How to travel the world for free

Can you travel the world for free, or at least next to nothing? Yes! It is possible, and we can show you how.

Most people dream of spending their lives travelling the globe, although few really do it. With work, life, commitments and cost, the dream of travelling for a lifetime often remains just that, a dream. But what if we told you that it is possible to travel the world for free, or at least for next to nothing?! We admit, it’s not easy and it takes a lot of commitment, but it can make the dream of travelling a little more than just a few weeks a year possible!

We suggest you try a combination of the various options below to maximise your chances of going fully-free or at least low cost!

Become an Influencer

Influencers have become the latest marketing trend to hit the business world, and there is plenty of work to go around. But what is an influencer? Well, we actually have an entire column of our blog called ‘The Sixth Power’ dedicated to interviewing them, but influencers essentially promote products and brands to their followers on Social Media. What do you need to be an influencer? Not much really - a social profile, some creativity and a little bit of luck (the market is pretty overcrowded, we must admit). If you’re looking to travel for free then we suggest creating a travel-branded profile that has is unique in some way. Once you have a stable profile with lots of followers (serious influencers are looking at over 100K, but you can start travelling for free with less ), you can start pitching your profile to companies to promote their products - and travel. Check our sites such as Upfluence and NeoReach where you can upload your influencer profile and be matched with companies. Of course, this route isn’t a quick fix to satisfy your wanderlust, but it can mean travelling non-stop for years and years in the long run, and even getting paid for it!

Join a Work Away Scheme

Work away is the perfect option for those of you who don’t want to dedicate their lives to Instagram and Facebook. The website takes your details and interests and matches you with overseas companies for short-term working contracts - a little like internships. Once you’ve found a suitable match your next step is to travel abroad and work from them. What do you get in return? Free accomodation and a daily pay to cover your living costs. Most opportunities only require working for 4-5 hours a day, so you have the rest of your time to explore the country you're in, and you’ll build up your CV in the meantime. You can work on farms, in schools, companies and more. The opportunities really are endless, and if you hop from one contact to another, you really can travel the world, almost for free!

Find a job that lets you travel the world

We’ve already written extensively on the kind of jobs you can do that give you the freedom to travel the world (remote jobs), but what about jobs that actually pay you to travel? There are obvious positions such as flight attendants, cruise ship workers and travel agents, but what about some less obvious jobs such as private boat crew workers, buskers and camp-coordinators? Work on a private yacht as a cook or cleaner, and see the world from the sunny decks. Travel abroad and work at a language or summer camp, and get free accommodation, meals and a salary on top (Check out Language Study Centres in the UK or CCUSA in the USA to find out more). Learn to play an instrument and let the world hear your music, for just a little change. If you're good with kids then you can even become an Au Pair, and spend a few months in various countries, and for a few hours babysitting a day you are given accomodation, meals and a salary!

Cash in on all your Air Miles and Points

Cashing in on all those Air Miles and card points can really take you far, for free. There is even an entire phenomenon of ‘Travel Hacking’ where you can combine travel deals, Air Miles and offers to get insanely low cost or totally free means of travel. Another key strategy is brand loyalty, so stick to booking with the same companies and you're sure to be rewarded. If you book with HostelsClub, for example, you’ll be given 2 euro travel credit to use towards your next booking with them when you leave a property review!

Learn a skill or craft

We've all seen the buskers playing in city streets, trying to make enough cash to fund their travelling adventures. But what other skills can let you travel the world for free, in exchange for your services? The options are endless really - you can volunteer in hostels for free food and accommodation, teach your native language or learn how to do odd jobs such or volunteer with a charity that sends you around the world to use your skills.

Use free or super cheap means of Transport

Apart from accomodation costs, transport is usually the second biggest spend when it comes to travel expenses. So how can we get transport for free? Well, hitchhiking is the obvious example, and is a great way to meet new people, although there are some dangers involved. Make sure you always travel with someone else or at least text your latest location to a friend or family member. Carsharing schemes are also pretty popular in Europe - Apps such as Bla Bla Car connect car owners planning a long drive with potential passengers, specifying itinerary and costs. Then, once you've found someone planning the same route as you, you can ride together and split the costs. This is particularly cheap if you manage to get a ride in a car that is fully booked, as the costs will be even lower.

Have the right mentality when you travel

You're attitude when travelling can have a huge effect on your finances. Think outside the box and make sure you are always making cost-conscious decisions. Can you hike/climb or cycle to your next destination? Are there any free campsites in the local area where you can stay for free? Are there any hostels where you can book a dorm bed, rather than an expensive private room in a hotel? Your attitude when travelling can make a world of difference.

Don't forget to close any payments at home

So you're all ready to set off, but what about closing up everything at home? Make sure that you're not going to be paying for services and subscriptions while you're travelling for months or years on end! This includes all your online subs such as Netflix, Spotify, but also closing down any rental payments, local taxes and fees. And of course, this will give you more cash to continue travelling for longer!

What are you waiting for? It's time to travel the world!