Many of you are asking me how I travel so often. I have decided to talk to you about some tips so that I can travel for free or at least reduce your expenses.
Of course I save everything I can to be able to enjoy myself while travelling and that is not a concern for me. However, there are a few possibilities to consider during your trip to travel for free or almost free.
Volunteer to help
The first thing to do to travel for free or reduce your travel budget is simply to volunteer!
It is one of the bases of travel and a way of life that must be thought through. The idea of giving time in exchange for food and lodging does not necessarily come as a first idea to travellers. And yet, it is here that you will be able to save money while meeting new people and perhaps even learning a new profession.
I had the opportunity to learn the trade of handler by training sled dogs in Saskatchewan. You can find the 5 articles of my experience below.
There are many sites to find your volunteer work. I use two Helpx and Workaway sites. Both are charged but only cost 20-30 € per year.
I think that graphically the Helpx site is horrible but it's on this one that I found my volunteer work with sled dogs.
There is also the Woofing site to look for volunteer work on organic farms.
Going couchsurfing
The idea is simple. Thanks to the site of the same name, you will be able to live a new experience and sleep on a sofa of people who enjoy meeting travellers from all over the world.
Attention, I would like to point out that this is a philosophy above all and that it is not the primary purpose to be hosted for free and say goodbye. Interacting with the people who welcome you is very important. Exchange is the main quality of this way of life and accommodation. This is not the ultimate goal of free travel but to be respectful.
This is an opportunity to thank your hosts by offering a small beer on the way and to have a good time together.
Hitchhiking
How to get around easily without having to spend money: simply by hitchhiking.
Personally, I haven't had the guts to get on the side of the road and stretch my thumb yet. I would like to have that courage one day. Moreover, this did not prevent me from getting into cars of people I met here and there, and who offered to drop me off where I wanted to go. It's a little bit closer to the stop sign but it's not yet that.
It is a good way to travel to travel for free and reduces costs by meeting people.
Do house and animal care
Many people want to go on a trip but do not want to leave their home unattended and cannot take their pets with them. There are several sites including this one "Trustedhousessitters", it allows you to contact the owners.
Finding your first houseit is complicated without references. Do not hesitate to try to get references from outside people such as a former employer, for example.
The cost is about 90 € per year for membership of the site. But doing the math, you can quickly be a winner and make it profitable compared to the cost of a few nights in a youth hostel.
It is then a question of maintaining the house and possibly the garden, while taking care of the animals. This allows you to live in cities around the world that are quite expensive in terms of accommodation and cost of living.
Ads vary and sometimes the owners will prefer a couple because it will be necessary to keep many animals. It can happen that you have to keep sheep or horses; it doesn't stop with dogs and cats. It is a good solution to stay in an expensive city and have the opportunity to travel for free.
I hope this article helps you to better understand how you can reduce your expenses when travelling with one of the ways to travel for free.
Have you ever had the opportunity to test any of these 4 possibilities? What is your feedback on this?