5 Simple Ways To Fund International Travels
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“I always dream of traveling abroad but don’t have the money” or “I don’t have a lot of vacation days to go anywhere” are some of the common excuses used to legitimize why an individual is not exploring more of the world. With very little paid time off in our home countries as well as the everyday financial obligations, the prospect of shelling out for a big and adventurous international trip may seem almost impossible for a number of individuals.
Contrary to this common belief, you actually do not need to be rich or come from money to take these trips overseas. In fact, it all depends on your personal goals and travel style. If you are an individual on a budget, one thing is clear; you’ll have to make traveling a priority. This is because if adventure is not a priority for you, you’ll always find some other important activities to spend your hard-earned cash on, implying that you will never accumulate sufficient money to make your quest for traveling a reality.
Rather than spending a significant amount of money on expensive watches, smartphones, clothes, or other miscellaneous splurges, start saving little by little for your travel. There are a number of ways you can also fund your trip while abroad, largely depending on what you see yourself doing abroad. All you need is a bit of innovation, creativity, and, most importantly, determination, and you can be funding your international trips in no time.
To get you started on the correct path, we have put together a comprehensive list of five ways of how to fund your international travels. They are not only straightforward but also do not require you to possess any significant educational experience.
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Teaching in Hpa-An, Myanmar (Burma). Shot with a Canon EOS 6D by Peter Hershey.
1. Teach English overseas.
Whether you decide to teach English overseas as merely a gap year from college or decide to pursue a lifelong career with ESL, teaching ESL is hands-down one of the best means for international travel. By offering to teach the English language overseas, you’ll not only be making a good salary, but you’ll equally be exploring the world around you as well. Research tends to show that Asia is the premier destination for English teachers and perhaps this is because of the ease of travel between nations, plethora of other jobs, good salaries, and other associated benefits such as free housing and free flights!
Bearing in mind that we live in a dynamic world, it would be an excellent idea to conduct some research to know exactly what is needed to teach in the country of your choice. Typically, a bachelor’s degree may be needed, but, some countries may also demand a TESOL OR TEFL certification, experience teaching the subject and perhaps an education-specific degree. It is imperative to note that there will be some amount of paperwork involved as part of the application process. Finally, you should know that a criminal record may bar you from some countries.
Pick up a job as a barista. This was shot in Reykjavík, Iceland by Tim Wright with a Canon EOS 6D
2. Pick up some part-time job and travel!
If you are an individual who is currently not earning enough at his or her job, you should seriously consider the prospect of doing some part-time work abroad. As long as you are not choosy, there are possibly endless job opportunities for you out there, but just remember, this is not a career you intend to stay in for that long; it is just a way to accumulate money for travel.
Many of these jobs do not require you to be a holder of an advanced degree or even have a heavy amount of experience. Some of the temporary side-gigs you can find abroad are a yacht worker, casino worker, hostel worker, bartender, tour guide and dive instructor, among others. If you haven’t met any travelers doing this, you may be surprised to learn that a significant number of people from all parts of Europe are currently funding their international travels through this approach.
Imagine living here with these breathtaking surroundings in Ninh Bình, Vietnam. This was taken by Ruslan Bardash with a Sony ILCE-7RM2.
3. House-sitting for free accommodation
If you are unable to afford the lodging for your international trip, a great option is to look after someone’s home while he or she’s away. Here, you’ll possibly take care of his or her pets and house while the owner is off to her own travels. Not only does this help keep your travel costs hugely lower, but it also gives you an intimate experience in a new country with unmatched immersion in a local foreign neighborhood. If you have never house-sat before, there are lots of useful house-sitting websites out there which you help get a house-sitting opportunity.
Work on the farms like this one in Saint-Saphorin, Switzerland to fund your travels. Photo by Samuel Zeller taken with a FujiFilm X-T1.
4. WWOOFing for both free accommodation and food
Typically, WWOOFing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) is a unique service that connects people seeking to work on farms with farmers who are looking for labor. As you may have noticed, it opens endless opportunities for an extended-travel trip. Of course, you’ll have to fund your travel to the farm, but once you get there, all your needs including food and accommodation are all covered. What’s more, by offering to visit a selection of 99 nations which participate in WWOOF, you’ll save a substantial amount of cash while also learning new skills, languages and create new friends as well.
Photo taken with a Nikon D810 by rawpixel.com.
5. Hitchhiking for free transportation
This is arguably one of the cheapest ways of traveling. Typically, it is more of a trekking adventure with the anticipation of getting a ride. It is quite common in most parts of the world, including Eastern Europe, New Zealand, Australia, and Central America. The most critical factor for getting a good ride is location. You’ll have to locate a place where you are safe and you can also be seen early enough. This will allow the driver to pick you up with ease. Simply put, there should be some traffic though not too much. It may be wise to pack adequate food and perhaps a foldable bike which you may use as a backup means of transport.
Visit careerchina.com for some great opportunities to fund your international travels.
The Bottom Line
As you may have guessed, you don’t need thousands of dollars to travel. We have given you the best tips to travel for relatively little money. They will not only result in significant savings but, they will also allow you to explore the world further beyond.
This post was written by the folks at Career China. Be sure to check them out for some great opportunities for work and travel!
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Ryan Riel
Ryan is an entrepreneur from Toronto, Canada who moved to London, England quit his job as a PE teacher and started two successful companies by the age of 29 working out of his home office.
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