You can get an overseas job or choose to volunteer abroad, sign up for a Workaway program, or just opt for a staycation being a digital nomad – embracing the adventures that the roads have to offer!
Life is full of uncertainties and now, we know it better more than ever! As the pandemic hit the world in 2020, bringing everything to a standstill, we have definitely learned the value of being free to explore.
As we were forced to stay indoors to keep the spread of the Novel Coronavirus in control, 2020 turned into 'the year of no traveling', but in 2021, we shall grab all the opportunities to explore the globe and tick off all that's there in our bucket list. I'm sure that you're wondering how to travel the world for free, or at least next to nothing. Being able to travel the world for free might sound like an unreachable dream, but you can make it a reality if you know where to look.
You can get an overseas job or choose to volunteer abroad, sign up for a Workaway program, or just opt for a staycation being a digital nomad – embracing the adventures that the roads have to offer!
Teach English abroad
This is, perhaps, the most popular option amongst millennials. And the best part is, you often don't need a teaching degree, or even a college degree to teach overseas. Sometimes certification is helpful but it depends on each country's requirements. However, if you are looking for a paid opportunity while traveling abroad, you would need a TEFL Certificate which can be obtained by joining an online course for the same. 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. It would also give you a chance to backpack around Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and soak in the cultural vibes of this part of the world.
Farming with WWOOF
If you've always wanted to try your hands in farming, then you can choose to travel and volunteer with World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It'll be an incredible opportunity for those who wish to explore their green thumb and help the farmers at the ground level, contributing to sustainable practices, while learning about local life. You can check out the official website of WWOOF and find farms in your destination of choice, pay a small membership fee and in return, live your wanderer life with a local family.
Sailing around the world in a cruise ship
If you've always dreamt of cruising around the world, then now is the time when you can actually do it for free! I know it might sound unreal to you but the best you can do is get a job on a cruise ship and you'll get free accommodations, food, and travel all over the world. If you're hired as a full-time employee, you'll get paid on top of it. Cruise ships have lots of positions they hire for and you could find yourself working as an entertainer, fitness instructor, bartender, babysitter, waiter, cleaning crew, and more. You can choose the kind of work that suits you – and sail abroad!
Work as an Au Pair
If you love kids, you can get a job overseas as an Au Pair, or an international nanny. This will get you free room and board, a paycheck, and on some occasions, extra money for travel. Sounds amazing, doesn't it? Once you decide to embark on this adventure and get your mind ready to spend some fun time with kids abroad, you can look up for programs where you'll be placed with a host family, so you'll get to fit in with the locals right away. Some of the most popular countries to work as an Au Pair include Switzerland, Sweden, France, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, China, and Spain.
Sign up for a volunteering program abroad
There are endless ways to volunteer abroad and gain rewarding experiences while traveling across your favorite destination. No matter whether you wish to be a part of a marine conservation program in Bali or spend your days with adorable kids at a childcare center in Nairobi, or maybe hike around the ruins of Machu Pichu while volunteering at a medical camp in Cusco – there are numerous options and you can choose the best that suits your interests. Organizations like Volunteering Solutions have incredible opportunities (both long term & short term) and they’ve got a great in-country support team. Spend an hour researching options online, and you can’t help but be inspired by the possibilities to give back while seeing the world.
Hitchhiking and couchsurfing
This, surely, would be the most adventurous option – but nonetheless, it'll be an experience worth living! Whether you're looking forward to traveling along the coasts in the USA or hop from one country to another in Europe – you can always manage to get a ride (mostly for free!) if you're lucky! Having said that, you need to be really careful about your safety, stick out your thumb, and hope for the best. HitchWiki breaks it down by country, so you can be the judge of your own chances. And then, you'd need a place to sleep once you reach your destination. For that, you need to check out the official Couchsurfing website to meet new people and stay at a local's home. All around the world, fellow travelers open up their homes and offer for you to sleep on their couch for free.
So prepare to exit your comfort zone and enter that money-saving mode, and find the best way to travel the world for free (almost!) in 2021.
Riyanka Roy is an ordinary girl with some extraordinary dreams. She loves to believe in the miracles of destiny and wants to travel all over the world, spend time with the natives, binge on local food, and absorb their culture. She feels that she’s born with vagabond blood, and stagnation makes her feel claustrophobic. Life, for her, is like a book, and she loves writing about everything interesting she comes across. She believes that her stories make the chapters of her book more colorful. Read more about her adventures on Roy Tells Tales and follow her journeys on Instagram.
