Imagine unlocking the secrets and techniques of the best way to journey the world at no cost.
Sounds engaging, doesn’t it?
If you’re right here, it’s seemingly as a result of the spirit of journey tugs at your soul, however the pressure in your pockets holds you again.
Fear not! This information is your key to a world the place free lodging isn’t a dream, however your nightly actuality, the place transportation prices are a factor of the previous, and the place the worldwide smorgasbord of meals doesn’t include a verify.
Sounds like a fairy story? Believe me, it’s not. Join us on this journey. After all, the enjoyment of journey isn’t simply within the locations, however within the freedom of understanding that the necessities like meals and a spot to sleep are fully taken care of, with out costing you a dime.
Before we begin, a phrase of to the clever – you recognize that outdated saying “there’s no such factor as a free lunch“? Well, for essentially the most half, we now have to agree that it’s true. While we provide you with loads of hacks to get free journey right here, there’s virtually all the time a distinct worth to pay, whether or not it’s time invested in analysis and preparation, hours spent engaged on an natural farm in alternate for a spot to remain, or time spent working a job on the street.
Now that we’ve sparked your creativeness, let’s delve into the nitty-gritty of constructing this free journey dream a actuality.
How to Travel the World for Free
We’re going to discover the magic of bank card and rewards factors, the potential of engaged on the street, and the wealthy experiences provided by volunteering.
We’ll define methods to attain free lodging, transportation, leisure, and meals as you traverse the globe.
So buckle up, adventurers! It’s time to show the best way to journey the world at no cost from a fantastic notion into your on a regular basis life.
First up, let’s do a fast have a look at a number of fast methods to get free flights, lodging, meals, and leisure in your travels: utilizing factors, volunteering, getting a job as you journey, and even an uncommon tip we haven’t seen wherever else.
Once that’s achieved, we’ll get into some actual, sensible suggestions for touchdown free meals, lodging, flights and leisure as you trip across the globe.
Use your factors
Let’s begin with a tried and true strategy of many vacationers: redeeming factors for journey.
There are two predominant methods to do that, through the use of both:
- bank card factors, or
- rewards program factors, like AIRMILES
Using factors for journey works properly if in case you have factors that you just’ve already earned, or if you happen to’re touring six or extra months sooner or later, and may earn factors by spending within the meantime. It doesn’t work particularly properly if you happen to don’t have a lot cash to spend, or if you happen to’re touring straight away (and don’t have any factors saved up).
Volunteer
I believe one of many largest myths in journey is you can journey for nearly free if you happen to’re prepared to volunteer. Unfortunately, it’s fairly darn laborious to get a volunteer gig at no cost. Most volunteer placements require you to pay to your personal airfare, and lots of require a charge for a volunteer placement. Some even require you to pay to your lodging.
That mentioned, there are a number of methods to volunteer on a finances, together with this one.
Do you belong to a neighborhood church or neighborhood affiliation? Churches typically ship volunteers overseas. You might get your bills paid, however you’ll undoubtedly want to spend so much of effort and time to boost cash and volunteer when you’re overseas.
That mentioned, volunteering generally is a very rewarding strategy to journey and provide you with an prolonged period of time working intently with locals and studying what actual daily life will be like in some nations. It may also be a good way to study a language since quite a lot of placements are distant from the vacationer path.
Learn extra in our article Can You Volunteer Abroad Cheap or Free? The Real Cost of Volunteering Overseas.
Work Abroad
While working is commonly thought-about the alternative of free, the truth is that not each facet of journey will all the time be paid for. So, get a job as you journey so you possibly can pay for objects you can’t get at no cost.
While there are many jobs, these are our prime picks.
Working Holiday Visa
If you’re beneath 35 years of age, see in case your vacation spot nation gives a youth working vacation visa.
Many nations (together with Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) have agreements that permit younger individuals to work on a working vacation visa for as much as one yr. Check out Wikipedia’s listing of working vacation visa packages.
Au Pair
An au pair or touring nanny place is a well-known strategy to get free lodging as you journey, plus a wage. It’s solely an incredible gig if you happen to like youngsters, although, and if you happen to handle to get a great host household.
Teach English abroad
Teaching English overseas is a good way to get spending money, and lots of positions provide free lodging as properly.
It’s additionally a good way to fulfill locals (and fellow vacationers). China, South Korea, and Middle Eastern nations are sometimes the best paying nations. Some colleges even pay to your flight. You’ll seemingly want a TEFL certification, and also you’ll need to analysis the variations in TEFL vs TESL vs TESOL.
Check out our article on the Best Countries to Teach English Abroad.
Looking for extra nice concepts for getting a job as you journey? Check out these articles for useful suggestions:
Enter contests
I don’t typically hear anybody point out coming into contests as a strategy to get free journey. While your probabilities of profitable a serious lottery are virtually zero, you may very well have an opportunity to win a smaller contest on a model’s social media web page.
Years in the past I received a brief haul flight with Flair Airlines (then referred to as New Leaf Airlines) on a contest by means of their electronic mail listing.
To discover contests with journey prizes, take a look at Instagram and Facebook, or you possibly can look into contest selling web sites. While greater corporations typically have greater contests, the percentages of profitable are sometimes a lot decrease so search for smaller run contests with much less individuals signing as much as improve your odds.
How to get free lodging while you journey
Ready to show your goals of free lodging into actuality?
As an skilled traveler, I can let you know it’s not as elusive because it may appear. In this part, we share sensible suggestions and tips that can assist you safe the coziest corners of the world with out loosening your purse strings.
From swapping houses to browsing couches, and from volunteering at native communities to working in alternate for a mattress, we’ve received you coated.
Stay with us, as we navigate the thrilling panorama of free lodging, making the best way to journey the world at no cost your new regular. It’s not simply concerning the journey or the vacation spot – it’s additionally about discovering a house wherever you go, with out it costing you a dime.
Here arr our prime concepts for getting a free place to remain as you journey.
Housesitting
Sites like Trusted Housesitters allow you to swap housesitting at no cost lodging. Most housesits contain caring for pets and crops, along with sustaining the home and property so be sure to issue that into your timeline when agreeing to any keep.
House swap
Home Exchange and Love Home Swap are nice selections if you happen to occur to have a house already. These websites allow you to swap a keep at your own home with another person in a distinct space. If your own home is in a fascinating space, you’ll have higher luck discovering a home you discover equally interesting.
Couchsurfing
This is one thing we’ve by no means achieved, as a result of we prefer to be extra … snug as a household. As a feminine traveler, crashing at a stranger’s home simply makes me uneasy nonetheless there are millions of individuals who swear by it. We’ve additionally stayed at mates and have family and friends stick with us so we think about it’s one thing like that.
Free lodging in alternate for work
Worldpackers, Workaway, or WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) all provide time-tested methods to get free lodging in alternate for time serving to your host. Food is commonly included as properly and, because you’re typically working with produce every day, you recognize it is going to be freshly picked.
Use your private connections
Looking for someplace free to remain? Go old skool, and crash on a relative or buddy’s (or buddy of a buddy’s) sofa. Have prolonged household you barely know? Maybe it’s time to succeed in out. We’ve heard nice tales of individuals assembly household from generations again that have been welcomed in with open arms.
Exchange work for lodging
Sometimes, you possibly can luck in on a strategy to earn cash as you journey, by doing an odd job for a hostel or small lodge. We helped clear a hostel for a few weeks in alternate for a free double room in Adelaide, Australia and it was just a few hours a day of labor. Saved us a number of {dollars} and gave us a purpose to stand up sooner than we might have so helped maintain our nightly bills down too.
Camp at no cost
Camping on Crown land in Canada is free, and tenting on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land within the USA is free, however there are limits on how lengthy you possibly can keep in a single spot. There are related legal guidelines yow will discover across the globe. You also can use apps like iOverlander to seek out free spots exterior of free public land.
Take benefit of free nights whereas flying or driving
Take benefit of in a single day ferries, night time buses and red-eye flights to get a free night time’s lodging. While you may not get the most effective nights sleep, it’s a great way to avoid wasting versus having to pay for 1 extra nights keep.
Press journeys or free nights at a lodge by means of running a blog or influencing
This one’s not for everybody. To get free lodging as a YouTuber, blogger or influencer, you’ll want a sizeable variety of followers, or an incredible natural engagement in a particular area of interest, to qualify for press journeys or free nights lodging. Just be warned that press journeys contain quite a lot of work writing and posting on social media, and also you’ll want to stay to the organizers (typically exhausting) schedule.
Always be well mannered right here, and be sure to really provide a profit to the corporate you’re reaching out to, as quite a lot of corporations are (rightfully) uninterested in being hit up at no cost stuff.
University or highschool pupil alternate packages
University, faculty, and highschool pupil alternate packages can allow you to go to one other nation, reside with a neighborhood household, and get your schooling on the similar time.
Language Exchanges
Look into websites like Lingoo, that provide language alternate holidays and homestays or stick with a instructor.
How to get free meals while you journey
It’s time to embark on the tastiest a part of our journey – the hunt at no cost meals.
As an skilled traveler, I can guarantee you that eating out doesn’t all the time imply digging into your financial savings.
In this part, we feed your wanderlust with a buffet of methods (see what I did there, lol) to eat at no cost.
From looking down free samples in bustling native markets to celebrating your birthday with a feast on the home, we’ve received your plate full. We’ll delve into the world of zero-waste apps and supermarkets the place you possibly can fill your bag with out emptying your pockets, and discover low cost meals apps that make eating out a delight fairly than a drain in your finances.
Tip: Most of those concepts work higher within the USA and Canada, however your mileage might range in Europe or different components of the world.
Free samples
Supermarkets typically provide free samples within the grocery store aisles, and Costco nonetheless gives samples (even after slowing down a bit after the pandemic). You can discover free samples in native espresso outlets, bakeries, delis and extra. While you received’t get full, they do make an incredible free snack.
Free meals in your birthday
Many eating places nonetheless provide free meals in your birthday (you often have to indicate ID right here, but it surely’ll assist for 1 out of twelve months). Some chains and eating places additionally provide a reduction that may work for the week and even the month of your birthday so it’s not a foul strategy to save.
Sign up for a supply app
Sign up for a meals supply app to get the introductory coupon. If you’re cautious, you may get a $15 coupon, and order $15 of meals, making your meal free. Just don’t be an a$$gap, and spend a few bucks to tip the hard-working driver.
Free meals for downloading a restaurant’s app or rewards packages
Look for apps that provide a free meals bonus only for downloading the app. This is definitely fairly frequent to get a small meals merchandise like a free donut (thanks Krispy Kreme) or free Blizzard (thanks Dairy Queen) if you happen to obtain the app or join their rewards program.
Forage
Another possibility is to forage for meals on public land, or politely ask owners or farmers if you happen to can harvest further fruit or veggies from their property. Offering to only seize the fallen fruit or the too overripe to promote produce is your finest wager. Just don’t steal and all the time ask for permission first.
Become a thriller diner
These are aggressive gigs, and also you’ll typically have to pay out of pocket to your meal, write the evaluation, and get reimbursed later.
Look for zero-waste supermarkets and apps
Many of those work with pay-what-you-feel distribution facilities, which frequently allow you to volunteer to work within the warehouse as fee as an alternative of money.
You also can search for zero-waste apps to seek out free meals. Apps like Olio join you to see who has extra meals objects.
Pancake breakfasts
Looking for a free breakfast? Depending on the time of yr, and the place you’re situated, pancake breakfasts at church buildings and through some occasions (just like the Calgary Stampede) could also be a great possibility. Look for festivals and upcoming occasions on the place the place you’re heading to see what’s on the menu.
Dumpster diving
This is a fairly excessive possibility, to make sure, however higher than going with out meals. I haven’t tried this myself, however I’m guessing the most effective time to do that can be at closing time. Some bakeries and produce facilities even provide them out free to closing prospects.
Free lodge breakfasts
If you need to pay for a hostel or lodge, search for one that gives free meals. Some solely provide free cookies and occasional, however others provide a full breakfast, and nonetheless others provide supervisor’s completely happy hours with loads of nice meals available.
Check your receipts
Check your receipts for surveys that provide a free meals bonus for taking a buyer satisfaction survey.
Discounted meals apps
Download a reduced meals app like Flashfood.
Food isn’t free on these apps, however it’s closely discounted. Flashfood is free to obtain – take a look at this useful Flashfood evaluation right here.
Exchange work for meals
Not having a lot luck? Consider exchanging work for meals, by working in a restaurant or grocery store that offers you some meals at no cost as a perk of your employment.
How to get free transportation while you journey
This is a troublesome one. Transportation may simply be the toughest journey value to get at no cost.
In this part, we’ll rev up your journey recreation with a number of methods to hit the street, sail the seven seas, or fly the skies at no cost.
Whether you’re a pupil in search of the most effective reductions, an airline worker able to reap the benefits of these well-deserved perks, or a social butterfly who loves the thought of carpooling, we’ve received the tickets to your subsequent journey.
After all, the enjoyment of journey isn’t simply within the vacation spot, but additionally within the thrill of getting there with out breaking the financial institution.
Get a job with an airline
We have a buddy who used to work with Air Canada properly over a decade in the past. He nonetheless has a number of family and friends passes that permit him and a visitor journey wherever on the planet Air Canada flies at no cost. I’m unsure if all airways provide this perk to staff, or even when it’s nonetheless accessible at Air Canada, but it surely’s probably the greatest methods to get free flights I’ve ever heard of.
Get free transit passes as a toddler, pupil, senior, or if in case you have a low earnings
Depending on the place you’re visiting, and for the way lengthy, you might be able to get discounted or free public transportation. You might also be eligible if in case you have a incapacity.
Bicycle (or e-bike)
While you’ll have to pay the upfront value for a motorcycle (or e-bike), you’ll get loads of train, and by no means need to pay for gasoline if you happen to journey by bike.
Working as a yacht crew
We volunteered as yacht crew for night cruises on the yacht membership in Brisbane and located the membership and captains to be pleasant and open to our assist.
Depending on the place you volunteer, you might be able to get a journey across the harbor for a day, or embark on a crusing journey world wide.
Carpool
Have a buddy who’s touring? Ask them if you happen to can alternate some driving time for a journey. Make certain you make clear who’s paying for gasoline right here – many individuals will count on carpoolers to separate the price of gasoline (or at the least pitch in).
Share your journey sharing refer-a-friend code
Several journey sharing apps (Uber and Lyft) provide a refer-a-friend bonus if you happen to refer somebody who creates an account, and makes use of the service, together with your refer-a-friend code.
Transport a automobile to its last vacation spot
There are websites the place you possibly can enroll as a driver and get a gig delivering a automotive to its vacation spot. Car and RV dealerships or automotive rental corporations typically rent individuals to drive automobiles to a distinct vacation spot.
There are not any ensures with these, however you simply might luck out with websites like Canada DriveAway, Cars to Florida, or HitTheStreet.ca.
Work on a cruise ship
There are loads of jobs accessible on cruise ships, from entertainers, to cooks, to housekeepers, to virtually something you possibly can think about.
These jobs are higher suited to single individuals, as you’ll be on the street a bit.
You’ll additionally journey to unique ports of name, however you’ll seemingly solely keep for lower than a day, and return to the identical port. The one exception listed below are repositioning cruises, the place you’ll crew a ship on a a technique journey to a brand new vacation spot port.
Work on a cargo or container ship
While not as glamorous as engaged on a luxurious cruise liner, engaged on a container ship generally is a extra leisurely strategy to see the world. Workers typically act as lookouts and carry out upkeep like portray and sustaining containers. You’ll want a highschool diploma and lots of deckhands have coaching by means of business or labor union colleges.
How to get free leisure while you journey
Let’s set the stage for essentially the most enjoyable a part of your journey – scoring free leisure.
Whether you’re a pupil in quest of cultural enrichment, an airline worker seizing these further perks, or a savvy traveler able to faucet into the native scene, we now have the keys to unlock a world of leisure. After all, journey isn’t merely about transferring—it’s about creating reminiscences, and they’re each bit as treasured once they come and not using a price ticket.
Volunteer at Events
I’m stunned how not often I see this tip, however most festivals and occasions provide their volunteers free tickets (and typically further perks) in alternate for volunteering. Sure, you need to do some work to get the free tickets, but it surely’s nonetheless a fairly candy deal. You’ll have higher luck with smaller native occasions, and fewer luck with big festivals like Coachella or Burning Man however even these positions have to get stuffed one way or the other.
Attend free occasions
Most cities have loads of free occasions, that are simply an web search away. Some are surprisingly prime quality, starting from free yoga lessons, to theater and late night time motion pictures on the garden occasions, to festivals, to free sporting matches!
Take benefit of free nights
Many museums and artwork galleries provide free nights for admission. They’re often evenings or weekends (although not all the time). We’ve visited museums world wide on their free entry days. Most weren’t that costly however when touring with 4 of us these prices can rapidly add up.
Do free issues
Luckily, there are many free issues to do for enjoyable while you journey. You might wander by means of the town middle (or take a free strolling tour), go to native parks or the seashore, go to the library, hike, take within the structure, or individuals watch.
How to journey the world at no cost
Are you prepared to rework your adventures into priceless moments, all whereas on a decent finances?
Remember, the world is your oyster and it’s stuffed with treasures which are there for the taking.
The subsequent step? Take the plunge, let go of these monetary reins, and embark in your journey to journey the world at no cost. After all, the best adventures you ever take may simply be people who value you nothing, however enrich you in methods past measure.
So, right here’s to free journey and the infinite reminiscences it is going to carry! Safe journeys fellow nomads​.