How to Travel the World for Free

While having money certainly helps, you do not have to be rich to travel the world. Here, moneyland.ch lists simple ways to get the whole nine yards of travel at little or no cost other than time and some prep work.

1. Hitchhike

The pastime that embodies the term “freerider” is still a great way to travel free of charge in many parts of the world – if you have patience, good common sense, and like meeting people. If flagging down cars is not your thing, it is worth noting that some online carpooling platforms have a section where drivers offer free lifts, or only charge a couple of francs to cover the platform fee.

2. Relocate rental cars

If you have a driver’s license, relocating cars for car rental companies is a free travel option. How it works: Car and camper rental companies often need to relocate vehicles from one city to another. Instead of organizing expensive relocations themselves, they offer you free use of a vehicle in exchange for driving it from A to B. Many of them even cover the gas. 

You can find offers like this on websites and apps like Movacar (France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland), Coseats (Australia and New Zealand), and Transfercar (US, Australia, and New Zealand), for example. Many camper rental companies in places like Australia, Canada, and the US list relocation deals directly on their websites.

Important: You will normally have to pay a security deposit when you pick up the vehicle, but you get this back when you deliver it in keeping with the terms and conditions.

3. Use pedal power

Bicycle touring is a great way to experience the places you travel through close up. And assuming you have a bike and can handle your own basic maintenance, it also costs very little money. If you are physically fit and enjoy cycling, traveling to many parts of Europe by bicycle is not as difficult as you might imagine, as many countries have extensive bicycle-friendly road networks. The primary requirements for this form of transportation are a functioning bike, a strong pair of legs, and plenty of time.

4. Work on a cruise liner

If you have time, enjoy workations, and want to travel further afield, then a seasonal job on a cruise ship might just float your boat. Aside from travel, you get complimentary meals and accommodations, interesting social experiences, and a (modest) salary to boot. Cruise ships employ up to hundreds of people per ship for dozens of different kinds of jobs, so the likelihood of finding a job which you enjoy and are qualified for is high. The downside is that you have to be ready to work hard. You can find cruise ship jobs on major job platforms, on specialized hotel and cruise job platforms, and directly on the websites of many cruise companies.

5. Try home swaps or house sitting for free accommodation

Home swapping is one of the simplest ways to get free accommodation in many travel destinations. In this arrangement, you let other members of a home swapping community use your home when you are away (on vacation, for example). Depending on the platform, you either swap homes directly, meaning you get to use the home of the people who are using yours, or you earn swapping points which you can redeem for stays at community members’ homes at your discretion. Home swapping platforms generally charge an annual membership fee, but some offer free trial periods. In the best case, the free trial will be enough to organize a home swap.

Housesitting is another good option, but unlike home swapping, it generally comes with certain commitments. Many people prefer to have someone stay in their home when they travel to take care of their pets or garden, or to deter burglars. You get to stay at their homes for free while they are away in exchange for performing a few chores. There are many international websites which connect you with people looking for house sitters. Like home swapping platforms, most of these websites charge you a yearly membership fee, and a few of them offer free trials.

6. Put other people’s couches to good use

Couch surfing communities are the cheapest low-commitment way to enjoy free stays all over the world. These communities are generally Internet-based and work on reciprocal agreements. Members accommodate other members in their homes free of charge, just for the pleasure of having guests and making new friends. Free couch surfing communities with numerous members worldwide include Bewelcome and Trustroots, among others.

7. Volunteer

Volunteering for non-profit organizations is a way to get interesting travel experiences, and in many cases accommodation and/or meals free of charge. Volunteering options are diverse. Online platforms like Volunteerworld (free) and Helpstay (paid) make it easy to connect with zero-fee volunteer opportunities based on your interests and the countries you want to travel to.

A different kind of volunteer experience is working for private people or small businesses in exchange for room and board. Platforms like those from HelpX, WWOOF, Workaway, and Worldpackers are some options for getting in touch with potential hosts. These platforms generally charge (low) membership fees, but some have free plans with limited functionality.

8. Check eligibility for scholarships

If you prefer longer-term stays over short visits, scholarships are worth looking into. If you are a poor student, look into student exchange programs from Swiss universities and colleges. You can apply to have the travel costs covered by a cantonal scholarship, and you generally also continue receiving cantonal scholarships while you are abroad as an exchange student. Some Swiss foundations also offer scholarships for studying abroad, and these are worth looking at as well.

Many foreign governments also make scholarships available to residents of Switzerland who want to study in their country. You can find many of them here. Some Swiss foundations also offer travel scholarships to non-students (to artists, for example). Taking the time to find out whether you are eligible for travel scholarships can pay off in the way of sponsored travel. More information about scholarships and student loans in Switzerland is available here.

9. Become an au pair

If you are young, like kids, and are looking for longer-term stays abroad, then au pairing is something to consider. Yes, you will have to take care of someone’s kids and probably do some housework, but in exchange you get to experience life in other countries up close and personal. You should expect your host family to give you room and board, necessary insurances, classes at language or cultural schools, and some pocket money as well. You can also expect your host family to cover all or part of your flight. Websites like Aupair.com make it easy to connect with host families at no cost to you. The guide for au pairs in Switzerland gives you a good idea of what to expect.

10. Crowdfund your trip

This option primarily makes sense if you will be volunteering or can otherwise infuse your travel with an emotional angle that will tickle people’s pocketbook nerves. Depending on many factors – primarily the size of your social circle and the way you present your appeal – your crowdfunding campaign may end up going viral or expire with no money raised. But it only takes a few minutes to set up campaigns on popular crowdfunding platforms, and a few more to share it on social media, so why not give luck a chance?

11. Sublet your home

Many people continue to pay high Swiss rents for their home in Switzerland even when they go abroad for weeks or even months. By subletting your home while you are away, you recover the rent and can use that money towards your trip. You can find out more about subletting in Switzerland here.

12. Become a temporary digital nomad

If you have the option of working remotely, you can take advantage of cost-of-living arbitrage to subsidize your travel. In this arrangement, you travel to countries in which the cost of living is much cheaper than Switzerland’s. The money you save on accommodation and other expenses subsidizes the cost of traveling. You can find useful information for digital nomads here.

13. Get a seasonal job

Working a job may keep you busy a lot of the time, but it does give you something to do and opportunities to interact with people. Seasonal work lets you stay in other countries during the most desirable seasons and earn money to cover the cost of travel and leisure. Many jobs come with complimentary accommodation and meals. Swiss citizens can generally work in EU countries for up to three months without a residence permit, making these countries the ideal destinations for this kind of travel. Websites like Anywork Anywhere and Yobbers are a good place to get an idea of what kinds of jobs are available.

14. Consider miles credit cards

Collecting airline miles using credit cards is an old trick for getting flights. You use a credit card which rewards you with frequent flyer miles instead of points or cash back. If you spend a lot with credit cards (for a small business, for example), you can collect enough miles to redeem for flights and/or hotel stays. Swiss airline miles credit cards generally have an annual fee, so this is only a “free” travel option if you would pay for a credit card anyway. You can learn more about using credit cards to get free flights here.

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