How to get money to travel? This question haunts many but luckily there are lots of ways to earn some money. You can do it before your journey and then spend your savings – that’s a one option. But this time I would like to show you the other ways I know how to earn while travelling, so you wouldn’t have to give up neither of these things. I gathered up mine and my friends’ experiences and we’ve got a small database now. I hope it’s going to be an inspiration to your own ideas and activities :)
1. Teaching
Think about what are you good at or what is your biggest passion? Maybe you could share it with others? Do you do yoga? You can paint or sculpt? Try to teach what you do best! An perfect example for such work is artistic Goa in India. Lots of people go there only to learn new skills or develop their passions. Many live there and teach, for example, yoga and they continue their travels with saved money.
2.Working at hotels or hostels
Even without any experience in touristic, you can try earn some extra money in hotels or hostels. Lots of them are looking for help in cleaning, dish-washing or at the reception. I know a few people who earned money during their travel, working in hostels for backpackers, e.g. in New Zealand. Some of them offered overnight stay in exchange for help. Of course, you can find a full-time job, what lets you make more money of course. So that you could save it for your next trip.
3. Foreign language tutor
If you know a language very well, you can use it easily! One idea is to teach online, so it wouldn’t matter, which country you are currently in. You can also consider teaching in language schools or giving private lessons in countries, where there are a huge demand for teachers. When it comes to English, plenty of people teach it in Asia: in China, South Korea or in Taiwan. International certificates, like TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language)will come handy for sure. It’s worth to invest in it, so that you could later use it for work.
Try to get in touch with local language schools, in the place you are going to visit. Or post an ad on local websites or university groups.
Maybe you know another language? To give yoy some example – I taught Polish in Seoul. While being there, I posted my ad in the university and I found a few students, willing to learn Polish.
Take a peek at the job offers I’ve found:
4. Inviter
It’s a very popular way to earn some money, especially in tourist areas in tourist seasons. You just give out leaflets, attract people for the local trips or invite them to buy a drink in the club. People to invite tourists to various attractions are always needed. During my travels I have met many people, who worked as representatives of tourism offices, for example in Croatia or advertised trip offers right on the street. On the other hand, lots of people in Spain worked as inviters to bars and night clubs. Usually in such work the overnight stay is free.
5. Working on yachts – yacht stop
Well, working on a yacht is not an easy one but it means also being able to travel to many exotic places. Depending on your skills, you can enlist to a professional crew and get paid (and, of course, a bunk and fare) or you can be just a helper or an assistant and work for a bunk and for food. One way or another, it’s not a bad option for those who like to traverse rapidly and quickly.
You can look for such work directly in marinas, asking people or just hanging some ads there. It’s worth going through these websites too:
Remember, that yacht stop is not popular everywhere, you have to find a good spot for it. The best are Mediterranean countries, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
6. Working on a farm
A very popular way to earn money on the road. In exchange for help at stock farming, crops or building a house, you can count on free lodgings and board. Many farms are situated in picturesque areas, so contact with nature is guaranteed. Taking care of horses in a farm somewhere in the middle of Australia doesn’t sound that bad, isn’t it? You can look for such jobs here:
7. Working at campsite
It’s as popular in Europe as in Australia, New Zealand or in United States. What a pity! It’s a perfect way to combine work with travelling. While in New Zealand, I met lots of young people who were on their gap year, during which they worked for few months, in the peak of the season, at campsites – cleaning, some repair work or at a reception in exchange for lodging, board and a small renumeration. Few months of saving and you can afford to travel through South-East Asia.
8. Barkeep/barmaid
One of the most popular way to earn few bucks on your trip. Especially in very touristic places in touristic season. If you have a knowledge about alcohols and you can use the coffee machine, it’s a good start. There are many spots of casual, vacation-like character and wide experience is not necessary. My friends stood behind the pub counters in the Southern Europe or in Australia and they were very happy with it.
9. Waiter/waitress
The same as being a barkeeper, being a waiter or a waitress is quite attainable. Clubs all over the world are looing for hard-working men and women. If you are reasonable and learn swiftly, you’re gonna make it. It’s best to search for work asking around, pub after pub. I’ve done so few years ago, in southern Spain. I’ve visited literally 100 restaurants in the area but finally I found suitable place, where I worked as a waitress in evening and during days – I did sightseeing. And a huge advantage – you get a second pay with tips!
10.Baby-sitter
If you like children and you know what to do, to keep them entertained, it’s a job for you. Depending on the kids’ age, your job would be about taking the kids from and to school or taking care of it during the day, while parents are at work, helping with homework, cooking or some minor domestic work. A huge advantage of this solution is that, besides being paid, you live with that family, so you don’t have to worry about the food. It’s an interesting way to get to know new cultures and polish your language skills. My friends, who worked as au-pairs in, for example, Canada, were very happy with it and told me that this job gave them lots of time to wander around and sightsee.
You can look for offers from all over the world in here: AU PAIR WORLD
11. Croupier
In order to become a croupier you have to be fluent in a specific language and be well developed in social skills, because this job is all about a constant contact with the customer. You’ll learn everything else during a course, which is obligatory. Depending on the casino or type of gambling, these courses last for about one month and are included in the price of program. You can find such programs in, for example, Work and Travel. I’ve got a friend, who’s gone to US for few months, learned this profession and earned really good money. He worked night shifts and then explored the area during the day. And after he quit, he travelled all over the USA with his savings.
12. Translator
If you are really fluent in a particular language, you can think about being a translator. A huge pro here is that you can work in any place, provided it has an access to the Internet. You don’t have to be a professional translator to help people translate articles, homework, leaflets or websites. There are lots of potential customers looking for such people on multiple websites, so if you are thorough and effective, you can do several orders in one week.
This portal might be helpful to find new customers:UPWORK
13. Tour guide
It’s also worth to consider working as a tour guide. Ask at local tour bureaus in your city or where you are going to be, if they need help in guiding tourists from one main tourist attraction to another. Depending on the needs and your likes, these tours can be connected with monuments, culture or history or, on the other hands, 100% entertainment, like rally through the best drink bars in the city or trekking in mountains to visit the best overlooks. The money is quite good and you have a chance to meet new people!
14. Small street business
Selling your own crafts in touristic spots is a good way to improve your finances. Do you make jewelry, candles or other small thingies? You can try making and selling them during your travel breaks. At health resorts and in popular places like beaches, you can find many who sell their products of handcrafting. For example, at Goa, people live by selling jewelry and purses. In order to do it legally, you would need a trade permit but if you are going to stay there for a longer period, it’s a good solution. You can think about opening a website and selling your stuff online.
15. Marketing freelancer
Are you good at marketing and sales? Maybe you are a whiz at managing social media? Use this knowledge to run online courses, be a consultant or a project manager, what you can do remotely, sitting under a palm tree in Thailand. Especially nowadays – these skills are of value. I know scores of individual who travel and work online in this profession as freelancers. Sometimes you need only a few good orders to earn money for few next weeks of travelling.
16.Pet guardian
If you dream about visiting Australia but you just can’t get your budget straight, think about working as a pet guardian. In exchange for taking care of the pet, while its owners are away, you can count on a free place to sleep but mostly you’d get also food and renumeration for you time and skills. It’s a good option for those who are always on the move but they can take a short break and sit in the same place for few days.
You can look for such ads here: MIND A HOME
17. Flight attendant
This job requires more skills and commitment but on the long run, it gives you lots of profits. You have to know foreign languages, be a peoples person and a team-worker. In return, you can count on opportunity to visit the most distant corners of the world, flight tickets and hotels discounts, plus combining work with tourism. I know a few who work like this and although this job is not a walk in the park, this is a great opportunity for all those who need to be on the constant move, which is a huge adventure on its own. Recruitments are posted constantly, just check airline websites.
Recently I saw a Wizz Air ad: WIZZ AIR
18. Looking after a luxurious apartment
It’s an awesome choice for those who would like to live in a luxurious place. Taking care of luxurious homes and apartments, while the owners are away, is becoming more and more popular. Just imagine, a residence with a swimming pool, somewhere in Los Angeles. In return for looking after it and being caretaker, so doing some minor works, like mowing the lawn, getting mail and making an impression that the home is still inhabited (what scares away potential housebreakers), you can count on a marvelous place to stay. It’s a smart way not only to save some cash but also stop living life with a suitcase.
You can look for such offers here: LUXURY HOUSE SITTING
19. Working on a ship
This is a very interesting option, allowing you not only to travel in a good standard and visit exotic places but it’s also a chance to do various tasks and changing your profile any time you need of fancy it. Modern cruise ships are practically small, floating towns and you have everything there – restaurants, swimming pools, cinemas, shopping malls. You need a huge crowd to make it all running. People are recruited for various positions: from housecleaners and kitchen helpers, to guest service, animators, fitness instructors, waiters and barkeepers. So, it’s worth trying this option, because on off-work hours the crew can use all the attractions the ship offers, and the lodging plus food is taken care of too. Not to mention being able to travel on a cruise around the world!
Some exemplary job offers on ships:
20. Fitness instructor
Being a personal trainer or a fitness instructor is quite popular nowadays and there is also a huge demand for such people. Especially in developed countries in Europe, in Australia, USA or Canada, it’s literally a boom for taking care of yourself and getting in shape. So, if you ever thought about being a trainer, you can easily do it while on your trip. Ask the local gyms and sport clubs. Or even hotels! In high season professionals teaching dancing, yoga or fitness at tourists centers are also of value.
If you attach yourself to a one place for a longer time, like for example a hotel, you can count on a free accommodation, in addition to your pay.
An example of a job of a fitness instructor on a cruise ship HERE
21. Working at music festivals
You don’t have to sing or play an instrument to find a job at a music festival. Every year during summer there are dozens of various musical events all over the world. And as you know, these are enormous undertakings and one needs lots of labor to organize it, put out equipment or distribute tickets. So, if you are a huge fan of music and you like it, when lots is going around, maybe you should think about working at: Coachella, Austin City Limits, Sasquatch Bonnaroo, Warp Tour or Lollapalooza. You can look for offers directly at the websites of each festival. Maybe you won’t earn a huge pile of bucks but for sure you’ll get a free entrance to the concerts, get to know lots of passionate people like you and maybe you would be able to save some money to travel more.
This might be helpful:
22. Travel consultant
Many tourists feel not confident to organize a trip or they simply do not have time for it. A help of a consultant is a relief here – he or she would help choosing an airline or book a hotel. If research does not sound like a monster to you and you are skillful in finding cheap flight tickets and the most interesting vacation offers, this job might be perfect for you. You can do it online, wherever you are, because the contact with your customer is usually via Skype or emails. This is a well paid job and for someone who travels on the daily basis, should not be a hard one too. You can search for offer in the Internet or directly at travel bureaus or airlines.
23. It whiz/programmer
A perfect choice for those who want to live in travel, as you need only your computer and an access to the Internet. And skills, of course. But you can learn anything, provided you have strong motivation. IT specialist is currently one of the best paid profession and companies – all over the world – are currently looking for such people almost non-stop. So, if you know any programming language, you can find a job literally anywhere. Programmers and IT specialists are a huge part of, so-called, digital nomads community, working from various places in the world. I know a few, they reside in Thailand or Bali and they do tasks for American companies. So, they are paid really well in US dollars and they live in relatively cheap countries, so they can afford saving money for other travels.
24. Sports instructor
If you are passionate about sports and you know it through and through, you might think about trying your hand as a sports instructor. Extreme and outdoor sports are becoming more and more popular and more and more people are willing to try them. So, if you know how to teach others to surf, kitesurf, ski, snowboard, ride a horse, climb or parachute – you’ve got yourself a profession. You can do it in various places and corners of the world, combining your passion with travelling and meeting new people.
Money is also really good, so after few months, you’d have a financial injection to travel even more.
25. Masseur
Working as a masseur is really cool to do it both while on a trip or during short stops. The need is similar everywhere, so it’s worth to invest some cash and take a professional course. Then you can try to look for a job in spas, luxurious hotels and cruise ships but you can also try to be a freelancer and deal your leaflets in places like cafes, gyms and hostels. In Bali many masseurs are in fact travelers who just make some extra money.
26. Photographer
The profession of a photographer is very time-consuming and requires investment in professional equipment, but on the other hand, you’d get lots of possibilities to earn good money, if you reach a higher level of skills. If photography is your passion, maybe even a profession, you can try combining it with travelling. Magazines, books and companies need good quality pics from all over the world. Just like many commercial places, like hotels, restaurants and spas. There must be someone who knows how to take a good pic for them and then process it. If you know how to teach others, you can think about doing photography courses (both stationary and online) or writing e-books on photography. A huge advantage of this job is that you can reach a very good income level and do it in various places in the world.
27. Copywriter
If you easily write on various topics, you can professionally create ad or marketing texts or simply a content for portals, blogs or newspapers. In the Internet there is a huge pile of offers for people who know who have a sharp writing style and who have a knack for a written word. If you are able to write in few languages, your market automatically gets wider. I myself have written articles to newspapers on psychology and on travelling and I always got paid. It was not a huge pay, though, but it was an additional source of income.
You can try to post your offer here: UPWORK
28. Professional poker player
Being a professional player is not a joking matter but if you love card games (or you have experience as a croupiers), you can try your luck at professional poker. Of course, it requires time, commitment and being good at numbers, but it’s not unattainable. I’ve got a friend who is a pro poker player and he ears really well. The price, that comes with it, are long hours in front of your computer screen. But the work is mobile and you can do it any place you will be, if you have an access to fast Internet. This friend moved for few months to Mexico and worked from there, combining travelling, playing poker and laying on the beach with a drink in his hand. Possible? Sure it is!
29. Street artist/musician
If you have a flair for artistry, maybe it’s worth sharing your gift with the world? Maybe you tell awesome jokes, dance, sing or play the guitar? Why not to entertain people in popular touristic cities or at busy pedestrian zones? Lots of people do that, there is room for you too. Contrary to what one might expect, the money is not hat bad and you can earn some extra cash to continue your journey. My friends were courageous enough to stand in the middle of Oslo to sing and play and they got a pretty decent daily wage… and it even bore fruits of working at a restaurant, cause its manager really liked their courage and charisma.
30. Volunteer
Maybe you would like to share you energy and time and do something for other people? And in the same time see other places? You can consider doing some voluntary service. On principle it’s not about earning money but sometimes you can get a small pocket money and you always have bed and chow guaranteed. It’s a demanding and responsible job, but the experience stays with you for the entire life. My friends helped to build a school in Africa and then helped students with learning English.
31. Seasonal work/visa worker
Doing a seasonal work is very popular and many combine it with travelling. They work few months in the same place and then spend the money to travel the world. And again. And again. The possibilities are unlimited, because this might be a season work at a beach bar during tourist season, working on a construction side, on a ship, at crops, on a farm or being a snowboard instructor in a winter resort. On my trips I’ve met huge amounts of people who live like that – this lifestyle allows them to explore the world. It’s quite similar when you work as a visa worker, for example in programs like Work & Travel. My friend is going to USA, where he is going to work with kids at a summer camp and then he’s going to visit few places with the money he will earn. You should remember, thought, that in such a program you can’t turn your nose up, because the agency tells you where you’re going to work, so if you want to go – you have to accept the offer. It might happen, that you’ve dreamt about being a barkeeper and you will clean rooms in a hotel.
Portals for jobs all over the world:
32. Blogger/vloger
Running a blog, vlog or a YouTube channel might be a way to earn money. I’m not speaking only about travel industry but also lifestyle, parenting or fashion. I warn you, thought, it’s time-consuming and you won’t build your audience overnight. But if you have a vision and you know how to make people interested in you and your stuff, maybe it’s worth to invest your energy and time. You can run your blog or YT channel wherever you are and your travels might make it even richer in content. Earning money doesn’t come right when you start, but after a while you can get some bucks by affiliation, ads or cooperating with brands.
33. Use your education
And why not to combine studying and travelling? If you are passionate about studying and research, you can think about studying abroad. There are many different student exchange programs – both for masters and PhDs. The give you an opportunity to study abroad but also to get to know the culture and people of the particular country and from other places too. Numerous trainings and research studies offer covering the flight, accommodation and board expenses. Moreover, they give you a monthly scholarship. I’ve studied this way in South Korea (read about it HERE) and in Italy. I’ve done my research for my PhD in Australia and Japan.
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