A lot of us want to travel for free or next to nothing. But, for sure, we ask ourselves how in the world we’re going to it.
Believe it or not:
Traveling for free isn’t a rocket science. Actually, it’s easier than we think.
You don’t need to be rich to travel the world. You just have to be smart enough to take advantage of what’s available around.
And there’s plenty around you.
If you’re ready to learn how to travel for free or for cheap, read on!
How To Travel For Free or Next To Nothing
Traveling for many is a dream. Traveling for free is the perfect dream. How could it not be, right? I know I would love to go to different places without spending a dime or close to it.
In this post, I’m going to show two different things:
- How to travel hack (a.k.a. how to travel on budget)
- How to travel for cheap
- How to travel for FREE (seriously)
Let’s go and get started!
How To Travel Hack
If you want to travel the world for free or almost nothing, you have to learn the travel hacks that not a lot of people know about.
These hacks are the ones you need when you travel the world. Period.
These travel hacks range from how to make extra cash without even sweating to using a phone plan called Mint SIM so you have to save you money while on travel.
Let’s read!
Get a Budget Together
Before you book anything, make a budget to make sure you know how much you are willing to spend.
You need to set a limit on your travel cost because it’s easy to overspend when you see a lot of things you want to do at your destination place.
Stick with your budget.
Don’t tell yourself that it’s ok to add a couple of dollars here and there. If you do that, the next thing you know is that your trip is way too over the budget.
FYI: One thing you can quickly do is to use Mint SIM, a prepaid phone plan that starts at $15/mo for 3GB data.
Get a Side Hustle Going Without Lifting a Foot
If you don’t like getting a second job to fund your travel, one of the best ways is to get paid on things that you normally.
I’m talking about things you do on a normal-day basis. Yes, you might as well get paid for that.
First, you can take paid surveys in exchange for your opinions. Survey sites like Survey Junkie and Survey Club have even given out $4,000 in a month to one member. That’s without even putting a foot out the door.
If you literally start now and you’ve got months before your trip, you could make enough or more than enough money to cover your trip plus more.
Or you can get paid doing what you do online. Do you use the internet? Shop online? Watch YouTube? Or something else? Swagbucks will pay you for almost anything you. Plus, you get $15 bonus for signing up with Swagbucks.
Might as well get the most out of what you do. That’s how these sites will work best for you.
Get Those Credit Cards To Work for You
Though many people call credit cards as evil, I call them as my best friends for one specific reason, that is, they provide me cash backs, mileage points, incentives, bonus, and rewards.
If you have credit cards with benefits I described above, then, use those to pay for your trip.
Technically, it’s your money but it is money that does not come out of your bank account. Aside from these rewards, credit cards sometimes offer promotions that won’t cost you a dime.
I say if you see promotions like these, take advantage of them.
Don’t Forget To Use Coupon Apps
We live in the smartphone world where apps can do anything.
That goes with saving you money.
There are apps that save you money without you having to do anything except to download and let them run.
From grocery coupon apps to promo code apps, there are apps for all your travel needs. Here are some of these best apps for coupons:
- Ibotta: Best for grocery shopping and making money
- Shopkick: Best for making money by stepping into the store. Literally, just step into the store and you get rewarded
- Ebates: Best for online cash back
Travel off-season
Sometimes, it doesn’t matter whether it’s summer or winter when you want to visit a place.
The best time to travel is during off-peak seasons. If you want to travel and are not constrained by time, then, off-peak season traveling may be the best option for you.
Chances are airline tickets, hotel rates, car rentals, among others are priced lower than when they are in-season.
Of course, when you have kids who are in school, the only time your family may be able to travel is during summer break. This situation really makes a difference in your overall travel plan and cost.
Having said that, you can still apply the tips I described above to save a ton of money.
How To Travel For Cheap
While not everything is free, there are ways you can put into action to make your travel close to being zero. No, I’m not saying that you need to cheapskate to make that happen.
There are ways to travel on your own budget (regardless of what budget it is).
Obtain Discount Cards
Another beneficial way to travel when you have no money is to make use of discount cards.
This can also include student cards, where younger individuals grab a greater discount on items.
Student discounts are offered with young individuals in mind who may not have a lot of money in their pocket but want to enjoy traveling the world.
Ask if your chosen lodging, entertainment, or dining locations offer student discounts or any other type of discounts.
Use City Tourism Cards
Certain cities will offer city tourism cards.
These discount cards are offered to those who want to see all of the sights of a city and do so economically.
The best way to find out if your city of choice offers tourism cards is to visit their local tourist center and ask.
Discounts can be in the form of museum admission, historical site admission, transportation, and so much more!
Go House Sitting Options
Another way to travel for free is to obtain house sitting jobs.
When you become an overseas house sitter, you can stay for free and frequently obtain free board as well.
You may find that the house you stay at and care for while the owner is away is positively magnificent.
After all, the person that wants a house sitter is often someone who has a beautiful house to protect and conserve.
House sitting provides you with travel for free option to consider.
Use Social Media Connections
Social media is an excellent resource to use when traveling abroad and doing so when you have no money and hope to travel for free.
Maybe you know someone or a few different people in Italy or Spain or any other country which you wish to visit.
You can use your social network to connect with these individuals and see if they know of a free place for you to stay or places to visit while you’re there.
Taking advantage of your social media connections will help you to reach out and connect with individuals across the globe.
Travel Overseas by Using the Sharing Economy
When you use something known as the sharing economy, you can travel overseas economically.
The sharing economy consists of sharing lodging, dining, transportation, and more.
Some of the companies which offer sharing economy options include Airbnb, EatWith, and more!
By taking advantage of these sharing economy opportunities, you can get everything you need at a fraction of the price and travel for cheap.
You’ll still be able to enjoy all of the desired lodging, transportation, and dining offerings that you’ve been hoping for and save money doing so.
Cook Home More, Dine Out Less
When you travel overseas, it’s often for a longer time than just a week’s vacation.
With this in mind, try to cook your own meals at home more often than dining out. Or get free samples, too.
By doing so, you will save so much money and still get to eat unique foods, as you’re in a different location and will be enjoying a lot of food options which you may not have at home.
You can go to the local street vendor or farmers market and pick and choose what you like to eat.
Ask for recipes surrounding local cuisine and ingredients.
By improving your cooking skills with local cuisine and ingredients, you’ll be able to take home a souvenir, your new culinary recipes, which is absolutely priceless. You’ll save money on groceries, for sure.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat out.
Just try to cook at home as often as possible and then dine out when the urge hits you.
Some restaurants may even offer special dining deals which will help you to eat out in an inexpensive manner.
You’ll save a lot of money simply by doing this one thing and travel for cheap.
Travel Using Rail Passes
Rail passes provide you with an easy and inexpensive way to get around when in a different country.
The rail passes allow you to travel by train and explore different regions for a fraction of the price of individual trips.
Also, when you make use of rail passes, your travel opportunities will be much more flexible than if you had to book an individual trip on a certain date.
You’re not just saving money but you’re adding in a flexibility component, too.
And, you’ll get to travel around and not just stay in the city which you are lodging.
You’ll be able to explore in an inexpensive manner and see the sights of the region.
Stay in Hostels
Hostels, or large dormitory-type settings, allow you to have the lodging you need at a great price.
You’ll find hostel lodging in many different countries.
This type of lodging allows you to save money but will also provide you with the camaraderie of fellow travelers.
You’ll get to meet new and interesting people while staying at hostels and may even make friends for life in your travels.
Plus, hostel lodging will save you a good deal of money along the way.
How To Travel Free
Now, we are all here. It’s time to discuss the different ways you can travel the world without spending a dime. Just a disclaimer, depending on where you are, these ways can work all the time or only a few of them will work at a given time.
Here are ways to get those free travel opportunities:
Take Free Tours
The best way to learn about a city in a different country is to embark on a walking tour.
There are many locales where free walking tours are available.
Ask the local tourism office for free walking tour maps or ask at the place where you are staying for help.
This is a great option when you want to travel for free and still get a chance to do everything that paying tourists are seeing and doing when they visit.
You may be able to take free travel or walking tour or even a free biking tour in some cities.
Also, certain museums and historical sites may offer free admission on certain days or for certain reasons.
Do a search online to see if any area tourist sites offer free tours and then make plans to visit those locations as part of your travel for free endeavors.
Work Overseas
If you really want to see the world and earn a living while doing so, then why not work overseas?
Yes. You can find those travel for free jobs anywhere.
Not only will you be able to travel to far and away countries but you’ll also have some income coming in to provide you with spending money.
There are quite a few jobs where you can work overseas.
You may even be able to score some room and board while doing so and basically travel for free.
Here are some options for working overseas:
- Restaurant Server: Many seasonal restaurants are seeking out waiters and waitresses to staff their restaurants. You may even find that these locales are tropical in nature.
- Bartender: In keeping with the need for servers listed above, those same restaurants will be on the search for bartenders to ensure that everyone’s glasses are full.
- Au Pair: If you love working with kids, then a job position as an au pair is an excellent option. You’ll get to live with a family overseas and help them care for their child or children for a few months or longer.
- Tour Guide: If you are well-versed on a tourist spot or location, you can find your next occupation filling the role of tour guide. Take tourists on interesting journeys around tourist sites and historical locations during the vacation season in an overseas destination.
- Ski Resort Employee: For those who may like the colder climates, working at a ski resort is a great overseas work position to acquire.
- Casino Employee: If you are checking out spots which have casinos located there, you may find that getting a job as a casino employee is the way to go. This is especially good for those who are quick on their feet and good with money.
- Yacht Worker: For those who don’t mind a hard day’s work and some good cash, working on a yacht is a great overseas job to consider. You can work on the deck crew or the interior of the yacht, wherever your strengths may lie.
Head Overseas and Teach the English Language
If you are fluent in the English language, consider teaching English to others who may not know the language that well.
You can travel overseas to a country you’ve always wanted to visit and teach English while you’re there.
If you don’t know if you are ready to travel yet and still want to earn some extra cash teaching the English language, you can earn some side hustle cash doing so online and working from home.
Work on a Farm Overseas
If you love working outdoors and even have farming experience, you can pursue this passion and make a living doing so overseas with World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.
This organization will provide you with free room and board in exchange for working on a farm, so you can ultimately travel for free.
The World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms entity offers an easy way to live overseas, get free room and board, and do what you love…farming.
Final Thoughts On How To Travel For Free:
Traveling for free or cheap is possible even if you want to go to an expensive place. Let me say it again, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to travel to the place you dream of.
Learn how to travel the world for FREE or close to it with the above-mentioned tricks.
My family has done it time and time again, and you could, too.
Do you know now how to travel on a budget? Which of these ways do you think will you try? Have you tried any of these travel hacks?