How To Travel And Work Abroad

Have you ever been on an incredible holiday, only to come home and feel a bit lost? When it’s time to head back to reality after an exciting adventure, many of us have mixed emotions. Some people are content with taking a once in a lifetime trip, and look forward to coming home. They can ease back into normal routine, and are just as happy doing so.

Then there are people like me. Those who simply cannot sit still. You spend a few days at home, only to find yourself craving more adventures. It’s called wanderlust, and affects people in different ways.

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.”

If you want to travel again but don’t have much money in the bank account, don’t worry. If you can save enough to buy a ticket, there are many opportunities out there, so you can turn your dream of being paid to travel a reality.

There are so many ways you can live abroad for free, whether it be working or volunteering. Here are some of the easiest ways you can extend your trip. Take a pick!

Au Pair

An Au Pair, otherwise known as a live in babysitter, is a fantastic way to live with a local family for free, as well as earning a small weekly wage. Your main role is to take care of their children.

You can earn between 75-100 euros per week, and with free food and accommodation, it’s an awesome deal for those who like working with children.

When looking for a family to Au pair for, make sure you can differentiate between the families wanting someone to become a part of the family and enjoy life as they do (Yes, please), or the families looking for an extra Mother. (No, thanks)

If you score a great family like I did, you can expect your ‘work’ to be more along the lines of- helping with homework, practicing english, playing in the park and at the beach, helping prepare some meals, going out for dinners with the family, drinking lots of vino with the parents, being included on family excursions and holidays, and getting a day off (usually sundays), as well as most evenings to yourself. Some weeks I barely touched my pocket money and managed to even save some money from this job.

Popular countries where you can work as Au pair and soak up the lifestyle include Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and England.

Be sure to use a trusted agency like aupairworld.net

Tour Guide

Ever been on a tour and thought to yourself ‘Wow, this tour guide has the best life.’ A great life it is indeed, but it involves a lot of work (fun work that is). Imagine waking up in a new place every day or two, and getting to show people your favourite beaches and restaurants, all the while making sure they have the best trip possible.

Becoming a tour guide or leader is an intense process, but extremely rewarding. Some traits required included having travelled, be friendly and confident, and have a passion for adventure.

Sound like you? There are many companies that open applications each year to employ new guides, and if you are lucky enough to be accepted after an interview, you will be taken on a ‘training trip’ in numerous countries, where you will study each place and become a walking textbook of history. Busabout, Topdeck, Contiki, Fanatics and Travel Talk all provide opportunity to work this incredible job, and you don’t have to be a specific nationality, although you do need to obtain a working holiday visa.

Being someone who was afraid of public speaking, I overcame that fear, and now work as a Tour Guide sailing Croatia during the European summer for the tour company Busabout.

Teach English

English is becoming a universal language. If you are a native english speaker, you already are in a great position for this job. In many countries, you don’t even need any qualifications (although recommended), due to the fact that your first language is indeed English.

There are different courses you can take online or in class rooms around the world, such as TEFL, TESOL and the more advanced course, CELTA. Teaching english offers a great salary, and often come with contracts, meaning your job is secure for periods of 6 months to 1 year.

Summer Camp

Ever seen those American movies where the kids get to spend all summer having fun at camp? Yep, it’s a real job, and for the camp to run smoothly, they need people to help organise activities and overlook groups of children in beautiful locations surrounded by mountains and lakes.

Bar Tending

Bar tending is a job that offers endless opportunities around the world, especially in the summer periods in Europe, The UK and Australia. Think of popular party destinations like London, Ibiza, Barcelona, Berlin, Amsterdam, Hvar, Split, Gold Coast and Byron Bay, where there is high demand for bar tenders who can speak English.

Hostel Work

Ever been to a hostel and loved it so much you didn’t want to leave? I’ve met many people working in hostels who went as a guest, and ending up staying to work as a receptionist, bar tender or cleaner. Many hostels, in particular in Europe and Australia, need people to help out during summer and its surrounding months.

Most people work a few hours per day, in exchange for a free bed and sometimes a small salary. It’s a great way to live abroad for free, and you get to meet people from all over the world on a daily basis.

Study Abroad

Are you currently studying at home, but have restless feet? Have you ever considered moving your studies elsewhere? Although a lot of commitment to your studies is required when you are studying abroad, you are still in a new place with a new culture, so if you want to finish your degree but want to incorporate travel, studying abroad is the perfect option for you.

Travel Agent

If you’re content in staying in one place, but are addicted to travel, what’s more attractive than getting great discounts and working in an industry where you get to talk about travelling all day long? Many companies hire based on travel experience, so if you haven’t got paper qualifications but can convince someone to go to Italy by reminiscing on your personal adventures, this could be an ideal job for you.

WWOOF

What does it stand for? ‘Through the World Wide Organisation of Organic Farms.’ If you are willing to work 4-6 hours per day on an organic farm, you will receive free accommodation with a host family, as well as having your meals provided, leaving you plenty of free time to explore your surroundings. Think vineyards in France, olive groves in Italy, bamboo cutting in Japan.

House Sitting

There are people in this world who live a life of house sitting, moving country to country in the comfort of beautiful homes. You don’t get paid for this, but you get to live in a house for free. Rent is generally the most expensive part of living at home, or abroad, so with that covered your living expenses drop dramatically.

These are just a few examples of what is possible in this incredible world. If you head off with an open mind, you can turn your dream of travelling as a lifestyle into a reality.

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Written by: Georgia McGrath