How to travel without money or at least without burning through your savings

So, you want to travel the world? You’ve got some savings aside, perhaps to put down a deposit on a house when you get back or simply to get life started again upon your return. Wouldn’t it be nice to come back with those financial reserves mostly intact? Let’s explore a few ideas on how to travel without money.

Luckily, it is possible, and many people have traveled the world on minimal budgets. There’s no reason why you can’t do the same. The goal here is not to burn through much of your savings which can sit tight in a cash ISA. Undoubtedly, you will have to dip into your savings pot at some point. However, frugal travel can help you to spend as little as possible while potentially getting an even more amazing and immersive experience.

How to travel without money – 5 ideas

In this article, we will walk you through some of the main tips and tricks you can use to ensure that you return from your travels with most of your funds untouched. Check out the best types of savings accounts to keep those funds growing.

Volunteer for free food and accommodation

One way to travel for next to nothing is to exchange your time and effort for something in return. People around the world advertise on platforms like VolunteerMatch to attract volunteers to help with projects, manual labor, teaching, and many other tasks. Some will offer accommodation, food, or both in return for your time and effort. As such, it’s a great opportunity to meet new people, explore less touristic areas, immerse yourself in different cultures and sustain yourself while you’re at it! This is one of the biggest travel hacks that has served people well for decades.

Find out more about volunteering to travel in my quick guide about voluntourism.

Try to find paid work as you go

Alternatively, you can try to find paid work instead of volunteering, but this is typically harder to source reliably. The benefit of paid work is that you can offset some of the usual costs of traveling or backpacking, allowing you to pay for your travels without using your savings. It will help if you have particular skills and experience, such as bartending, manual labor, or teaching. Either of these skills will make you a more valuable asset to temporary employers. Regions with a big demand for seasonal workers are often good places to move without a job. You could try to build your freelance presence on sites like Upwork and Freelance to work for yourself.

Make use of travel networking apps

There are more opportunities to travel cheaply by using digital platforms like CouchSurfing and BeWelcome. These connect hosts and travelers to help people find free accommodation whilst also meeting locals and other travelers. You get what you are given more often than not but at least you can find somewhere to sleep for free which saves you the cost of a hostel or hotel. For all us traveling ladies, you can also use these apps not only to find a place to crash, but also to find a travel buddy or to meet locals and other travelers.

It might not be your idea of fun but frugal traveling is rarely luxurious, although it can make your experience much more wholesome.

Avoid tourist prices

If you’ve never been traveling before, you might not understand how to identify tourist traps and pricing. Any well-trodden tourist routes will have areas specifically to cater to tourist demands – this includes food, drink, souvenirs, attractions, and experiences. It’s a valuable skill to be able to become comfortable with stepping outside of the tourist zones (with caution) where you can usually eat, drink and stay for a fraction of the price. Furthermore, you can meet more locals and get a better sense of the culture whilst saving money on your way. If you can master this, you’ll be in for an amazing frugal trip. You might not be able to travel without money, but you’ll avoid breaking the bank.

Choose the cheap travel methods

Finally, transport usually accounts for a significant proportion of your outgoings whilst you are traveling. Therefore, you’d be advised to opt for the cheaper modes of transport where you can, to save as much as possible. More affordable options are often local buses, trains, and overnight coaches. Walking where possible, particularly when exploring certain locations, is a good way to avoid the charges of local taxi drivers and riders who will often target tourists with extortionate fares.

These are a few tips and tricks to help you travel without burning a big hole in your savings. As mentioned before, you will inevitably have to dip into your savings for some reason – emergencies, bigger costs like flights, and other expenses – but doing your best to keep costs down is certainly possible and it can potentially make you appreciate the journey even more. Safe travels!