at Jamie’s site, Great Big Scary World , or check out this website for free food opportunities in your area. For the Falling Fruit world map, look at the Falling Fruit website. Is free travel starting to sound possible?

Camp For Free

Free camping is possible in some countries and locations, it’s illegal in others. If you have a self-contained camping set-up, ie. you can deal with your own waste and not pollute the environment, you’re more likely to find a spot.

If you’d like to camp but cheaper than the big sites, try HipCamp. For free camping information look at Wikicamp.

Travel For Free as a Travel Blogger

Travel bloggers can and do travel for free, sometimes. Most of the ideas you’ll find for free travel involve exchanging work for travel, so it’s never totally free, there is a trade of services. Travel bloggers and influencers do the same.

I am a travel blogger but we rarely take “free” or sponsored stays. Some bloggers and influencers do a lot of “free” travel.

If you want to find out more just visit our blogging section. But remember, it only looks free to outsiders, we work very hard at what we do.

If you’re still looking for “free” stays your influence maybe isn’t great enough to be of use to the business hosting you. By the time you’re earning good money through travel blogging, you’ll likely prefer to pay your own way or be paid well to visit these places.

Past a certain level travel bloggers can even be paid to travel and share a destination, hotel, or attraction with their audience.These are sometimes called sponsored trips or stays. If not, then the money they make from their travel blogs can easily cover travel expenses.

Can you travel for free?

In all honesty, none of these methods of travelling the world for free, are truly free. Whichever way you choose there must always be some sort of exchange of work, time, company, or swapping something you already own. However, many of these methods and companies will help you travel at a very budget level and have some incredible experiences along the way. This is a very smart way to travel and it’s often far more eco-friendly than mass tourism and fancy hotel stays. We hope you find your way to travel the world spending the minimum cash and don’t let anyone ever call you a freeloader. They’ll simply be jealous that you’re clever enough to figure life and travel out.

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If you'd like to hire a car during your stay, use this car rental comparison tool to find the best deal! We also suggest you take a look at this company to get a quote for all kinds of the more tricky adventure or extended travel insurance. Try Stayz / VRBO for an alternative way to find rentals on homes/apartments/condos in any country!

Related Posts:

Alyson Long

Brasov romania, why you should visit, family travel trivia quiz questions, 36 thoughts on “how to travel the world for free”.

Traveling isn’t free; it comes at a cost. When you receive food or accommodation or any facility, you give something in return. There is some cost involved, whether in terms of cash, work, time, or energy. Traveling can be affordable or done on a budget, but it is never truly free.

Yes, I say that in the post. Cheers.

The information on the english tutoring was useful.

However, you must mention that travel bloggers of certain countries should drop the idea all together, because the word “travel” has no traction

I have been trying to lift this dead travel blog of pakistan for the past 7 years now

That’s not true. Even just looking at your domain name I can see an issue. You are a dot com, so that’s fine for global reach. You’re simply doing it wrong in terms of SEO. There are bloggers from all over the world in the Mediavine group and travel is incredibly popular again.

I would love to travel around exploring diffrent culture heritage and their food and people please give me an opportunity to become a traveller.

There’s a lot of work and saving up involved. In our case we sold a lot of stuff, saved for a year, and learned to live with very few posessions. After that I grew my business. Nobody gave us anything, you need to find a way.

I am interested please contact. Interested to travel, work, stay overseas.

I don’t have money to travel and I would like to go to overseas.How will I go without paying.i will be happy work there with my family.

To whom it may concern.

I don’t have money to travel and I would like to go to overseas.How will I go without paying.i will be happy work there.

I can do House sitting, be waitress, helper in the house , babysitting,(become a nanny)working at farm. Please help me.

You need to look at some of the resources listed on this page, join these programs.

Please i don’t have money, how will i travel before payment,I want to work there

Hello how can I travel for free as a travel blogger to advertise their country their tourism attraction hotels restaurants and more

Well, first of all you’d need to start a travel blog and make it successful. ie. it needs to rank highly in Google. You’d also need to accumulate a massive social media following on all platforms, these marketing people seem to prefer that over a successful website for some reason. You’d have to get good at doing all the things, then you reach out to people, give them examples of your previous work, show them your awesome engagement on Instagram etc. Convince them you’re the best person for the job. Go to our blogging section (top menu) and start learning.

Hello what do I need to travel with my family

Really all you need is a credit card and a passport.

Thank you so much for the awesome advise

Hello from Morocco. it’s very important to have bloger like this and well informed about travelbloger went above and beyond the expectations to show us how to get something very important and exactly the kinds of things we most interested in, and so much more that gave us a really memorable experience that i saw here in this bloger.

Thank you so much for this amazing things.

Just a great blog , Thanks for the information.

hey i want to know about couchsurfing. How can people will trust us as a new member. and give thier house. or can we go as a couple too??

See My Blog

It works for singles, couples, and families. Unfortunately, during 2020, Couchsurfing introduced a membership fee so we are no longer able to offer people a free place to stay via this platform. We’re looking for a better alternative that doesn’t think of profits before people.

@shivangi rawat, I am @Nomaddigitalrupex from Delhi , here is your answer you can ask on the couch website to the host how many people they can allow its free , it is safe but before travel there make sure you need to talk to them week ago and search there information on social if they are safe and by the way of talking you will know if your host is alright cause host and you need safety

Hello, i have a question about sitter job, are people accepting boys these days? because i think the most of them prefer a girl to do this job

House sitters? We wouldn’t mind what gender, but we would need experience with pets and gardens as well as good references. We tend to go for singles or couples because the more people, the bigger the utility bill we end up paying and you can never guarantee accidents won’t happen around younger children. We love our cat too much to put him at risk. You’ll find that most people who want a house sitter rather than putting their animals in kennels are real pet lovers and want the best for their animals.

Theres so many opportunities out there! Couchsurfing sounds fun!

Amazing trip ! Thanks for the post.

Anyone got advice for doing with as a family. My wife and our 2 kids want to travel for around 12mths.

Well, we’ve been travelling as a family for the last 7 years. We tried House Sitting and hated it, far too boring. We don’t Couch Surf but we host couch surfers and I know families that have done it. Some families have success with WorkAway, WWoofing and similar, but honestly, you’d be better to just save up. One year cost us $30,000.

@Alyson for World Travel Family,I want this job

Thank you, Alyson for sharing all the useful information, i’m interested in volunteering as an english teacher in non-english speaking European Countries, But i don’t have enough money to do that, moreover i’m at my middle-age now.. will be very grateful to have your reply. Thank you so much 🙂

That’s an interesting idea Ani. I will do some research and see in voluntary teaching posts exist. Hopefully, I’ll be able to add a paragraph on that later today.

I am a student I want to go to school and the same time I want good work to do,

Hello,how are you? You said it’s for free ,how do I join or contact u.

useful info and yes hitchhiking is common and it’s very adventurous too .

Superb post, we enjoyed each and everything as per written in your post. Thank you for this article because it’s really informative, I love reading your blog.

These are great travel tips! Whenever we travel, I always make sure that we stick with our budget and one of the best things I’ve learned is not to be so touristy. We try local and live like local. I love these tips.

We never set a budget, ever! LOL. I have a post on that somewhere. All the best.

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The Complete Beginner’s Guide to International Travel

So you’ve decided to travel internationally, have you? Traveling to another country is something I wish for everyone to experience at least once in a lifetime.

Unfortunately, not everyone has the privilege to do so. But for those of us with passports that allow us such opportunity, it’d be a shame to never explore an international destination in our great, big, beautiful world !

It might seem a bit scary to take your first international trip, but I promise it’s not that bad. To help you, I’ve put together this thorough guide on everything you need to know in order to have a successful international trip ! Let’s get straight to it.

Before You Depart for Your Trip

There’s quite a bit to get ready before your international trip. But, don’t worry. It’s all doable, and it’ll all be worth it!

Apply for a Passport

First things first. In order to travel internationally, you’ll need to have a valid, unexpired passport . On top of that, many countries require you to also have at least three or even six months validity left on your passport from your date of travel. So, if you don’t have a valid, unexpired passport or your passport is expiring in three to six months, it’s time to get a new passport before your trip. This process can take a couple months! So plan ahead, and submit your passport request early to save yourself stress and/or expediting fees closer to your departure date.

If this is your very first passport, your last passport was from when you were under 16 years old, your previous passport was lost, stolen, or damaged, or your last passport was from 15 or more years ago, you will need to apply for your passport in person. Here are the official steps for the new passport process .

If the above doesn’t apply to you, you simply have to renew your passport. You can do this via mail. Here are the official steps for the renewal process .

Choose Your International Destination

Yipee! Now that you’ve either already got your passport or have applied for a new one, you can choose your international travel destination. This is largely based on your own interests. But as this is your first trip internationally, keep in mind things like language, similarity in culture to back home, and ease of travel-related infrastructures (like trains or buses).

Apply for Any Visa(s)

Once you have chosen your destination(s), check whether you need visas or not . A visa is basically permission from a foreign government for you to be in their country. Some countries may grant you a free visa upon arrival with a simple stamp on your passport. Some countries simply require you to fill out a form online and pay a small fee before you can board your flight. And some countries require expensive visas which you must apply for months in advance. It all depends on that country you are visiting, your passport country, and how long you plan to stay. I love using Travisa ‘s free search tool to quickly and easily check what requirements exist for me before I book a flight. 

Get Any Necessary Vaccines

Before confirming your destination, you should check if any vaccines are necessary for that place. Some vaccines are simply recommended for your own health, while others are requirements before you will be allowed into the country , or even allowed into other countries afterwards (like yellow fever). The CDC website is an easy way to check this. Some vaccines, like yellow fever, are low in supply and hard to get last minute. Others, like malaria pills, require a doctor’s prescription. So don’t leave this step until the last minute !

Check Travel Restrictions

Lastly, make sure there are no travel restrictions or decision-altering political tensions for your destination. Do this by checking the Travel Department site . Simply type in your destination country’s name into the search bar on the left hand side of the screen. 

Preparing Your Finances

Now that your passport is on its way and you’ve settled on your international travel destination(s), it’s time to start thinking about finances.

Some destinations are very credit card friendly. Others operate on only cash and debit cards. And some don’t even have ATM machines! So you’ll need to do a bit of planning before departure to make sure you’re not stressing during your trip, and to save yourself transaction fees.

Get a No Fees Credit Card

Most banks charge a 3% fee every time you use your credit card to pay for a foreign transaction. As you can imagine, this adds up to a lot over the course of even a one week international trip. The good news is, many banks offer credit cards without foreign transaction fees . Do a quick internet search to see if your bank offers such a card. 

Get a No Fees Debit Card

Most banks charge a 3% fee and $5 each time you withdraw foreign currency from an ATM. Especially if you are traveling to a mostly-cash destination, this is a surefire way to rack up unnecessary travel costs. To avoid this, consider opening a free brokerage account with Charles Schwab to also receive their debit card with zero transaction fees . I first heard about this card when moving to London to study abroad, and I have to say it’s served me well. 

Get Foreign Currency Beforehand

Sometimes, but not often, it’s necessary to have cash in your destination’s currency either before you depart home or right when landing . This might be because your destination does not have ATMs, or because you just want to feel prepared.

If you need foreign cash before leaving home, head to your local bank and exchange currencies. (Just FYI, you’ll get a bad conversion rate doing this, since the bank needs to make commission.) If the currency you need isn’t a common one, your bank won’t have it on hand. In that case, you’ll have to request the exchange online with your bank. 

Many countries that don’t have ATMs also don’t allow their currency to be taken outside their country (like Cuba). In this case, you’ll need to bring enough cash with you in a common currency (like USD, GBP, or Euro). Then, when you arrive at your destination’s airport, you can exchange your cash from home for the local currency.

Sign Up for Airline Rewards Programs

You might already know this if you fly domestically, but most airlines have rewards programs. These allow you to accumulate “miles” in your rewards account each time you fly. Eventually, you might rack up enough to redeem those miles in exchange for a flight !

Consider Travel Hacking

Now, some people use airlines rewards programs and racking up miles on steroids, and this is called travel hacking. Many airlines and banks offer huge amounts of miles when you sign up for a card, or offer miles every time you use that card for a purchase. This allows you to rack up enough miles for a free flight or hotel stay more quickly (or sometimes immediately!). I personally have no energy for travel hacking, as I’m not convinced the miles rewards are worth more in dollars than my current card’s cash reward system. But I would be amiss to not mention travel hacking in a guide to international travel.

Planning Your International Trip

Phew! Now that you’ve got all the annoying administrative work out of the way, it’s time for the fun stuff; planning your trip .

I have a whole ten-step guide to planning a trip , so I won’t go into too much detail here. But this can be broken down into planning out your travel itinerary, booking your flight, and booking your accommodation.

Create Your Dream Itinerary

Decide everything you want to see in that destination. I love using Pinterest , Instagram , and travel blogs for inspiration. This is my favorite part of planning a trip , because it gets me so excited about what’s to come! Then, figure out how many days each spot deserves if you are moving around, and figure out how to get from point A to point B (train, cab, ferry?). 

Book Your Flight

After you’ve decided how many days you need, you can decide what your travel dates are and start looking for a flight. You can sometimes find good deals really close to the date, but that isn’t guaranteed. I recommend not leaving this until the last minute! I go into more detail how I search for cheap flights in my trip planning guide .

Book Your Housing

Once you have your flight booked, all that’s left is your housing. I love using Booking.com because of its interface, but any hotel search engine will suffice. Also consider AirBnB if you like the idea of staying in a local apartment, or Hostelworld if you’re looking for a social (and often budget-friendly) option. I go into more detail on different types of travel accommodation in my trip planning guide .

Here are some discounts if it’s your first time using AirBnB or Booking.com:

• Save 15% off your first booking by using this link  to sign up for AirBnB for the first time.
• Get  10% back  from your first booking when you use this link  for your first time using Booking.com.

Preparing for Departure

Woohoo! You’ve got your passport, your trip is planned, and all that’s left is to depart. There are a couple things you should do to best prepare for your upcoming international trip.

Scan the Front Page of Your Passport

Before leaving home, make a copy of the front page of your passport (the page with your picture). Either print it out or send it to yourself via email. In case your passport gets lost, stolen, or damaged during your international trip, this makes it easier to have your passport replaced abroad at an embassy.

Expect Cultural Differences

Every country or region has its own culture and norms, and that’s what makes traveling so great. In some places, like the US, it’s common to greet strangers “hello,” or for shop associates and waiters to be extra doting. In other places, like much of Europe, the slower cafe and restaurant culture means your waiter might not come to you unless beckoned. It’s almost seen as if the waiter is rushing you! Similarly, in Japan, it’s offensive to tip waiters, as it suggests their only incentive to do their job well is receiving your pocket change. No culture is right or wrong, but keep an open mind as you travel, and don’t assume something means the same as it does back home .

Prepare for Language Barriers

Many popular travel destinations have adopted English as a common language due to how many international tourists they receive. So, if you know English, chances are you’ll be fine getting around many travel destinations around the world. But it still doesn’t hurt to learn some basic words in your destination’s language .

Saying “hello” or “thank you” in a person’s mother tongue can go a long way in warming them up towards you. Learning common menu items or words on train station signs will also likely make your life easier and give you more confidence abroad. I love using the free version of Duolingo’s mobile app ( iOS and Android ) for a few weeks before I head somewhere new to learn a language’s basics. Alternatively, you could simply head to Google translate and jot down key words on a small piece of paper before you depart. Then, keep this paper handy while you’re out exploring for easy access.

What to Expect on an International Flight

Even if you’ve flown domestically before, flying internationally can be a whole different experience . Here are my top tips for flying internationally.

What to Pack in Your Carry On

Packing carry on luggage for an international trip is similar in many ways to for a domestic trip. The same rules apply with regards to liquid sizes and electronics. However, as international flights tend to naturally be longer than domestic flights, there are a few extra considerations.

Make sure you are comfortable. Bring your own favorite headphones instead of using the uncomfortable free or for sale ones on board the flight. Also bring an eye mask (and a neck pillow if you need that) so that you can try to sleep a bit. You’ll also want to pack clothing items like one pair of pajamas and one or two proper outfits, in case your luggage is lost or delayed . It would be super inconvenient to buy these things right after you land in a foreign country!

Common Flight Etiquette

No one likes flying. So to make it easier on everyone, here are some best practices for being polite while in the airport and on the plane.

• While in the airport, don’t stand up and crowd around the gate way before your boarding group is called. Everyone will get their chance to board.
• Once on the plane, the middle seat person gets dibs on the inner arm rests .
• Right after the plane lands, don’t rush to pull your luggage from the overhead before the plane doors have even opened (especially if you’re in the back of the plane!). If you’re in a rush to catch a connection you think you might miss, ask the flight attendants before landing if they can help you get off first. Sometimes they’ll make an announcement that everyone should stay seated until those about to miss a connection exit first!

Staying Healthy While Flying

The last thing you want is to get off your flight and feel unwell the first days of your epic trip! Here are precautions you should take to ensure you land in tip-top shape.

• Stay hydrated . Airplane air has less humidity (only about 10 – 20%!), so make sure you are drinking enough water, especially on long haul flights. I always bring a large, refillable water bottle when I fly. I fill it up at an airport water fountain right after passing security and finish it all before boarding. Then, I refill it again to have a full supply while on board. This is important not only for headaches and such, but also to prevent skin breakouts in the days after landing.
• Keep the blood flowing . Not only are you not moving for hours upon hours when flying internationally, but your feet are flat on the floor the entire time, too. This isn’t great for blood circulation, and can cause swelling in your ankles and feet the days after your land. (It’s also just not good for your health to not move!) So, make it a point to get up and walk around the plane. Since you’ll be drinking a lot of water anyways, maybe walk up and down the aisles for some minutes each time you finish using the toilets. Do some stretches , like pulling your feet up to your booty one at a time and holding, or lifting each knee up and holding. If you have a layover with enough time, walk around the terminal for some time before boarding your second flight.
• Stay clean . Even pre-Covid-19, planes and airports have never been the cleanest places to be. Wash your hands frequently with soap, use hand sanitizer , and consider disinfecting your food tray, screen, and arm rests right after getting on board. Make sure not to touch or pick your face too much, especially since it’s already dealing with the dehydrating air!

Flying with Dietary Restrictions

Airplane food is pretty much never great, especially if you aren’t flying first class. But if you’re on a particular diet or have dietary restrictions, you’ll need to plan ahead of time. Consider packing some of your favorite nutritious snacks instead of relying on the salty pretzels you can expect on board. If you have a specific need, like vegan meals, call the airline 24 hours before your flight to put in your request for a special meal . You might also want to double-check the meal request before take off at the gate.

Staying Safe While Traveling Internationally

While the world isn’t the big, bad, scary place we’re often made to believe, that doesn’t mean travel is free of risks.

A lot of the safety precautions and considerations you should take while traveling abroad are similar to those you take at home. But a few aren’t. Here are my main safety tips for international travel.

Solo Travel

By its very nature, traveling alone is more risky than traveling with a companion. Is it significantly more risky? I think not. But that’s not to say you shouldn’t take any extra precautions when traveling alone.

One precaution I take is to always let someone know where I am . If I have a full itinerary planned, I send my mom a summary of each city and accommodation I plan to stay at. If I’m doing something like a hike without any new friends I’ve met, I’ll let the front desk know my plans before I head out. I also try to be confident . Even if I don’t know where I’m going, I try to look like I do! If I need to look directions up on my phone, I might do it before leaving the hotel or shop or restaurant.

Another thing to remember is that traveling solo is not traveling alone . Especially if staying in hostels, you’ll meet other people traveling solo like you are, and you can do activities with them.

Solo Female Travel

Something my loved ones tell me often is how it’s so unsafe to travel alone as a woman. But the truth is, is it perfectly safe to be a woman anywhere in the world? Even when I’m in in the comfort of my home country, I rush to my car when in public garages at night, receive uncomfortable comments from strangers on the street, and face the potential of sexual harassment or even assault. Sexism exists everywhere, not just abroad. Of course, I do take extra precautions as a solo female traveler compared to a male solo traveler. But I also take extra precautions as a female in my home country, too.

These are some of the precautions I take while traveling as a woman, in addition to the precautions I take for traveling solo in general:

• I never walk alone past dark . Ever, ever. Even if I “feel” safe in a place (which is most of the time), it’s just something I’ve promised myself I wouldn’t do.
• I try to dress conservatively in certain destinations. Especially as a Californian, I’m used to super short shorts and low-cut shirts being totally normal. While these are still often acceptable abroad, they definitely cause a lot of stares that I personally have decided I’d rather avoid if I can. So, I’ll wear looser, longer shorts instead of tight short-shorts, or midi skirts and dresses instead of what I consider normal length. This isn’t so much because I feel unsafe, but because I’ve realized it decreases bothersome male comments and advances immensely.
• I haven’t actually done this yet, but it’s a trick I have in my back pocket. Bring a fake wedding ring . Depending on the destination, this can help ward off some comments (and even playful marriage proposals!).

Traveling as a Person of Color

Similar to the solar female travel issue, a lot of my family fear that I’ll stand out like a sore thumb as a black woman. Also similar to the solo female travel issue, racism is simply something that exists everywhere, not just abroad . Of course, I do take extra precautions as a black solo traveler compared to a white solo traveler. But I also take extra precautions as a black person in my home country, too.

The main extra consideration I take while traveling as a person of color is to research the experiences of other black people or black women in destinations I know less about , or that I know have few black people or tourists. I recommend you do the same for whatever race or ethnicity you might identify with, as destinations might be used to one group but not a different group. This, of course, can be difficult, as the voices in the travel sphere are mostly white men, and next white women. (This is why it’s important to have better representation.) If you can’t find the insight you need online, consider directly emailing or messaging any travel writers or influences whose experiences you’d like to hear.

Traveling with Cash and Valuables

Like you would in certain areas of your home country, don’t flash valuables while traveling. Be cognizant as you withdraw or exchange any cash . Being a tourist can make you a target already, so don’t give pickpockets any extra incentive!

Be careful not to carry all your cash and cards in one place. If you can, take some with you as you explore, and then leave back up cards, unneeded cash, and your passport back in a safe in your accommodation . That way, if anything gets stolen or lost while out exploring, you have back ups to hold you over.

Bring Locks for Hostels

If you are planning on staying in hostels, definitely purchase a lock before your trip. Hostels usually have lockers, but charge a couple bucks to rent a lock. It’s much more economical to purchase once and not pay each time.

Register with Your Country’s Embassy

This is a step I never usually did before, but one I’ll be doing every time in the future! I was “one of those” people who got stranded abroad in a foreign country when the world started closing borders in response to Covid-19. I always thought registering with the local embassy for my country was a waste of time, but this turned out to be the best way to get up-to-date information on the situation. After missing out on crucial info once, I signed up. And it’s thanks to that I was able to eventually get home!

You never know what could happen when you are abroad, whether that is a pandemic, weather-related disaster, local protests, or political tensions. It’s near-impossible to keep up with your foreign destination’s news while traveling. So registering with your embassy is an easy way to get a simple email for key things you should know . For Americans, this program to register is called the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) , but other countries have pretty much the same thing.

Get Travel Insurance

I’m not sure I believe “everyone” should “always” get travel insurance. But for a first trip abroad, it’s worth considering. I typically never purchased it when I traveled places I knew well. But these days, as I’m no longer on my parents’ good insurance, and as I travel mostly solo, I do purchase travel insurance. It often only costs a couple dollars a day , and usually covers lost baggage, medical visits for accidents or illnesses, theft, and more. Especially if you are planning adrenaline activities or traveling somewhere distant, you should consider it! 

What Do You Think About My International Travel Guide?

And there ya have it, folks! Are you feeling prepared for your international trip! I hope this guide was helpful. If you still have more questions before your trip abroad, definitely comment below and I’ll answer. Or, if you have any advice you think I missed that others should know, please also comment below!

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Further Reading...

The Beginner’s Guide to Staying in Hostels

How to Plan the Perfect Vacation: 10 Step Guide

How to Travel Cheaper: A Beginner’s Guide to Budget Travel

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13 Top Attractions and Things to Do in Vienna, Austria

25 top attractions and things to do in san francisco, that travelista.

How to Live Abroad for Free (2023)

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When I was a new nomad, wandering the globe, hopping from place to place, I didn't know how to make it sustainable. I had finished up my 2.5 years service as a Peace Corps Volunteer and knew one thing for certain: I wanted to stay abroad. How? Not a clue but that was future Kat to figure out.

And, 10 years later of no looking back, I can safely say I have figured out how to build a life abroad. I've lived a lot of different lifestyles in a lot of different countries throughout the past decade but, when I first started out, my main goal was to figure out how to live abroad on a shoestring budget.

I relied on the people I met while traveling to give me a great tip or two and send me on to my next destination. I had a little bit of money and a whole lot of wanderlust and wanted to stretch it as far as I possibly could.

Sometimes I'd work, sometimes I wouldn't but my desire to establish myself in new places and stay for longer than just a few days or weeks was strong. 

While it definitely took some flexibility, I quickly learned that staying abroad for free was actually possible. Sure, I spent money on a few beers or day trips but my accommodation and a lot of times even my food was taken care of. 

These are my top 5 tried and tested methods of how to live abroad for free.

1. Volunteer Abroad

Volunteering abroad is one of the most versatile options on the list and one of the most clear-cut ways when searching for something "free." As a volunteer, you won't make any money but you also won't spend any.

To make this a free way to live abroad, you'll want to find a work exchange program. My two favorite platforms to find these types of opportunities abroad are:

• Worldpackers

Both of these platforms work almost the exact same so it's really dealer's choice here. On both, you'll be able to browse volunteer opportunities all around the world. The volunteer work will cater to a wide range of skill sets, from digital skills to construction and childcare and everything in between.

Workaway and Worldpackers are both open to all nationalities but most opportunities will probably ask for a specific language but in some cases, it can rudimentary. In general, there isn't an age limit or any specific requirements. Each job listing will clearly state what they're looking for in a volunteer so you can apply with confidence.

In exchange for a few hours of work, you should always receive free accommodation. In my experience, I've also been given free meals so I really wasn't spending anything once I arrived. I was also gifted free experiences, like joining in on tour groups when I volunteered at boutique hotels and lodges.

A third platform you might want to try out is WWOOF, the Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms. Here, you'll need some experience in agriculture or at least a desire to learn and put in the work. Just like in the other platforms, you should receive free accommodation and sometimes free meals in exchange for your work.

Do note that all 3 of these platforms will require you to pay a small membership fee.

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2. Pet Sit and/or House Sit

As a pet/house sitter, you can say goodbye to paying rent. While you shouldn't expect any free food while as a pet sitter or house sitter, you can expect to stay in much nicer housing than you'd get as a volunteer, generally.

You might need to be flexible with where you go and your exact dates but it's possible to hop from one sit to another. A great website for this is Trusted Housesitters but word of mouth and FB groups are other ways to find these opps. Just be sure to take your time when creating your profile or applying to listings. While there are a few big tips to becoming a successful housesitter , for starters treat the opportunities that come your way like job applications and you'll be a lot more successful.

As a house sitter, you'll temporarily live in someone else's home while they're out of town. You'll care for their plants and whatever other specifications they have. As a pet sitter, you'll do the same but add in the homeowner's pets. Sometimes this can be as easy as feeding an old cat or as difficult as managing farm animals. The choice is yours here!

This option is perfect for digital nomads who work remotely because you won't be required to volunteer certain hours. You'll just need to take good care of the pets you're responsible for but otherwise, how to spend your time is up to you.

Living the rent-free life is a great way to give yourself a little bit of money freedom while you build your own freelance business or save up.

Trusted Housesitters require a membership fee but obviously, word of mouth or Facebook groups are free to use.

3. Working Holiday Visa

Ever heard of a Working Holiday Visa? If you haven't, you're in for a treat! These visas are geared towards people, typically under the age of 30, that dream of living abroad for a year or so. The idea here is that with this visa, you can move abroad for a year and work (if you want) or simply travel to your host country.

Not all countries offer these visas but if you're under the age limit, I'd recommend researching which countries offer Working Holiday Visas (WHV) to your nationality.

The most sought-after WHVs are for:

• New Zealand

This is by no means an extensive list but just a few examples of countries that offer this type of visa.

A perk to applying for a Working Holiday Visa instead of a regular work visa is that you don't need to have a job lined up in advance. You can job hunt once in the new country, and again, only if you want to work while abroad. These visas are typically much more straightforward, have a quicker turnaround time, and are easier to apply for than regular work visas.

Plus, compared to a tourist visa, you're allowed to stay in the country for a much longer time period and with the option to earn an income.

Most visas will have a small fee to apply and will require you to have a certain amount in your bank account. This gives immigration the peace of mind that you can afford to live comfortably in the host country if you choose not to work during your stay.

4. Work Abroad

Ok, so working a job will require more effort and energy than the other options on this list (for the most part), at least in this one you make some cash along the way. It's not always the case that your job will provide housing but when I was a tour guide in Panama and an English teacher in South Korea , housing was part of my package. 

Some jobs abroad will even pay for your plane ticket or moving expenses, so you won't even have to dip into your savings to relocate.

While free housing and moving expenses don't equate to an entirely free experience of living abroad, given the fact that you're earning an income, you at least won't be spending your savings but, instead, you could make enough to save money while still getting to live abroad.

There are a lot of great jobs to work abroad , but some will be easier to get than others. Technically, you can find jobs ranging from product designer to yoga instructor but a few of the easiest to find and most straightforward work visas will be for jobs like:

• Teaching English Abroad
• Hosting Travelers as a Tour Guide
• Working in the Medical Industry (as a nurse or vet )
• Taking Care of Children as an Au Pair
• Yachting , as a Stewardess or Deckhand

You should never have to pay to apply for a job abroad. You might need to get certain training or certifications though. For example, to teach English abroad, most countries will require that you have a TEFL Certificate .

5. Couchsurf

Last but certainly not least is Couchsurfing. Couchsurfing is another online platform that allows you to find free places to spend the night. Unlike the other ways to live abroad for free on this list, this is geared towards shorter stays.

On Couchsurfing, you'll most likely find a host that is willing to let you sleep on their couch (hence the name) or even a bed for a night or two. It's possible to make a great connection with your host and stay for longer but I would expect that to be the exception, not the rule.

In general, you're not required to offer anything in return for your stay. Most hosts are extroverted travelers, too, and enjoy meeting people from around the world. So, bring along some food or drinks and gear up for a nice evening of sharing your best travel tips and wildest stories from around the world.

To sign up for Couchsurfing, you'll be required to pay a membership fee. The fee for this platform is by far the cheapest option as it was created for true budget travel.

You're Ready to Travel Cheaply

If you're wondering how to live abroad for free, there you have it, 5 simple ways to extend your travels and stay abroad for free. Ideal for solo travelers, digital nomads, or couples looking to save money, these options are diverse enough that you'll be able to find the perfect option for your skills, lifestyle, timeframe, and budget.

Personally, I've done every single option on this list so can say with confidence they're all great ways to live abroad while sticking to a tight budget. If the most important thing to you is living abroad, each of these options will get you where you want to be without emptying your bank account.

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What to know about Schengen zone, Europe’s ‘border-free’ travel system

Schengen countries allow international travelers to move freely across borders without additional passport checks.

Europe’s “border-free” Schengen zone has added travel protections for two more countries, making it easier for more people to explore the southeastern region of the continent.

Romania and Bulgaria partially joined the Schengen area on Sunday, which means visitors who arrive by air or sea from other countries in the zone can cross their borders without an ID check. Land borders will remain subject to ID checks because of opposition led by Austria, which has long cited irregular migration as a concern when it comes to welcoming the two Eastern European states into the Schengen agreement. The move comes more than a decade after Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union.

The European Commission had previously recommended that Bulgaria and Romania be admitted to join the Schengen zone, starting in 2011 and most recently in 2023. A combination of internal problems in the two countries and opposition from other countries citing irregular migration concerns — especially after the so-called “migrant crisis” of 2015 — meant they were caught in “Schengen purgatory” until now, according to Leon Züllig, a researcher and Schengen expert at Germany’s Justus Liebig University Giessen.

Where to go

Our favorite destinations: These 12 destinations are at the top of our wish list for where to go this year, without crowds. In 2023, we explored an Alaskan bear paradise, Brooklyn’s famous pizzerias and a hidden gem in Italy, among other highlights ..

Travel like a local: Residents share their favorite places in our top city guides: New Orleans , Rome , Tokyo and Mexico City .

National parks: This comprehensive guide has details on all 63 U.S. national parks. For a deep dive into five of the most well-known, you can listen to the Field Trip podcast . Then explore tips from locals for visiting Yosemite , Glacier and Everglades .

Tales from the road: Dolly Parton has opened a new resort at her theme park complex in Tennessee, while “Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines have a new hotel in Waco . Road-trippers may be just as excited to see the cartoon beaver at Buc-ee’s , and bargain-hunters should consider a stop at the Unclaimed Baggage store in Scottsboro, Ala.

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