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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 the world with no money…

Dis shit is gonna get cheap, yo!

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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 The World with No Money

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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Single-use plastic bottles are a MASSIVE threat to marine life. Be a part of the solution and travel with a filter water bottle. Save money and the environment!

We’ve tested the Geopress  rigorously  from the icy heights of Pakistan to the tropical jungles of Bali, and can confirm: it’s the best water bottle you’ll ever buy!

I guess that’s the last big question:

how to travel the world with no money? 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 SafetyWing 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.

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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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! 

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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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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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How do Worldpackers trips work?

As a member, you can contact as many hosts and travel safely as many times as you want.

Choose your plan to travel with Worldpackers as many times as you like.

Complete your profile, watch the video lessons in the Academy, and earn certificates to stand out to hosts.

Apply to as many positions as you like, and get in contact with our verified hosts.

If a host thinks you’re a good fit for their position, they’ll pre-approve you.

Get your documents and tickets ready for your volunteer trip.

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

Have a transformative experience and make a positive impact on the world.

If anything doesn’t go as planned with a host, count on the WP Safeguard and our highly responsive support team!

After volunteering, you and your host exchange reviews.

With positive reviews, you’ll stand out to hosts and get even more benefits.

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

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

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

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.

Hi, I’m Nomadic Matt, the New York Times best-selling author of How to Travel the World on $50 a Day and Ten Years a Nomad, as well as the founder of this website! And I’m here to help you save money on your next 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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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 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 with kids and for families, 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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Matador Original Series

How to travel the world for free (seriously).

W ORLD TRAVEL is cheap and easy. In fact, with a little practice and effort, you can travel for free.

The idea that travel is expensive and difficult is bullshit peddled by tour companies, hotel chains, and corporate media. The tourism industry wants you to buy cruise packages and stay at all-inclusive resorts. They want you to choose a world travel experience the same way you would choose a new jacket at the mall. They want your credit card number.

The tourism industry doesn’t want me to reveal the simple secrets of free travel, but I’m going to share them with you anyway. It can be scary to travel the world with nothing more than optimism and good-will, but personal freedom begins with a leap of faith.

1. Embrace the simple joy of travel.

Travel frees you from the grind of daily routine. You will explore new places, meet new people, try new foods, and learn things about the world — and yourself — that you never imagined were possible.

The joy of new experience is the most wonderful thing about world travel — and new experiences are free. Walk the streets of a city. Stop and chat with a local. People watch in a public park. Climb to the top of a hill and watch the sun set over the ocean.

The simple joy of being in a new place is just a matter of…wait for it…going someplace new. No tour package required.

2. Keep your needs to a minimum.

The modern American economy is built on the false premise that people need to buy new goods and services all the time. Again, I call bullshit.

People need fresh air, healthy food, clean water, exercise, creative stimulation, companionship, self-esteem, and a safe place to sleep. All of these things are simple to obtain. Most of them are free.

For fresh air, go outside. For exercise, take a walk. For creative stimulation, go somewhere new. For companionship, make a friend. For self-esteem, turn off your TV, breathe deep, and open your spirit to the basic goodness of the world.

Things like food and shelter are much cheaper once you get outside the United States. See #5 below for ways to obtain food and shelter for free.

3. Go slow.

If you live in New York and want to take a 2-week vacation to Africa, it will be very difficult (though not impossible, see #8) to travel for free. Indeed, as long as you believe that time is money, you will spend money all the time.

Time is not money. Time is free. You have all the time in the world.

Instead of buying a plane ticket, catch a ride out West, or remodel an old sailboat, or just hop on your bike and ride away from town. The slower you travel, the less money you will spend.

4. Leave your possessions and obsessions behind.

When you travel, you don’t need to pay rent. You don’t need a car. You don’t need an oven, a washer-dryer, electricity, cable TV, a gym membership, a sofa and loveseat, or a closet full of clothes.

You don’t need a suit and tie to wear to your job because you don’t need a job. You don’t need to worry about paying the bills, because there are no bills to pay.

You are free.

5. Trust people and you will receive free food and lodging.

Many people are willing to open their homes to travelers. Chip in with a few chores, and they will give you a free meal, too.

CouchSurfing and WWOOF are two phenomenal online networks that help travelers connect with local hosts. CouchSurfing members are willing to give travelers a place to sleep for a night or two. WWOOF connects travelers with organic farmers who want to trade room and board for an extra hand.

Many members of both CouchSurfing and WWOOF are seeking an alternative to high-impact consumer culture.

6. Learn a useful craft or skill.

If you have a skill, such as cooking, animal husbandry, massage, musical ability, or basic carpentry, you can barter for free food and accommodation as you travel the world.

Universally appreciated skills like cooking are best, though niche skills that are in high demand, like website design, are also useful. Native English speakers can often travel for free by teaching language classes in each destination they visit.

The slower you travel, the easier it will be to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement with a local community or host.

7. Get out of the city.

Although it’s possible to travel for free in a big city, it’s damn difficult. Cities are built on money, and necessities like fresh air, clean water, and a safe place to sleep are difficult to come by in cities.

Go to the country, where people are more relaxed, food is plentiful, and there’s ample room for one traveler to lay out her sleeping bag under the stars.

8. Find a job you love that entails world travel.

If you need an income in order to pay off loans or support a child, find a job that calls for extensive travel. There are millions of jobs available in the global economy that demand world travel.

Of course, some jobs are easier to love than others, and much work that involves travel also involves the destruction of local ecosystems and traditional ways of life. Avoid unethical work if at all possible — it’s bad for your health and worse for your soul.

For job ideas, check out 20+ awesome travel jobs and how to get them .

9. Embrace serendipity.

To travel for free requires a blend of advance planning and the willingness to seize opportunities and go with the flow. Does your new CouchSurfing friend want company for a drive across the country? Grab your pack and ride along! Does an organic farm in Thailand need a farm sitter for the rainy season? Dig in!

As Kurt Vonnegut wrote, “Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.”

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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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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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13 ways to travel for free in the U.S.

Some serious, not-so-secret ways to vacation for free

The best things in life are, oftentimes, free, and travel is no exception. And who wouldn't want a free vacation? Especially when it costs 15 percent more to travel now than it did four years ago, according to NerdWallet's Travel Inflation Report . At a time when it seems nearly everything costs more, there are many legit, non-scammy ways to travel for free in the U.S.

Get up and go—gratis —by getting creative, participating in the sharing economy and doing activities you already love. From pet sitting to couchsurfing to volunteering, here's how you can take the vacation of your dreams without spending a dollar.

RECOMMENDED: The best cheap family vacations in the U.S.

An email you’ll actually love

Ways to travel for free in the U.S.

1.  Offer to move someone's car

Turn miles into money and a free road trip by transporting automobiles of all makes, models, and sizes across the U.S. Driving for a vehicle relocation company like Auto Driveaway or Transfercar is an easy way to help companies move their vehicles cross country. For Auto Driveaway, applicants must be 23 to 75 years old and have a driver's license and a clean driving record. For Transfercar, drivers help rental car companies relocate their cars and RVs and must be 18 years old (21 years old in some states) and have a valid driver's license in the U.S. and Canada.

2.  Go on a heritage trip

Depending on your heritage, you may be able to take a free or heavily subsidized government or nonprofit-run "birthright" trip. Subsidized programs where participants pay a modest fee include Birthright Armenia , a homestay and volunteerism program from nine weeks to one year that includes accommodation and some travel reimbursement, the 14-day Domovina Birthright Program to Croatia for adults of Croatian descent 18 to 30 years old, Birthright Macedonia , which offers a three-week homestay and internship program, ReConnect Hungary , which offers several birthright and volunteer programs, and Taiwan Study Tour , also known as the "Love Boat" for the many romances that come from it, which is a three-week summer study tour for overseas Chinese.

Birthright programs that offer free trips include Birthright AFRICA , which offers a 10-day trip to Africa to U.S. citizens 13 to 30 years old of Black/African descent, and Birthright Israel , which offers a 10-day trip to Israel to eligible Jewish adults 18 to 26 years old.

3.  Be a leader

Help the next generation of travelers by serving as a trip leader, resident advisor (RA), or support staff on travel study programs, pre-college programs, or summer camps. From planning activities to conflict resolution to mentoring students and campers, explore new places while working with and inspiring young people. Go Abroad and English First are web pages with extensive databases to search for educational programs and American Camp Association has a searchable database of more than 3,900 day and sleepaway camps in the U.S.

4.  Combine your work with travel

From travel nurse to flight attendant to travel blogging, there are many careers that can provide a long-term work-life balance that includes continuous travel. Travelnursing.org provides skilled nursing placements in all 50 states. The website connects wannabe travel nurses with up to four recruitment agencies that fill short-term work assignments that last between eight and 26 weeks.

Don't have a nursing degree? Au Pair World and InterExchange are platforms that connect host families and au pairs from around the world.

Travelers can sail the seven seas while working in hospitality, entertainment, retail, spa, photography and more aboard a cruise ship. Job board All Cruise Jobs and individual cruise line career websites list paid jobs in all areas of the cruise industry while CrewSeekers , Yacrew , and Find a Crew list opportunities for amateur and professional yacht and superyacht crews.

5.  Plan around a work trip

Business travel + leisure = bleisure. If you have a job that requires you to hit the road from time to time, incorporate your next vacation into your work trip. When booking trips for work, try to fly out a day before or after to squeeze in some vacay time. On a tight schedule? Resist the temptation to stay in after a long day of work. Go out to eat, take a stroll, and visit attractions like museums that are open into the evening. Also, book an early morning flight to your destination so you can squeeze in a half day of sightseeing and book an afternoon or evening flight on your last day for last-minute shopping or touring. If you don't already have a job that includes business travel, consider switching to a career in sales, hospitality, and event planning, which often require some travel.

6.  Become a digital nomad

Take your job on the road by working remotely with no fixed address. Some 15.5 million American workers currently describe themselves as digital nomads, according to The MBO Partners® 2021 State of Independence research study . If you don't want to go it alone, there are short-term programs like Hacker Paradise , Remote Year , and WiFi Tribe that will help jumpstart your travel-work lifestyle for a fee. 

Prefer to stay in one place and travel on the weekends? Ask your current employer if you can be transferred to a branch in another city or overseas for a short-term assignment or look for a company that has branches in multiple cities and offers the opportunity to work in multiple locations.

7.  Take a working holiday

Have commitment issues? Whether you want to work for a few days, a week, or longer, working holidays offer the chance to work short-term or seasonally in exchange for free room and board and, oftentimes, airfare too. Season Workers lists temporary and seasonal work at ski resorts and summer camps while Yoga Trade facilitates yoga-based exchanges globally by connecting yoga instructors to jobs, and Adventure Work posts adventure and ski resort jobs.

Looking to work with an NGO, contribute to a sustainable project, or experience a cultural exchange? Workaway is a platform for arranging homestays and cultural exchanges. Workawayers work for about five hours per day in exchange for accommodation and food.

Some of the most popular working holidays are teaching English abroad in programs like the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program . Founded in 1987, the government-run JET Program has placed more than 70,000 participants in schools and government offices throughout Japan. Participants' salary begins at $25,500 annually and airfare, visa, insurance, and orientation are provided (housing help is given but participants pay full costs). TEFL and Dave's ESL Cafe are job listing websites specifically for English teaching jobs abroad.

Several countries, such as Australia , Ireland , New Zealand , and Singapore , offer working holiday visas to Americans. These visas allow young adults to work legally while also allowing them to travel and explore the country.

8.  Volunteer with an organization

Lending your time and talent to teach, work on a farm, or do other work in exchange for room and board and, sometimes, airfare is an easy way to see the world. There are several volunteer programs.

For more than 60 years, the Peace Corps has partnered with 60 host countries on hands-on, grassroots-driven projects like education and health campaigns. Founded in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, the government-run AmeriCorps arranges a variety of service projects, ranging from three months to one year across the U.S. AmeriCorps members receive transportation to their assigned campus and projects, accommodations, and a living allowance of $180 to $500 every two weeks.

Looking for shorter volunteer travel? The Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms ( WWOOF ) pairs WWOOFers with organic farm hosts in 130 countries. Active vacationers work on the farm for about 25 hours per week and, in exchange, get room and board in a rural setting, learn about farming and gardening, and engage in a cultural exchange. HelpX is similar to farm stays and ranches plus hostels and sailing boats that seek helpers in exchange for accommodation and food.

HelpStay lists 1,500 volunteer stays in 100-plus countries while Worldpackers and Go Overseas lists thousands of volunteer opportunities worldwide. Pueblo Inglés offers transportation from Barcelona, Madrid, or Munich, accommodations in a shared room, and meals in exchange for participants to speak English for up to 12 hours per day for six to eight days with locals in Germany and Spain.

9.  Become a sitter

While you will have to pay for your travel to and from these destinations, house sitting and pet sitting let you live like a local for free while watering the plants, picking up the mail, and cuddling with furry friends. Online communities, including HouseCarers and MindMyHouse , connect homeowners with housesitters while Animal Aunts and TrustedHousesitters match house sitters and pet sitters who want to care for cats, dogs, horses, birds, fish, and reptiles.

10.  Swap houses or couch surf—or both!

Looking for something more low-key? Live like a local for free with Couchsurfing , an online community of 14 million people in 200,000 cities who have been sharing their couches and love for their locales since 2004, and the newer, nonprofit Couchers . Want a place all to yourself? Consider a house swap, where you trade your place for someone else's. HomeExchange has members in more than 145 countries and  HomeLink has been running its worldwide home-swapping network since 1953.

11.  Cash in those points!

There are many ways to convert everyday spending into free travel. Get credit cards like the Delta SkyMiles American Express card, which comes with annual benefits like a free companion ticket, Delta Sky Club access, and fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and the Chase Sapphire card, which provides an annual travel credit card, points on Lyft, and generous points for travel and dining purchases. The points earned on these credit cards can be converted to plane tickets and hotel stays. Joining hotel loyalty programs is another way to rack up free nights.

12.  Get yourself bumped from a flight

If the crew on your next flight asks for volunteers willing to get "bumped" and give up their seats, you might want to take them up on the offer. When there are more passengers for a flight than there are seats, some passengers need to get "bumped" or denied boarding. Before getting involuntarily bumped, the airline must ask if there are any passengers willing to give up their seats in exchange for compensation like money or vouchers, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation .

Getting bumped from a flight is often an easy way to immediately rack up extra cash for your vacation in exchange for taking a later flight. Be sure to ask when the next flight is, if your ticket for that flight is on standby or confirmed, and if the airline will provide other compensation like meals and hotel. If the airline is also offering you a voucher for future travel, learn what restrictions there might be before you agree to get bumped.

13.  Buddy up with family and friends

Ask your family and friends if you can tag along on their previously planned trips. Oftentimes, it doesn't cost extra to add a plus-one to hotel rooms, cruise cabins, or RVs. Older family members may appreciate the companionship and share their award miles or airline companion ticket with you. At the same time, cruisers can save money by sharing the cabin instead of paying a higher price for traveling solo. If your friends have already planned a road trip, there's no extra cost in hosting another passenger in the car. In the process, they get an extra driver or a navigator who can read the map and manage the playlist—a win-win all around.

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Free Vacations: How To Travel for Free!

• Post author: positivelyfrugal
• Post published: June 7, 2023

Some of the links on this site are Affiliate Links and if you use them to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. For more information, read our  Disclosure Policy .

Learning how to travel for free is one of the best frugal hacks for discovering the world. Stop wondering, How can I travel for free? – and use my tips for the best free vacations!

How To Travel for Free

There are a multitude of ways for how to get free trips – from travel hacking to picking the right career.

I am frugal by nature – but have always loved discovering new places – so seeking out free and inexpensive ways to travel has been a lifelong objective.

In fact, quite a few years ago, I set a big financial goal to save enough money so that my husband and I could ‘quit our jobs and travel the world’. Determined to reach my money goal , I began to change my relationship with money . The more frugal I became – both before the trip and on the road – the longer we could travel. We set off in 2014 and are still traveling today as digital nomads.

As full-time travelers, we have figured out a few of the best ways to travel on a budget. To help other travelers learn how to travel anywhere for free, I’m sharing my personal tips and advice – from cheap ways to travel in the US to how to vacation for free abroad.

Are Free Vacations Really Free?

I’m going to be upfront about this – there are very few completely free vacations.

As a frugal aficionado and full-time traveler, I know that it is possible to see the world for free – as in, spending no money. However, I am also a firm believer that everything comes at a cost. Time is valuable. Choice is valuable. Relaxation is valuable.

Some free ways to travel the world dip into your bank of time, choice and relaxation.

Therefore, in addition to highlighting some of the best ways to travel the world for free, I’m also sharing my best advice for how to get part of a trip for free and ways to travel for cheap.

Best Way to Travel for Free: Avoid Scams

Before we get started with my tips for the best ways to travel for free, I want to share a word of caution. Some of the ways for how to get free travel are scams – and it is wise to steer clear of the ‘too good to be true’ offers. Free trip prizes and pay-up-front travel clubs that arrive in your mailbox or email inbox are two of the biggest offenders.

Stay away from the gimmicky promotions and false promises and, instead, stick to the honest ways to travel the world cheap or free.

15 Ways to Travel Free (or Cheap)

In my eternal search for free world travel, I have discovered some of the very best ways to travel cheap or cost-free around the world.

#1 Take a Work Trip and Get a Free Vacation

Work trips are one of the cheapest ways to travel in the US and abroad – especially if you extend the trip to include a weekend or take few vacation days on your own.

Many companies send their employees on trips – whether for meetings, conferences or events – so it is important to let your boss or HR rep know in advance that you would like to be considered for travel opportunities.

If you get selected for a work trip and are looking for cheaper ways to travel, it is essential to make the most of your time away from the office! Use your free time in the evenings or early mornings to explore the city – or find out if the work function you are attending offers any free sightseeing outings.

Employees can also negotiate tacking on a few vacation days to the end of the work trip – or extending it over the weekend. Rather than taking a flight home on Friday, stay until Sunday (the company might actually thank you, as the plane ticket might be cheaper).

While you will be on the hook for the hotel room and any food and activities you do during the extra time off, the flight and ride back to the airport should paid for by the company.

Pro Tip: A work trip doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go alone! Your significant other may be able to tag along – making it an almost free vacation for both of you! 

#2 Travel for Free with Credit Card Points for Airfare and Hotels

Want to know how to get a free vacation? Use points! Seriously, one of the best tips for how to travel the world for free is to use loyalty program and credit card point travel hacks.

The points you earn for spending money on everyday items earn free trips – totally free trips .

To earn the most points that can be turned into free travel trips, it is best to take advantage of credit card sign-up bonuses. The biggest bonus points are doled out when you meet a certain spending limit within a short timeframe.

As a frugal person who spends little money, some of these limits might be tough to reach. Therefore, apply for the card when you know big expenses are coming up. Furthermore, use the credit card for absolutely every single purchase that you can – like groceries, utilities or even rent (as long as there are not additional fees) – to meet the limit and earn the extra points.

To get a completely free trip – including airfare, hotel and attractions – you may need to sign up for more than one card. Just be sure to cash in on the bonuses and always pay the balance in full each month. Racking up credit card debt and paying interest is not a good way to get a free vacation!

The card that I use is the Chase Sapphire Preferred . Although it does have an annual fee, the amount of points I earn for travel far outweigh the yearly cost.

Pro Tip : Looking for other hacks and ways to travel on a budget? Read the book, How To Travel the World on $50 a Day .

#3 Become a Pet Sitter to Travel the World Free

One of my favorite ways to travel cheap is to pet sit for homeowners who are on their own vacation. I’m actually petsitting right now – with a cute dog on my lap and beautiful view from the window – in the United Kingdom.

My husband and I have been pet and housesitters in world famous (and notoriously expensive) cities – such as New York, London, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo and Sydney. We have also looked after pets on pristine beaches and quaint villages.

We started petsitting at the end of our maiden Around the World trip in 2015. We were hooked on traveling for cheap and wanted to learn how to travel for free around the world. Fellow travelers turned us onto pet sitting and we haven’t turned back!

We use Trusted Housesitters to find petsitting opportunities, which is a platform to connect pet owners and pet sitters – and is set up as a free exchange. (We get a free place to stay, they get a free pet sitter in their home). However, there is a small membership fee to join.

Pro Tip: Before signing up, read about the pros and cons of International Petsitting for a cheap vacation.

#4 Go on a Primitive Camping Adventure

One of the best cheap ways to travel in the USA is to go camping. Campsites are typically cheap (at least much cheaper than a hotel!) and most camp activities are cheap and free, as well.

That said, primitive camping – or back country camping – is how to travel for free or almost free.

Primitive camping is remote and adventurous. Most state and national parks allow primitive camping, but rules do apply and sometimes a permit or fee is required. However, without amenities – like a fire ring, picnic table and bathroom – the prices are rock bottom.

Pro Tip : Before heading out on free vacation trips into the wilderness, make sure that you have proper gear. Some camping equipment is pricey, so find used gear (sometimes for free on the FB Marketplace!) or consider renting it from an outdoor store, like REI.

#5 Listen to a Timeshare Sales Pitch

An often-touted way for how to get a free trip is to endure a timeshare sales pitch. While this is, undoubtedly, my least favorite way to travel for free, it can equate to a free vacation or, at the very least, free perks during your trip.

The first step is to find a timeshare where you want to vacation. Most chain hotels and even Disney have timeshare properties. Before going on the trip, sign up for the timeshare presentation – and find out what exactly you can expect in return for sitting through the 2-hour sales pitch. Some places only offer a free meal or entry into an exclusive pool or club.

Furthermore, if you don’t want to get tied up in a timeshare, you have to be resolute and ready to say no (probably repeatedly). Timeshare sales reps are often ruthless.

Pro Tip : Generally speaking, timeshares are not a frugal investment. Do your research and don’t get caught up in the moment during the presentation and sign something that you will regret later.

#6 Visit Family or Friends

Visiting family or friends – where they provide a free place to stay and maybe even a few free meals – has long one of the best free ways to travel. This is not limited to immediate family or the closest of friends. If you have an aunt, cousin or old friend that lives in a place that you would like to visit, ask if they will host you!

Another one of the ways to save money on travel is to utilize a family member’s or close friend’s second home. If your brother or good friend has a beachfront property that sits empty half of the year, inquire if you could use it for your trip.

Pro Tip : When taking advantage of someone else’s generosity, it is best to be reciprocal with a gift. There are plenty of ways to show your appreciation – even with frugal gifts .

#7 Embark on a Jewish Birthright Trip

Okay, while not all travelers can take advantage of this free international travel, Jewish youth (with at least one Jewish parent or who have converted to Judaism and are between the ages of 18 and 26) can take free 10-day heritage trip to Israel.

Called the Birthright Israel Trip, participants are encouraged to connect with their Jewish identity during the trip. Birthright Israel takes care of all the details – from flights to accommodations to activities.

Pro Tip : Learn more about how to travel free on Birthright trip on the official website .

#8 Find a Free Place to Stay on Host a Sister

A global community of women, Host a Sister is a Facebook Page that connects traveling women with local hosts. The local hosts welcome the travelers to stay in their homes for free.

The cultural exchange is one of the cheapest ways to travel the world – and an excellent way to get a local perspective.

In addition to free accommodations, Host a Sister participants can meet up with fellow travelers while on the road and plan trips together so that you can have a buddy to travel with, too!

Pro Tip : Find out more about this unique free travel community on Facebook .

#9 Stay on a Couch for Free

Couchsurfing is one of the cheap ways to travel to Europe – or anywhere in the world!

Similar to Host a Sister, the Couchsurfers community opens their homes – and offer their couch or extra bed – to fellow travelers as a place to stay for free when traveling.

Couchsurfing is available in 200,000 cities and has more than 12 million members – which makes traveling for free a real possibility!

Pro Tip : Sign up and create a profile for Couchsurfing far in advance of your trip. It may take a few requests to find a Couchsurfer member that is available and meshes with your travel needs and style.

#10 Lead a Group of Students

Calling all teachers! Put your summer vacation to good use and travel abroad for free by leading student groups or taking advantage of fellowships and grants.

EF Tours allows teachers to travel for free with at least 6 students in tow. Teachers can chaperone groups of students to places around the US and destinations around the globe.

There are also tons of teacher dedicated grants and fellowships that aim to help teachers broaden their horizons by sponsoring teachers to travel with no trip costs!

Pro Tip : Free trips for teachers through grants and sponsorships are very competitive – and most have application deadlines in January. If you are a teacher looking for a free vacation, make sure you get the info and apply for the sponsored trips far in advance.

#11 Volunteer Work Trips

Volunteering abroad offers a unique free travel opportunity. Travelers donate their time working on a project and, in return, get free room and board – and sometimes even a free flight (but, honestly, this happens very rarely).

WWOOF – or Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms – is one of the top cultural exchange programs that invites travelers to work on farms in exchange for a free place to stay and free meals.

Workaway and Worldpackers are other volunteer cultural immersion programs that require a few hours of work for the benefit of cost-free accommodations and meals.

Travelers can also find free travel opportunities with the Peace Corps and VOS.

Pro Tip : Earning free travel in exchange for volunteer work can be a fabulous way to see the world, but there are some limitations. Always read the fine print and reviews of previous traveler experiences.

#12 Sign Up to be an Au Pair

One of the cheap ways to travel abroad is to sign up to become an Au Pair. A type of cultural exchange, an Au Pair moves in with a host family in a foreign country. The Au Pair is often tasked with household chores and helping to take care of children in the home.

The benefit of the experience is that the Au Pair traveler gets to experience life in another country, learning the language and culture, without having to pay for accommodations (plus, they typically earn money).

Living abroad as an Au Pair comes with a lot of responsibility, but also the possibility of amazing experiences and some freedom to explore on your own.

Pro Tip : There is not a set rule about who pays for what expenses, so it is best to hash that out with the host family before accepting a position so there are no surprises in the end.

#13 Work for an Airline to Get a Free Flights

While this might not score you a completely free vacation, one way to score free trips via plane is to work for an airline.

One of the best benefits of becoming an airline employee is free flights – which are also extended to the employee’s significant other and children. Yep, FREE…for you and your family.

Pro Tip : Of course, there are some caveats to get a seat on free flights. First, there needs to be available seat – so employees travel as Stand By Passengers, meaning you won’t know until the time of boarding if you have a seat on the plane. Therefore, travelers need to have flexibility – and possibly a little creativity to make it work.  

#14 Work as a Travel Agent for Free Travel Opportunities

If you are wondering if travel agents still exist, the answer is yes – and becoming a travel agent is one of the top ways to travel the world for free.

Most travel agent trips are Familiarization Trips – or Fam Trips. These trips are hosted by hotels and luxury resorts as a way to promote their properties. Travel agents, who send their clients to these resorts, are invited to see the property and experience the amenities.

Sometimes, travel agents are even permitted to bring along a friend!

Pro Tip : While it sounds dazzling, the Fam Trips are considered work – and the hotel likely has a schedule of events. Therefore, while it is a free trip, it is not necessarily a free vacation.

#15 Work at a Hotel and Vacation for Cheap

Working for a major hotel brand can lead to one of the cheapest ways to travel the US and abroad.

Most hotel employees enjoy travel perks – such as discounted rooms, low-cost or free meals and other travel benefits. While working for a hotel might not be a way to vacation for free, the discounts certainly help to make a trip cheap!

Pro Tip: Rumor has it that the hotels that offer the best employee rates are Hilton, Marriott and Kimpton.

How To Travel the World for Fee and Get Paid

I’ve covered some of the top ways for how to travel around the world for free – but are there ways to get paid to travel? Absolutely! I’m highlighting a few of the best jobs to travel the world for free.

Above, I did mention specific careers that offer free travel perks, but the jobs below are ones where the employee will actually get paid for traveling the world.

A quick note before jumping into how to travel for free and get paid for it. Sometimes traveling for work can dampen your travel spirit – because it is work and there are requirements, time limits and work distractions. It is best to thoroughly consider the pros and cons before switching careers in the name of free travel!

Pilots and Flight Attendants

I already mentioned that airline employees travel or free – and that benefit applies to all airline workers, from the ticket counter employees to mechanics to the corporate office staff.

That said, two airline positions that require you to travel for your job are pilots and flight attendants. If you are seeking how to travel free and get paid, working on a plane as a pilot or flight attendant is a good bet!

Teach English Abroad

Teaching English in a foreign country is a great way to get paid to travel and help others. Teaching responsibilities vary; some teaching stints are just a few months while others are year long obligations. You might teach children in their normal classroom or teach adults in the evening.

Regardless, there are plenty of travel adventures to be had! From immersing yourself in the culture of the place you are teaching to quick (and cheap) weekend getaways to nearby destinations.

Become a Railroad Crew Driver to Travel for Free and Get Paid

Travelers who want to see more of the United States – and get paid to do it – might consider becoming a Railroad Crew Transport Driver.

The driver shuttles the crew to their starting point and then picks up crews at the end point to return them home. While some trips might just be short jaunts, others cover hundreds of miles.

Drive a Long-Haul Truck

Without a doubt, one of the cheapest ways to travel across country is to drive a truck on long-haul routes across the USA.

While it is true that the routes on major highways don’t always intersect with attractions, truck drivers can use their free-time for sightseeing.

Relocate Cars and RVs

Another one of the ways for how to travel for free and get paid is to relocate cars and recreational vehicles from Point A to Point B.

Companies, like Driveaway USA, actually pays people to drive – or rather, deliver – cars from point to point. This means, that you can literally take a cross country road trip and get paid to do it!

Likewise, Professional Drivers specializes in relocating cars for families moving to a new state and snowbirds who want to have their own vehicle available when they arrive at their second home.

Other companies – like Imoova – don’t pay, but instead offer drivers the opportunity to move cars and RVs for free.

Work as a Courier

Working as a long-distance courier is another one of the fabulous ways to make money and travel. Each job is different – as is the length of the trip – but it can be an excellent way to travel.

Work on a Cruise Ship

Working on a cruise ship is one of the fun and cheap ways to travel the world! There are an incredible number of benefits to crewing a cruise ship – not only do you get paid to travel, but you also have very little living costs while on the boat. Plus, many cruise ships pay for your round trip flights.

Of course, it is not all fun…it is, in fact, work. Furthermore, work shifts can be long and rather than getting days off, most cruise ship workers only get a few hours of free time (so plan to use it wisely when in port!).

Work as a Deckhand on a Boat

If traveling the world for free on a boat has piqued your interest, then you may also want to consider taking on a job as a deckhand or hostess on a small yacht.

Boats are chartered around the world in epically beautiful locations – and those chartered boats most often need crews. Not just a captain, but a cook, a hostess and a cleaner (or sometimes just one person to complete the duties of a cook, a hostess and a cleaner).

Travelers can also become part of a Volunteer Crew to help out on yachts – while catching a ride through tropical paradise to wherever the boat is headed.

Work as a Traveling Nurse for Cheap Ways to Travel USA

One of the unique ways to travel for free is to take on the career of a traveling nurse. Most travel nurses receive competitive wages, insurance, free housing and travel cost reimbursement.

Plus, the gig requires that travel nurses move frequently – often after just 3 months – meaning you will continually travel to new places.

The biggest benefit, however, is that travel nurses work normal 40 hour weeks – leaving plenty of time to explore and adventure!

More Tips for the Cheapest Ways to Travel

While enjoying totally free vacations is rare, I have shared some of the best ways to travel for cheap or free around the world.

You can also double down with saving money on travel by using my Top Tips for Frugal Vacations .

Ways to Save Money to Travel

Whether you use travel hacks for free travel or take on a job that includes travel as a perk, there is almost always some cost involved in taking a trip. As such, it is imperative to find ways to save for travel.

Personally, I think the best ways to save money for travel is with a Sinking Fund . With a Travel Sinking Fund, you are dedicated to saving for a very specific purpose.

That said, I also share creative ways to save money for travel in my tips for How To Save Money .

As you begin to save up for your trip, tracking your savings will help you visually see your progress toward your trip goal! My Vacation Savings Trackers are perfect to track your trip savings.

Interested in more of my Life and Entertainment Tips? I round them all up on the Frugal Lifestyle page!

Find more of my saving money Pinterest Pins on these  Pinterest Boards !

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International travel documents for children

See what documents a child needs to travel to or from the U.S. alone or with a parent or relative.

Children traveling to the U.S.

All children, including infants, must have their own travel documents such as a passport or document from a Trusted Traveler Program to enter the U.S. If you travel or are going to travel with a child, consider taking the following documents:

• If the child is traveling with only one of their custodial parents, they must have a letter of consent, preferably in English and notarized, from the other parent or signed by both parents. The letter should say "I acknowledge that my son/daughter is traveling outside the country with [the name of the adult] with my permission."
• If one parent has sole custody of the child, a copy of the custody document can take the place of the other parent's letter.
• Parents who frequently cross the border by land with a minor must always carry a letter of permission from the other parent.

U.S. citizen children traveling abroad

Ports of entry in many countries have security measures to prevent international child abduction . If you are traveling alone with your child, you may be required to present documentation proving you are the parent or legal guardian. You may also need a letter of permission from the other parent for your child to travel. 

If your child travels alone, depending on the country, they may be required to present a notarized letter from both parents or their legal guardian. If a minor is traveling abroad and is not accompanied by both parents or a legal guardian, contact the embassy or consulate of the country you will be visiting and ask about entry and exit requirements for that country.

LAST UPDATED: December 6, 2023

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• Best overall
• Best for cruises
• Best for reputation
• Best for preexisting conditions
• Best for digital nomads
• Best low-cost
• Best for road trips
• How we reviewed travel insurance companies

Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Travel Insurance in June 2024

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

Traveling is an adventure, a leap into the unknown, a story waiting to unfold. But every story needs a safety net, and that's where travel insurance comes in. In this guide to the best travel insurance, we'll embark on a journey to help you better understand travel insurance and uncover the benefits that make it an indispensable companion for any traveler.

Our Picks for the Best Travel Insurance Companies

Best overall: nationwide travel insurance.

• Runner-Up: AXA Assistance USA
• Best for Cruises: Travel Guard
• Best Reputation:  C&F Travel Insured
• Best for Pre-existing Conditions:   Tin Leg Travel Insurance
• Best for Digital Nomads:   WorldTrips Travel Insurance
• Best Low-Cost Option:   Trawick International Travel Insurance

Best for Road Trips: Travelex Travel Insurance

How we rate travel insurance »

Compare the Best Travel Insurance Companies

The best travel insurance companies offer comprehensive coverage options for a wide range of people and needs. For this guide, we looked at coverage options, customizability, and the best companies for specific situations, such as pre-existing conditions.

Here are Business Insider's picks for the best travel insurance companies in 2024. 

• Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of trip costs (for cruises) or up to $30,000 (for single-trip plans)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Three cruise-specific plans to choose from
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Annual travel insurance plans available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Strong trip cancellation coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cancel for any reason coverage available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. CFAR insurance not available with every single plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage is lower than what some competitors offer

Nationwide Travel Insurance offers many of the standard benefits you might see with a travel insurance policy. This can include things like trip cancellation coverage, so you can recover pre-paid costs or trip interruption in the event your vacation is interrupted by an unexpected event. There's also baggage delay coverage and medical coverage.

• Cancel for any reason coverage available

Nationwide Travel Insurance is of the largest players in the travel insurance space, offering nearly endless options for any customer on the travel spectrum, including annual travel insurance plans which can offer frequent travelers the flexibility to "set it and forget it" on their travel insurance coverage.

Nationwide Essential also offers some of the most affordable policies in the market compared to similar plans from competitors, which makes it a great pick for just about anyone. Buyers can discuss bundling options as Nationwide also sells homeowners, auto, pet, and other insurance products. Its travel insurance quoting is just as easy as it has been with other Nationwide insurance products.

Read our Nationwide Travel Insurance review here.

Best Travel Insurance Runner-Up: AXA Assistance USA

• Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of the trip cost
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous medical evacuation coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1,500 per person coverage for missed connections on cruises and tours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Covers loss of ski, sports and golf equipment
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage ceilings per person
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage only available for most expensive Platinum plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. CFAR coverage ceiling only reaches $50,000 maximum despite going up to 75%

AXA Assistance USA keeps travel insurance simple with gold, silver, and platinum plans. Emergency medical and CFAR are a couple of the options you can expect. Read on to learn more about AXA.

• Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans available
• Trip interruption coverage of up to 150% of the trip cost
• Emergency medical coverage of up to $250,000

AXA Assistance USA  offers consumers a great option for no-stress travel insurance: low-priced plans, generous coverage limits on key categories including primary insurance on lost luggage, and up to 150% reimbursement for qualifying trip cancellations.

While add-ons are limited and rental car coverage is not included by default on cheaper plans, AXA is a perfect fit for travelers who don't plan to drive (or who already hold a travel credit card with rental car coverage), and don't need any additional bells and whistles.

Read our AXA Assistance USA Travel Insurance review here.

Best for Cruises: AIG Travel Guard

Trip cancellation coverage for up to 100% of the trip cost and trip interruption coverage for up to 150% of the trip cost

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of the cost, for all three plan levels
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. CFAR covers up to 75% of total trip costs (maximum of $112,500 on some plans) 
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Medical coverage of up to $500,000 and evacuation of up to $1,000,000 per person
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Includes COVID coverage 
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Above average baggage loss and delay benefits
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. High medical evacuation coverage
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Premiums may run slightly higher than competitors

Travel Guard is a well-established and highly rated name in the travel insurance industry. It offers three main coverage options to choose from, and in general its policies have above-average coverage for baggage loss and baggage delays, plus high medical evaluation coverage limits.

• Trip cancellation coverage for up to 100% of the trip cost
• Trip interruption coverage for up to 150% of the trip cost
• Preexisting medical conditions exclusions waiver must be purchased within 15 days of initial trip payment
• Annual travel insurance plan and Pack N' Go plan (for last-minute trips) available

Travel Guard is well-known insurance provider, and a great fit for travelers who want to ensure that they can get their money back in the event of canceled or interrupted travel plans.

While the company's policies can be pricey compared to its competitors, the high medical and evacuation limits make AIG a solid choice for older travelers who value peace of mind and simplicity over highly customizable plans that may be bolstered with medical upgrades.

Read our AIG Travel Guard review here.

Best for Reputation: C&F Travel Insured

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers 2 major plans including CFAR coverage on the more expensive option
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cancellation for job loss included as a covered reason for trip cancellation/interruption (does not require CFAR coverage to qualify)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Frequent traveler reward included in both policies
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1 million in medical evacuation coverage available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage is only $100,000
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Reviews on claims processing indicate ongoing issues
• C&F's Travel Insured policies allow travelers customize travel insurance to fit their specific needs. Frequent travelers may benefit from purchasing an annual travel insurance plan, then adding on CFAR coverage for any portions of travel that may incur greater risk.

While every travel insurance company has negative reviews about its claims process, C&F Travel Insured 's claims process has a consistent stream of positive reviews. One customer wrote that C&F processed a claim within 48 hours. Additionally, C&F regularly responds to customer reviews within one business week, making reviews a consistent way to reach the company.

Additionally, in C&F's fine print, it mentions that any claims that take more than 30 days to pay out will begin to accrue interest at 9% APY.

C&F's reputation isn't the only thing to speak highly of. It offers an array of add-ons uncommon in the travel insurance industry, such as Interruption for Any Reason insurance and CFAR coverage for annual plans. C&F also offers discounts for children on its Protector Edge plan and free coverage on its Protector plan.  

Read our C&F Travel Insured review here. 

Best for Pre-Existing Conditions: Tin Leg Travel Insurance

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Policy coverage includes most pre-existing health conditions
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous medical and evacuation amounts for peace of mind
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. COVID coverage included by default on all insurance plans
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers a wide range of plans for various budgets and travel needs
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Some plans offer CFAR, “cancel for work reasons,” financial default, and unemployment coverage
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited add-on coverage options
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Baggage loss and delay coverage is low compared to competitors

Tin Leg travel insurance offers eight travel insurance plans to meet the unique needs of travelers.

• Tin Leg was founded in 2014 by the travel insurance industry experts at Squaremouth. Designed to meet the most common needs of travelers, these policies offer comprehensive Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption benefits, and a range of Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation limits.

Tin Leg Travel Insurance is a great fit for travelers with medical issues in particular. Seven of Tin Leg's eight travel plans include coverage for pre-existing conditions as long as you purchase your policy within 15 days of your initial trip payment.

Thanks to coverage for pre-existing medical conditions as well as for potential COVID-19 infection while traveling, this company offers some of the best financial investment options for travelers who are or will be exposed to higher health risks and issues.

Read our Tin Leg Travel Insurance review here.

Best for Digital Nomads: WorldTrips Travel Insurance

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable base plans that can be customized with add-ons including rental car, pet care, hunting and fishing, and vacation rental coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Insurance plans available for international student travelers
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip delay coverage benefit that kicks in after just five hours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Pre-existing conditions waiver can be purchased within 21 days of initial trip payment
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Lower medical, evacuation and accidental death limits
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited, secondary baggage loss coverage although baggage protection can be upgraded at a low cost
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No special coverages for pets, sports equipment, etc.

WorldTrips has been a reputable travel insurance provider for more than 20 years. Unsurprisingly, it boasts an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and positive reviews from thousands of customers.

• Travel medical insurance (Premium, Group, Annual, and International Student options)
• Trip cancellation insurance
• Trip protection insurance

WorldTrips Travel Insurance has affordable premiums, highly customizable add-ons, and generous coverage for core categories of travel insurance. All this makes it a great option for digital nomads, students studying abroad and backpackers.

However, travelers should keep in mind that plans are not particularly flexible, and coverage amounts are limited unless you plan ahead to pay for the areas and amounts that you need.

Read our WorldTrips Travel Insurance review here.

Best for Affordability: Trawick International Travel Insurance

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Useful for adventurous travelers headed to higher-risk destinations
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable plans with varying levels of coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. 10-day free look option
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous baggage loss replacement policy
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip delay coverage kicks in after just six hours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Some policies allow a CFAR add-on
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1 million medical evacuation coverage limit
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Baggage and trip delay coverages don’t kick in until after the 12-hour mark
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. International student policies available for temporary stints abroad
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Complaints about claims not being paid or involving an intermediary to resolve claims

Trawick International travel insurance offers plans customized to diverse travelers' needs. We look at coverage options, claims processing, pricing, and other important factors for savvy travelers.

• Travel medical insurance
• Trip protection and cancellation
• International student insurance
• Visitor medical insurance (for traveling to the US)

Trawick International Travel Insurance is another insurance provider with robust medical travel insurance  that can help higher-risk and anxious travelers find peace of mind while on the road. This company offers one of the most generous medical evacuation policies in the market, although travelers will need to remember to add on rental car coverage if they need it.

Read our Trawick Travel Insurance review here.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Options to cover sports equipment
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Option to increase medical coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Can cancel up to 48 hours before travel when CFAR option is purchased
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable coverage for budget-conscious travelers
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Includes generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Optional "adventure sports" bundle available for riskier activities
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Only two insurance plans to choose from
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage maximum is low at up to $50,000 per person
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Pricier than some competitors with lower coverage ceilings
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Some competitors offer higher medical emergency coverage

Travelex travel insurance is one of the largest travel insurance providers in the US providing domestic and international coverage options. It offers a basic, select, and America option. Read on to learn more.

• Optional CFAR insurance available with the Travel Select plan
• Trip delay insurance starting at $500 with the Travel Basic plan
• Emergency medical and dental coverage starting at $15,000

Travelex Travel Insurance  offers three plans:

• Travel Basic
• Travel Select
• Travel America

The Travelex America plan is meant for trips limited to the U.S., but it has the highest coverage limits in many areas compared to its other programs. If you're flying somewhere, the lost baggage limits are higher. Its natural strengths shine for road trippers, though. Travelex America adds coverage for roadside service and rental car coverage for unexpected accidents. It also covers pets should you be involved in an accident while on the road.

While your standard auto insurance does extend to car rentals within the U.S. for a limited time, any accident would affect future rates. Travelex would eliminate the risk of reporting to your auto insurance provider for minor incidents within its purview.

Read our Travelex Travel Insurance review here.

Introduction to Travel Insurance

Why travel insurance is a must-have.

The unpredictable nature of traveling – from flight cancellations to medical emergencies – can turn your dream vacation into a nightmare. Travel insurance acts as a personal safeguard, ensuring that unexpected events don't drain your wallet or ruin your trip.

Understanding Different Types of Travel Insurance

Not all travel insurance policies are created equal. From single-trip travel insurance policies to annual travel insurance plans , from minimal coverage to comprehensive protection, understanding the spectrum of options is your first step in finding the right fit for your journey.

Key Features to Look for in Travel Insurance Coverage

Travel insurance for medical emergencies.

Imagine falling ill in a foreign country; daunting, right? A robust travel insurance plan ensures you don't have to worry about how much emergency medical care while traveling will cost, even in the most remote corners of the globe. This coverage will often come in tandem with emergency medical evacuation coverage.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Benefits

Life is full of surprises, some less pleasant than others. Trip cancellation and interruption coverage ensures that you're not left out of pocket if unforeseen circumstances force you to cancel or cut your trip short. You may also look for cancel for any reason and interruption for any reason options, which will reimburse you for a percentage of your nonrefundable fees, but expands the covered reasons you can cancel a trip. You can find our guide on the best CFAR travel insurance companies here.

Coverage for Personal Belongings and Baggage Loss

Losing your belongings is more than an inconvenience; it's losing a piece of your world. Insurance that covers personal belongings and baggage loss ensures that you're compensated for your loss, helping you to rebound and continue your adventure.

Support and Assistance Services

In times of trouble, having a lifeline can make all the difference. Look for insurance that offers 24/7 support and assistance services, giving you peace of mind that help is just a phone call away. Also, check websites that field customer reviews like Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, and InsureMyTrip , to see how well a company responds to customer requests.

Choosing the Best Travel Insurance

Reputation and reliability of the travel insurance provider.

A provider's reputation is not just about being well-known; it's about reliability, customer satisfaction, and the ability to deliver on promises. Researching and choosing a reputable provider is a cornerstone in ensuring your safety and satisfaction.

Understanding the Policy's Fine Print

The devil is in the details, and understanding the fine print of what your travel insurance policy covers is crucial. Be aware of coverage limits, exclusions, and the process for filing a claim to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Customer Reviews and Feedback

In the age of information, customer reviews and feedback are goldmines of insight. Learn from the experiences of others to gauge the reliability and customer service of the insurance provider you're considering. While the ratings are important, you should also look at whether or not a company responds to customer complaints.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Travel Insurance

Knowing your policy inside out.

Familiarize yourself with every aspect of your policy – what it covers, what it doesn't, how to file a claim, and who to contact in an emergency. Being informed means being prepared. 

Steps to Take When a Problem Arises

If you face an issue during your travels, knowing the immediate steps to take can make all the difference. Keep important contacts and your policy details handy, and remember, your insurance provider is there to assist you.

How to Pick the Best Travel Insurance Company for You

There isn't a one-size-fits-all policy that works perfectly for every traveler. Young, healthy solo travelers can opt for much cheaper plans that offer bare-bones coverage, while families juggling complex itineraries will do best by investing in a robust policy that can help defray any costs associated with lost baggage, delayed transportation or other trip-impeding obstacles.

That being said, you can't go wrong with a travel insurance provider that boasts a reputable history and offers a wide range of customizable plans. In some cases, you may be comparing plans that are only a few dollars' apart from each other. In such situations, you should generally opt for the insurance company that offers the strongest customer service. It's also worth considering whether or not the travel insurance provider has been reviewed by other travelers with similar itineraries to your own. 

An insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip or Squaremouth is one of the best tools for searching travel insurance policies. Once you input the specifics of your travel itinerary, you'll be able to see hundreds of search results to compare the ones that catch your eye. If the options are too overwhelming, use the filters to the left of your search page to eliminate as many irrelevant plans as possible.

How We Reviewed the Best Travel Insurance Companies

To come up with our list of the best travel insurance companies, we evaluated each insurer based on the following factors:

Guide Methodology: What We Considered

Policy Types

Travel insurance is essential, but often underused partly because people aren't getting what they want. Business Insider's 2023 travel study showed 10.65% of travelers surveyed bought cancel for any reason insurance. Cost may be a factor, but in many cases, the coverage is more affordable than you might think. Regardless, companies must offer a diverse range of coverage options. We award five stars to companies offering all standard coverages and additional options like pet and sports equipment protection.

Our 2023 travel study indicated the majority of purchases were made through the travel provider (ex: flight protection insurance when you're purchasing your airline tickets). While these may be sufficient for some customers, we look for companies offering a more comprehensive range of services.

According to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, the average cost of travel insurance will be between 4% and 8% of total travel expenses. Anything beyond that price point should include additional benefits beyond the standard inclusions, such as CFAR protection or upgraded medical coverage. Anything below that 4% threshold may leave you lacking important or sufficient coverage in an emergency.

Convenience and Flexibility

Whether you're an infrequent traveler or a suitcase warrior, a good travel insurance company should have you covered. In many cases, you might not even have to talk to a person in order to purchase your policy.

Many people think of travel insurance in context with specific trips, but most of these top contenders sell both single-trip and multi-trip policies, also known as annual travel insurance. Some companies also offer plans specifically designed for cruisers, students abroad, and business travelers. (Read our guide to the best cruise travel insurance companies for more details.) Finally, all of these providers offer multiple options for getting the specific areas and amounts of coverage that you want.

Claims Handling

Most travelers never have a large claim. Premiums are low, and it provides peace of mind for the just in case situations. So they leave reviews based on their reduced stress levels. But what happens if you lose your luggage or have to stay a few extra days due to an unexpected accident? Will your insurance carrier cover your claim without all the hassle? We check real customer reviews to sort this out for you.

Ease of Use and Support

When purchasing, during your trip, and throughout the claims process, you may need extra support. Does the company have a 24/7 help line? Does it have an online or mobile system allowing you to self-manage? Essentially, what are the options when you need help? We look at the big picture to evaluate the average customer experience with each company.

You can read our full insurance rating methodology for even more details.

Best Travel Insurance FAQs

There isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for every traveler. Determine the benefits that are most important to you, like baggage delay coverage, medical coverage, and trip delay coverage, then look for a company with solid customer ratings, especially when it comes to processing claims.

Travel insurance will pay out if you experience a covered event, such as a travel delay or delayed or lost baggage. If you're looking to get travel insurance for a specific reason, such as needing to potentially cancel your trip due to work reasons, make sure your policy will cover you in that situation before purchasing it. You should also check customer reviews to see other travelers' claims experiences, as it varies wildly from company to company.

The average cost of travel insurance is 4% to 8% of your total trip cost, so it could vary widely depending on where you're traveling and the length of your trip. Your age, the number of people in your group, and other factors can also influence how much you'll pay.

Most comprehensive travel insurance policies include travel medical coverage that can come in handy if an emergency occurs and you need medical evacuation. Some travel insurance plans offer more specialized coverage for travelers with pre-existing conditions , so shop around if medical coverage is a top priority for you. 

$100,000 should be a sufficient medical coverage limit for travel insurance. If you're planning on doing extreme sports or anything particularly risky on your trip, you may want to increase your coverage level. A high medical coverage limit is especially useful when you're purchasing cruise travel insurance, since medical evacuations are more involved at sea.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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This free line-cutting app could save you hours at the airport

Skip the wait at customs and immigration with Mobile Passport Control, travel’s best open secret.

A month ago, I flew from Paris back to Baltimore full of despair: My vacation was over , and the trip home seemed to take an eternity .

Then I saw the snaking line for customs and immigration.

What could have sunk me into a deeper woe actually revived me, because I didn’t have to wait in that soul-sucking purgatory. I didn’t have to wait in the shorter but still well-populated Global Entry line, either.

Instead, I headed to a third option that most people miss: the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) line. Thanks to this secret national treasure, I was out of the airport and hailing my Uber in eight minutes. (I timed it.)

You, too, can experience this completely free VIP treatment the next time you fly internationally. Here’s how.

What is Mobile Passport Control?

Think of Mobile Passport Control like a fast pass for international travel. It’s a free service that allows select travelers to access a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) express lane with a smartphone app.

To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident, a Canadian B1/B2 citizen visitor or a returning Visa Waiver Program traveler with approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization.

You can use the app only when returning from an international trip at an MPC-approved site . That includes more than 30 U.S. international airports, 14 pre-clearance locations (among them airports in Abu Dhabi, Aruba and Ireland) and four seaports.

Why don’t more people use it?

Although you’ll see signs promoting Mobile Passport around those sites and sometimes ads on in-flight entertainment systems, most people aren’t taking advantage of the service. Just 8 percent of eligible travelers used the app in the 2024 fiscal year, according to CPB spokesman Aaron Bowker, though that’s a 50 percent increase from the year before.

The company Airside Mobile originally developed the app and launched it in 2014, first at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Awareness of its powers seemed to spread mostly by word of mouth and some signs around airports. In 2022, CBP officially took over the app, launching an updated version that left the original defunct. Some travelers missed the memo and figured the service had been discontinued when their app no longer worked.

But CBP is invested in the program’s growth.

“We’ve expanded the population of travelers that are able to use it. We’ve started to educate the airports. Airports have started to put in a better queuing system,” Bowker said. “And so we’re expecting to see this continue to increase.”

How Mobile Passport works

First, download the Mobile Passport app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store . Unlike line-cutting services such as Global Entry or TSA PreCheck , MPC doesn’t require preapproval or an application process. Even if you forget to do it before your trip, it’s so quick to set up, you can install it as you’re walking up to customs.

When it’s time to pass through, eligible travelers can fire up the app, answer the standard few questions about their trip that they would at a customs kiosk, take a selfie and proceed to a dedicated Mobile Passport lane, where an officer will confirm their details and wave them through. Individual travelers and families of up to 12 people can use the app at once.

It makes me feel like a fancy diplomat — not someone who just spent 12 hours in economy — every time I use it.

Mobile Passport vs. Global Entry

Mobile Passport and Global Entry both promise a faster airport experience. Both also come with pros and cons.

One MPC downside: Although it’s free to use and rarely has a line of more than a few travelers, it’s not at every airport. And Mobile Passport lanes may not always be available even in places that claim to offer it.

CBP spokeswoman Corey Daboin said the agency is aware of that problem. Sometimes, issues are due to infrastructure constraints — some airports may not have the lanes available to operate MPC continuously — or management. The agency stresses, however, that Mobile Passport is a priority, and “we are working on making that so it’s not an issue moving forward,” Daboin said.

If you fly internationally and your home airport doesn’t have MPC yet, Global Entry is a great option. It does cost $100 and requires an application and interview process. But it also comes with a TSA PreCheck membership and is good for five years — plus it’s still light-years better than waiting in that endless regular line.

More travel tips

Vacation planning: Start with a strategy to maximize days off by taking PTO around holidays. Experts recommend taking multiple short trips for peak happiness . Want to take an ambitious trip? Here are 12 destinations to try this year — without crowds.

Cheap flights: Follow our best advice for scoring low airfare , including setting flight price alerts and subscribing to deal newsletters. If you’re set on an expensive getaway, here’s a plan to save up without straining your credit limit.

Airport chaos: We’ve got advice for every scenario , from canceled flights to lost luggage . Stuck at the rental car counter? These tips can speed up the process. And following these 52 rules of flying should make the experience better for everyone.

Expert advice: Our By The Way Concierge solves readers’ dilemmas , including whether it’s okay to ditch a partner at security, or what happens if you get caught flying with weed . Submit your question here . Or you could look to the gurus: Lonely Planet and Rick Steves .

💡Travel benefits explained

🚄 db ticket euro 2024, 🌍 interrail pass euro 2024, 🚋 36 hour travel pass, uefa euro 2024: ticket holder travel benefits.

Monday, June 3, 2024

Article body

Did you know?

Travelling by train and public transport will be the most convenient and sustainable option to get around. Luckily, EURO 2024 ticket holders will have access to discounted national and international train tickets, as well as a 36 Hour Travel Pass for public transport!

• DB Ticket EURO 2024 – Train travel within Germany
• Interrail Pass EURO 2024 – Train travel across Europe
• 36 Hour Travel Pass – Public transport in the region

To make use of your travel benefits, you will need your Fan Pass . The Fan Pass is brand new for EURO 2024 and provides access to exclusive perks which will enhance your experience on-site. Your Fan Pass is free and now available for all ticket holders on the UEFA EURO 2024 app .

Plan your journey on the DB Website or DB Navigator App to see what services you’ll be travelling on.

• Purchase a DB Ticket EURO 2024 for single journeys between host cities that involve long-distance services such as IC (InterCity), ICE (InterCity Express), or EC (EuroCity) trains.

• Purchase a Interrail Pass EURO 2024 for international arrival to Germany and during your stay in Germany for journeys that involve long-distance services such as IC, ICE, or EC trains.

• Use your free 36 Hour Travel Pass on matchday and the day after to travel within the city and on slower services within the region ( see map below ). If you’re travelling between Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund and Gelsenkirchen, you can simply use your 36 Hour Travel Pass, as long as your journey doesn’t include ICE, IC or EC services.

4, 5 or 7-day passes: 17 January – 13 July

10 or 15-day passes: 17 January – 8 June

33 European countries

This includes the option to travel in your country of residence, but is limited to two journeys (one to leave and one to return).

Full list of railway operators

How it works

• Take as many trains as you like on each of your travel days.
• To use and activate your Interrail Pass, download Interrail’s Rail Planner App .
• Your Interrail Pass EURO 2024 is only valid in combination with your EURO 2024 Fan Pass . All ticket holders will have access to a Fan Pass for free. You will need to show your Fan Pass when travelling on the train – just like a railcard.
• For some trains, it is mandatory to book seat reservations . Be sure to make them early, as trains fill up quickly. Please check the reservation policy of each train you plan to take.
• Trains will be busy, so it’s strongly recommended to book a seat reservation even if it's not mandatory. Otherwise, you may need to stand.

❓ FAQs: Interrail Pass EURO 2024

Your Interrail Pass EURO 2024 can only be used to travel between 9 June and 21 July.

Depending on which option you choose, it is either valid for a month within this period (4, 5 and 7-day passes) or the full period (10 or 15-day passes).

The end of the travel period is 21 July for all passes , even if you activate your pass less than a month before this date. For example, if you choose to activate your pass on 13 July to travel to the final in Berlin, your Interrail Pass EURO 2024 will become invalid after 21 July.

No. It’s only available for European citizens (not German residents) and non-Europeans with an official residence in Europe. German residents can benefit from the DB Ticket EURO 2024 for train travel within Germany instead.

You can purchase one pass per EURO 2024 match ticket.

No, only match ticket holders are entitled to use the Interrail Pass EURO 2024 for travel. Your Interrail Pass EURO 2024 is only valid in combination with the EURO 2024 Fan Pass.

You can either travel together, or they can transfer their match ticket to you. Once you have a match ticket in your UEFA Mobile Ticket app , you can access your EURO 2024 Fan Pass in the UEFA EURO 2024 app . On board the train, simply show your Fan Pass together with your Interrail Pass.

You will need to show your free EURO 2024 Fan Pass on each train. The Fan Pass will allow you to prove that you have a match ticket, even when match tickets have not been sent to your mobile phone.

No, the Interrail Pass EURO 2024 is only available to match ticket holders. If you don't have a match ticket, you can purchase any other regular Interrail Pass.

The EURO 2024 Fan Pass is brand new and will provide you with access to exclusive perks for your tournament experience. The Fan Pass is available for free on the UEFA EURO 2024 app .

On the train, the Fan Pass works just like any other railcard or discount card. Show it to the conductor together with your valid Interrail Pass EURO 2024.

Yes, you can buy one pass per match ticket. However, if you’re going to multiple matches, purchasing a single Interrail Pass EURO 2024 with more travel days could be a better option.

No, the Interrail Pass EURO 2024 is non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

No, the Interrail Pass EURO 2024 is personalised.

Check out the full list of railway companies covered on the Interrail website.

The Interrail Pass EURO 2024 allows for up to two journeys in your home country: one to leave and one to return.

For all questions relating to the Interrail Pass EURO 2024, please contact Interrail:

For questions relating to your EURO 2024 match ticket, have a look at the Ticket FAQs .

Match ticket holders are entitled to a 36 Hour Travel Pass for the entire regional public transport network at no additional cost.

⏳ Validity period

From 06:00 on your matchday until 18:00 the following day.

🎫 How to get your pass

Your 36 Hour Travel Pass is included in your free Fan Pass .

• Download your Fan Pass on the EURO 2024 App .
• Simply hop on board and have your Fan Pass ready to show to inspection staff if requested
• No need to scan the Fan Pass before boarding the metro, train or bus.

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Electrostal History and Art Museum - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

Park Hotel Bogorodsk

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Finding an ideal hotel in Elektrostal does not have to be difficult. Welcome to Park Hotel Bogorodsk, a nice option for travellers like you.

Rooms at Park Hotel Bogorodsk provide a kitchenette, a refrigerator, and a seating area.

In addition, while staying at Park Hotel Bogorodsk guests have access to a concierge and room service. You can also enjoy a lounge.

Close to Statue of Lenin (1.5 mi), a popular Elektrostal landmark, Park Hotel Bogorodsk is a great destination for tourists.

Travellers looking for Italian restaurants can head to Apelsin or Dodo Pizza.

There is no shortage of things to do in the area: explore popular art museums such as Electrostal History and Art Museum.

Park Hotel Bogorodsk puts the best of Elektrostal at your fingertips, making your stay both relaxing and enjoyable.

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PARK HOTEL BOGORODSK - Reviews, Photos