The cheapest way to travel long-term is to find free accommodation. Luckily there are now many options available for free accommodation.
Enter the world of volunteering, work exchanges, hosting and pet sitting! Not only are these options some of the cheapest ways to travel they also allow you to build community, have a social impact and give back.
The best ways to get free accommodation when travelling are:
- House and pet sitting
- Doing work exchanges or volunteering
- House swapping
- Couch surfing
- Community specific hosting
In this article, I will go through each of the above options giving an introduction to what it is, the pros and cons and how to get started with each method.
House and Pet Sitting
What is house sitting/pet sitting?
House and pet sitting involves staying in a person’s house while they are away (on vacation, work travel, visiting family etc.). In exchange for free accommodation, you have the responsibility of looking after their home and, if they have pets, their pets too.
What are the pros of house sitting/pet sitting?
- The level of accommodation is usually very good ranging from apartments to luxury homes.
- You get privacy and space.
- A full kitchen to cook it and save more money.
- You become immersed in the local community and culture.
- If you love animals you get to have your furry fix!
What are the cons of house sitting/pet sitting?
- Less flexible than some other options i.e. you cannot choose exactly where you want to go and the dates.
- Requires applications and you will not always be successful in getting the sits you want.
- Most platforms require a fee to join.
- There can be a lot of competition on Trusted House Sitters especially for tourist locations, long-term sits and luxury houses.
- If you do not like animals you should avoid pet sitting but some people have no pets but want a house sitter for security or plants.
- Free accommodation.
How to get started with house sitting/pet sitting?
To get started with house and pet sitting:
- Sign up with one of the house-sitting platforms (listed below).
- You must fill in all your basic details; name, contact details etc.
- Some platforms require identity checks which include uploading your passport or driver’s license.
- Upload pictures of yourself with animals to show you care about them and have experience with them.
- Beef up your profile by filling in all option sections, especially the about me section; focus on your experience with house responsibilities and animal caretaking.
- If it is an option include a reference
- Apply for your first sit!
What is the best house and pet-sitting platform, website or app?
The biggest global house-sitting platform is Trusted House Sitters: https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/. You can create a profile to browse sits for free, however, to apply for a sit you need to pay a yearly joining fee.
Other house-sitting websites include:
There are also many house and pet-sitting Facebook groups. This is a global house and pet sitting group with lots of listings and success stories: World Wide House Sitting and Pet Sitting Community. For specific areas or countries simply search the area/country name and pet sitting on Facebook.
Work exchanges
What is a work exchange?
In a work exchange, you simply trade a few hours of labour or work on a project in exchange for accommodation and often food. They can last anywhere from a couple of days to months. These programmes are not regulated. They are based on agreements between people so they can vary greatly.
Work exchanges are as varied as people are! From working 4 hours a day in a yoga retreat getting free classes, accommodation and organic food to doing the morning shift in a small bed and breakfast for two hours or less for free accommodation in a tourist town. There are lots of amazing options and you are sure to find ones that suit you.
What are the pros of work exchanges?
- Meeting like-minded people – both the hosts and other volunteers
- Learn new skills and gain experience you can use later
- Often you get access to different experiences and sights by staying with locals than if you were in a hotel or hostel with other tourists
- Food is often also provided if you are working for four or more hours a day
- The fee to join the platforms is usually quite low or there are free Facebook groups
- Free accommodation.
What are the cons of work exchanges?
- These programmes are not regulated so you should be careful to do your due diligence by checking reviews, meeting beforehand or at the least doing a video call. Always ensure you are happy with the conditions, hours, atmosphere etc. General guidelines are 4 hours for a day in exchange for food and accommodation.
- Standards across the exchanges vary hugely so there may be some of low standard.
- There have been reports of inappropriate behaviour and intentions from hosts.
How to get started with work exchanges?
To get started with work exchanges:
- Choose which platform you want (listed below),
- Create your profile,
- Pay for membership – there is usually a minimal annual membership fee,
- Populate your profile with details about yourself including your skills and interests, where you are looking for an exchange and photos,
- From here you can begin applying for exchanges.
What is the best work exchange platform, website or app?
There are several platforms you can use to get started with work exchanges, personnaly I have used Helpx, Workaway and Woofing the most but have heard great things about all of the below:
- Helpx
- Workaway
- World Packers
- WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms)
House swapping
What is house swapping?
House swapping means that you stay in another person’s home for free, anywhere in the world, while they stay in yours. This can be simultaneously (you stay in each others’ homes at the same time) or you stay in their house while they stay somewhere else and then you stay somewhere else while they stay in your home.
What are the pros of house swapping?
- Live like a local.
- Access to a full home including kitchen for cooking, private bathroom etc.
- Security of your home while you are away.
- Your pets will be taken care of if you have any.
- Free accommodation.
What are the cons of house swapping?
- Someone will be staying in your house which you may not be comfortable with or they may cause some damage.
- Arranging can make it difficult to find a time and house that meets the needs and wants of both parties.
What is the best house-swapping platform, website or app?
Below I have listed some house-swapping platforms which provide some security features such as identity checks. However, there are also lots available on Facebook such as World School Home Swap/Sit/Rent/Trips.
House swapping platforms:
Couch Surfing
What is Couch Surfing?
I am using couch surfing here as a catch all term for staying with someone for free, it may be on their couch, spare room or any type of accommodation. Refering to it as couch surfing comes from the first platform offering this being called courch surfing. People usually offer to host people as a way to meet new, interesting and like-minded people and as a way to give back.
What are the pros of couch surfing?
- Live like a local.
- Get to know new interesting, like-minded people.
- Become immersed in the local community.
- Free accomodation.
What are the cons of couch surfing?
- Usually you do not stay very long.
- Like some of the above, this is not regulated and there have been accounts of abusive and indecent hosts and people using it as a hook-up site.
- It can be hard to find a host.
What is the best couch surfing platform, website or app?
The first and most well-known platform is couch surfing, this is the only platform I have used. However, it is not the only platform and I have listed some other ones below.
Community Specific Hosting
There are now platforms similar to couch surfing that are catering to communities such as women, LGBTQIA+ and interest. The pros and cons of these are much the same as couch surfing. However, they have the added benefit of provided a level of security and feeling of safety especially for women and the LGBTQIA+ community, shared experience and sense of community.
Below I have listed some of the platfoms and who they cater to:
- Host a Sister (for women)
- Nomad Sister (for solo-travelling women)
- The Lesbian & Gay Hospitality Exchange International (for lesbians and gay men)
- Host Writer (for journallists)
- Warm Showers (for cyclists)
Summary
There are amazing opportunities for free accommodation to help you to travel for cheap in 2024. Many of these offer more than just accommodation – they offer community, social impact and cultural immersion.
Don’t let a lack of money hold you back from your travel dreams to travel the world. Look outside the box of hotels, hostels and Airbnb to find a deeper and richer travel experience.
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