Traveling without spending a dime. Sounds like the dream, doesn’t it?
It may seem out of reach — but it isn’t.
Blend travel points with seasonal work, add a dash of ingenuity and voilà: you can genuinely travel for free.
I speak from experience — I did this for many years.
For nearly a decade, I wandered the globe using frequent flyer miles, teaching English overseas, volunteering in various countries and taking on a range of seasonal adventure roles.
Those tactics let me see the world for far less than you’d expect — and often at no cost.
Because I want you to taste the thrill of visiting new places, here’s how to travel the world without spending much — or any — money.
1. Stay in Incredible Places Around the Globe for Free
Curious about checking out different homes? New neighborhoods? Spending days with furry companions?
Housesitting is an excellent way to explore parts of your country — or other countries — without lodging costs. Numerous platforms exist to connect sitters and homeowners, including TrustedHousesitters.
TrustedHousesitters links you with thousands of people worldwide who need in-home pet sitters and house sitters.
It’s a swap, not a job: you get complimentary accommodation and pet companionship in exchange for caring for the animals and the home. You can even bring your family along for the experience.
2. Spend a Summer with Polar Bears
Because of shrinking sea ice, polar bears are now considered a threatened species.
While we hope to curb climate change and help their populations rebound, now is still a prime time to witness these majestic creatures in the wild.
If you work a summer at Deadhorse Camp in Alaska’s Arctic, you can do it at no personal lodging expense.
Beyond an hourly wage, employees receive free room, three meals a day and a $1,000 end-of-season bonus to offset airfare costs.
3. Relocate to Antarctica
Want to reside in one of the most isolated places on Earth?
Take a job in Antarctica.
You’ll receive free housing and meals — and a respectable paycheck — for spending months at the bottom of the world.
Since there aren’t many places to spend money while you’re there, you often return home with a healthy sum saved…
Plus, Antarctic employers usually cover your travel to the continent.
And because you can credit the flights to your frequent flyer account, those round-trip journeys can net you enough miles for a free ticket to a different destination during the off-season.
4. Snuggle Baby Goats
This actually exists. Believe me, I’ve experienced it.
Through World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), you can get free room and board in exchange for about four to six hours of work daily. Assignments range from stomping grapes in New Zealand to cuddling goats in North Carolina.
WWOOF is just one of many work-exchange options that help you travel for little to no cost.
5. Score Free Plane Tickets
Getting around is often the priciest part of a trip.
Hands down, the fastest route to free flights is accumulating points with a travel rewards credit card.
There are plenty of top rewards cards available with sign-up bonuses and no annual fees.
My strategy is simple: charge everyday purchases (groceries, gas, utilities) to the card and stash the rewards until year-end. Typically I can bank around $1,000, which covers the cost of two or three airfare tickets.
We promote responsible credit use — so only apply for a card if you’ll pay the balance in full monthly.
No perk is worth getting into debt.
6. Join the Travel Pros
Traveling for free takes effort — otherwise everyone would do it. So sometimes it pays to learn from those who’ve already mastered the game.
One of the best-known experts, Chris Guillebeau, has visited every country on Earth. Fortunately for the rest of us, he shares tactics via the Travel Hacking Cartel.
Cartel members get multiple emails weekly with deals and strategies to boost travel rewards earnings.
Membership starts at $1 for 14 days, then $15–$39 per month after that. It even offers a bold promise: earn 100,000 miles in your first year — enough for roughly four plane tickets — or get your money back.
That’s a pretty compelling wager, in my opinion.
7. Dine Out and Earn Miles
Cooking at home saves money, but sometimes you want to eat out.
If you plan to dine at restaurants, enroll in airline dining reward programs first.
Major carriers such as United, Delta and American have dining portals that award miles when you eat at participating restaurants. Often there’s even a sign-up bonus.
8. Work Aboard Ships
Is there a better way to explore than by sea?
Probably not.
#yachtlife is unlikely for most of us unless we marry into serious money.
Since that’s improbable, one option is to join the crew of a sailboat or cruise ship. These positions provide room and board and let you see many ports within a season.
Don’t be like the many people who want to travel but aren’t willing to do the work involved in travel hacking.
From my experience, it’s a grind, but it pays off.
Stop daydreaming and start acting on these ideas to explore the world for free. If you want inspiration from others who made large lifestyle changes to travel, check out how a couple saves to travel the world in two years.
Alex Reed, senior writer for Savinly, is always chasing budget-friendly adventures. Visit this site, or find Alex on Twitter @alex_reed.
