Have you ever wanted to travel the world for free? Seeing all the wonders of the globe. Meeting new people. Trying exotic cuisines and partaking in cultural events. It all sounds wonderful doesn’t it? But you’re likely thinking that it sounds too good to be true. That travelling for free is a dream reserved only for the children of the insanely wealthy.
Well we are here to tell you that it can become your reality. Now we should say it won’t be totally free in every sense. What we are going to talk about today is sometimes called volunteer traveling. But what exactly is this form of traveling? And how does it work?
Workaway
The idea is simple. There are hundreds of businesses, families, and individuals who are constantly looking for help with something. But they don’t have the funds to hire someone full time or even part time. But what they do have is space to accommodate live in staff. And the ability to feed said staff. You see where we are going with this?
This is where you come into play. You aren’t looking to earn money or have a permanent job. You just need cheap accommodation and food. Now what would you rather do? Spend hundreds on food and accommodation while visiting somewhere like Amsterdam? Or would you rather do a couple hours of bar work three times a week for free room and board in a hostel.
The system is mutually beneficial to both parties. You can essentially travel for free, at least in regards to the costs of accommodation and basic necessities. And your host gets labour at almost no cost. A win-win for everyone.
But how can you arrange this? We recommend visiting Workaway. This is a platform specifically designed to facilitate this style of travelling. It is where hosts will publish advertisements for their staffing requirements, including what they are offering for your labour. And it is where you will build a profile for yourself to try to win that spot.
What You Need To Know
Yes, you read that right. We did say you need to win the spot. This style of travelling is very alluring. And, as such, the market has become very competitive. With the number of travelers far outweighing the number of hosts, there is no guarantee you will find a host in the location you want to visit. But there are ways you can gain an advantage over the competition.
Firstly you should decide on what kind of work you are willing to do while travelling. Do you want to work in hostels? Or help out around the homes of locals? Or maybe even spend some time doing farm work? Whatever your choice you should start learning as much about the type of work as possible.
For hostel work you should familiarize yourself with the basics of bar work, deep cleaning, customer service, and pest control. Pest control is an important one if you want to work on a farm as well. Spend some time on a forum about pest control like Thanos Home Forums, as you are likely to find posts from other travelers who have done Workaway before.
If you’re looking to work on a farm you should spend some time researching the different types of farms out there. If you’ve found a specific host you want to work for you can examine their profile and do more specific research regarding their farm.
Your profile on Workaway needs to stand out from the competition too. Hosts aren’t just looking for a good worker. They want someone friendly, engaging, and who will be a good face for their business. This is especially true for hostels. Make sure you have lots of quality photos of yourself. Ideally ones that show off your hobbies. It is also worth recording a short video introduction to give potential hosts a good feel for your personality.
Some hosts will ask to see your CV. But most won’t. Instead the application process will simply involve you messaging them with a brief introduction about yourself, your traveling plans, and any relevant experiences. But unlike a normal job application you want to avoid being too formal. Instead you want to show off your personality.
The most important thing you should be aware of is the fact that hosts can also leave reviews about you. These reviews can be seen by other potential hosts. So you need to ensure that you stick to your commitments and always put your best foot forward.
