How to Travel the World on a Budget: A Comprehensive Guide
Are you dreaming of traveling the world but think it’s out of your budget? Think again! With a little creativity and the right mindset, you can travel to amazing destinations without breaking the bank. In this article, we’ll show you two things: how to travel cheap and how to travel for free.
Overcoming the Number One Obstacle to Traveling: Money
Whenever I ask readers what the number one thing holding them back from traveling is, I almost always get the same answer: money. This problem and how to overcome it is my most asked question. 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.
You Don’t Need to be Rich to Travel
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 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.
16 Ways to Travel the World on a Budget
### 1. Get a Job Overseas
Not making enough money at your job? Working at 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’re 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: A live-in caregiver who helps a host family look after their kids. In exchange, you get free room and board and a small salary.
* Bartender: It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere, so if you have the skills, then this is an easy job to move overseas.
* Hostel worker: Hostel workers rarely stick around for long, which means there is always a demand for new help.
### 2. Teach English Overseas
One of the best ways to make money for travel is to teach English overseas. You can make a lot of money teaching – I replenished my travel funds while teaching in Thailand, and I have had friends leave South Korea with tens of thousands of dollars in the bank. All you need is the ability to speak English fluently and a TEFL degree, depending on the country you work in.
### 3. Go WWOOFing and Work on a Farm
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!
### 4. Use the Sharing Economy
Use the sharing economy to find cheaper accommodation, quirky tour guides, rideshare options, and home-cooked meals with local chefs. You can bypass the traditional travel industry with sharing economy websites and gain access to locals using their own assets and skills to become small tourism companies with cheaper prices.
* BlaBlaCar: A ridesharing app that connects you with drivers who have extra seats in their car primarily for medium and long distances, and mainly in Europe.
* EatWith: A platform that connects you with local cooks serving private meals.
* RVShare: A website that lets you rent RVs and camper vans directly from locals.
### 5. Cook Your Own Meals
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.
### 6. Get Rail Passes
Rail passes like the Eurail Pass in Europe or the JR Pass in Japan are a great way to save money when it comes to train travel. If you’re traveling around the region for a while, rail passes will likely be much cheaper than just booking individual trips.
### 7. Sleep in Large Dorms
Large hostel dorm rooms are the cheapest paid accommodation out there. 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.
### 8. Use Student and Other Discount Cards
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.
### 9. Get City Tourist Cards
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.
### 10. Capitalize on Your Skills
Need some cash? Use Craigslist, TaskRabbit, or Gumtree 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.
### 11. Get Free Flights!
Collecting points and miles is the #1 way I’ve been able to afford so many flights and hotels over the years. By using a travel credit card for regular spending on groceries, restaurants, and shopping, I’ve been able to earn free flights and hotel stays – all by spending money I was going to spend anyway!
### 12. Stay for Free
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.
* Couchsurfing
* Servas
* BeWelcome
* Warmshowers
### 13. Hitchhike
Hitchhiking is a free way to get around that is relatively safe and quite common in many parts of the world, including Central America, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
### 14. Take Free Walking Tours
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]”.
### 15. House Sitting & Pet Sitting
If you’re on a tight budget, you can pet and house sit for fellow travel lovers when they go on their own vacations! In exchange, you’ll get free accommodation while you’re watching their home and pets.
* Trusted Housesitters
### 16. Use Your Social Network
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!
How to Travel the World on $75 a Day
My New York Times bestselling book to travel will teach you how to master the art of travel so that you’ll get off, save money, always find deals, and have a deeper travel experience. It’s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the “bible for budget travelers”.
Book Your Trip Logistical Tips and Tricks
* Book Your Flight: Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner.
* 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.
Additional Tips and Resources
* 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.
* Need a Rental Car? Discover Cars is a budget-friendly international car rental website.
* 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.
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, non-traditional 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!
Q: How can I travel the world on a budget?
By being creative and having the right mindset, you can travel to amazing destinations without breaking the bank.
Q: What is the number one obstacle to traveling?
Money.
Q: Do I need to be rich to travel?
No, there are plenty of ways to travel on a budget and for free.
Q: What are some ways to travel on a budget?
Getting a job overseas, teaching English overseas, going WWOOFing, using the sharing economy, cooking your own meals, getting rail passes, sleeping in large dorms, using student and other discount cards, capitalizing on your skills, getting free flights, staying for free, hitchhiking, taking free walking tours, house sitting & pet sitting, and using your social network.
Q: How can I get a job overseas?
Consider jobs like au pair, bartender, or hostel worker.
Q: What is WWOOFing?
WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, where you work on a farm in exchange for free room and board.
Q: How can I use the sharing economy to travel?
Use websites like BlaBlaCar, EatWith, and RVShare to find cheaper accommodation, quirky tour guides, rideshare options, and home-cooked meals.
Q: How can I save money on food while traveling?
Cook your own meals.
Q: What are some ways to get free accommodation?
Use services like Couchsurfing, Servas, BeWelcome, and Warmshowers, or try house sitting & pet sitting.
Q: How can I get free flights?
Collect points and miles using a travel credit card.
Q: What is a city tourism card?
A card that offers discounted and/or free access to major attractions and museums, as well as free public transportation.
Q: How can I make money while traveling?
Use Craigslist, TaskRabbit, or Gumtree to find paid odd jobs.
Q: What are some additional resources for budget travelers?
Get Your Guide, Discover Cars, and travel credit cards.
