5 Ways to Travel for Cheap or Even Free ...REALLY!
Are you fed up with expensive, similar type of holidays year by year? Let me share with you five ideas to travel in a solo-friendly, much much cheaper, sustainable and unique way. Let’s go!
SHORT WORK EXCHANGE
In my twenties, I lived and worked as an au-pair in Denmark. My accommodation and food cost me nothing and I was being paid a bit of pocket money every week. I was learning Danish, getting to know Danish culture, seriously overdosing on Remoulade (the Danish equivalent of Ketchup, or mayo, or both!) and having the time of my life. My Dansk adventure lasted a year but there are plenty of work exchange opportunities that will take you as little as a week. Before you start running the i-don’t-wanna-work-on-holidays narrative in your beautiful head, let me tell you this: your accommodation and meals will be taken care of, you will gain skills, immerse yourself in local cultures, usually far away from overhyped tourist spots and you will connect with like-minded people. All that in exchange for a few hours of work every day. That’s a very small trade off!
If you’re interested, check out these websites, no matter where you live. Workaway, HelpX, Hippohelp, WorldPackers for farming, gardening, language teaching, hostel work, housekeping, community, eco-projects and much more. WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities of Organic Farms) for work on organic farms.
HOUSE OR PET SITTING
Do you ask your friends to stay at your place when you’re travelling for a longer period? I don’t ask. I offer:) It’s great if somebody close to me can benefit from my place when I’m away. And it turns out I’m not the only one who does this. Plenty of folks look for somebody to keep their place or pets safe when they’re away and so it became a service. You can explore anywhere from big cities to small towns while enjoying short and long-term stays at somebody’s house, for free.
Websites like Mind My House, Nomador and HouseSit Match (this last one focused primarily on the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia) connect house sitters with homeowners. While Trusted Housesitters and Rover are good for both house and pet sitting. Normally you’ll need to create a profile on all those sites before being able to apply for different house or pet sitting opportunities. It will take you as long as it takes to finish a cup of coffee.
Another thing worth mentioning here are house exchange programmes. These are great when you own a house or a flat and would like to swap a stay at it with a stay somewhere different. Usually you can specify whether you’d like to swap homes at the same time or don’t mind unsynchronised dates. That way you can collect points when somebody stays at your place and then use them to stay at a completely different place whenever you’re ready to travel. Some websites to check out if you’re keen on a home swap are Home Exchange and Love Home Swap.
You know what, I wouldn’t mind house sitting for somebody in Finland. Let’s see what’s out there. A few quick steps and… Well, this one isn’t bad at all. And it has a sauna of course. I’d swap today!
COUCH SURFING
Then again, you might feel that travelling on your own is introversion-inducing enough or simply freak out at the thought of staying at some stranger’s empty house. In which case, you will benefit from some company. Couch surfing might be the answer. You connect with locals willing to host you. It’s a bit like staying with your distant relatives who are actually very pleased to have you around. I once hosted a business student from Brazil who was travelling around Europe. I lived in a two-bedroom flat at that time and, together with my then partner, didn’t mind letting somebody stay at the extra bedroom. I got to cook for somebody and show them places I find interesting while chatting about different cultures - what’s not to like? A friend of mine once couch surfed in New Zealand and was telling me how the hostess cooked lamb for dinner and was so happy about this rich meal that my friend had no heart to tell her she’s a lifelong vegetarian. The people you meet when couch surfing are most often very generous and kind. And travelling this way is a guaranteed unique cultural experience.
If it sounds interesting, go and check out Couchsurfing website or mobile app, Be Welcome, Hospitality Club, Trust Roots, Servas International and if you’re a travelling cyclist - Warm Showers.
RETREATS
A wonderful and very cost-effective way to travel on your own and something I’ve done a few times in the past is attending a retreat. This could be a community-based, yoga or meditation retreat - depending on your interests. If you’re asking - why retreats? It’s because places who run them are usually close to or non-profit and offer free or donation-based stays to those on low incomes. Plus, they’re simply an incredible way to relax.
My first retreat was at The Barn in Devon. A friend of mine was going there and asked if I wanted to join her. We stay at a converted barn with a small group of people, meditated for 45 minutes three times a day, did light communal work like gardening and cooking, had one full day of silence and explored the nearby towns and countryside. All this with our phones switched off and, needless to say, no laptops about. Coming back to noisy London afterwards felt a tiny bit overwhelming hahaha. A side effect of that first retreat? I’ve been regularly meditating ever since.
Some places that offer meditation retreats in the UK are Gaia House in Devon, Sharpham Trust, together with The Barn Retreat Centre I’ve already mentioned also in Devon, Dhamma Dipa and Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in Hertfordshire and Samye Ling in Scotland. In the US and Canada, you can find great places near you on the Dhamma.org or Dharma.org websites. And while we’re at it, meditation retreats are also a great way to stay in Asia. I’m into Japan so let’s mention some places there. Most Zen Buddhist Temples offer meditation retreats. Like Shunkoin Temple in Kyoto - I went for a daytime meditation there, when I was in Kyoto. You sit facing a zen garden full of gravel and rhododendrons. It’s really quite beautiful. Even when, as it was in my case, a bee decides to pay your space a visit during your meditation session.
STAYCATIONS
And finally, staycations. This one might sound like a cop out but have you ever done it? I have. Together with my boyfriend, we made a list of things we wanted to do in London, took some time off and… did them. It was great! When you live in a place where there’s a lot going on, it’s so easy to be paralysed by choice and do nothing. Or simply feel too tired or broke to do anything. Art exhibitions, theatre plays, new cafes, lectures, lunchtime concerts, evening gigs, themed walks… all of that can make it onto your to-see list and become the only things you will spend your money on when travelling without the need to go away. To plan your staycation, just think of all the things you wish you had more time for that are not your hobbies or housework. And check out Time Out magazine for the city in which you live.
And there you have it, five incredible solo-friendly travel ideas that won’t drain your wallet. When you decide to give any of these a go, please remember to use a lot of common sense and keep your safety in mind at all times. Read reviews of hosts, check whatever you can check, let your friends or family know where you’re staying and so on. I think this should go without saying but I want to put it out there anyway. These types of holidays are very popular so you will need to plan in advance and act fast to secure your place. Hope you enjoyed this post and found it useful, and that you’re ready for your summer adventure.
