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 [...]]]> 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.

6. Travel Slow It can be difficult to keep costs low if you travel quickly and are always on the move. Traveling slow enables you to minimize costs and hang around for the best deals. By staying in the same place for an extended period [...]]]> Continued From Travel For Free Tips Part 1

6. Travel Slow
It can be difficult to keep costs low if you travel quickly and are always on the move. Traveling slow enables you to minimize costs and hang around for the best deals. By staying in the same place for an extended period of time you also give yourself the chance to create a significant network of relationships and related opportunities.

Is it really that important to try to see everything about a foreign place? There is a big difference between a meaningful encounter with a land and its people and a series of quick glances at numerous sites.

7. Be Prepared and Willing to Give Back
By ‘free travel’ we mean that traveling need not be financially expensive. But what you don’t give in money you can always give in time and contribution of self. There always is an exchange of some kind going on. Sometimes it can be as simple as being good company to others or being a window to another world. You can also offer something more practical like massages, carpentry work, yard work, house cleaning, babysitting, reiki, running errands, etc. Barter has never really gone out of style.

8. Diversify Your Sources of Income
It is ideal if you are able to generate some income while you are traveling. It is even more ideal if you are able to make this money from a variety of means. This way you don’t have to rely so much on working crazy hours before leaving in order to pile up some cash or experience the stress of coming back from your trip with financial concerns. It may also mean you can keep up free traveling much longer if you wish.

There are endless opportunities either locally or by working through the Internet. Be it picking fruits or doing massages. Online work include freelance writing and graphic design.

Read more about generating income and how to travel for free

Trust Yourself To Generate Free Travel Opportunities

9. Start Where You Are
In order to experience free travel it is important to have a healthy attitude and positive mindset. It is not always an easy affair. A good way to get your feet wet is to start small and plan a free or partially free trip in your own country. This is a good idea especially if you have never traveled (it’s not necessary to go to India for 6 months for your first trip like I did! But that’s another story.) You will gain practical knowledge from this and can set a challenge for yourself to connect freely to other people. Then, you will be better prepared to venture out with little money abroad.

10. Trust Yourself
There will always be people who see things differently than you do. If you rely too heavily on other people’s perceptions about what the world is like and what is possible or not, this limits your free travel possibilities and does not teach you to rely on yourself in challenging situations. Listen to yourself. You are the one who is making your way in the world and it often if not always mirrors the way you approach it. Forget about all the people who say that the world is like this and the world is like that. Your experience of the world is what you make of it. Do not, of course, jump into situations in which you don’t feel prepared to handle.

This also does not mean that you should never listen to other people’s advice. If you trust yourself you will be a more trustable person to others and you will be able to discern those you can trust from those you can’t.