You can round out your free travel opportunities with some paid gigs for a truly versatile and ongoing traveling lifestyle.
Being able to find jobs in other countries will largely be influenced by whether you have a work permit or not. Yes, you can also find jobs without one but there is a risk factor involved in this.
Some countries will easily grant work permits to citizens of particular countries. Check if that is the case for you. If you’ll be doing volunteer work, you shouldn’t need to provide such a document.
If you have a work permit then you can basically go after whatever job you are skilled for and willing to put up with. There are, however, some fertile and favorite niches amongst travelers.
Teaching English Abroad : The Classic Traveler’s Gig
Not exactly a free travel opportunity but this can make for a very lucrative pit-stop in your journey. English teaching jobs are present in quite a few countries around the globe and they are fairly accessible.
Teaching English in Asia can be a rewarding experience in more ways than one
Look into getting a TESOL certification to significantly widen your chances of landing a job with good conditions. In certain parts of the world, you may have some strong competition. A college degree will do you wonders in this case also but is not always necessary (it will be in Japan). In many instances, you will be required to sign a 6 months or 1 year contract. The best opportunities will provide or take care of finding accomodations for you. Learn more about finding accomodations.
Good places to be paid to teach English are Asia (especially Japan, China, Taiwan and South Korea – in India you will find more volunteering than paid opportunities), the Middle-East (Dubai, Egypt), Europe (Italy, France, Czech Republic, Russia), and the Americas (Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile).
In some instances, such as Japan, you can get a job before leaving your country. They will usually take care of work permits and visas once you have secured the position. Do check when the school year and term starts and ends in the country you will be visiting.
It is also possible to simply teach English in exchange for food and a place to stay. Some of the Tibetan refugee camps and monasteries in India and Nepal will offer such free travel opportunities though they are not necessarily advertising it on the Web. Don’t be shy to walk up to them and inquire (they are quite nice people!)
Other languages can also be in demand in some areas (French, German, Chinese…) but not nearly to the same extent. You could do this work in either a language school (more common) or privately on your own. Definitely a plus to your travel for free travel plans.
The Free Travel Quintessential Opportunity : Work on a Farm
Vineyards are a popular work opportunity for travelers in EuropeFarming is another popular category of employment for travelers although in many cases these consist more of an exchange for food and a place to stay (such as with WWOOF). Still, there are many paid opportunities to be found (often in vineyards and fruit orchards).
Vineyards are a popular work opportunity for travelers in Europe
WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) offers some particularly inspiring opportunities : small scale, local, family-oriented, environmentally friendly, sustainable farming is what this world needs more of. Best of all, these projects are popping up everywhere on the globe. Just because they are not advertised in the WWOOF guide does not mean there are no opportunities there. (You can get the guide at their web site).
Accommodations will obviously vary from place to place. On average expect to work about 4 hours a day with the rest of your time to be enjoyed freely. But don’t take this for granted : confirm all details (work hours and schedule, what kind of work, facilities, access to village or town and Internet access) before you go. It can be physically demanding.
Do not generally expect outstanding comfort but many of these places are friendly and homely and for only a few hours of work a day they are usually not a bad free travel experience at all.
