Today, there are more opportunities than ever before to travel the world on the cheap – or, for that matter, for free.
WWOOF
An amusing acronym to say, WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. If you’ve ever been intrigued by the idea of living and working on a farm, this is your chance to see the world while you do so.
Farming is mostly seasonal work, and farmers need seasonal help. While they often have an abundance of space, housing, and food, many organic farmers don’t have an abundance of money. So, in exchange for four to six hours’ help each day, they provide room and board. You’re on your own for the cost of transportation to get there, though.
You can “WWOOF” by yourself, as a couple, with friends, or even as a family with children. Select which country you’re interested in, and WWOOF will show you a list of host farms and connect you with the farmers.
Hostels & Other Work-Stay Options
Many hostels find themselves in a similar situation as organic farmers, with plenty of beds and rooms but short on labor. So, they offer free accommodations – and sometimes free meals – in exchange for work. A few even pay a small stipend of spending money.
And the options don’t end at hostels. There are plenty of employers who provide free housing for short-term or even long-term stays in exchange for work. Check out HelpStay and Workaway for thousands of opportunities all over the world to stay for free in exchange for your services.
Long-Term Volunteering With the Peace Corps
An oldie but goody, the Peace Corps offers incredibly rewarding opportunities to live for several years in a community that needs committed volunteers. While the Peace Corps is a large international organization, they do an excellent job of keeping their focus on the grassroots level. Volunteers go to the ends of the earth, living and working in the poorest communities on the planet.
The Peace Corps isn’t for everyone, though. It requires a 27-month commitment: three months of training, then two years in the field. You’ll also be leaving the comforts of Western democracy behind. You may or may not have mobile phone service, and you may not have air conditioning in hot climates.
Yes, you receive a living stipend, which is enough to cover housing, food, and basic spending in the community where you’re stationed. But when you come home to visit, don’t plan on fancy dinners out or hotels; expect to crash with friends and family.
That said, you’ll have the opportunity to personally transform poor communities into livable, sustainable towns and villages. In many cases, you will literally save lives. If you’re truly driven to change the world, and see some of it in the process, the Peace Corps may be a good fit for you.
Organize Your Own Volunteer Trip
You can also organize your own volunteer trip. With crowdfunding websites like GoFundMe, you can raise money from your friends, family members, and colleagues to cover the costs of your volunteer trip. Perhaps they’ll even join you on your expedition.
Of course, if you don’t plan your volunteer trip with the utmost transparency and ethics, you’re likely to lose friends. Make sure your trip will genuinely change lives for needy people, rather than serve as a cover story for you to persuade your friends into paying for your vacation.
I saw this happen just recently with a newly arrived couple at my wife’s school. They raised money from their friends back in the United States, inventing the name of an education-based “ministry” they claimed to be leading here in Abu Dhabi. It was an utter scam, as they have the same generous teaching package that my wife does. Whether they got away with it among their friends back home or not, they didn’t get away with it here. The link to their GoFundMe page made the rounds among the school faculty, and they’ve found few friends as a result.
Approach any crowdfunding attempts with complete sincerity and transparency, period
House-Sit or Pet-Sit
Did you know there are entire websites dedicated to connecting house sitters with pet owners? Pet owners don’t want to leave their pets in kennels surrounded by unknown dogs and cats when they travel. They’d rather let them stay at home – a home which is just sitting vacant and unused.
House sitters can stay for free at these homes for the price of caring for the owners’ pets. While it’s a relatively easy job, it does mean you have to schedule your day around the pets’ needs. You can’t leave for a weekend jaunt or go on 14-hour day trips. But for animal lovers, it can be an easy way to stay for free anywhere in the world, often in high-end homes.
And house-sitting isn’t limited to pet owners. Some homeowners sleep easier knowing that someone is minding their home while they’re away, whether that means you care for their plants or are simply there to deter break-ins. However, keep in mind that these opportunities are the exception, not the rule, and most house-sitting gigs do involve caring for pets.
Try TrustedHousesitters and MindMyHouse as starting points for free house-sitting gigs all over the world.
Do a Housing Swap
You live in Seattle and want to visit Berlin. Someone in Berlin wants to visit Seattle. Why not swap houses with them for your trip? It’s a win-win; you get to stay for free in an authentic local home rather than a hotel, and your home doesn’t have to sit vacant and vulnerable to catastrophes like break-ins or flooding.
Granted, it’s not always that simple. Perhaps you want to visit Berlin in July, and the Berliner wants to visit Seattle in October. Perhaps you’re worried about the risk of having a stranger stay in your home.
The good news is that reputable home-swapping websites provide a level of transparency, with peer reviews and identity verification to give members greater peace of mind. Some home-swapping websites also offer credit systems for indirect house-swapping. By offering your house to others, you accrue points or credits, which you can redeem at your leisure at houses all over the world.
A few reputable house-swapping websites to try are HomeExchange, Love Home Swap, and HomeLink. And, of course, always do your homework before agreeing to your first swap.
Travel to “The Old Country” for Free
Some countries offer “discover your roots” programs for descendants to come back and visit the home of their ancestors. In most cases, these programs are designed for young adults to come and stay with local host families.
Programs include:
Whatever your heritage, do some research on private or government-funded programs to streamline your visit back to “the old country,” stay for free while there, and potentially even cover your airfare.
Whatever your heritage, do some research on private or government-funded programs to streamline your visit back to “the old country,” stay for free while there, and potentially even cover your airfare.
While you’re at it, you can also look into citizenship programs for descendants. Italy has a generous citizenship program, through which descendants who can prove an Italian ancestor are generally eligible for dual U.S.-Italian citizenship. A close friend of mine who was born in Boston was able to dig up proof that his great-great-grandfather was Italian, and he now has an Italian passport and the option of living in the European Union if he so wishes.
Drive Someone’s Car Cross-Country
During cross-country moves, people sometimes need help moving their cars. That’s where you come in. Some car owners will pay you to move their cars from Point A to Point B within a specified time frame. In some cases, they also cover your flight home. There’s no better way to get to know a country, especially your own country, than driving it.
In my 20s, I spent two years moving across the country every few months with my then-girlfriend, a travel nurse. I drove across the country a half-dozen times and developed a fondness for, and truer sense of, the United States than I ever felt from flying and visiting cities for a weekend. After sitting alone in a car for six hours, when you stop at a roadside diner for lunch, you’re more likely to strike up a conversation with the locals. You can end up meeting fascinating people while eating local favorites.
And these road trip experiences don’t necessarily have to happen within the United States. People on every continent need their cars moved. Start with Auto Driveaway for U.S. and Canada car transports – and a free road trip.
About the Creator
Was I a Model in Japan?
During my time in Nagoya I worked and lived at the strangely famous hostel and café Nagonoya. With its chequered floors and florescent lighting it felt quite dated, but I think that was supposed to be part of the charm. The dorms were always fully booked on weekends with domestic tourists and there was always a buzz in the downstairs café. Camera crews were constantly in and out of the place interviewing the Japanese staff members who worked the café. I think it had something to do with the egg sandwiches. At least that was what was on most of the merchandise, except for that one dishcloth with the owner’s face on it. Was I being employed by a local celebrity?
By Susanna Kiernan6 days ago in Wander
A Former Royal Deer Hunting Park
I've come to warm towards Hyde Park over the last few years. It wasn't my favourite go-to-park before, but I love it now. I particularly like the long stretch of walking path near the Knightsbridge end. I will likely see the King's Soldiers along North Carriage Drive in their finery as they head towards Buckingham Palace.
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