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How to travel for free: the secret that no one tells you

Want to travel the world for free? I've been doing that for a long time. In this article, you'll get an in-depth view of what I do, how I do it, and how you can do it too!

Ayla Life in Lala's Land

Dec 19, 2023

Of course I have seen people all over Instagram and Facebook living these incredible lives, getting to see amazing places all over the world. I must confess I always thought this was fake or that they were all rich people. But since I came across the answers of how to travel for free (that no one told me) it completely transformed my life.

The purpose of this article is not to simply give you a list of the options you have to travel for free. You can find that on the internet anywhere.

I’m here to give you real life proof of how I already travel the world for free , since I’ve been travelling and living the nomadic life since July 2019. I'm crazily excited to share this, knowing just how much of an impact it can make to a person's life.

Some people get a little sceptical before they really get what I do , which I completely understand. If someone I didn’t know told me I could travel the world for free, I would probably think they were trying to scam me or something. But I didn’t have anyone tell me about it. I found it myself , and now I want to help others do the same.

I knew I wanted to travel and quit my job to do it . That would mean no money coming in - an exceptionally tight budget. So, I found a solution to the problem:  free food and accommodation !

In this article I’m going to walk you through how to do that. You can travel the world doing activities you love and get free accommodation - and even get paid to do it!

You might also like :  14 TOP cheapest countries to visit as a Worldpackers volunteer

Travelling for free: how it all started

One day I woke up and realised just how much I hated my daily life . I was working a ludicrous number of hours to get a great paycheck each week, but I was miserable. I decided that I had to take it into my own hands and create a life that I enjoyed living. And for me, that means new discoveries and environments.

In February of 2019 I handed in my resignation with 4 months’ notice. This was mainly for me to know I finally had a date I would be escaping the rat race. By July of that year, I was on a one-way flight to volunteer in India with a backpack and a suitcase with everything I owned in them.

When I said goodbye to all my friends and family, they knew that I had no intentions of ever returning to Australia or the life I was so eager to leave behind. 

I had no idea of what I was going to do, how I would be making money travelling or being able to survive, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I had left behind a life that I didn’t want, in search of one that I loved.

It was then that I happened to stumble across the greatest life hack known to mankind – how to travel the world for free ! I have now been doing this and enjoying every moment of it.

I have the freedom to go anywhere I want in this world, and know that I am able to support myself. With a combination of these two life hacks that I will be speaking about here, I get almost all my food and accommodation paid for. 

I write for about two hours a day and I'm able to actually save a significant amount of money whilst I am travelling and experiencing the world.

How to travel for free: here's the secret

The number one best life hack that I have ever known is Worldpackers , hands down. 

Worldpackers is a platform that connects volunteers with certain skills or abilities to hosts who are looking for help in these areas. The method behind it is work exchange , where volunteers give their time helping out around the place in exchange for accommodation  and other benefits like meals, classes and tours.

It has provided me with numerous opportunities to travel through different countries on a tight budget, by not having to worry about accommodation and food. Not only that, but it has also given me an opportunity to build my name as an artist through both India and Sri Lanka .

As a girl who had a dream of travelling the world for free - with no idea of how to actually do it when I started - I am so lucky and grateful to have stumbled across Worldpackers!

Basically, you pay one fee of $49 USD which gives you access to all the hosts for a full year. To put that into perspective, $50 USD is likely A LOT less than you pay for one night of food and accommodation in most countries . And then you can spend 12 months with free accomodation and food wherever you want!

Seem’s crazy not to do it right? And what you give in exchange for the ability to travel for free, is often an experience you would be paying a hefty price for.  So really, it’s wins all around! You’re saving sooooo much money when you travel the world with Worldpackers.

Volunteer and travel for free

There are heaps of different options available when it comes to volunteer programs. So you’re sure to find something that calls to your heart. Some of them that I have chosen to work with are:

• Work in Schools
• Work on Eco projects
• Work with Hostel Administration 
• And primarily Art Projects

There are so many more options available , but these are the ones I have volunteered with so far. I typically look for art projects as I love painting. But other times I will apply for positions that pique my interest such as eco projects, because I am very much a save the world type of gal.

I have been very lucky to have had a range of volunteering experiences , mostly with painting. Mural painting is not something that I had ever even considered doing before.

I was so excited to do my first one and put my heart and soul into it, and surprisingly it was actually  not that bad. From there I was able to apply for more Worldpackers positions as an artist where I received free accommodation and all my meals for free.

This is a dream come true for someone who had been travelling for two months. I had no idea how to make any money and was just trying to spend as little as possible to stretch the money I did have as far as it could go. 

I’ve built great connections throughout communities doing this, and I’ve been asked to come back to a number of places, which is so heartwarming.

If you’re wondering how to travel for free, making an impact and giving more value to your contribution in this world , this is the secret. There are volunteer options that suit a range of different personality types and interests.

How to travel for free and also get paid

Although using Worldpackers covers almost all my expenses that I need to survive , there are still other things I need to pay for as I travel. Any flights, visas, sightseeing and going out with friends are costs that come out of my own pocket.

But someone I met at my first volunteer position provided me with a solution. I was only about two months into my travels at this point, when I explained to her my situation. She was blown away that I had no plan to balance working and travelling . In hindsight, it's a pretty crazy thing to do. Quit your job, pack your stuff and leave your own country without any means of income.

So, she introduced me to the world of  freelancing . This is something I had never heard about before then. She explained to me that there are many people that work remotely and get paid for it, which is what she does for a company she worked for back in Germany.

I told her that I wouldn’t be able to do it as I was absolutely terrible with technology and had no skills that would be of any value . She convinced me that I had everything I already needed: fluent English and a tablet I could write on.

She told me about some freelancing websites and I signed up to both Freelancer and Upwork . I then started applying for different positions but was not getting any luck. I had been trying for basic administration positions, which of course every other unskilled person was also applying for, so I was just getting lost in the masses.

Earlier in 2019 I had decided that I wanted to write a novel , which I am currently still working on, and this is something that I had shared with the girl who told me about freelancing. She saw me working on my novel all the time and motivated me to apply for some content writing positions . 

"The worst they could do is say no, and the best that can happen is you start getting paid to travel."

Eventually one company gave me a trial. Turns out they loved my writing style and offered me an ongoing position.

Becoming a digital nomad

The work I do could not be more perfect. It is incredibly flexible, I can ask for as much or as little work as I want, and it is something that I enjoy doing. 

I write content for businesses all over the world . Each piece might take me around 3 hours and will make me $50 USD. It’s not a lot, in fact, this job pays pretty terribly compared to the others I have now.

But depending on which part of the world I am, it pays for a LOT more than it would be back home. 

And I have such a different relationship with money than I did when working a ‘normal’ job. I am only interested in making enough money to cover my expenses from the previous month or to splurge on a vacation, such as a fancy resort somewhere.

Not only has securing a freelancing job been able to free me financially, it is such a different experience to be working on your own clock . Sometimes I might go a few days or a week without writing at all. Because I don’t have the need for money. But other times I might write for a full week and do nothing else. That is the beauty of freelancing.

Each week I decide how many projects I want, which generally is anywhere between two and 10. So that is a maximum of 30 hours a week if I really want to make some serious money, but I rarely have the need for that. So most times, I only work about 6 a week.

Combining this small amount of income with travelling the world for free with Worldpackers, I am able to save money while I’m travelling ! How crazy is that? I never would have thought that was possible.

An added benefit to freelancing is how much y ou learn about the potential of online work. I went from a non-tech savvy girl 15 months ago, to now having my own digital marketing agency . 

I do this by outsourcing all the work to the talented freelancers I’ve met along my journey . So whether you’ve got that business mind, or just want to work 5 hours a week to live as a digital nomad, it works for everyone.

Balancing freedom and motivation

When I was in Australia, I was a businesswoman. Always in a suit rushing around from meeting to meeting and under immense stress. Now I wouldn’t be recognisable to any of the people from my old position, or the clients that I worked with so closely. I am able to completely and freely express myself.

I now have blue hair and am starting to gather a collection of tattoos , and do you know what? It makes me so happy that I am able to live a life that is true to my own personality . Not to be living life restricted by the confines of society. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t have responsibilities.

I have the freedom to now travel where I want, dress (country-specific of course) and later my appearance as I please. And all I need to do is work about 5 hours a day to make that happen. So on average, I would spend 1 hour a day working and another 4 volunteering.

Although it can be tempting to run out with my friends as soon as the volunteering is done, I just give myself a reality check. It’s one hour. And if I schedule my time well, it makes little difference to my day, but a big difference to my life.

For me, I found setting out schedules works best for me. Mine looks something like this: yoga, breakfast, work, volunteer, lunch, write my novel, then free time. Sometimes I find myself creating stress out of nothing , but finding my balance with a schedule and yoga always helps me to keep motivated.

What in the world are you waiting for?

Yes, there is a legitimate way to travel the world for free and get paid, if that is the kind of life you want to live. I do it myself, and I’m just your average everyday person. Sometimes I realize how lucky I am to live this life, and then remember that luck had nothing to do with it . I found this out through research and took a leap of faith.

Seeing new countries and experiencing new cultures has been eye opening for me. And this is not something I would have been able to do for so long if I hadn’t stumbled across this life hack so early into my trip.

But luckily for everyone reading this, I have found them so that you don’t have to go searching . So now that you know how to travel for free, what are you waiting for? Go see the world! 

Join the community!

Create a free Worldpackers account to discover volunteer experiences perfect for you and get access to exclusive travel discounts!

Ayla Carlin

Life in Lala's Land

An Australian solo traveller who set out to find herself while discovering the world. My aim is to discover the untouched, make long lasting connections, and expand my mind through the new people I meet and places I discover. I want to inspire others through my experiences, showing just how important travel is for the soul, and how it can transform your life in the most positive ways.

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Write here your questions and greetings to the author

Oct 15, 2020

You're living the life, girl! As an author myself, that's pretty much a dream come true. Traveling and writing. Thank you for your words. I wish you all the success!

Oct 22, 2020

I wanna thanks you for your loyalty, and probably encourage you gave too all committee, thanks for who you are

Ayla (Author)

Nov 02, 2020

Thank you beautiful girl!! You also do the same??

Unfortunately, I don't. Right now, I just write in my home country. But I was published by a small publisher this year and I'm working on getting better to write on the road one day

Oct 19, 2020

Wow you're ao cool

Oct 20, 2020

Thank you beautiful people! Let's keep sharing our stories and welcoming more people to the traveling the world for free community!

Amazing text 🤍🤍 thanks for that

Oct 24, 2020

Good job👍👍💐💐

Feb 26, 2023

Amazing. Great job. Good Luck

Thank you ☺️

Oct 31, 2020

Thank you so much❤️

You are so welcome girl! ❤️❤️

Wooaaaaahhh 🤩🤩🤩🤩

Nov 06, 2020

Nov 08, 2020

It's great, I am cherishing the trip like you, currently I am looking for an online job to have money for the trip but I still haven't found it. Please guide and share your online work experience and your itinerary. Look forward to your guidance. My email: [email protected]

Nov 10, 2020

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Nov 11, 2020

Welcome Morocco

Nov 12, 2020

Super inspiring! :)

Nov 25, 2020

Hi Ayla, your story is very encouraging and motivational. I’m a newly certified Health and Life Coach, my dream is to work from anywhere, I got lost and confused, meanwhile I’m working part time as a professional organizer and decluttering, my dream is to travel so I decided enough of waiting to do it so I signed up here. But I’m interested in knowing more about your Marketing Biz, would like to talk to you about my business. Please could you reach out to me, [email protected] Thank You!!!

Nov 27, 2020

Well articulated

Dec 01, 2020

wow i like it thank you so much for sharing this

Dec 03, 2020

Thanks for your inspiring words, keep it up! :)

Cool with patient and courage

Wow, I really needed to hear this. I'd love to chat with you deeper since I have so many questions! How can I contact you? Do you have Instagram?

Dec 04, 2020

Hey Linda, I'd be happy to help 😊 My insta is lifein_lalasland

Sent you a message there!

Dec 08, 2020

Hi there, I admire your courage, wish i can do the same, but i'm in a different situation. I loved your article, it's inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

Dec 09, 2020

Wow! This was such a good read.

Dec 13, 2020

World are amazing & I love Nature 🙏🏞️🌄🌎🌏🗺️🥰

Dec 17, 2020

Hi there we had a small conversation in Bangkok while Brushing the truth i am so glad to meet you cheers Appreciate it

Dec 22, 2020

And you have written a beautiful blog here 😊

Very inspiring after reading what you have wrote. Yes, the money for buying a ticket is really concerning for me to step out from my comfort zone, and was thiking a lot should I make this work with travel the world with FREE. ❤

Dec 29, 2020

Wer are you from

Jan 04, 2021

Thank you dearly, you have helped me and beyond, I have connections and so do they. Keep sprinkling more kindness, also free lol.

Jan 13, 2021

Thank you so much for all what you've shared am impressed good luck to you bye

Jan 17, 2021

I am very much inspired by your story, I have a account in freelance and upwork. But in freelance they ask me to pay security deposit first is it safe to do so .

Jan 18, 2021

Hi I want to travel world for free

Jan 19, 2021

click bait title and too long text which is a lot of filler text. could be shorter and to the point.

Feb 02, 2021

l am active now in France heading to Spain

Mar 26, 2021

Is this possible with two children?

May 16, 2021

مرحبا انا عندى سؤال هل انا بدفع مصاريف السفر صح ام لا وهل ينفع ان اعمل واخد مال ام لا

May 31, 2021

Such a priceless story that you can even describe with words🙏 I absolutely believe that hapiness can change this World. And when everyone starts to SHARE yourself for others - we will make a planet smile and blossom❤👋

P.s. Thank you for that motivation. I will try to spread around the love which I found here

Jul 23, 2021

Oct 09, 2021

great writing. I hope i can join this life soon enough

Hi Pretty I hope you are doing in good health, I am Asif fresh graduate from United Arab Emirates Dubai. i am interests travel to European countries. i am applying many volunteers position. If you are free then guide me which European countries best cheap for foreigner students. Respectfully thanks for your precious time.

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With positive reviews, you’ll stand out to hosts and get even more benefits.

I Want to Travel the World—Where Do I Start?

by Jhasmine Wade - Last updated on November 3, 2021

• Before You Go

Have you ever said to yourself, "I want to travel the world, but where do I start?" Well, believe it or not, simply by having the desire to travel and asking questions, you are already off to a great start! We’ll share international travel tips, inspiration to travel the world , and insight on how to make money while traveling around the world.

Where will you begin your international adventure?

There is no right or wrong way regarding how you travel as long as you have done your research and a little planning. The idea of traveling around the world may seem overwhelming at first, but once you start to put things into perspective, you'll begin to ask yourself why you do this years ago!

Is it possible to travel the world and make money?

Yes, it is possible to travel the world and make money. Nomads have been doing it for years, and there are endless opportunities to earn income while you travel the world. Take some time to develop your skill set, identify your interests, then determine your niche.

Research what services are in high demand worldwide or gain an online certification that can allow you to make money from anywhere in the world. The opportunities are endless once you identify all that you have to offer and how to make it work to your advantage.

Believe it or not, you may find that making money abroad is easier than working a regular job in the United States! Nomads are said to have more flexibility, affordable costs of living, and better work-life balance once they finally take the leap to travel the world and find ways to earn an income.

READ MORE: Leave the Office Behind: 12 Best Places for Digital Nomads

Where to start if you want to travel around the world.

An easy solution when asking how to travel is just to get started! Spend less time fantasizing about travel and more time planning out your trip . That doesn't mean run out and start shopping for the cutest travel outfits and matching luggage sets. Although that part is exciting, there are more essential things to arrange first.

For example: Figuring out how you’ll actually *get* there.

1. Obtain proper documentation

Your passport is your first step to getting around the world, but in addition to your passport, you may need to obtain a visa depending on the country you visit and how long you plan to be there. Visas must be applied for and have various application requirements. You can obtain a visa by making an appointment at the embassy of your desired country.

READ MORE: International Visas: What You Need to Know

2. research the culture.

It's a good rule of thumb to understand the social norms and familiarize yourself with the language of the country you plan to visit. The last thing you want to do is accidentally offend a native person by not understanding their customs. Learn as much as you can to avoid culture shock .

For example, hot water may be a standard expectation where you're from, but that may not be the same in the country you're visiting. You'll also want to know how public transportation works, the currency difference, and the country's cost of living.

Lastly, determine the best time of year to travel to your destination. Planning a trip during the hottest time of year or the rainy season can impact your travel experience.

3. Create your budget

Dreams are great to have—but you’ll need a budget to make them a reality!

Believe it or not, you don't have to have thousands of dollars saved up to travel the world! Some people left their home country with less money than you and are thriving abroad. Consider starting a GoFundMe or FundMyTravel account to create a fundraiser to support your travel expenses.

Budget your flight, accommodation, transportation around your destination, and general spending, then start your saving and funding plan. Don't allow costs or a lack of funds to discourage you! There will always be a way to make it work with what you have if you want it bad enough.

READ MORE: 10 Cheapest Countries to Live and Work

4. book your flight.

Flight costs can be expensive, but you can potentially cut costs by purchasing your flight far in advance. Also, keep a lookout for advertised flight deals. There are even apps that help you find the lowest flight price possible, such as Skiplagged and Hopper. If you have a friend who works for an airline, ask them for a buddy pass. A buddy pass is not a confirmed seat, but it is a cost-effective way to get to your destination.

5. Find accommodations

Finding accommodation is an essential part of travel. You'll need a safe place to lay your head at night. Need a few international travel tips for finding accommodations around the world? Facebook Marketplace has countless rentals listing. You're able to filter your search to the exact area you want to stay in, your price range, and the type of rental.

Hostel? Hotel? Airbnb? Choose the right accommodation for you.

It isn't wise to pay for anything online until you have arrived and set eyes on the property if you go this route. Depending on your length of stay, Airbnb can be a cost-effective option. They even offer monthly stays if that fits into your budget.

Lastly, as a solo traveler, hostels provide a sense of community where travelers from all over the world reside during their travels. Hostels can be very affordable, and some even offer private rooms.

6. Understand credit cards and cell phones

Before you take flight, it's a good idea to review your bank policies on foreign transactions. Most banks charge international fees when using a foreign ATM or making a transaction abroad. However, other banks offer lower or no transaction fees abroad. Some Credit Unions provide low rates and even rebates for ATM fees.

Also, check with your cellphone provider for international travel plans. You may consider getting an unlocked phone and purchasing a local SIM card so you can have access to a working network throughout your travels. WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are great ways to keep in touch with family and friends if you only have wifi access.

7. Utilize social media

The great thing about social media is that it connects people from all over the world. You can use Facebook groups to find travelers just like you who have been where you are going and who are willing to give you free advice on how to travel.

The online travel community is an excellent resource for all aspiring travelers. Speaking directly to people living out your dreams can help you gain first-hand knowledge and excitement for the experience!

Ready to take the next step? Talk to our FREE Online Advisor and get 5 personalized travel program matches

Learn how to travel the world—and make it a lifestyle.

Did we mention to pack appropriately for the weather?

Have you ever heard the quote, "Your mind must arrive at the destination before your life does”? Believe it or not, having the right mindset can take your travel experience from a constant daydream to a reality.

The best way to get started traveling around the world is to surround yourself with those who can keep you motivated to achieve your goal. Traveling the world is a lifestyle for many individuals and families.

As you get closer to your travel goals, you'll learn so much and develop your own way of doing things. One thing is for sure—you can apply your knowledge anywhere in the world, even if you never traveled abroad before.

Be confident in your abilities and knowledge. Your purpose should be to find what you need and thrive while walking your path.

Sign Up for GoAbroad.com’s 20 Days of Travel Inspo for a Daily Dose of Positivity

This article was contributed by Jhasmine Wade . Jhasmine is a travel and lifestyle blogger promoting personal growth and development through travel. She has traveled extensively and shares her experience on her travel & lifestyle blog, Sincerely J. Wade. In her stories, Jhasmine highlights alternative ways of living and shows the world that the lines between travel, living, and working are no longer blurred. As an HBCU graduate, Jhasmine proudly holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications, where she discovered her passion for writing and travel.

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I Want to Travel the World: Where Do I Start?

By: Author Laura Bronner

Posted on Last updated: February 3, 2022

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How I Got Started Traveling

The story probably begins in college. I was absolutely 100% certain that I wanted to study abroad for a semester, even before I got accepted into college, it was high on my priority list.

One of the first questions I used to ask when I went on college tours was, “do you have a study abroad program? 

During my third year of college, I spent a semester living and studying in St. Gallen, Switzerland and it was one of the most exciting and freeing experiences of my life.

I loved being able to hop on a train and travel to a new city and even a new country. I was on a student budget, but I still managed to visit tons of cities in Switzerland and cross borders into Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Belgium, and Lichtenstein. 

I headed back to the US to finish my degree and I knew that from the moment I graduated I wanted to travel more. I spent the last year and a half of college saving tons of money.

I worked two jobs during the school year on campus. During the summers I worked in retail and as a camp counselor to save as much as I could.

In September of 2010, my boyfriend and I secured ourselves Working Holiday Visas in New Zealand and flew on a one-way ticket to Auckland with only $2,500 in my bank account.

The rest is history. I was able to do some workaway and work exchange programs to keep me going  in New Zealand and saved a ton so that I could live in and travel the entire country in 14 months.

Then I moved to Australia and got a Working Holiday Visa there . Again I got a retail job pretty easily and the minimum wage was so high there, so I saved and saved and spent two years living in and traveling around Australia (with a 5-week trip to Bali in there somewhere, too).

After Australia, I moved to South Korea to teach English . That allowed me and my boyfriend to collectively save over $30,000 in only one year.

Using that money we traveled for over a year without working before moving from the US to the UK and then finally settling (for now) in Mexico. Read more about my story here .

I Want to Travel the World, Where Do I Start?

Okay, that’s my story, but how does that help you? 

One of the things that I always suggest to people if they want to move abroad, but they don’t necessarily have a ton of money in savings, is to look for ways to actually live and work in another country.

Working Holiday Visas

Are you from Australia or New Zealand? There are plenty of opportunities for you to get working holiday visas around Europe. If you are from the US or Canada? You can easily get a working holiday visa in New Zealand or Australia.

Read my article all about Working Holiday Visas around the world.

These visas allow you to work, live, travel and enjoy a country for usually 6 months to a year depending on your age and what country you are from. 

It means you can save up some money and also live in and experience a totally new country. You’ll feel like you’re traveling even though you are still making and saving money.

Teaching English Abroad

Another option is to teach English abroad. I say this with trepidation.

I don’t believe that you should go to another country as a teacher unless you truly enjoy teaching and love working with kids. It’s not something to do just to move to another country or just to make some money.

It’s hard work, far harder than I ever thought it would be, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.

If you are from an English-speaking country and you have a bachelor’s degree, you can pretty easily get a teaching job in Korea, Japan, China and other parts of Asia.

Teaching English in Korea was one of the most valuable experiences of my life and I learned so much about being pushed out of my comfort zone.

If you grab your TEFL as well , you open up even more doors with possibilities in Europe and South America, too. If you use this link to sign up for your TEFL and enter 35ETERN at checkout you’ll get 35% off any course on the site.

Other Jobs That Allow You to Travel

There are so many different jobs out there that will allow you to see the world while also still making some money.

If you want to see the world, you just have to look hard enough (and work hard enough). Some jobs that come to mind are working on a cruise ship, working for an airline, working on a yacht, work exchanges or house sitting.

I have a complete article with suggestions for jobs that allow you to work and travel at the same time.

Perhaps you’re interested in how bloggers and other “digital nomads” make money while they travel. It’s a question I get pretty often and one that is hard to answer since there are SO many ways to make money as a blogger or online entrepreneur.

I’ve written tons of posts about h ow I make money as a blogger which you can find here .

My biggest tip for those that want to become bloggers, and particularly travel bloggers, is to be creative. What’s missing in the market? What countries in the world aren’t being covered enough or what’s missing from all of the content out there?

It’s easy to look at Instagram and see people gallivanting around the world and wish that was you. I mean, I do that now and I travel at least once a month. It seems so glamorous, so easy.

But it’s not.

Traveling constantly is exhausting, not having a home base get’s old (well, maybe we just get old as humans! haha).

You have to find what works best for YOU and you don’t know what that way is until you start traveling.

Maybe you’ll love full-time travel, in which case, you should definitely seek out location-independent work.

On the other hand, you may like to live in one place and take trips every few weeks for a week or two at a time. In that case, you can still have a job in one place, but it needs to be time-flexible. 

Maybe you want to move to a new country every year or two instead?

Save, Save, Save (and ask for more time off)

Maybe you don’t want to move abroad or get a different job. That’s perfectly okay.

This Battered Suitcase once wrote a fantastic article about the danger of living someone else’s dream .

If long-term travel or becoming a digital nomad or a blogger or quitting your job to travel aren’t what you want, then you should absolutely not do or become any of those things.

If you’re simply trying to figure out how you can travel more often each year, then that’s what you should do. 

A friend of mine lives in New York City. She loves her apartment, she loves her neighborhood (I love the bagel shop in her neighborhood), she doesn’t want to live out of a suitcase.

So instead she negotiated for unlimited vacation days and she can work from home or a train or a plane or a coffee shop in London if she wants.

She enjoys her job and the money it gives her to travel. She’s found herself a job in her field that gives her the freedom to travel more often.

I also think saving is a huge part of traveling more. At the end of the day, traveling costs money and money is usually the reason that most people  don’t travel. Even though you could easily travel on a shoestring, after a certain age, it’s not actually that much fun to travel on a shoestring.

So you need to save. You need to make it a priority. I sacrificed a lot of mostly unnecessary things over the last 10 years to make sure that I had enough money to travel in a way that I wanted to travel.

Read: How I save $10,000 every year

You need to have a travel fund and you need to commit to putting a certain amount of money into every month.

It’s really that simple. Do you need that gym membership (I workout in my living room using Youtube videos or a go for a run at my local park – I’m the fittest I’ve been in years)?

Do you need a car or could you easily get around with a bicycle or the subway? Do you need to go out for drinks and dinner or can you invite friends over and have a potluck?

Vagabonding by Rolf Potts is a great book to get you in the mindset of saving (and showing you all the things you could be spending your money on instead of fancy cocktails and overpriced gourmet burgers).

How Do I Travel So Much Now?

I no longer have a working holiday visa and I no longer teach English. After leaving Korea, I spent a lot of time thinking about what sort of job I would truly love to do. The answer was easy: I wanted to be a writer.

The problem wasn’t that I didn’t know what I wanted to do, the problem was how the heck was I going to make enough money to sustain my travels while attempting to become a writer?

Just over two years ago, I started this blog. At the same time, I moved to Mexico part-time. I knew that I needed to live in a relatively cheap country to keep my costs low. It was a move that I knew would allow me to focus 100% on my writing without having to get a part-time job.

Thanks to all of the savings I had from teaching English in Korea, I was able to sustain myself for a few months while I worked on my blog and found some freelance writing jobs.

Three years after I moved to Mexico, I began making a complete and total full-tim income from my blog.

I’m working a job that I love and I am constantly innovating and thinking of new business ideas because I have the freedom to create and the space to think and I feel so lucky every single day.

This means that I can take my job anywhere. I can work from Mexico or Costa Rica or Italy and for a few months a year, I don’t have to work at all. 

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Here’s Everything You Need to Travel the World

F iguring out how to travel the world is no easy feat, especially when you’re trying to do it on a budget or planning world travel with a family.

There are many factors to keep in mind when evaluating your trip, including what to do before leaving and your budget. To help you get started, we’ve put together a guide on how to travel the world, including everything from how to start looking into your trip to how to save money once you’re abroad.

1. Get prepared

If you want to travel the world, there are some planning measures you want to take first to ensure you have durable luggage and the proper documents — a passport and possibly visas — and figuring out how much time off you’ll need.

Get your documents in order

Those in the U.S. will want an up-to-date driver’s license because by Oct. 1, 2020, all U.S. residents traveling domestically must have identification compliant with the Real-ID Act , which increased security requirements for state drivers licenses and ID cards.

Residents in 24 states including Alaska, California, Idaho, Maine, Oregon and Washington have until Oct. 10, 2018 get a Real-ID compliant card, though states have the option to apply for exemptions through Oct. 1, 2020 when the last phase of the Real-ID Act is enforced, meaning residents in those states should regularly check the status of their IDs before flying.

For travel outside of the U.S., passport cards or trusted traveler cards can serve as documents at certain land and sea crossings. But you’ll want to make sure you have a passport book if there’s any chance you might leave or enter another country via plane, where passport cards won’t work.

Already have a passport? You’ll want check if it’s valid for at least six months after planned trips. That’s because some countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Russia make this a requirement for entering their countries. Renewing a passport takes at least six to eight weeks through the mail, but those with proof of international travel (like a flight itinerary) can get an expedited passport renewal for an additional $60 to the $110 fee and by visiting a passport center in person.

International travel could also require a visa depending on the location and duration of your trip. Some countries have agreements in place that allow travelers to enter and leave visa free. For example, the U.S. and Canada don’t require visas for travel ( except in certain circumstances ), and Europe’s 26 Schengen States have a system where a visa issued by one of the 26 states typically allows travel throughout the others for up to 90 days.

To find out if your trip requires a visa, check your destination’s embassy or consulate website. Some countries will allow you to travel visa-free for a short stay. Others, like Lebanon , also allow citizens from destinations like the U.S. to get a visa upon arrival.

Get your vacation dates in order

Working while traveling can be tricky, but there are a few steps you can take that don’t involve quitting your job to travel the world.

Start by saving vacation days if you work at a company that pays out for these dates. Those looking to trade in vacation days can also check out companies like PTO Exchange , which lets companies buy back unused vacation days so employees can convert these days into travel, health benefits or charity credits.

Speed up security wait times

Signing up for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry can help save you time when moving in and out of airports.

TSA PreCheck , which costs $85 for a five-year membership, allows you to speed through domestic airport security without having to remove your shoes, belt, laptop, liquids or light jackets. The service is currently available in 200 airports in the U.S. across 47 participating airlines .

Global Entry , which costs $100 for a five-year membership will get you the same expedited screening through airport security as TSAPreCheck does, while also giving you the added benefit of expedited U.S. customs screenings through automated airport kiosks when arriving from an international destination.

Look for work on the road

Even if you leave your job to travel the world, there are some ways you can make money while abroad .

Companies like Upwork allow people to find work almost anywhere, even while traveling, since it’s open to freelancers across a wide range of fields that include video production, translation, programming, designing, writing, and mobile development. Income will vary on the type of position and number of hours worked, but freelancers can often rack up hourly rates that go as high as $200 per hour, according to Upwork representatives.

You could also find a place to stay through companies like the Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms ( WOOF ), which offers housing at organic farms around the world in exchange for volunteering on the farm, doing everything from feeding livestock and watering gardens to harvesting fruit trees.

Get the right credit card

Having the best travel credit card for your trip can not only prevent foreign transaction fees, but also help you reap rewards and perks during your trip.

A few cards with travel benefits include the Chase Sapphire Reserve ($450 annual fee), which offers $300 toward travel costs, $100 toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, access to thousands of airport lounges, zero foreign transaction fees, and a 1:1 point transfer program towards top airline and hotel loyalty programs. The Bank of America Travel Rewards no-fee card lets you easily cash points to use toward airline tickets, baggage, hotel stays, car rentals and cruise packages. The card offers unlimited points, with up to 1.5 points for every $1 spent and 20,000 bonus points if you make at least $1,000 in purchases the first three months of opening your account.

When it comes to savings on hotels, the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card lets you earn five points for every dollar you spend at one of the company’s hotels, and two points at participating Marriott Rewards hotels.

Read More: What Is Travel Insurance? And How Much Is It?

2. Book travel far in advance

After all that preparation, you’re ready to book your trip around the world, which will likely be a round-the-world plane ticket, a journey by sea, or a combination of flights and ground transportation.

Below is a breakdown of how different travel options work:

Consider a round-the-world ticket

Round-the-world tickets allow you to buy a ticket and fly with various airlines under one alliance. But there are some regulations to keep in mind. Tickets are usually valid for up to one year, though flyers are required to start and end their trip in the same country through the following major alliances:

• Star Alliance (including Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, Austrian, United, and Lufthansa) bases its round-the-world tickets on the number of miles, with levels of passes you can choose from based on mile increments. You can take up to 15 stopovers, but you’ll need to keep moving in the same direction as how you started your trip.
• OneWorld (including American Airlines , British Airways , Cathay Pacific , and Qantas) has two different round-the-world ticket options. Its Global Explorer ticket is a mile-based option with four different mile increments to choose from, while the One World Explorer is based on the number of continents you visit, with up to four segments (flights) you can take in each of the six continents the alliance flies into.
• Skyteam’s (including Delta, Air France, Korean Air, AeroMexico) round-the-world option requires a minimum of two stops and runs for a year, with the alliance even offering theme-based trips, like beach or history, to make planning your ticket a little easier.

Round-The-World tickets can cost around $2,000 , and Dave Grossman, author or MilesTalk: Live Your Wildest Travel Dreams Using Miles and Points , recommends checking whether it’s cheaper to book a round-the-world trip or individual legs by entering itinerary into Google Flights and comparing the overall price to those offered when building an itinerary out on the alliance websites.

You can also book round-the-world tickets through a travel agent or third-party sites like AirTreks of Flight Centre . These sites can be cheaper because they often pull together individual airline tickets based on the lowest fares to create a round-the-world itinerary.

However, round-the-world ticket travelers should note: missing one leg of your ticket could cancel the rest of your trip, making it best for travelers who feel comfortable planning out a lengthy trip well in advance.

Take a world cruise

If you’re looking to travel the world by sea, a world cruise can provide the flexibility to explore multiple continents, traveling from the U.S. to Europe for example, or to hone in on one continent. Itineraries vary by cruise, and world cruises can be great for families, retirees or those who can be at sea for around three months.

Sometimes, cruise lines will offer the option to book only a segment of world cruise, which can range from two weeks to a month. To book a segment, prospective travelers will also have to add a one-way trip to or from the start or end of their journey.

The costs of world cruises can be anywhere from $13,000 to upwards of $40,000 per person, as Cruise Critic points out.

Take a repositioning cruise

If you’re looking to travel the world for cheap, consider a repositioning cruise, which take place when ships need to relocate from one region to another. The cruises can cost up to $50 less per day than classic cruises and typically take place during shifting seasons like the fall and the spring. Cruise lines often sell repositioning tickets as one-way routes.

Consider train travel

If you plan on using trains throughout your world travel, there are a few options. For example, select companies like Great Rail Journeys now offer around the world rail journeys as well as a variety of rail passes.

Amtrak offers U.S. rail passes with 15-day ($459 for adults), 30-day ($689 for adults), and 45-day ($899 for adults) pass options that let you travel across eight segments (stops), 12 segments (stops), and 18 segments (stops).

Rail passes are a popular way to explore multiple stops within continents like Europe on the cheap. The Eurail Global Pass is the only rail pass that lets international travelers visit all of Europe , with unlimited travel offered in 28 countries. Eurail sells its global passes directly through its official website with a variety of prices and time options, starting at $600 per person for six days of travel within a month.

Those looking for the cheapest ways to travel, which can involve buses or ferries, can check out Rome2Rio , which lets you see all the transportation you can take between two locations and what route will be the cheapest. There are also lower-cost options like Berlinbus (a low cost bus operator in Germany) and the Student Agency Bus , which will give you discounted prices on coach lines in Europe. Swiss Federal Railways, often called SBB , also provides travelers with a wide variety of overnight train options, allowing you to save on overnight hotel fees to travel instead.

Know when to book

Unfortunately, there’s no magic set of days before your trip that will get you the best deal on flights. But travel seekers can keep an eye out for regular flight sales on social media, where airlines will often announce flash sales. And there are certain travel apps that will alert you when the price has gone down on flights you’re interested in.

3. Avoid hidden travel and communication fees

Once you’ve started your trip, there are tips and tricks to help you travel each destination across the world on a budget. Here are some ways to cut costs during your travel around the world:

Grab a city pass

City-pass offerings vary by location, but many will give you free or discounted admission to top attractions in a city, as well as fast-track options to cut lines. Some passes, like the Paris Pass , also include free transport throughout the city as well as admission to attractions. If you’re traveling in the U.S., you can check out the CityPASS network , which provides discounts on attractions across 12 North American cities.

Eliminate hidden hotel fees

To reduce hidden hotel fees (that is, after checking what hidden fees the hotel charges before you book), you can ask the hotel whether they can forego additional fees for amenities you don’t use, like the gym or in-room safe. The hotel may be able to remove these charges from your bill before you arrive.

If you’re staying at an all-inclusive property, you’ll want to look into the fine print and the “terms and conditions” of your stay. The reason for this is that some properties will charge more for items like champagne, high-end liquor or some activities. The easiest way to spot these is by keeping your eye out for asterisks in promotions and advertisements.

Communicate for free

Communicating with friends and family while traveling is important, but roaming charges and international calling fees can add up quickly.

Apps like WhatsApp, Viber and Skype, which allow messaging and calling for free over Wi-Fi if you have an Android phone. You can also grab a local SIM card, which you can purchase at airport vending machines and convenience stores. The Local SIM app can pinpoint the best local cellular carrier to grab your SIM card.

Choose Restaurants Wisely

While eating food from around the world is often one of the best parts of traveling, dining out for every meal can become expensive. To save some money: stay away from restaurants located near tourist attractions, which generally have higher prices and lower quality . Some travel experts recommend making lunch your biggest meal, when prices can be half that of dinner, according to CheapOAir.

Ask about free amenities on flights and at hotels

Some airlines and hotels have free perks available to guests who know to ask for them. On flights, for example, travelers can request everything from ukuleles on some Hawaiian Airlines flights to hot chocolate on Southwest Airlines. Some hotels also offer free amenities that range from night lights, chargers and curling irons at Kimpton Hotels to complimentary yoga sessions at select Hyatt properties.

Now, if all you need is travel inspiration, check out the 20 best and affordable places to travel in 2018 .

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Travel Better, Cheaper, Longer

How to Travel Cheap: 16 Ways to Travel for Cheap or Free

Whenever I ask readers what the number one thing holding them back from traveling is, I almost always get the same answer: Money.

This is something I hear from everyone I talk to: “Matt, I simply don’t have enough money to travel.”

This problem — and how to overcome it — is my most asked question. Over the past 14 years , I have answered this question in a plethora of posts, emails, tweets, and Facebook posts. Long-term readers might even be getting sick of me discussing this subject because it is one I talk about so much. 

But I know no matter how often I address this question, it will come up again.

Since this question comes up so often, I like to constantly remind people of this fact: You do not need to be rich to travel.

Let’s repeat that: You do not need to be rich to travel.

There are plenty of ways to travel on a budget (and for free) — you just need to be willing to get creative.

Traveling the world with no little or no money sounds like an impossible dream. But it is possible. It’s not glamorous, but it’s possible.

It should be said that there are some expenses you shouldn’t compromise on (like travel insurance ) but there are tons of ways you can travel the world on a budget — including plenty of ways you can actually travel for free.

In this post, I’m going to show you two things:

• How to travel cheap
• How to travel for free

Learning how to travel cheap is all about taking advantage of helpful apps and websites that save you money, finding ways to lower your expenses, and even making money as you travel. It’s about finding value and lowering your expenses while still being able to afford to do what you want.

Learning how to travel for free entails taking advantage of free accommodation, transportation, and activities that are already out there, thereby reducing your cost to zero. You can also use points and miles to earn free flights and accommodation . Here, you sacrifice comfort and convenience to extend your travels as long as possible.

With the right budget and the right mindset, you can make your travel dreams a reality. Even if you don’t earn a lot or you have debt, there are still plenty of ways to go overseas (I still had debt when I went on my first trip around the world). They may not be fancy or luxurious, but if travel is your priority then you can definitely make it happen!

Ready to kick-start your budget travels and save money? Just click on either of the links below to jump directly to that section!

Table of Contents

1. Get a Job Overseas

2. teach english overseas, 3. do wwoofing and work on a farm, 4. use the sharing economy, 5. cook your own meals, 6. get rail passes, 7. sleep in large dorms, 8. use student and other discount cards, 9. get city tourist cards, 10. capitalize on your skills, 11. get free flights, 12. stay for free, 13. hitchhike, 14. take free walking tours, 15. house sitting & pet sitting, 16. use your social network.

Not making enough money at your job? Or, even worse, are you working a job you hate? Why not get a job overseas? There are plenty of opportunities in the world as long as you aren’t picky. After all, this isn’t a career you are starting — it’s just a way to earn money for travel.

Here are some popular (and easy to find) jobs you can get when you travel:

• Au pair – An au pair is a live-in caregiver who helps a host family by looking after their children and doing some basic housekeeping. In exchange, you get free room and board and a small salary. This is a great route if you’re looking to learn a new language or immerse yourself in a new culture. You can read this post for more info on being an au pair .
• Bartender – It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere, so if you have the skills then this is an easy job to move overseas. It’s also an easy job to get under the table if you decide to go that route. If you don’t have the skills to tend bar, consider being a dishwasher or busser.
• Hostel worker – Hostel workers rarely stick around for long, which means there is always a demand for new help. It’s a great way to meet other travelers while adjusting to a new location. You can usually also start off as a volunteer (in exchange for a free room) to avoid visa complications. Three websites that can help you find hostels to volunteer at are Worldpackers , Workaway , and HelpX .
• Waitress/waiter – There are tons of seasonal restaurants around the world (and around the US) that need extra help during the busy tourist months. If you have experience, this is an easy job to find abroad.
• Dive instructor – If you have your certification , this is an easy job to travel with as dive instructors are needed everywhere. Best of all, these jobs are usually in picturesque tropical locations !
• Tour guide – If you’ve got a knack for history and don’t mind speaking in front of groups, this is the perfect job for you. It’s also usually a cash job, which means you get your tips directly.
• Cruise ship worker – This is a much more formal position than the ones above, but it’s a great way to travel. The hours are long, but there’s something to be said about living at sea!
• Casino worker – While this might require some training, if you’re a night owl and don’t mind the casino scene this is a fun job to work abroad.
• Seasonal worker at ski resorts – Instructors, restaurant staff, hotel staff, lifeguards — ski resorts need all sorts of staff to keep things moving, making this a goldmine for the overseas traveler (as long as you don’t mind the snow!).
• Yacht worker – While the hours can be long, you can make great money working for the rich and famous on their yachts. Best of all, you’re usually in some pretty amazing destinations!
• Yoga instructor – If you have the skills (and certification), teaching yoga abroad is an easy way to make some spending money. While you might need to know the language, there are yoga studios in pretty much every city in the world.

Working overseas often gets discounted as an option because it seems hard to do. It’s not. Just be open. These jobs don’t require advanced degrees or a lot of work experience either.

Are you going to get a high-paying office job? No.

Will you get a shitty, low-wage job that will pay all your travel bills? Yep!

I’ve met people from all walks of life, both from Western and non-Western countries, funding their travels this way. It’s an easy, fun way to lengthen your travels, deepen your experience, and make a little money so you can keep on traveling.

READ MORE ABOUT WORKING OVERSEAS: 15 Ways to Find a Job and Work Overseas  

All you need is the ability to speak English fluently and a TEFL degree , depending on the country you work in. The world is yearning for teachers, and this is a job in high demand; many companies in Asia will even pay for your flight over as well as cover your rent while you’re there.

If you have a college or university degree you’ll be able to make more money and apply for better positions though it’s not necessary for many countries.

Additionally, there are many websites and services out there that allow you to teach virtually. As long as you have a great Wi-Fi connection, you can help people learn English from anywhere in the world!

Some places you can teach online are:

READ MORE ABOUT TEACHING OVERSEAS:

• The Best TEFL Courses for Teaching English Abroad
• The 9 Best Places to Teach English Overseas
• How Oneika Gets Teaching Jobs Around the World
• Can You Teach English Abroad Without a TEFL?

WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms . It’s a platform that allows you to work on a farm in exchange for free room and board. It’s a great way to see a destination in-depth while allowing you to commune with the great outdoors. You have to pay to get to the farm, but once you are there, everything else is covered! It definitely will help you travel cheap as well as have a unique experience and meet lots of cool people.

WWOOF has opportunities available in 130 countries around the world, with over 12,000 hosts and 100,000 WWOOFers. Some of the most popular destinations for WWOOFers are Portugal, France, Italy, Costa Rica, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.

READ MORE ABOUT VOLUNTEERING :

• How to Travel and Work Around the World with WWOOF
• How to Ethically Volunteer Anywhere in the World

These websites have changed the travel game and made travel more accessible for everyone.

Here are some of my favorite websites:

• BlaBlaCar – A ride-sharing app that connects you with drivers who have extra seats in their car (primarily for medium and long distances, and mainly in Europe).
• EatWith – Platform that connects you with local cooks serving private meals.
• RVShare – Lets you rent RVs and camper vans directly from locals.
• Turo – A car sharing marketplace that lets you rent vehicles from locals.
• Campspace – This platform lets you camp on private property. Properties range from basic tent plots to luxurious glamping and RV stays.
• Trusted Housesitters – Connects you with locals with whom you exchange pet and house sitting services for free accommodation.

READ MORE ABOUT THE SHARING ECONOMY:

• How to Use the Sharing Economy to Travel on a Budget
• How to Find the perfect Apartment on Sites Like Airbnb

The best way to save money on the road is to cook all your own meals. While in Stockholm , I spent $60 USD for a week’s worth of groceries instead of an average of $15 USD per meal eating out! That’s a savings of $150 USD!

I’ve done the same thing in dozens of countries all around the world — especially in expensive destinations like Iceland where eating out can really destroy your budget.

If you are staying in hostels , book accommodation that has a kitchen so you have space to cook. If you’re Couchsurfing or using Airbnb,your host will probably have a kitchen.

No kitchen? Pack your own container and cutlery and make some sandwiches and salads on the go. Not every meal requires a stove, right?

Just because you are traveling doesn’t mean you need to eat out every meal. You won’t ruin your trip to Paris if you decide not to eat out one day! There’s simply no reason to be spending lots of money on food on your trip!

READ MORE ABOUT SAVING MONEY ON FOOD WHEN YOU TRAVEL:

• How to Eat Cheap Around the World
• How to Eat Around the World on a Vegan Diet

If you are booking individual trips, booking ahead of time can usually save you about 50% of the cost of a train ticket. However, that fixes you to a set timeline. If you don’t want to be tied into a fixed schedule, rail passes can save you a lot of money while giving you the flexibility you need. I’ve saved hundreds of dollars in Europe doing this!

READ MORE ABOUT RAIL PASSES:

• Is The Eurail Pass Right For You?
• A Complete Guide To The Eurail Global Pass
• The Ultimate Guide To Saving Money With Eurail Passes
• A Complete Guide to the Japan Rail Pass

Large hostel dorm rooms are the cheapest paid accommodation out there. If Couchsurfing isn’t your thing, this is your next best way to save money on a place to sleep. The bigger the dorm, the cheaper it will be. While a 4-6 bed dorm might give you more privacy, a 12-18 bed dorm is going to be a bit cheaper. In the long run, this will add up. As long as you’ve got earplugs and a sleeping mask, opt for the bigger dorm to keep your budget intact!

If you’re a light sleeper, make sure you read the reviews before you book to ensure you don’t choose a party hostel. In larger cities, you can usually find a hostel that is quieter than the others. It might not be as social or as centrally located, but you’ll at least be able to get a good sleep.

In a large dorm, you’re almost guaranteed to have some snorers. If earplugs don’t quite do the trick, download an app like Rain Rain , which plays rain sounds on a loop. You can set a timer so they stop playing after an hour or two, helping you ignore the noises of the dorm while you try to fall asleep. Spotify also has all kinds of rain and whitenoise playlists too.

For discounts on hostels in Europe, check out HostelPass . This card gives you up to 20% off hostels throughout Europe. They’re constantly adding new hostels too. I’ve always wanted something like this and am glad it finally exists! (Use code NOMADICMATT for 25% off your membership.)

READ MORE ABOUT HOSTELS:

• Why I Still Stay in Hostels When I Travel
• 11 Expert Tips on Picking a Good Hostel
• 6 Ways to Avoid a Bad Hostel
• My Favorite Hostels Around the World

Are you a student, teacher, or under 26? Welcome to the world of 50%-off attractions and a plethora of discounts! Get a student/teacher/youth card and save big while you’re abroad. Even if you’ve recently graduated, chances are you can still get by with your expired ID card (as long as it doesn’t have an expiry date). Always ask if there are discounts available for students or youth as this is an easy way to save tons of cash as you travel around!

Museums, galleries, and other major tourist attractions usually have discounts (especially in Europe ). It never hurts to ask! (There are also often discounts for senior travelers and veterans as well, so always ask!)  

If you plan on seeing a lot of sights in a city, you should get a city tourism card. These will offer you discounted and/or free access to the major attractions and museums, as well as free public transportation. I saved over $100 USD with the London pass, $80 USD with the Paris Museum card, $50 USD with a Helsinki card, and tons more with other city tourism cards.

They are an amazing way to save money on attractions that not enough people use. Just head to the local tourism office to find out what cards are available. They can help answer all your questions and make sure you save as much money as possible. Not every city has them, but most major destinations do and you’ll save a lot of money if you plan on seeing the major sights.  

Need some cash? Use Craigslist (operates in 70 countries), TaskRabbit (mainly in the US and Canada, though also in Italy and Spain), or Gumtree (UK-based) to find paid odd jobs, like assisting people who need a few things done around the house. It’s a way to make money when you travel without committing to a long-term job.

Additionally, if you have a skill, sell it. Offer haircuts to other travelers, busk for money, provide online services like editing, graphic design, or consulting. It’s never been easier to work online. As long as you have Wi-Fi you can make money. The sky is the limit here — get creative!  

These days, there are tons of ways to earn free flights. Simply sign up for a few travel credit cards , collect miles, and then fly for free.

Most cards offer sign-up bonuses of 50,000 points (or more) — which is often enough for a free round-trip flight right there. And if you sign up for both an airline card (e.g., a United credit card) and a general rewards card like the Chase Sapphire, you can combine the two point balances and get a cheap flight faster.

You can go a lot further in the world when you take away the cost of flights and some accommodation. By collecting points and miles through credit card bonuses, smart everyday spending, online surveys, bonuses, and other methods, you’ll accrue a ton of miles even before you’ve left for your trip. There’s even a card now — the Bilt rewards card – that lets you earn points on your rent!

Collecting points and miles isn’t only for Americans either (though US residents have the best options). Canadians can collect points too, as can folks from Australia and New Zealand and the UK .

Europeans also have several options as well, including all kinds of airline cards such as Norwegian Air, SAS, Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, and more.

READ MORE ABOUT POINTS & MILES:

• Points & Miles 101: A Beginner’s Guide
• The Ultimate Guide to Points & Miles
• How I Earn 1 Million Frequent Flier Miles Each Year
• The Best Travel Credit Cards

There are many services that connect travelers with locals who are willing to let them stay with them for free. Using these sites, you will never have to pay for accommodation. Years ago I read about a guy who traveled for years while only Couchsurfing.

I’ve used this service dozens of times over the years and always meet amazing people. Sometimes you get a room, sometimes a couch, sometimes an air mattress, but it’s always free.

Ideally, you’ll want to repay your host’s kindness by cooking them a meal, bringing them a souvenir from home, or taking them out for a drink. But that will still be much cheaper than paying for accommodation!

There are also local Couchsurfing group meet-ups that can help you make friends in your new city. You can even use the app just to meet people without having to stay with them. It’s a great way to connect with local insiders — whether you want a free place to stay or not.

Moreover, because of the rise of the sharing economy in the last few years, there are now websites that let you not only stay with locals but share rides, meals, train tickets, gear, and much more! These websites not only save you a TON of money but also get you off the tourist track and into the local life. Win-win! Here is a list of websites to use for free accommodation:

• Couchsurfing
• Warmshowers

READ MORE ABOUT FINDING CHEAP OR FREE ACCCOMMODATION:

• How to Find Cheap Accommodation
• How to Start House Sitting and Never Pay for Accommodation
• How to Crush it on Couchsurfing

I’ve hitchhiked in more than a handful of countries (and I know solo female travelers who have done the same!). Sure, it has a bad reputation in North America, but with some common sense and a bit of patience, you can hitchhike almost anywhere — saving you tons of money in the process!

Here are a few basic tips to help you get started:

• Use a sign – Make a clear sign that lets people know where you’re heading. That will help drivers decide if they can help.
• Look presentable – Wear clean clothing, smile, and don’t obscure your face with something like sunglasses. People want to see who they are picking up.
• Check the laws – Hitchhiking is illegal in some places. Always check the laws to make sure it’s ok to do where you are.
• Take precautions – Note the license plate of anyone who picks you up and text it to a friend. Chances are you won’t need it but it’s better to be safe than sorry!
• Keep your valuables on you – Don’t leave any valuables in your bag if it goes in the trunk in case it gets left in the car (or stolen).
• Consult Hitchwiki – Hitchwiki is the #1 hitchhiking resource there is. Always consult it before you hitchhike to pick up tips and ensure you’re hitchhiking in a safe place.

READ MORE ABOUT HITCHHIKING:

• 14 Ways to Safely Hitchhike Across the United States
• What I Learned Hitchhiking Around China
• A Lesson in Kindness While Hitchhiking through Iceland

Want to learn about the city, get your bearings, and see the major sights? Take a free walking tour. You can find them in most major cities — just ask the local tourist office, your hostel staff, or Google “free walking tour (city name).”

You’ll get a solid introduction to the city while also getting access to a local guide you can ask questions to. I always start my visits to a new city with one. Just be sure to tip your guide at the end (that’s how they get paid).

READ MORE ABOUT TAKING FREE WALKING TOURS:

• The Best Walking Tours of NYC
• The Best Walking Tour Companies in London
• 8 Ways to Choose the Perfect Tour Company
• The Best Walking Tours in Paris
• The Best Walking Tours in Amsterdam
• A Self-Guided Tour of Colonial New York

You can sign up for one of the sites below to start house sitting, allowing you to stay in one destination for a while without having to pay for accommodation. Everyone’s account is verified and has reviews so you know you won’t get cheated.

This is a great way to travel long-term, with an important added bonus: you get a kitchen to cook your food (which saves you even more money!).

You will also often get access to a vehicle and sometimes will be left a tip or free groceries. It’s generally people who are well enough off that they can afford multi-month vacations, so you’re usually in pretty nice homes and apartments too!

Here are the best house-sitting websites to check out:

• Trusted Housesitters

READ MORE ABOUT HOUSE SITTING:

• How to Become a House Sitter and Never Pay for Accommodation
• How to Start House Sitting

Does your colleague have a relative in Spain? Or maybe you have a distant cousin who lives in New Zealand. Or maybe a childhood friend of yours is working down in Brazil.

These days, we have a vast social network of friends and family that stretches across the globe. Don’t hesitate to use that! Ask your co-workers and friends if they know anyone where you’re going. Get your mom to ask her co-workers and friends, too.

Using your social network can be hugely helpful in traveling the world . You never know who knows who!

By implementing a variety of these tips, you’ll be able to travel for relatively little money. With a little planning and some creativity, you can travel the world for cheap.

Because if I can do it, you can do it too!

Whether it’s two months, two years, or just a two-week vacation, travel doesn’t need to cost a ton. The key is to get out of the mindset that you must travel in the typical manner of simply booking a flight and a hotel. Using out-of-the-box, nontraditional ways to travel can lead to big savings.

But it all starts with a change in mindset. From there, with some patience and practice, you’ll be able to make your travel dreams a reality — without breaking the bank!

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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How to plan a trip around the world

 Making the fantasy of a global odyssey an achievable reality is not as impossible as it might seem.

Combining a series of once-in-a-lifetime experiences into a single around-the-world trip can feel like the ultimate expression of luxury travel. It can be a daunting prospect though, with many contending factors to consider. Here's how to start planning the ultimate round-the-world trip.

1. Take to the sky

Air travel is, predictably, the simplest way to traverse the globe. Start by purchasing an around-the-world plane ticket through an airline alliance — coalitions of different airlines which let you pay for all of your flights in a single transaction. The alliance offers regional passes which might work better should you want to devote the bulk of your time to one or two continents.

There are three main players: Star Alliance, OneWorld and Skyteam; the latter, however, has suspended sales of RTW tickets. Star Alliance is a confederation of 26 airlines covering 1,200 airports in 98% of the world’s nations, while OneWorld’s 13 airlines serve 1,000 destinations across almost as many countries.

The small print varies, but fliers must always keep to one global direction, east or west (the latter better suits your circadian rhythm), with no backtracking; must only cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans once each; must start and finish in the same country; and must travel for a period between 10 days and one year.

Convenience is a benefit here, allowing you to minimise paperwork. It’s worth noting that some countries, such as China, also require proof of an outbound air ticket before issuing visas.  

How to do it:   Star Alliance offers a 133-day itinerary from London via Istanbul, Dubai, Bangkok, Sydney, Los Angeles and New York from £2,580 per person.  

2. Ride the rails

A century ago, taking extended rail journeys was one of the only means of long-distance travel. Today, trains are a great option for travellers looking to minimise their carbon footprint and take a slower, more measured route.

Recapturing the romance of the past, around-the-world specialists Travel Nation can tailor-make odysseys involving   separate train journeys. Vietnam’s Reunification Express, an Outback crossing aboard the Australian Ghan and a ride on the Rocky Mountaineer in Canada can all feature.

How to do it:   Travel Nation ’s 74-night, rail-focused global tour costs from £17,760 per person, including flights, trains, accommodation, most meals and some excursions.  

3. Go Private

For those who truly want to travel in style, it’s possible to circumnavigate the globe by private jet through National Geographic Expeditions. These trips are based around epic itineraries whose remarkable destinations are brought to life by a experts and groundbreaking researchers in various fields, who most travellers never get to meet.

On the 24-day Around the World by Private Jet expedition, you can visit 10 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Among the trip’s standouts are Easter Island’s Moai statues, Angkor’s jungle-flanked temple complexes, rock-carved Petra and a Serengeti safari. Departing from Washington, DC, up to 75 passengers will travel VIP-style in a customised Boeing 757, bedding down throughout the adventure in five-star hotels or lodges.

How to do it: National Geographic Expeditions ’ 23-night Around the World by Private Jet trip starts from £77,100 per person, all-inclusive, including medical evacuation insurance. Departures on 10 March, 29 October and 28 December 2024.  

4. Head overland

Travellers who don’t mind hitting the open road can try Oasis Overland, a tour company specialising in overland travel. Its longest offering is a 293-day trip from the UK to Cairo via an anticlockwise loop along much of the African coast, plus Victoria Falls and Zanzibar. The slew of highlights include the Sahara desert, the Giza Pyramids and East Africa’s wildlife-rich plains.  

The 16 (or fewer) group members will ride in one of Oasis Overland’s bright yellow trucks, built for traversing bumpy roads while offering as much comfort as possible. Nights are almost exclusively spent camping, and everyone is expected to contribute by pitching tents or cooking dinners.

You could also combine trips by flying from Cairo to Istanbul and then joining another overland tour all the way to Singapore, for example.

How to do it: Oasis Overland ’s 292-night UK to Cairo expedition starts from £9,495 per person, including all transport (except flights from the UK to Gibraltar or Malaga) and a selection of excursions.

5. Do it yourself

Arranging everything yourself is an option — most easily accomplished by purchasing multi-destination flights through a comparison website such as kiwi.com or Skyscanner.

A big upside to this is that you can work out something closely aligned to your specific needs; it’ll require a fair bit of time, though, and you’ll lose out in terms of flexibility — changing dates can be tricky — and cancellation cover.

It’s usually more convenient to aim for large airport hubs — the likes of Bangkok, Dallas, Dubai, Heathrow, Paris and Singapore — as the many competing services provide more options. A typical around-the-world ticket will involve something along the lines of London — Istanbul — Bangkok — Singapore — Sydney — Los Angeles — New York — London. From these hubs, you’ll be well placed to add in more obscure destinations in between.  

It’s also worth bearing in mind that you don’t have to fly between each stage. For instance, it’s possible to travel from London to Istanbul by train, lowering your carbon footprint in the process. Or, rather than flying from Bangkok to Singapore, you could get a boat from the Thai capital to Koh Samui and continue from there instead. A reliable tool for establishing train, bus, boat or taxi costs is the website Rome2Rio, and it’s worth investigating the likes of Amtrak rail passes in the US, Eurail Passes for European trains or Greyhound coach tickets covering Australia’s east coast.

Accommodation is something to decide on in advance. Be sure to have all hotel bookings locked in place well ahead of time. Hostels are a good bet, especially if you’re travelling solo or planning an ad-hoc approach during each stage of the trip, but can be lacking in privacy and comforts. House or apartment rentals can be much more comfortable and convenient, particularly for longer stays.  

How to do it: A sample 147-day itinerary from London via Istanbul, Dubai, Bangkok, Sydney, Los Angeles and New York from kiwi.com starts at £2,189 per person, including checked luggage.

6. Enlist a pro

One of the best ways to arrange an air-based around-the-world itinerary is by booking with a specialist agent or operator such as Trailfinders, Travel Nation or AirTreks. This can cut out a lot of organisational stress, while also enabling you to take advantage of these companies’ many years of experience. These firms often have access to special deals and aren’t constrained to particular airlines or alliances, allowing them to further improve the offerings to their clients.

The AirTreks website even has a trip planner tool listing a series of suggested activities, interests and attractions such as hiking, beaches, meditation or family travel, providing an extra level of choice at the planning stage.

If you’re interested in earning air miles, specify this to the agent so that they can concentrate on finding flights that qualify. Agents will also be able to suggest tempting additional stops — Taiwan, maybe, or a pause in Oman — which can be a great way of adding an extra bit of excitement to burgeoning itineraries.  

Finally, a specialist company can also take care of — or advise on — vaccinations (such as malaria), and certification and visas you’ll need, saving you plenty of legwork.

How to do it: AirTrek s’ nine-stop ticket from London via Paris, Florence, Venice, Athens, Singapore, Sydney, Auckland and Los Angeles costs from £1,325 to £1,770.

7. Learn to sail

Land ahoy! You might just get to utter those words by signing up for a unique sailing adventure with London-based operator Another World Adventures, which can arrange for you to join a classic, square-rigged tall ship for 90 days as it makes its way around the world on a 455-day voyage. Once on board, you’ll learn how to trim the sails, haul mizzen spinnakers and lean on trade winds to cross the tropics. No experience is required, and participants will become part of a tight-knit crew and make friends for life.

It doesn’t matter at which point on its itinerary the ship happens to be, as it’s entirely possible to join subsequent legs. Setting sail from Bali on 6 November 2023, leg three sees the ship call at the Indian Ocean islands of Rodrigues and Reunion before arriving in Cape Town on 6 February. Beginning one day later, the fourth and final stage is via Namibia, the British overseas territory of St Helena, several Caribbean islands and, on 13 July, Nova Scotia in Canada.

If you’d prefer to wait and tackle the whole trip — the other two legs are Nova Scotia to Tahiti, and Tahiti to Bali — then Another World Adventures (which also offers other, similar experiences) expects it to start in 2025.

How to do it:   Another World Adventures offers 90 nights, full board, from £13,600 per person, including transport, port fees and instruction.  

8. Cruise along

Ever more around-the-world voyages are being offered by cruise lines. To join one, you’ll need one important thing: lots of spare time. The circular itineraries are mostly more than 100 days in length, with Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise maxing out at 274 nights via seven continents and around 150 stops. These kinds of journeys really fit the ‘trip of a lifetime’ tag, running up to £100,000 per person.

Notably, 2023 marks a century since the world’s first continuous passenger cruise ship completed its pioneering journey. Chartered by the American Express Company, Cunard’s SS Laconia arrived back in New York City after completing a monumental six-month sailing via Japan, Singapore, India and Egypt.  

They also sell out quicker than almost any other cruise, partly due to having a limited number of departures. Holland America Line, for example, opened bookings this summer on its new 2025 Grand World Voyage. Departing from Fort Lauderdale in Florida, this is a six-continent, 124-day round-trip which transits the Panama Canal before visiting Callao (for excursions to Machu Picchu), Easter Island, Tahiti, the Great Barrier Reef, the Seychelles, Cape Town, Kenya, Jordan and Barcelona among 46 stops.  

How to do it:   Holland America Line’s 123-night Grand World Voyage starts from £19,900 per person, full board, including complimentary airport transfers, a $500 (£400) air credit and up to £6,700 per person in onboard spending credits if booked by 3 June 2024.  

9. Hop aboard a cargo ship

A rather more adventurous way of sailing the seas is aboard a cargo ship or freighter cruise. Carrying large containers of clothes, electrical equipment, foods and most other things between the world’s major ports, some of these allot space for four to 12 passengers.

Single, twin or double cabins are the norm, usually with sea-facing windows as well as a sitting area, a desk, a shower and a toilet. A few boats come with a pool, but most are very simple — they’re built for work, not pleasure, after all — and you certainly won’t find a spa or casino (though playing cards with the crew members isn't unheard of). All meals are provided in the on-board canteen.

The major appeal is the sense of serenity — watching the ocean drift by and having time to gather your thoughts or write that novel you’ve always planned.  

This can also be an amazing way to tick off some hard-to-reach places. Take freighters travelling to Singapore from New Zealand; be it for fuel and supplies or to make a drop-off, these stop at numerous Pacific islands en route, occasionally for a couple of days. That said, some port calls are too quick for guests to go ashore.

Note that good health and unaided mobility — due to steep gangways and lots of stairs — are mandatory, and it’s not suited for children or elderly travellers.

How to do it:   Cargo Ship Voyages offers a cargo ship crossing from Rotterdam to Cuba (estimated at 16 nights) from £1,880 per person, which includes all meals.  

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How to Plan an Around the World Itinerary in 8 Steps

Last updated on January 5, 2024 by Shannon

You’re planning an around the world trip . Congrats! My one-year trip turned into a decade of wandering and it transformed my life . My own one-year trip itinerary took me through 15 countries and countless experiences—but narrowing down my dream countries to just 15 was hard.

After so many years on the road—and after several round the world trips since that first one—I have some hard learned advice for anyone planning their own route and building their own trip around the world. If you’re planning a world trip, it’s usually a long-term route of at least a few months and up to a year around the world, or more.

These are eight ideas—eight steps really—to help narrow your travel itinerary down to those stops along your route that will fit your budget, highlight the most memorable places to you, and make sense for the trip you’ve always dreamed of taking.

Table of Contents

1. Make an itinerary bucket list for the entire world.

The inspiration phase of planning your round the world trip itinerary is one of the most fun. Maybe you already have a laundry list of places you hope to cram into your world trip itinerary. Or perhaps you’ve nailed down a few key experiences but you’re open to more inspiration. You should absolutely start with a long bucket list of locations all over the world, because weather and route might automatically strike a few off the list for you.

If you’re curious for more travel ideas, browse the  best travel books sorted by destination , or search for long-reads and podcast recommendations on my Destination Travel Guides . Use these books and resources for inspiration on not only places to add to your round the world route, but activities, too.

Perhaps you read The Devil’s Picnic and subsequently add Paris to your list for that stinky but toothsome Époisses de Bourgogne cheese, or you add Bhutan because of its intriguing portrayal in The Geography of Bliss (that’s what has it on the itinerary for my next around the world trip!).

Books and podcasts are a phenomenal way to expand your idea of what is possible on your trip.

Once you have a list of dream destinations for your travel itinerary, highlight up to five that are your absolute priorities—these will become the bedrock of your around the world trip. The rest of the places on your list will slot in around those stops based on timing, weather, and more.

How granularly you plan is personal—some travelers leave with a precise list of destinations and timelines, while others plan the first couple of months of their round the world trop.

My three key travel destinations:

For my first year, I had three key activities on my list. The first was diving the Great Barrier Reef —that’s why my trip started in Australia . The second was meeting my cousin in India and backpacking north from Mumbai together for two months before ending our time together at a volunteer placement in Nepal . The third was time-sensitive as I had always dreamed of attending the Edinburgh Fringe Festival , which takes place every August in Scotland.

Later, when I traveled with my 11-year-old niece for six months in Southeast Asia , I led her through some basic Google searches so that she could see what was on offer. We planned our joint world trip itinerary together centered around her three biggies: an ethical elephant encounter , ziplining somewhere, and visiting Angkor Wat .

2. Pick a direction around the world.

From your home country, your travel itinerary will take you either east to west, or west to east around the world. Backtracking is not ideal—it’s expensive, causes more jet lag, and is bad for the environment. Use this strategy whether you use a round the world ticket (which requires this stipulation) or if you book flights as you travel.

Pros and cons of traveling east:

• Science says this direction is harder on your body and produces more jet lag . The short of it is because you are losing time when you fly through time several zones, but your body actually prefers cycles slightly longer than 24 hours, not shorter.
• You’ll need to become a pro at minimizing jet lag so you don’t lose several days to it in each new location.
• If you’re planning a very long RTW trip, perhaps 18 months or more, and your itinerary creeps around the world, then you will likely not notice the difference much.

Pros and cons of traveling west:

• As noted, your body actually prefers days that run longer than 24 hours, so your internal clock has a much easier time adding hours into your day. This means fewer nights adjusting and staring at the hotel ceiling at 3am.
• Your body can do at least two hours of time zone jumping in this direction without having a noticeable effect on you, so it’s ideal to slowly hop west around the world. And if you’re crossing the Pacific from the U.S., your largest time zone change will likely occur at the beginning of your trip, so you can then enjoy more relaxing travel for the many months afterwards.

How I decided my world trip direction:

I was lucky that two of my key experiences could bookend my trip. Scotland and Australia are not close, so it was easy to plan many of my other dream destinations to fill the space between these countries.

Since I planned to leave the U.S. in November, it was easy to surmise that starting my trip in Australia, which was entering summer, made the most sense. Then I would make my way west toward Scotland for Edinburgh Fringe, handily skirting both winter in Europe and summer in Asia.

3. Find creative overland routes.

Whew, you now have a list of dream destinations for your world trip and a direction of travel. Now it’s time to fill in the space in your itinerary. And you’ll do that by using local transportation, which is a lot more fun than flying—you’ll see more of the country and culture, and you’ll have richer travel experiences .

Go back now to those handful of key destinations from your bucket list that. These are the foundational bedrocks of your world trip itinerary. These dots on the map should lend a rough overview of a route. If they don’t, if one is just an outlier that makes it hard to see logical jumps, narrow your list down to four, and see if that helps—if you truly love the idea of an experience, but it doesn’t fit this trip it might make a great trip on its own in a couple years time.

Now, your world trip itinerary needs the details, and those usually come from visiting clusters of bordering countries—you’ll be crossing overland among many of these destinations. (For that to work, however, check visa restrictions for your nationality as some countries require visas in advance, or don’t allow crossings at certain borders).

Popular routes ( backpacking Southeast Asia , for example), have only a few restrictions and those are easily handled online, or in the days before your border crossing.

Start dotting the map with the countries that are very close to your bedrock destinations. That looks like this: If trekking in Nepal is a bedrock item, and India’s Golden Triangle and Sri Lanka were both on your dream list, then it makes sense to add them into your route, since you’ll definitely be in the region.

My creative overland routes:

As I planned my itinerary, a dear friend announced she wanted to meet me in Florence, Italy in June. That became another bedrock item with a firm date, so I now had a time I had to leave South Asia and head to Eastern Europe.

Nearby Croatia was on my tentative list, and I had a friend in Bosnia , so both of those became stops on my itinerary that helped give it shape. Prague hadn’t been on my list, but I decided to move north through Eastern Europe after leaving Bosnia.

I filled in adventurous stops that would take me from my friend in Italy in June to Scotland in August—plenty of time for rafting in Slovenia , finding charming towns in Czech Republic , biking Amsterdam like a local, and walking through the Lake District of England first!

Research activities in countries you’re considering.

If there are countries nearby your “must-visit” locations, use a site like GetYourGuide to research the types of activities you could see and do if you visited these adjacent destinations as well. I like checking out the day tour sites more than a guidebook at this stage because it’s a very quick overview of the must-dos in each location.

4. Research festivals in your favored locations.

Local festivals around the world are amazingly full of life, culture, and fun. It’s a huge letdown when you learn too late that you missed a major religious and celebratory festival by just a few days. And it’s also a shock if you arrive thinking it’s shoulder season but you really arrived during Brazil’s carnival.

Plan your route to coincide with the dates of festivals that seem most fun for you (this is especially important for trips with kids, because they love the excitement, colors, and foods at these types of events. You’ll need to book accommodation early depending on the event, so that may take some flexibility from your world travel route, but it’s worth it.

Here are a few favorite annual festivals that many travelers plan around: La Tomatina in Spain in late August; Holi the Festival of Colors  in India around early March; Thailand’s Songkran Water Festival often falls within April and its Loy Krathong Lantern Festival falls in late October or early November.

Festivals around the world I sought out:

When my cousin told me should could only meet in India in February, and I knew we’d be there for two months, I went into planning mode to decide where we should celebrate Holi the Festival of Colors . It was a real highlight of my trip and I am so glad our world travel itinerary allowed us to experience this incredible Indian festival.

Then, of course, was the Fringe Festival —that was one of my bedrock destinations so it was definitely on the planned route.

5. Play Tetris with locations to fit your travel budget.

I stuck to an amazing year-long world travel budget that came in under $20,000. The only way I could do that was by carefully planning my time to favor budget-friendly countries, and then add in high-cost countries in smaller supply.

Research each of your dream destinations ahead of time because some places you might assume are budget actually cost more than you imagine (a safari in Africa is not cheap, nor is accommodation in much of Africa, but visiting a dream destination on the continent is worth it). Japan may be in Asia, but it’s pricey, too. Central America and Mexico are easy on your budget, as are parts of South America.

How I made my RTW travel budget work:

Australia , England, Scotland, and Ireland were mega expensive and represented three of my eleven months on the road. India and Nepal were, by far, the cheapest places (even cheaper than backpacking Southeast Asia ), and it was actually difficult to go over budget during the three-and-a-half months that I backpacked South Asia.

I spent the other months in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe, two regions that are in the discount to mid-range. All told, I was able to easily average $50 a day, even though some days in Europe topped $100.

6. Plan around weather trends.

On your trip, research destinations ahead of time and plan according to your own weather preferences. While it’s not likely you will hit every destination in your preferred season, you should know when monsoon season makes a paradise island unenjoyable, or when blizzards will thwart a planned ski trip.

Research using this great rundown of shoulder season locations around the world, and this European shoulder season list , and this very cool map of a a sample round the itinerary featuring perfect weather in every location.

Why I chased summer around the world:

I planned my trip itinerary to chase summer around the world. As a native Floridian, my tolerance for heat is higher than most others, and I deeply enjoy warmth. A year of summer was lovely.

Whether your around the world trip chases summer or snow—and note it’s way easier to pack for long-term travel when you can leave behind thick jackets and boots—you’ll want to pack effectively using packing cubes .

I have probably 20 packing cubes after 15+ years of travel—cubes of all shapes, sizes, and uses to fit every trip. This eight-pack starter set is well-priced, durable, and will give you a worthy introduction into the sheer magic of packing cubes.

7. Consider how you will fly.

When planning your itinerary, you have to consider more than just major long-haul flights. On my travels, I research local budget airlines too, and I always have a good idea of which regions of the world offer affordable puddle-jumper flights. If you’re considering buying round the world tickets , read my insider tips and advice first!

Southeast Asia has AirAsia and Vietjet, among others. Europe has many budget carriers: Vueling, Ryan Air, and EasyJet. And JetStar has good flight deals in South Asia. By checking for budget airline routes, I know that I can easily visit more countries in a region if there are sub $100 flights around the area. (Tip: this is an amazing interactive map of low-cost airline routes ).

My transportation choices:

I priced out my year on the road and found it was cheaper to combine overland travel with local carriers than it would have been to buy a RTW ticket up front. I also have a guide to how I find good flight deals , since I never buy round the world airfare.

Generally, flights are likely necessary unless you plan an entirely overland route around the world , but flights are harmful if you solely rely on this form of transportation, so truly consider how you can incorporate other options, such as buying a Eurail ticket in Europe, or a Greyhound bus ticket to travel down the east coast of Australia.

Don’t forget to  book travel insurance for your trip —a great policy provides coverage in case of medical emergencies, lost or stolen gear, adventure sports riders, and more. I’ve used  IMG Global  for more than a decade  highly recommend it !

8. Remove some destinations from your world trip itinerary.

There is no wrong way to plan your route around the world, and there is no perfect number of places that you can visit in a year—it all depends on what you’re looking for on your trip. And no matter how carefully you plan, you will love some places, feel mediocre toward others, and perhaps even leave early from a few. You won’t know until you set out which type of places and experiences best fit your long-term travel style.

But please keep in mind that the pace of short-term travels is very different from a multi-month trip. Create a route that travels slowly, avoids the dreaded travel-fatigue , and includes destinations you have long dreamed of visiting. To do that, you now need to take a critical eye to your trip and trim the fat.

Is there something you added it because it seemed fun and was moderately close, but it wasn’t a bedrock item? Or perhaps it’s a location you love the idea of so much that you know you will plan a trip there in the future if you skip it now. Snip those from your world travel itinerary right now and you will be shooting me an email of thanks once you’re on the road.

The countries I cut from my around the world trip:

The best advice other travelers gave me when I asked for itinerary advice in a travel forum was to remove an entire leg of the trip. I had hoped to backpack Scandinavia between my time in the Czech Republic and Amsterdam, but long-term travelers assured me that I would be grateful for wiggle room in my itinerary by that stage of my trip (nine months into it).

Plus, they accurately pointed out that I just couldn’t swing these very expensive countries on my limited travel budget.

Turns out that I burned out a month before reaching Czech Republic and camped out in Slovenia for an extra two weeks—if I had been dead-set on Scandinavia, I would have never had time to do that while still making it to Edinburgh Fringe in time! (And let’s not even think about what Scandinavia would have done to my travel budget!).

If you’re overwhelmed about planning the nitty-gritty details on a months-long trip around the world, know that a rough route suffices. All you truly need before you leave home is logistics for the first couple of weeks—you can easily sort out the rest on the road. I promise.

Really, I promise. It seems scary but I swear to you that you will be grateful for flexibility once you land, and that it’s completely possible to plan the smaller details as you go. Moving between countries and regions was infinitely easier than I had anticipated before my first round the world.

Your Next Steps for Planning an Around the World Itinerary

Research places around the world and assemble a dream list of locations. That’s really the first step and should be a lot of fun.

While my travel books selections are a starting point, you can also peruse guidebooks for inspiration. I always buy a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide for my first planned destination (and then I swap it along the way for each new country), and before my first round the world trip I checked out a stack of 25 guidebooks from my library. Do your research and dream big before you even begin selecting an itinerary and paring down your list of destinations.

This is my core page compiling resources on How to Travel the World and here are a few other pages sharing advice specifically for long-term travel planning.

• How Much Does it Cost to Travel the World
• How to Save for Travel
• Free Destination Travel Guides
• Best Credit and Debit Cards for Travel
• How to Pack for Long-Term Travel
• How to Pick the Right Travel Insurance

How to Travel the World

Free resources and first-hand advice on how to plan long-term and round the world travels.

Essential Travel Planning Resources

❗ Yes, you need travel insurance . IMG Global is the travel insurance I’ve used for well over a decade of traveling solo, and with kids. Here’s why .

🧳 Smart packing can save your trip. Shop my favorite travel gear , including all of the packing essentials for world travel , gear to keep you safe on the road, my favorite travel books , and more.

🛏️ Find great accommodation . Booking.com is essentially the only hotel booking site that I use. It has a wide and affordable selection of traditional hotels, but also hostels and vacation rentals, too. Use these pro tips to find the best travel accommodation .

📍 Navigate more effectively. Rome2Rio is super handy to assess the full range of transport options between two cities—shows everything from flights to trains, buses, minibuses, and more. If you’re booking a rental car, I’ve always found the best deals on RentalCars.com .

✈️ Book affordable flights. Expedia is one of the first places I look for low-cost flights .

☕ Peruse all of my tips for round the world travel , or learn how to move and live abroad .

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How to Travel the World

Last Updated: January 1, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Carmela Resuma, MPP . Carmela is the Executive Director of FLYTE, a non-profit organization headquartered in Georgetown, Texas that empowers students living in underserved communities through transformative travel experiences. Carmela has a Masters in Public Policy Analysis from New York University and is passionate about youth empowerment, social impact, and traveling. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 76,147 times.

Traveling the world is an enriching way to expand your knowledge of other cultures, find new work experiences, and gain unique educational insights. However, it can also be expensive, and unprepared travelers can soon find themselves in over their heads. World travel takes planning, frugality, and an independent spirit. Through careful planning both before your trip, and when you're on the road, you can have an enjoyable international travel experience.

Planning Ahead for Your Travel

• Certain countries (especially in Asia) can be less expensive for Western travelers, although they may lack some of the amenities that we've grown used to.
• Certain regions are also better set up to accommodate tourists and travelers, by offering hostels and other accommodations. (For example, New Zealand is well set up for travelers, while Japan is less so.)
• However, if you're looking for a more adventurous travel experience and want to avoid places most international travelers visit, you may want to plan to visit less accommodating destinations.

• How long do you want your trip to be? Your schedule will be dramatically different if you want to travel the world for a month, 6 months, or a full year.
• Plan ahead for how your world travel will fit into your life back home. Are you going to quit your job, or will your employer allow you to work while you travel?

• If you know any individuals in a country you'll be traveling too (even if they're only the friend of a friend), get in touch and ask them about any disruptive political or cultural events that may interfere with your travel plan.

Carmela Resuma, MPP

Our Expert Agrees: Research is key. You can look up everything, even something as simple as how to get from the airport to another place, or cultural things like how to dress or how to say a few words of the language. Just being able to say "Hello" or "Thank you" can go such a long way."

• Start planning well ahead of time and decide how you're going to fund your trip. For example, if you're going to pay for everything out of a savings account, you may need to work extra hours for months on end to fund your travel.
• A general rule of thumb is to try not to exceed $50 a day (not including air fare.) [4] X Research source
• Avoid expensive travel options within a country; travel by foot or local transportation whenever possible, and keep an eye out for budget-friendly airline or train options.
• Unless eating in restaurants when you travel is important to you, avoid them. Restaurants quickly become expensive, and you can buy groceries and cook your meals for much less money.
• Put a cap on your spending: an amount that you absolutely cannot exceed, and make sure that your budget doesn't put you over that amount.

• Work for an international teaching organization. Operations like the EKIP Program allow you to teach English overseas for an extended period of time, often with the majority of your expenses paid. [5] X Research source
• Stay at hostels when you travel. [6] X Research source Hostels are inexpensive, generally safe environments to spend a few nights in while you're traveling.
• Work on a cruise ship. These are built to travel, and you'll be generating an income at the same time.

Planning the Specifics of Your Trip

• Greet and thank someone.
• How to agree and disagree (a polite “yes” or “no).
• How to ask how much money something costs.
• How to ask where a place is located (the bathroom, the library, a restaurant, the airport or train station, etc.).

• Although financial saving may be your main goal, also consider the speed and safety of the methods of travel you are considering.

• The passport application process can take 4 to 6 weeks to complete, so give yourself a few months before you plan to travel in order to acquire this documentation.
• If you do not have a passport, the best place to look for instruction is online. There are online forms you can fill out to receive your passport. [7] X Research source
• You can also fill out and submit the passport paperwork at your local post office.

• Some visas last for more time than others. Check before you start traveling. You'll need to know if your visa lasts for five years, three years, or only one year.
• Check the U.S. State Department website to see if you need a travel visa for your intended destination. The State Department can also provide the paperwork you'll fill out to apply for a visa.

• Be sure to heed any travel health warnings in the countries you'll be visiting. Always check local and national health warnings before traveling to a new region.
• Be sure to pack any prescription or over-the-counter medications you need, since these could be difficult to acquire overseas.

Travelling Intelligently and Effectively

• Bring sturdy, comfortable shoes and clothing that can be layered to accommodate changing climates.
• Leave expensive electronics and valuable jewelry at home.

• Get plenty of sleep, especially if you're often changing time zones.
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol, this will dehydrate you and can lead to poor decisions.
• Drink plenty of purified water. Unless you've checked ahead of time, the tap water at your destination may not be as clean and safe to drink as your local water at home.
• Eat a somewhat balanced diet. In unfamiliar countries, it can be tempting to eat an unhealthy diet (or even one comprised of junk food). Keep yourself healthy by eating regular, balanced meals.
• Wash your hands often.

• Before you look into an international cell phone, check with your current cell provider—they may be able to add an international calling plan for an additional monthly charge. [11] X Research source
• Depending on the number of countries you'll be traveling in, and the duration of your stay(s), it may be more practical to rent an international phone in each country, rather than buying a single phone for your entire trip. [12] X Research source
• International cell phones sometimes require that you buy separate SIM cards or recharge it with more minutes, but will keep you in constant contact with familiar people.

Community Q&A

• Always bring a good pair of earplugs; these will come in handy if a location is too loud to sleep, or if you're bothered by constant noise. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Bring a headscarf. This is a versatile object that can shield you from the sun, protect you from breathing in dust, and even works as a towel if you need one. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://worldofwanderlust.com/how-i-decide-where-to-travel-to-next/
• ↑ http://www.airtreks.com/ready/create-a-travel-budget/around-the-world-trip-budget/
• ↑ https://alittleadrift.com/rtw-budget-travel-around-the-world/
• ↑ http://expertvagabond.com/best-travel-tips/
• ↑ http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/8-ways-you-can-travel-the-world.html
• ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/03/how-to-get-a-visa_n_4373745.html
• ↑ http://www.bootsnall.com/rtw/round-the-world-tips-rtw-basics.html
• ↑ http://www.independenttraveler.com/travel-tips/stay-connected/international-cell-phone-guide

About This Article

If you want to travel the world, first decide where you’d like to go. You may prefer to visit one place, or you might want to travel to a number of different destinations. Next, decide when you’d like to travel. Consider what the climate will be like during different times of the year, and research whether there are any special festivals or holidays that you can plan your trip around. Finally, set a budget for your trip, and save up as much money as you can before you leave. For tips on how to make your trip pay for itself, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Round the World How-To

Inside: the ultimate guide to planning a dream vacation around the world, from rtw tickets to choosing your bucket list itinerary..

Let’s face it, the pandemic was a punch to the gut for travel lovers around the world.

Never did I think I’d see a day when I couldn’t just bebop onto a transatlantic flight. Or just, say, leave my own home. But there we were.

When I (literally) dusted off my passport in early 2021, the thin layer of dust accumulated was borderline soul crushing.

But fear not dear globetrotters, the pandemic era is finally in the rear view mirror and international travel has rebounded with a heart-warming zeal!

So now what?

You’ve got some lost time to make up for, that’s what.

And there’s no better way to do it than with a life-changing, Bucket-List-crushing, dream vacation around the world .

Take my word for it…I’ve done 10 around the world trips, visiting more than 175 countries on all 7 continents along the way. And you can, too.

But I probably don’t need to waste my time selling you on the idea of a trip around the world. You found this site. I suspect you’re on board.

So let’s start with the basics.

What is a Round the World Trip?

Simply put, a Round the World (RTW) trip is a circumnavigation of the globe, either in an eastward or westward direction. Start in one city and continue east or west until you get back to it. That’s all there is to it!

Tip: West is best for combatting jetlag, while east saves time and hotel nights ($$) with overnight flights. (I’m cheap and usually short on time, I fly east. )

Read More: 8 Reasons to Stop Dreaming & Start Planning a Trip “Around the World in 30 Days “

Of course, while the concept of round the world travel is simple, the variables are far more complex.

For example, you may be wondering…

How many days do I need for a RTW trip?

What you’ve probably seen on YouTube and Instagram from round the world travelers is true.

Most quit their jobs, sell their possessions, and hit the road for a year or more with big dramatic flair. Of course, that kind of nomadic commitment is not for everyone.

And I’m living proof that there are other options.

My first 9 RTW trips were approximately 30 days each. The lone exception was RTW #10, my honeymoon , which clocked in at a pretty incredible 3 months.

I’ve also done 30-day trips focused on various regions of the world like Europe , Central America , Oceania , the Balkans , and the Himalayas (a great option if there’s a specific part of the world that interests you or you just hate jetlag).

For me, a month is the ideal amount of time to travel.

Long enough to truly disconnect and explore. Yet short enough that I’m unlikely to throw my carry-on (we’ll get to that) suitcase out the nearest train window because I’m tired of every single thing in it.

There’s no right answer to how long your round the world trip should take. I know someone who went around the world in 5 days (zero stars, do not recommend) and someone else who started 10 years ago and is still going strong.

So, two weeks, a month, or even 6 months to travel around the world? It’s totally up to you.

The bottom line: Take as much time as you can, anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months will do. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that you never know if you’ll have the chance to do it again.

A trip around the world sounds amazing, but how do I get the time off?

When I wrote the first edition of The Grown-Up’s Guide to Globetrotting 11 years ago, this topic was a central focus and the largest hurdle to taking a career-friendly trip around the world. After all, most Americans are stuck with a measly 2 weeks of annual vacation leave (the horror!).

So, how do you travel the world without tanking your career?

Amazingly, on this front, the COVID-19 pandemic gifted us with one gleaming silver lining:

WORK. FROM. HOME.

Yes, even the stuffiest of Fortune 500 corporations have finally come around to the idea that work from home can (and does) work – with the right employee.

This revelation is especially thrilling to me as someone who has been working from home (combined with business travel) for more than 20 years.

In fact, my friends will tell you that my life mantra has always been:

If you can work from home, you can work from Rome. Jenny McIver Brocious

Or Paris. Or Bangkok. Or wherever floats your boat. You get the idea.

There’s a lot more to making this work successfully from exotic locales – time zone challenges, reliable internet, etc. (I go into that in detail in the book) – but I can assure you, it can be done. And it beats the pants off working from your dining room table.

The bottom line: You can use the WFH option to increase your available time for travel. Add days or weeks onto your trip or schedule a trip just to work from somewhere inspiring.

What’s on your Bucket List?

And now we come to the fun part. This is where the magic happens.

Where in the world do you want to go?

I speak from experience when I say that there are few things more thrilling than sitting down in front of a giant foldout map of the world and plotting out your dream vacation .

Maybe you already have a dozen exotic destinations in mind. Or maybe there are places in the world you never considered visiting because they always seemed too far away.

The beauty of going around the world is that the entire world becomes just a short flight away.

How many destinations should I choose?

The answer will directly correlate to how much time you plan to take. My month-long trips have ranged from an uber-ambitious 15 stops on Round the World #1 to a more relaxed pace with 8 stops on Round the World #2 .

Here’s a simple, 3-step plan to crafting your round the world itinerary:

• Make your wish list.
• Compare it to the number of days you have to travel.
• Adjust accordingly.

Critically evaluate how long you actually need to see each place on your wish list.

For some (like me), 2-3 days per destination can be a good rule of thumb. Devote more time to your “ Top 5 ” must-see destinations and maybe just spend one day exploring the city you only added to the itinerary because it was right there and you couldn’t just skip it (you laugh, but I guarantee a few of these stops will sneak their way onto your itinerary!).

Remember that a short-term round the world trip, however incredible, is not going to be an in-depth cultural experience at every stop. Think more Amazing Race and less Under the Tuscan Sun .

It IS, however, a terrific way to get a taste of new and exciting places and start building a new wish list for future trips.

Depending on your interest level, you may not need a week to see the Pyramids , I did it in an afternoon and it was magnificent. A full day at the Taj Mahal and a morning walk along the Great Wall of China were enough to fulfill my dream of seeing those world wonders.

But that’s me. And I’ve been told I can be a little, ah, overly-energetic when I travel. You do you.

Need some destination inspiration? Here are 30 of my favorite travel experiences around the world:

Around the World in 30 Extraordinary Travel Experiences

And here are the Top 50 places I think should be on every Bucket List:

50 Amazing Places for Your Travel Bucket List (2024)

Round the World Flights: The RTW Ticket (your new best friend)

I am fortunate that my years of excessive business travel have one nifty little side benefit, I have a crap ton of airline miles.

So when I discovered the magical world of “ Round the World airline tickets ” years ago, those Delta miles not only afforded me the opportunity to take that first RTW trip but to take it in first class with Delta’s Skyteam Alliance.

Sadly, the days of booking a RTW ticket with miles went the way of the dodo bird in 2015. I won’t lie to you, I wept openly when Delta first announced it (followed quickly by United and American).

But all is not lost if you’ve been hoarding miles like pandemic toilet paper. All major US airlines now allow one-way award booking. Meaning you can still use your miles to route yourself around the world, one one-way flight at a time!

And honestly, the old mileage RTW tickets were a deal but they were a BEAR to book and had zero flexibility. One-way award booking gives you a ton more flexibility plus the option to mix economy and business class legs (for longer flights) on your journey. This is a BIG perk.

Here are a few more tips for you “ Up in the Air ” business travelers out there with miles & points to burn:

How to Use Points & Miles to Redeem Your RTW Dream

No miles, no problem

Two of the three major airline alliances do still offer paid RTW ticket options. Delta’s Skyteam Alliance is the exception, they discontinued the RTW ticket option completely a few years ago. The airline alliance RTW tickets are not cheap and you’ll spend extra time connecting through hub cities but you can earn a ton of miles as you travel.

If that option interests you, start here:

• Oneworld – World Travel (American, Alaska)
• Star Alliance – Round the World (United)

The affordable RTW ticket…

If redeeming (or earning) miles isn’t your jam and you truly just want the most affordable way to see the world, skip the airline alliances and head straight to:

• Airtreks – This site is more service oriented, you enter a proposed itinerary and a travel planner will contact you to create the perfect customized itinerary.
• BootsnAll – This one is more DIY. You can create and book an itinerary yourself online.

Unlike the airline alliances, these two round the world airfare specialists utilize all airlines to create your dream itinerary. This will often yield both the best price and the most direct routing for your trip.

WARNING: Once you start playing around with the trip planners on these two sites, you may become addicted to the global possibilities.

Tip: You guessed it, I’ve covered all the ins and outs of booking RTW tickets in the book.

Hotels vs. Airbnb – Where to stay?

Once again business travel rewards can be handy when planning a round the world trip.

My Marriott and Hilton points have been offsetting the costs of my round the world trips for years. Not to mention affording me swank rooms at hotels and resorts that were WAY outside of my round the world budget, like these:

But if you don’t have points, not to worry! I am a firm believer that a quality, affordable hotel can always be found, even in the most expensive destinations. My go-to hotel site (when I’m not using points) is Booking.com .

Tip: If you’re not a member of any hotel frequent guest programs, sign up for all of them before you go. It’s free and you’ll earn points as you travel. Many also offer perks during your stay, just for being a member.

If you’re not a fan of chain hotels or if you’re going to be in one spot for more than 3 or 4 days, I’d highly recommend an apartment rental. They can be considerably cheaper than even the most economical hotel and having a kitchen can be a tremendous cost-saver as well. Not to mention it’s just fun to live more like a local!

One of my favorite apartment rental sites is Airbnb but I’ve also found that more and more apartment rentals are also listed on Booking.com (and the fees there are often cheaper than Airbnb). That said, I’ve booked with Airbnb all over the world (including the Tuscan villa we used for our wedding – below!) and never had a bad experience. If you haven’t yet rented through Airbnb, click here for my discount code. You’ll get $40 off your first rental and, when you book, I’ll get $20 off my next rental…that’s a win-win!

Who should I travel with on an around the world trip?

If you’re married, it would probably be rude to go without your spouse (try it at your own marital peril).

But if you’re single, this is a question that deserves serious consideration. If you’ve never traveled solo, your gut instinct may be to find a friend or family member to travel with.

But before you do that, consider this…

A solo trip around the world is perhaps the best gift you can ever give yourself, especially for women. It’s empowering, it’s safe and it just might be the best travel experience of your life.

Read More: Why Every Woman Should Travel the World Solo (at Least Once) & How to Stay Safe Doing It

No matter what you decide, choose carefully.

How to pack (carry on only!) for an around the world trip

Yes, you read that right. I just casually floated the idea of traveling around the world for a month or longer with nothing but a carry-on bag.

If you’re a guy, you were probably not at all alarmed by the previous paragraph and thought, “ Couple of t-shirts, some shorts, underwear, got it. ” You can scroll down to the next topic, this section is not about you.

Now, for my globetrotting ladies. I’m going to ask you to trust me on this one (we’ve known each other for 10 or 15 minutes now and I feel like you get me).

With so many flights involved in a RTW trip, carry-on is truly the only option.

Reuniting with a lost bag can quickly become a logistical nightmare when you’re changing cities every few days. (And I can assure you that no one at the lost baggage desk understands what “ RTW ticket ” means.)

If you don’t believe me you can read all about the one time I broke my own rule and ended up spending an entire day at baggage claim in Paris on Round the World #4 . (Actually, don’t. It’s mind-numbing reading and definitely not my best work.)

You can do this. You don’t need all the “ stuff ” you think you do!

(For the things you do need, here’s all the Stuff I Love most!)

I have traveled for as long as 3 months out of just a carry-on (and in case I forgot to mention it, I’m a girl!). I do freely admit, however, that I was over just about every item of clothing in that suitcase by the end. I also confess I checked a bag to Antarctica. Because Antarctica .

How do I do it? This excerpt from “ The Grown-Up’s Guide to Globetrotting ” is guaranteed to help you overcome your RTW packing challenges:

How to Travel Around the World with Just a Carry-On: A Girl’s Guide to Traveling Light

What else do I need to know for a RTW trip?

We’ve covered the big-ticket items – how long to travel, how many places to visit, with who, how to find RTW tickets, where to stay, and what to pack. So what’s left?

Well, a LOT actually. But hey, that’s where my book comes in (insert shameless plug here).

I’ll end with a hit list of other tips, tricks and things to consider when planning your once-in-a-lifetime (or maybe more!) round the world trip:

• Apps : For currency conversion, I like Oanda. And Google translate is also incredibly handy to have around.
• Thoroughly research entry requirements for ALL countries you plan to visit well in advance. Almost all visa applications can now be completed online.
• A good universal power adapter & converter is a must. More than one is a plus if you have lots of devices (and don’t we all these days?).
• Check with your doctor for any immunizations you may need for your destinations. I got the works before my first trip and haven’t had to worry about it since (other than the occasional prescription for malaria pills).
• Consider purchasing travel insurance, for a trip of this magnitude, it’s a must! Especially in the post-pandemic era. Here’s a good independent review of the benefits of travel insurance and the options available: 10 Best Travel Insurance Companies
• Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months after your planned date of return because all countries have different requirements on this.

And finally…

Get the Book!

For more comprehensive advice on planning your route, booking RTW tickets and everything else you ever wanted to know about traveling around the world, get the ultimate resource guide to planning a RTW trip (without quitting your job!):

Round the World in 30 Days: The Grown-Up’s Guide to Globetrotting

Now get out there and start planning the around the world trip of your dreams!

As Phil Keoghan says at the start of every season of the Amazing Race,

“The world is waiting for you!”

I Want to Travel Around the World: Getting Started

You have a travel bucket list. You made the decision to finally go and dive in.

Well done, that’s one of the hardest parts: taking the leap and getting started. but hold on.

To make sure you won’t end up halfway through your trip before calling your parents for an emergency ticket back home, it’s very important to prepare your travels around the world smartly.

Jeff and I saved for months in order to prepare for our 6-month around the world trip, and while it is important to stay spontaneous and carefree to fully enjoy it, it is even more important to be ready for anything.

If you are starting with a list of countries or cities you’d like to visit and have no idea how to start budgeting for them, here’s how to get started if you’re thinking “I want to travel around the world.”

I Want to Travel Around the World: Budget

Step 1: budget.

Budgeting is sometimes a scary word, but all you need to do is list money in VS money out on an Excel sheet or Google Sheet. Jeff is terrible at budgeting so I handle it all, or we’d have been broke before we left DXB.

Assuming you will travel without earning money on the road, money in will be zero, which looks scary but ignore that for now, you’ve prepared for this!

If you are planning to earn money, take in to account the time you will need to get paid - i.e. work for October might get paid mid-November so that money will only be available then. ALWAYS have a comfortable cushion!

Money out will be determined by breaking down the countries and cities you would like to visit with an estimation of how much it will cost for:

Accommodation

Food and Drinks (remember, booze is the number one easiest way to waste money while traveling)

Visas (check wikipedia for visa rules per country, they make it super clear and easy to understand)

Transport (taxis, motorcycle rental, car rental, fuel, parking)

Entertainment (tours, activities)

Based on the above, and adding whatever you think is necessary, you will reach an approximate budget needed for your travel around the world. Make sure to research thoroughly online with people’s past experiences, and don’t be afraid to round up these numbers as you will usually end up spending a little more than planned. Some even suggest making sure to leave with 30% more than you’ve budgeted.

I Want to Travel Around the World: Saving Money

Step 2: save.

Now that you’ve got your ideal budget for your travels around the world, it’s time to come up with the money! This will mean saving over a certain period of time, sometimes months or years.

See what you can save monthly at home, and extrapolate that number until you reach your goal budget. Voila, you have a date of escape! Now start the countdown!

It’s now time to cut out those daily Starbucks coffee runs and other little luxuries that add up over the months. For Jeff, it was protein bars at the office mini mart, and for me it was office lunches. They add up fast! You can do it :)

During the time it takes you to save, you can research a lot on your upcoming travels to make it easier. A few things we like to research are short travel guides, tipping policies and a few words in the language.

I Want to Travel Around the World: Booking those Flights!

Step 3: book.

Depending on how complicated your itinerary is, you will want to either go through a travel agent, or book things yourself.

For our simpler bookings, we always go through Skyscanner to get the best prices on plane tickets, and try to book with a credit card for insurance purposes.

For this trip, we used a travel agent (I know, they still exist in 2018?) who helped us SO much with complicated routes, odd layovers which saved us tons and generally gave us ideas for added or alternative routes to save money and time. If you’re flexible, this is a great option. If you want our guys info, just shoot us an email!

When it comes to accommodation, we usually go to Airbnb first, for 3 reasons:

It’s (in general) cheaper than most hotels

Having a kitchen means cooking in and less going out for food, which saved us a TON of money

You usually get to meet the local landlord, and get a lot of recommendations, which is always nice!

Tip: Sign up on Airbnb using this link to save $25 on your first trip!

If Airbnb isn’t the best option, we will always search budget hotels on Booking.com to compare hotels and B&Bs in a particular city.  

Once you have flights and accommodations sorted (at least the first few), you’re good to go! Make sure to double check visa and vaccination requirements in advance too.

I Want to Travel Around the World: Downsizing

Step 4: downsize.

Downsizing is only valid if you are traveling for months at a time, and are not keeping your current accommodation for example, but regardless it is a great exercise, I can’t believe all the crap we got rid of that had no value to us! If you are keeping your place, you can still take this time to get rid of the things you don’t need or donate them. A lovely Sri Lankan family now has our entire set of bedroom furniture :)

Jeff and I left Dubai after 4 and 6 years living there respectively, so needless to say we accumulated a lot of things and clothes we didn’t really need.

After having had a close look at our belongings, and the size of our (carry on!) travel bags, we decided to just get rid of things and start fresh wherever we end up next.

The weather in the countries you will visit is a decisive factor of course, but if like us you will encounter different weathers and seasons, layering is key! Also consider buying clothes on site - for example we will buy hiking shoes and trekking gear directly in Nepal, saving us a lot of space in our bags.

Donate the clothes you don’t wear anymore, sell your furniture, send the valuables back home or to a storage unit, and feel the freedom that comes with only owning very little!

I Want to Travel Around the World: Packing

Step 5: what to pack.

The budget is set and saved, your belongings fit in a suitcase or bag - next is what the hell to pack! This can be a pretty daunting task, but take what you’ve worn every day for the last week and you’ll realize you most likely only wear a tiny portion of what you own as it is, so just pick your favorites, think layers, and you’re good to go. Forget that flower dress for Instagram or those heels you may wear once, you won’t, and they’ll just take valuable space.

We travel with our Eastpak gear and only need a bag, backpack and a bum bag - remember, less is more!

Read more about how we pack to travel around the world in our duffel bags and backpacks .

A few tips to pack for a trip around the world:

Carry-on if you can! This will save you so much time at the airport, worry, and money if you are traveling low cost.

Roll your clothes! Try it, you will see, rolling your clothes will help you save so much space.

Don’t forget about laundry! No need to pack for a month worth of clothes. There are laundries in a lot of Airbnb, and we haven't had a problem finding a laundry anywhere we went, from Bolivia to Bali! Make sure to bring a laundry bag.

Adopt soap and shampoo bars! Shampoo bars take way less space, are very ecological AND can be used for up to 80 shampoos - win! Steal them from every hotel you go to :)

I Want to Travel Around the World: You’re Done!

Step 6: go be free.

You did it!

You’re all packed and ready to take on your travel around the world - not many can say that.

Enjoy every minute and document it if you like, but remember to take in the moment and not live through a lens!

Any questions, just shout below! Good luck.

How to Travel Around the World – The Ultimate Travel Resource

Written By: The Planet D

Travel Planning

Updated On: February 9, 2024

Do you want to travel the world? There is finally light at the end of the tunnel and the world is opening up to tourism again. Now that people are getting used to working remotely, many are starting to look for other places to work from once borders begin to open.

There’s never been a better time to start planning for that trip around the world. It took us several years and a lot of researching everything we could about travel to finally bite the bullet at travel full time. The world isn’t quite ready to open up, so why not start planning now so you are ready to hit the road when it does. If you start planning now, you may find yourself on a plane by the end of this year or at least in early 2022.

From deciding on a budget to creating your itinerary we’re here to help you travel the world. We’ve compiled all our resources in one place to give you a step-by-step guide for world travel. 

Table of Contents

How to Travel the World

With these comprehensive travel tip s from our 10 years of experience as full-time travelers and 20 years of traveling the world you’ll be armed with the tools and resources to start traveling the world.

Want to Travel the World?

We’ve been right where you are now. We started dreaming of traveling the world in 2000 after a five-week trip to Thailand. It took us another three years of planning before we finally left for an extended journey. Also read: 21 Ways to Get Paid to Travel

It was 2003 and Toronto was in the grips of SARS. Our careers in the Toronto film industry were under threat but we knew we had to make a change. Little did we know, that travel would eventually become our career. It was the best year of our lives. So to help you start planning, we have a lot of information to share. Read more: Best Travel Jobs to Spark New Ideas for Your Future Career

Planning for Travel Around the World – Quick Links

From planning your budget to choosing your destinations and packing the right gear , these will help get you started. Check out these in-depth articles for more detailed tips to travel around the world.

• How to Save Money for Travel: 15 Tips to Get You Started Now
• Ultimate Pre-Travel Checklist
• Travel Packing List – What to Pack for Long Term Travels
• Our Best Travel Tips – From 20 Years of Traveling the World
• 10 Tips to Help You Plan Your Dream Trip
• 7 Common Travel Mistakes First Time Travelers Make

Step by Step Guide – Where to Start

The biggest concern most people have for traveling the world is money. How do you find it and how to you save it. We have some great money saving travel tips to get you started.

Save Money for World Travel

It is easy to find extra money if you really set your mind to it. If travel is something that you really want to do, you’ll find the ways. There are plenty of ways to also find deals and funds for your travels.

Think of things like selling your excess clutter on Kijiji, cutting out excess expenses, canceling all those binge-watching networks, and looking for free activities in place of your expensive hobbies.

Choose Cheap Hobbies

When we first started out, we spent a lot of time exploring our backyard and honing our adventure skills by camping a lot, learning to kayak, and mountain biking, as well as going for hikes on trails near our house. We gained valuable skills to help us when we started traveling, and we saved a lot of money by doing activities that didn’t cost much.

Instead of spending money on expensive vacations, expensive dinners out, and nights at the bar, we put money in our pockets for travel, while still having adventures at home. Once we hit the road, we were prepared for anything.

• We have an in depth post on How to Save Money to Travel the World

Travel the World on a Budget

It is amazing how you can make your money last while traveling and how you can find ways to make your money go farther. You just have to think outside the box.

Below we go through some good travel tips that allowed us to travel cheaper. With a bit of knowledge, you can use travel hacks to book cheaper flights, earn rewards, and travel in luxury on a budget.

• For and in depth guide to stretching your dollar read: How to Travel on a Budget – Our Top Cheap Travel Tips

Travel Credit Cards and Rewards

Even if if you have a tight budget there are ways to be able to travel. A great start is to take advantage of travel rewards cards . The biggest mistake we made when we first starting our travel planning was to not enroll in a travel credit card. You can save a lot of money for travel by using a rewards credit card to make purchases.

• Sign up for travel rewards credit cards and get instant bonuses. Cards like American Express offer 50,000 bonus points just for signing up.
• As you shop and save for your travels, use those cards to build the points. (but be sure to pay them off each month so you don’t travel with debt)
• Check to see what points they cover. American Express lets you move points 1-1 to Star Alliance.
• Our biggest piece of advice, is to be loyal to one program. That way you can build points faster for free flights and accommodation.
• If you are building piecemeal, you may have a lot of points to different programs with nothing that you can really use. So look into each card and reward program and make sure they all complement each other.

Check out this complete credit card comparer tool: Credit Card Comparer

Choose Cheap Destinations

A huge travel hack we have to keep living expenses on the road low is to look for destinations that are affordable. You can live like royalty in cheaper destinations. Cheap accommodations in Southeast Asia can be beautiful, while expensive accommodations in places in Australia and Europe can be horrid.

If you are wondering how to travel the world on a budget, the first thing you need to consider is choosing affordable destinations over the more expensive options.

For Example:

We all love the idea of over the water bungalows in the Maldives, but affordable guesthouses in Vietnam or Cambodia is the better option for stretching your dollar and keeping living expenses low.

• Read Our information Cheap Destinations to Travel

Travel Cheap and And Even Travel for Free

Depending on your comfort level, you can find free accommodation by being creative.

From booking sites like Couchsurfing to Housesitting and even working on a farm, there are creative ways to travel the world on a shoestring budget. Finding free accommodation is a great start for those looking for how to travel the world with no money. (we talk about accommodations further down this post you can click here to skip to it directly.)

If you combine using free accommodation ideas and looking for travel jobs, you can virtually travel for free and even make a little cash while you are at it. Dave and I now travel and not only get paid, but we make money and are able to save money for our retirement. It didn’t happen overnight, but it eventually did.

Read these resources for finding free accommodation:

• How to Find Free Accommodation Around the World
• Why You Should Start House Sitting – Plus 5 Top Tips to Get You Started

So, can you travel for free? It is possible…in a way. But you have to work for it. It’s not free travel, it’s earned travel. If you can make enough money to have it all even out, it turns out to be free! If you mix finding free accommodation (as mentioned above) with working on the road, you can travel on a shoestring budget.

So, how do you work while traveling? We have some ideas below.

Travel Jobs

If you want to travel but find that you don’t have enough money why not look for travel jobs and finding different ways for getting paid? There are so many amazing ways to get paid to travel here are a few ideas. But be sure to check out our full article Ways to Get Paid to Travel for even more ideas.

• Teach English overseas – One way to go abroad and get paid is to teach English. Of you have a degree you can make a lot of money teaching English overseas. But even if you don’t there are jobs for English teachers.
• Teach English Online – But if you want the freedom to travel wherever you want, teaching online is also a great option for getting paid while traveling with more flexibility. See our full guide here.
• Working at resorts – You can apply to work at five-star resorts from working as entertainment and poolside staff to bartending and serving.
• Teaching scuba diving – Get certified and teach scuba diving anywhere that has water!
• Tour leader – become a tour leader for companies like GoAhead Tours or and Intrepid Travel
• Cruise Line – There are plenty of options to working on a cruise ship, from bartending and waiting tables to entertainment staff and housekeeping.
• Casino Dealer (I’ve done this and it’s fun!) – Cruise Lines also need casino dealers. This is an easy way to work abroad without needing a visa.
• Travel Photographer and Blogger – It is still possible to make money as a travel photographer but you need to have your hands in a lot of pies. I combine my photography skills with travel blogging and social media.
• Woofing – You’ll need to read the post below to see what this is.
• Check out more ways of making money while traveling here

Think outside the box

Are you good with kids? Perhaps you could be an Au Pair. If this is something you are interested in, AuPair World i s a good place to start looking It can place you in a position abroad. Do you have a medical background? Look into places that offer medical internships abroad. Or look into Doctor’s Without Borders. They need everything from pharmacists, to nurses and sanitation specialists.

Think about your skills and put them to work. It is easier than ever to work remotely. We have hired social media assistants, people with website design experience, and technical help.

Are you thinking, I want to travel the world, but don’t know where to begin? Read About more ways to make money and travel:

• How to Get Paid to Travel
• How to Be a Professional Travel Blogger – 12 Steps to Financial Freedom
• How to Start a Travel Blog in 11 Easy Steps

How Much Does it Cost to Travel the World?

The cost of traveling the world depends on a lot of factors and varies greatly on what your style of trip you plan to have.

• What your budget is?
• Are you a solo traveler?
• Are you traveling with your family?
• Are you a couple?

But, it costs less than you probably imagine. Nomadic Matt explains how to travel the world cheap in his book, Travel the World on $50 a Day. If you want to learn how, check it out.

But it also depends on what type of experiences you want. We could spend very little money hanging out on a beach in Vietnam, but if we want to do epic adventures, it costs more. We spent more than our full monthly budget climbing to Everest Base Camp, but it was worth it. You need to budget for that “wow” experience during your travels.

If you are in the planning stages and want a good reference, the website Budget Your Trip is a good resource for figuring out your budget country by country.

To decided how much you think you will spend when traveling the world, you have to take these factors into consideration:

• What countries you are visiting
• What type of accommodation you want to stay in
• How long you plan to stay at each place.
• Are you taking organized tours or traveling independently?

If you travel in Southeast Asia you could travel on $50 (per person) a day that Nomadic Matt’s book recommends.

If you want to stay in more luxurious accommodations, Southeast Asia is a good choice to stay in luxury on a budget. In Thailand, we stayed in the beautiful Royal Orchid Sheraton for less than $100 per night. It was luxurious and a great location for only $50 per person per night.

But note: Southeast Asia also has beautiful five-star hotels that can break the bank too. You can’t just expect to travel on a budget without doing your research.

In Europe and Australia, you are looking at at least $125 – $150 per day per person for budget travel.

New Zealand has very expensive adventures and activities that can cost anywhere from $100 – $250 NZD per person, but travel can be quite affordable. We first toured New Zealand with the Flying Kiwi . This was a bare-bones tour with camping as accommodations and bbq meals included. It was a great way to get around the country on a budget. The Cost was approximately $115 per person per day.

Eastern Europe is much cheaper than Western Europe. You can travel for $50 to $75 per day per person. We stayed in some great apartment rentals for less than €50 Euro per night.

Africa and South America can be very affordable as well in the $50 to $100 per day range.

Budget Your Trip has in depth information on cost of travel destinations.

Ways to Keep Living Expenses Low

Save on Food

Food has always been a problem for Dave and I. We put a lot of pressure on eating out but we found the best thing to do was simply go for a walk, look for a busy restaurant filled with locals and walk inside. Avoid the restaurants recommended in guide books and travel apps. Instead, go local.

Book accommodation with a kitchen so you can eat the majority of your meals at home. Having breakfast in your room and packing a lunch can save a ton of money.

When you can, pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the scenery of your destination.

Hire Local Guides

One of the best travel tips we can give you is to hire local guides when you get to your destination instead of booking in advance.

Booking tours online is easy and we do love Get Your Guide, but to save money, hire local guides at your destination. Often times you’ll have a more authentic experience at a fraction of the price.

• Read: Organized Tours vs Independent Travel

Take advantage of free walking tours

Nearly every city in the world offers free walking tours and they are an excellent way to get acquainted with a city. You learn a lot and save a ton of money. All they ask for in the end is a tip for their service. Usually, $5 – $10 is all you need.

Travel Slow

Naturally, you are going to spend more money if you move a lot. The beauty of traveling the world is that you can take your time to get to know a destination.

If you are a solo traveler, it is also nice to stay in one place to get to know people. We have made lifelong friends just by sticking around a destination for longer than a couple of weeks.

Plus, if you stay in one place for a couple of weeks, you can save a lot of money and have a better experience.

Modes of Transportation

When you do book your transportation do your resarch.

Good flight comparison tools like Skyscanner help you save money on flights.

You can save a night’s accommodation on your budget by traveling on an overnight bus or train. And it makes for a great adventure.

Types of Accommodation

And finally, don’t just book hotel rooms online. Get creative and start looking for alternate accommodations. There are so many ways to save money on accommodation if you are willing to think outside the box.

• Book Air BnBs – After the pandemic, AirBnBs are looking more attractive. to the average traveler. Accommodations are cheaper when you book an apartment and you have a more local vibe.
• Apartment Rentals – There are other apartment rental sites like HomeAway, and even Booking and TripAdvisor offer apartment options for accommodations now.
• Hire a campervan – If you want to travel with a lot of freedom, a Campervan is a great option. In places like Australia and New Zealand, there are a lot of rental companies like Jucy, Hippy Campers or Spaceship. Read our experience – Explore New Zealand by Campervan
• 10 Things You Need to Know Before Living in a Campervan
• How to Live in an RV on Less Than $2,000 Per Month
• Utilize campgrounds – they have free WiFi, great amenities, and are very reasonable. Camping is also a great way to meet people. We traveled to the South of France and spent €20 a night!
• Book local guesthouses upon arrival
• Housesitting – Many digital nomads swear by housesitting. It is a way to have free accommodations and to have a more authentic experience. When you are in a residential neighborhood, you can meet people that actually live in the destination. See more at How to Become a House Sitter – Tips Start House Sitting
• Couchsurfing – We haven’t Couchsurfed personally, but it’s a great option too that many people swear by it.How to Find Free Accommodation Around the World
• Road Trip – Another cheap way we traveled across Africa, Europe, Asia, and New Zealand was on a road trip. With a car, we had the freedom to camp in cheap campsites, and in places like Mongolia and Kazakhstan, we could camp for free. Great ways to book a road trip is to either rent a campervan or even a car (as we did in Europe) and use a tent for sleeping.
• We also camped our way through Spain and France with a car and a two-man tent. You can and save a lot of money by sleeping in a tent. Most campsites in these countries are located close to the city and often have free shuttles to downtown.

But the best accommodation we’ve found are usually once we arrive at the destination and look for a locally run budget guesthouse or local B&Bs. If you are creative and have the time, you’ll be able to stretch your dollar far for your travels.

Packing and Paperwork

So you’ve saved for a year or so and have your daily budget decided for the way you want to travel, now it is time to start planning.

If you need some help with that, check out our 5 Tips to Get You Started Saving Money Now .

If you want to skip directly to packing check out these articles:

• Packing for Europe – Tips That Will Make Your Travel Life Easier
• Essential Tips for Essential Travel
• The Best Anti Theft Travel Bags and Accessories
• The Best Travel Gear – Unique Ideas for Smart Packing

Choosing Luggage for RTW Travel

Surprisingly the first thing you need to keep in mind is the type of luggage to use. luggage. Many people make the mistake of overpacking. Dave and I are guilty of this.

• We traveled through Central America carting all our scuba diving gear with us and we were miserable.
• We’ve carried large suitcases through Europe and suffered while navigating the metro system.

Don’t make the same mistakes we made. Pack light and use a backpack or something that you can easily hoist over your shoulders on places with a lot of stairs or uneven terrain.

We are fans of Backpacks for exended travel. When running to catch trains or buses it’s great to have your gear on your back so you hands are free.

What Type of Traveler are You?

Think about how you want to travel across the world. Are you taking more organized tours or going completely independent. We have met some people who take a year-long cruise to see the world.

Are you going to go the more Luxury route of travel or is Budget accommodation fine?

Will you be staying in one place and house sitting or renting an apartment for months on end? You can probably pack a suitcase since you won’t be moving too much.

Or are you going to be on a lot of buses and trains changing locations often? That is when you will really want to use a backpack. You won’t have to worry about lugging a bag upstairs and you don’t have to worry about curbs and doors.

Plus, you will often be flying in small planes and a lot of smaller airplanes only allow soft and light luggage. This is where a soft and durable backpack is a must.

Documents for Travel

Chances are you are planning an extended trip anywhere from 6 months to a year, so make sure your documents are in order. Know what countries you need visas for, how long your passport needs to be valid for, and what vaccines are required.

COVID vaccines will probably be required for future travels, but there are some paces that require vaccines to enter a country already. For example, some countries in Africa require a Yellow Fever vaccine upon entry. Go to a travel clinic and ask a doctor what specific vaccines you will need.

Passports and Visas

A lot of countries won’t let you in without a passport that will expire within 6 months. Make sure it has at least a 6 month buffer from the end of your trip.

Also, look into countries that you may need Visas for . You can’t just cross borders without the proper paperwork. Check to see if you can get Visas ahead of time for the country you want to visit or if you can get them as you go.

Since you are going for an extended period, you will have time to apply for a Visa at the destination. So you will have to account for spending more time in one destination while you wait for your visa in another.

We have bought Visas both ways. We’ve had all our paperwork lined up before leaving Canada and we have bought visas as we went along. It all depends on how much you plan your schedule.

Buying Visas in advance limits the time you spend at each destination. Visas have specific dates you must enter and exit the country, so you will have to plan your schedule and route ahead of time.

For example, while traveling through Southeast Asia, if we enjoyed a place we have gone to the embassy to apply for a Visa to Vietnam while staying in Bangkok.

For our Visas for our trip down Africa and through Eastern Europe to Mongolia, we bought our visas in advance. This restricted how long we could stay in each country as we had to be at each border by a specific date. However, it was needed because it could be tricky purchasing Visas along the way.

If you need help booking Visas for travel, a good service is The Visa Machine.

Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance has never been more important. We never leave home without it and can personally attest that we have saved tens of thousands of dollars thanks to insurance. Read: Airlifted from the Amazon, our worst fears realized.

You will need to have good coverage with medical evacuation coverage and COVID-19 coverage. Even if you are the healthiest person on earth, anything can happen.

The best advice we can give is to phone the insurance company and ask them specific questions. Tell them of any underlying conditions that could void your coverage, ask what activities are included in coverage. (for example skydiving and bunjy jumping are not covered)

As about every detail that you can think of. Many people complain that their insurance didn’t cover them when needed and blame the company, but nine times out of ten it is the error of the purchaser not getting the correct coverage.

We have several articles on Travel Insurance

• Do I Really Need Travel Medical Insurance?
• How We Choose Travel Insurance To Best Suit Our Needs
• Busting 5 Common Travel Insurance Myths
• 6 Reasons you Need Medical Evacuation Protection
• Travel Insurance During Covid-19 What You Need to Know

Plus, you will want to check for evacuation insurance so you can be airlifted should the worst-case scenario occurs.

Travel Apps

Our smartphones have become our best tool for researching and booking around the world travel. We use KnowRoaming for data and phone calls when traveling for a short one to two-week trip. KnowRoaming can be used for as little as $3.99 a day. We usually use that for short stays, but if we are staying longer, we activate it only for our first day or two until we buy a local SIM for a monthly fee.

If you are traveling for the long term, purchase a local SIM card. These are often very cheap, have better coverage and are easy to install. You can often get them right at the airport when you land.

Before you fly, make sure you have some of the best travel apps loaded on to your phone. We keep our favorite booking websites, flight networks, and organizational apps on our phones.

Our go-to-apps are TripIt Pro, Google Translate, XE Currency Converter, Skyscanner and Hotels.com. But we have others as well. See our complete list:

• 31 Best Travel Apps for 2020
• The Best iPhone Photo Apps to Help You Shoot Like a Pro

Booking your flights

When we took our first several month long trip, we booked our flights in advance with an RWT Ticket. I wouldn’t do this again, as flight schedules are set, you must fly in and out of a specific city and there are stipulations like “if you miss one leg of a trip it could void the entire trip”

We prefer to book one leg at a time, that way if we like a place we are in, we can stay longer. If we aren’t jiving with a destination, we can fly on to our next country of choice. Plus, if you are flexible with your dates of travel, you can save hundreds of dollars on flights.

Booking sites like Skyscanner and Kayak are great for comparison.

We have an entire post on Travel Hacks for Flying

City and Rail Passes

If you are traveling in Europe, a Eurail Pass is a great way to get around and save money. Having a rail pass offers flexibility and discounts.

CityPasses are also a fantastic way to see a lot on a smaller budget. We love using CityPAss when we are new to a city as it usually has all of the top attractions in one place. Many passes like the ParisPass offer free entrances, skip the line tickets and transportation around the city.

Note : with CityPasses, you want to make sure want to see all the attractions in the city. These passes are only budget friendly if you plan on seeing and doing a lot. If you only want to see one or two things in a city, it might be better to book tours individually.

The great thing about CityPasses is that you don’t have to use them right away. They are usually good for up to a year after purchase. But, once you activate them you have 24 to 72 hours to finish up. (Depending on the package you choose)

Travel Tips for On the Road

Chances are you’ve done your homework and you know what to do once you are traveling the world, but here are a few insider travel tips we learned from our years of travel.

Health and Safety

Just because you are traveling, doesn’t mean you won’t get sick or run into troubles. It’s important to be safe and think about the travel scams, illnesses and emergencies that can happen.

We’ve already talked about the importance of good travel medical insurance. But we have other references to help you have safe and healthy travels.

• Travel Safety Tips – How to Have a Safe and Healthy Vacation
• Top 10 Tips for Healthy Travel
• Travel Scams Around the World and How You Can Avoid Them
• Best Travel Snacks – Tip for Staying Healthy on a Flight

And that should help you get started traveling the world. Be sure to click the links to find out more about each subject and bookmark this post for future reading and travel planning.

So, are you ready to travel around the world? I know we are all going a little stir crazy with lockdowns and closures, but instead of being upset about not being able to travel the world right now, start planning for the future. Most people take at least a year to plan an around the world trip so the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

What are you waiting for? Plan for an exciting future today! By the time you leave to travel the world, you will be ready! Happy travels.

More How to Travel the World Resources

• Check out our City Guides Page t o find out what to do and where to stay in Cities Around the World.
• See how to Save Money to Travel the World
• Our Best Travel Tips from 20 Years of Traveling the World

If you enjoyed all of these tips to travel around the world, why not share them to Pinterest for future reference.

See more of our travel tips

• Freedom to Travel – Never Take it for Granted
• How to Teach English Online Without a Degree

Travel Planning Resources

Looking to book your next trip? Why not use these resources that are tried and tested by yours truly.

Flights: Start planning your trip by finding the best flight deals on Skyscanner

Book your Hotel: Find the best prices on hotels with these two providers. If you are located in Europe use Booking.com and if you are anywhere else use TripAdvisor

Find Apartment Rentals: You will find the cheapest prices on apartment rentals with VRBO . 

Travel Insurance: Don't leave home without it. Here is what we recommend:

• Allianz - Occasional Travelers.
• Medjet - Global air medical transport and travel security.

Need more help planning your trip? Make sure to check out our Resources Page where we highlight all the great companies that we trust when we are traveling.

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About The Planet D

Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil are the owners and founders of The Planet D. After traveling to 115 countries, on all 7 continents over the past 13 years they have become one of the foremost experts in travel. Being recognized as top travel bloggers and influencers by the likes of Forbes Magazine , the Society of American Travel Writers and USA Today has allowed them to become leaders in their field.

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10 thoughts on “How to Travel Around the World – The Ultimate Travel Resource”

I am a traveler and I love to travel to new places. I visited some of the amazing places in the world and found themself unique and beautiful. I want to explore the whole world and visit all the places which some of us just wished to travel. Thansk for sharing this article it makes me more inspired and motivated.

While it’s gonna be a while before I can wander the Earth, I have every intention of doing so within the next few years! Your guide is a big help to me!

The article is little long but very informative. Most of the time I focus on budget travelling but I was really unable to manage it properly. But now after reading your article I found myself that I should save money in food, taking advantage of free walking tours, modes of transportation and hiring a local guides. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Nice and very informative article. It really taught me a good way how to travel the world? More than that it guides me how to plan a travel around the world while focusing on budget. Yeah, definitely we have to save on food, take advantage of free walking tours, hire local guides, etc to keep living expenses low. Thanks for sharing your experience.

great posts, loved the quotes

these are great posts and really do have alot of helpful information

Totally what I need right now. Sweet. .-= Candice´s last blog .. Dumpster love =-.

Thanks for including me here 🙂 I also field a lot of emails about people who are so interested in taking the plunge into RTW travel, but intimidated by the costs, fears, and so much of what Anil’s e-book covers 🙂 .-= Shannon OD´s last blog ..A Little Contemplation…Readjusting to a Dose of Reality =-.

Thank you very much for the review! I hope that people feel like traveling as much as they want is really within their reach after reading the ebook. I think other long-term travelers and digital nomads will also enjoy reading since we all have fears and deal with changing conditions no matter where we are. .-= Anil´s last blog .. Questions and Comments Frequent Travelers Hear Frequently =-.

@Anil You are absolutely right, I loved reading it and I am a long term traveler. I also loved the quotes from other travelers that you included and all of the great links that you provided!

Dave's Travel Pages

Greek Island Hopping | Greece Travel Ideas | Bicycle Touring

Travel the World Quotes – Inspirational Travel Captions and Photos

This list of the best travel the world quotes will inspire you to live with no excuses, and travel with no regrets! 50 of the best travel quotes for ultimate inspiration. 

Travel Around the World Quotes

Are you dreaming of exotic faraway places, where new experiences and adventures await? So am I. Always!

And one of the things I like to do before a trip, is fill up with a little travel inspiration by reading a few quotes.

I find that the more you concentrate on a good travel quote, the more you get from it. There's different levels of meaning that can apply to not just travel but all areas of life.

These quotes are from famous movies about travel , writers, thinkers, and prominent people.

So, here's a list of the top travel the world quotes for you to enjoy…

I want to travel the world quotes

To move, to breathe, to fly, to float; to gain all while you give; to roam the roads of lands remote; to travel is to live.”

― Hans Christian Andersen

I haven’t been everywhere but it’s on my list.”

– Susan Sontag

Wherever you go, go with all your heart!”

– Confucius

We travel for romance, we travel for architecture, and we travel to be lost.”

– Ray Bradbury

Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.”

– Anita Desai

Live your life by a compass, not a clock.”

– Stephen Covey

One travels more usefully when alone, because he reflects more.

– Thomas Jefferson

I want to travel overseas and help out people all over the world.

– Chance The Rapper

Travel is a passion. I intend seeing the world.

– Anushka Shetty

I travel. I do a lot of traveling around the world.

– Chris Tucker

See the world quotes

Here's our next selection of travel sayings paired with lovely inspiring images.

The important thing for me was that the World Cup should travel round the world.

– Sepp Blatter

Traveling all around the world, music sounds different.

– David Guetta

I enjoy travelling the world, but nowhere beats Walsall.

– Erin O'Connor

I see travelling as a great learning process, and my biggest dream is to travel the world.

– Pooja Hegde

The travel writer seeks the world we have lost – the lost valleys of the imagination.

– Alexander Cockburn

Travel is always connected to music, as with travel, we explore the world, and by listening music, we explore ourselves.

– Shankar Mahadevan

Being able to travel across the world and meet all the different fans is super rewarding.

– Naomi

Travel around the world is amazing. New people. New-found family, really.

– Dhani Jones

I get to travel, see the world, meet people and be independent. I feel blessed.

– Bar Refaeli

The world has become more complex as technology and easy travel mixes cultures without homogenizing them.

– Norman Spinrad

Explore the world quotes

We've pulled 10 more quotes from famous people , philosophers and travelers for this next section.

My father's plan was, we were going to grow up and travel the world.

– Philippe Cousteau, Jr.

Traveling around the world to eat, it's a weird life, but I love it.

– Joey Chestnut

Traveling is an experience that you can always carry with you. It makes the world come together more so we understand each other better.

– Gillian Tans

Traveling the world was a constant thing, rich with experiences. But all of it was relative to being able to play live onstage and really stretch out.

– Jimmy Page

Traveling is one of few zones of experience where you are not directly plugged into the world around you. You're not part of the society you're passing through.

– Damon Galgut

For me, travel is one of the biggest perks of pro wrestling. You get to see the world on somebody else's dime.

– Adam Cole

The world is a country which nobody ever yet knew by description; one must travel through it one's self to be acquainted with it.

– Philip Stanhope

We don’t need objects; we need adventures.

Have stories to tell not stuff to show.

Travel the world quotes

If you like these travel captions and sayings, please pin them to one of your Pinterest boards. You should be able to use the social sharing buttons on the page.

Of all the books in the world. The best stories are found between the pages of a passport

I want to make memories all over the world

Traveling—it gives you home in thousand strange places, then leaves you a stranger in your own land.”

— Ibn Battuta

Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”

— Miriam Beard

Travel is glamorous only in retrospect.”

— Paul Theroux

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

– Andre Gide

Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.”

– Anonymous

Don’t listen to what they say, go see.”

We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.”

The earth has music for those who listen.”

— Shakespeare

Wonderful world travel quotes

Here's our last batch of travel the world quotes to complete the collection. At the end, you'll find a list of other famous quotes you can check out!

Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”

– Gustave Flaubert

Travel is not a reward for working, it’s education for living.”

Life is meant for good friends and great adventures.”

To awaken alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.”

– Freya Stark

Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have traveled.”

Remember that happiness is a way of travel – not a destination.”

– Roy M. Goodman

A true traveler’s journey is never complete” 

To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.”

– Aldous Huxley

The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself.”

– Wallace Stevens

I just want to travel the world quotes

Here's a final selection of the best inspirational travel quotes that will encourage you to explore the world:

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.

I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

– Marcel Proust

A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving. – Lao Tzu

Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.

– Benjamin Disraeli

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”

“He who would travel happily must travel light.”

– Antoine de St. Exupery

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.”

– Bill Bryson

Other Travel Quote Collections

I hope these quotes on travelling the world have inspired you to go see the world! You might also be interested in these other inspirational quotes and sayings about travel:

[one-half-first]

• 100 Best Travel Quotes
• Happy Travel Quotes
• Funny Travel Quotes
• Quotes about Sicily
• Travel together quotes
• Best Cycling Quotes
• Quotes About Traveling 
• Best Journey Quotes
• Travel and Adventure Quotes
• Beach Quotes – Feel the holiday vibe!
• Short Travel Quotes
• Family travel quotes collection

[/one-half-first] [one-half]

• Road Trip Quotes
• Safe Journey Quotes
• Best Mountain Quotes
• Quotes About Adventure
• Inspiring Camping Quotes
• Best Wanderlust Quotes Collection
• Best Nature Quotes
• Solo Travel Quotes
• Quotes in Travel
• Inspiring Travel Quotes
• Bucket List Quotes 
• Summer Vacation Quotes

[/one-half]

How to Plan a Trip When You Don’t Know Where to Go

When people find out about all the places I’ve been, many times I get the question: “How did you even know where to start?” Other times, people will say something like: “So I’ve decided I want to go traveling somewhere, now what?” When I’ve been asked these sorts of questions, I know they are usually really asking me how to plan a trip. Or, maybe more precisely I should say, they’re asking me how to figure out where to go when on a trip.

At a high level, “how to plan a trip” might sound like “how do I get a passport” and “how do I book a hotel in a foreign language” kind of stuff. But typically in my experience, it’s not a question of “how do I start traveling?” but more of a question of “I’m not sure where to go when I’m traveling.” These are very different questions. If you’ve ever wondered how to figure out where to go on a trip, whether around the world or just a short getaway, I’ve got you covered.

Now, if you’re asking yourself these questions, you will eventually need to answer the “how do I start traveling?” question. And trust me, it’s a huge question to ask and figure out. But, if you don’t have a destination in mind yet, there’s no point in figuring out how to get there .

Start Reading

Maybe you know you want to travel in Europe, but you’re not sure what destinations you want to visit. This is normal. Any experienced traveler started in this same position and then started doing lots of research. The best way to plan your trip is to look at travel guides for the areas you want to visit. I highly recommend the Lonely Planet series of guide books. That’s because they’re easy to parse, contain the maps you need, and are loaded with useful information.

Every country in the Lonely Planet series is presented with major sights to see and possible itineraries for that area. Then, for each city, it contains sights, recommended eats, hotel info, nightlife, shopping, and transportation info. To begin, I recommend you first look at the sights for the major cities in potential countries you want to visit. See what inspires you. Look at pictures on the internet. What are you curious to know more about or experience in person? For those places, write down the city name and some quick notes. If a country really speaks to you, then look at some of the smaller cities and more remote sights in that location. Start out big and work towards the small.

Once you have a list of places, you may find that it’s easy to start seeing a path or plan to put these notes together into a trip itinerary. Once you plan your first trip like this, it gets easier and easier for every trip that follows.

For the Explorers and Wanderers

For those of you who feel as though you want to see the whole world, and don’t mind doing over a couple of big trips or even lots of little ones, you might find that you want to start even more generalized. If this sounds like it may be interesting to you, Lonely Planet does a great job of including large areas in some of their guides. For people like yourselves, I recommend looking into at:

With just these few books, you’ve already covered a huge portion of the planet’s surface. You may even find that you want to explore places you never even considered. I should also note that I have heavily preferred the physical copies of the books to their ebook versions. In my opinion, they are easier to read and the maps are easier to use on the go.

With this information in hand, go start researching! Once you know which cities and locations you want to visit, you’ve already answered a lot of where to go and how to plan your trip itinerary. In future posts, I’ll talk more about how to execute your travel plans in the real world.

• Posted: April 12, 2020
• Category: How To Travel
• Tags: first time travel , how to , lonely planet , research , travel , where to start

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Ask Me Anything: I Want to Travel The World, How Do You Travel So Much?

Home » Ask Me Anything » Ask Me Anything: I Want to Travel The World, How Do You Travel So Much?

I have a series on my blog called Ask Me Anything  and I keep track of reader questions that I get over and over and slowly answer them with a full blog post. So, many of you email saying something like, “I want to travel the world! You’re so lucky! How do you get to travel so much?” I want to break it down here and start with how I get to travel so much plus how you can too.

I want to travel the world!

It seems weird to say this, but travel is the “it thing”. Everything online is about cool hotels to see, great places to travel, and Instagram is full of “travel-inspo” getting you pumped for your next trip. In fact, Forbes says the following are true:

• Seventy percent of millennials identified travel as their primary reason to work.
• 5% of millennials identified themselves as digital nomads.

Not only are young people saying “I want to travel the world”, but they are saying “I want to travel the world for a living”.

There are even viral articles about how us millennials are traveling too much and wasting money rather than buying houses that we can’t afford. A study showed that travel was more important to millennials than buying a house, a car, or even paying off debt. Many of the travelers I’ve met are in huge debt from college still. The same survey also looked into how millennials choose their location for the next trip and 75% of those surveyed said social media made their decision.

Many people see travel bloggers like myself on Instagram and Facebook traveling the world for a living and they think:  I want to travel the world for a living, where do I start?

How I Get to Travel So Much

I’ll start with how I get to travel so much and how I got “lucky” enough to have this job as a travel blogger/influencer.

I started this blog four years ago on a whim, with no background knowledge of what a blog was. Now, I have over 1 million page views each month on my blog. Travel blogging wasn’t new when I started, but it wasn’t as saturated as it is now. Please check out this article which explains how exactly I got started with travel blogging personally.

I didn’t just become successful overnight and my parents/boyfriend aren’t paying for it (as so many people comment to tell me they think is the case!). It’s competitive and you have to work really hard . After I left nursing and moved to India, I was a masseuse for some time and sold candles on the side while my blog grew into a career. After six months, I made it into a list of top 50 bloggers and I felt like “wow this was easier than I thought” but shortly after that, travel blogging became HUGE and there were millions of travel blogs created – I dropped off the list (and eventually got back on it, currently at #7). They say one is created every half-second! Bloggers were offering retreats to come learn how to travel like them, and people were eating it all up – not that it was bad, but things changed. Travel blogging became a lot more saturated and it was a question of how to stand out. I worked my butt off on the blog and social media, learning everything I could about SEO, Pinterest marketing, photography, you name it! Now, four years later, I make a lot more money than I did as a nurse and finally feel at ease. I don’t work in a hospital anymore and can pick up and travel at any time, while earning money online. I know what people want to know and that is  how I make money online , so just click that link and you can read the exact streams of income that I have.

Do I travel for free? Sometimes. I could travel for free all the time if I put the effort into pitching airlines, hotels, and tourism boards or took every press trip offered to me. I don’t, though. I don’t like to be constantly traveling. I’m actually a homebody! I take trips I want to take on my own dime and I go places I hadn’t really considered when I’m invited, like Finland where I got to dogsled with Huskeys ! As a blogger, I work with brands to promote them on my travels and not only do I then get to travel for free, but I often get paid for it. That is because I have readers, like you, and followers on social media.

So, the short of it is that travel blogging is my job, and that is how I get to travel so much. It wasn’t handed to me and I didn’t have a background in tech. I learned everything from YouTube videos and had my boyfriend help me set up my website. I love my job  but with my work all being online and based on the fact that people are obsessed with travel and social media later, I know that blogging might not be forever, so I always keep a backup plan .

If you think that starting a travel blog is something you’d like to do, then go for it. You can start a blog in 10 minutes for as little as $2.95 per month. Here’s a blog post on exactly how to do that , step by step, with screenshots so you can’t mess it up!

Option #1: “I want to travel for free too!”

Well, the way I do it is blogging, and like I linked above you could blog so that you earn money while you travel. That’s one way! You can read this article on how to start a blog (step by step) for $2.95 per month.

Another way is if you are super hot you can be an Instagram celebrity lol, they travel for free everywhere and don’t even have to make websites! Kind of joking on that one, but not really.

I have a blog post with 14 ways you can  work abroad  and earn money while you travel, and they aren’t all online jobs, so check that out.

In general, you have to hustle pretty hard to travel for free or you have to have a skillset or job you can do while you travel which can offset costs.

Option #2: “I want to travel the world, but accept I have to pay for it.”

This is a more achievable statement..

I know that you see me traveling for free or getting paid, so therefore you want to do that same thing, and you CAN if you start a travel blog but try to keep in mind that it doesn’t come easy and I pinch myself sometimes to see if it’s all real. It really is amazing.

If you want to travel the world but accept the fact that you have to PAY FOR IT then let’s talk about the steps you can take and options to consider

• Choose a job/major in college that allows travel
• Study abroad if you are in school
• Consider a new career if you feel stuck (that’s what I did)
• Photography
• Graphic design
• Video Editing
• WordPress Design
• Making a product: candles, clothing, crafts
• See if there are options in your current career to travel more
• Look into volunteer projects that offer free housing and food
• Become a yoga teacher
• Become a masseuse
• Become a fitness/pilates instructor
• Think about moving abroad and starting as an expat somewhere
• Start taking weekend trips
• Start traveling in your own country first
• Use sites like Next Vacay or the Anywhere Tool with Kiwi.com to fly somewhere really really cheap
• It’s important to cut expenses while you start out. Check out these tips  from some of the top travel bloggers out there, about how to save money while you travel.

Those are just some ideas off the top of my head, but basically, you should think about what’s holding you back from traveling. Is it your job? How can you fix that? Is it that you have a pet or child? Can you take them with you? Is it lack of money? How can you earn more?

Think about the obstacles in your way and how you can overcome them.

It’s not easy. It looks easy on Instagram, but it’s not easy to give up whatever you are doing and start traveling. So, you can do it two ways: you can start small by doing weekend trips and build on that momentum or you can do it big, quit your job, move abroad, find work in a restaurant. It’s possible. I meet travelers every week here in Goa who are broke and working random jobs to keep traveling.

You have to think about what works for you and if you actually feel the calling to travel or consider if it’s just FOMO because you on Instagram and see others doing it. Travel isn’t always roses, so don’t base it on Instagram!

I hope that you do start traveling and wish you the best of luck! Leave a comment if you are going to start a new journey.

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Share this story, choose your platform, about the author: rachel jones.

Love this! Passing it along to my niece who is currently in the Navy but her ultimate dream is to travel the world! I may take a tip or two for myself! ;)

Love everything about this!!!! I’m obsessed with travel and would love to take the leap. i meet people who were able to take the risk and I’m always intrigued to hear how they did it. For me, what holds me back is the thought of not having steady income. And, I think my age plays a part too. I am youthful at heart but worry about retirement, etc.

Basically, the longevity options mixed with my passion for travel. I hope to bring it all to fruition. I imagine the first step is to pay down the bills and save!!! I so enjoy your blog, hopefully I’ll visit Infia soon, thanks.

wow, you made it look so doable… thanks a lot for this blog. loved every bit of it :) surely gonna meet you when me and my wifey visit goa next :) would love to do something about my passion for travelling sooner than later!!

I just broke up with my bf because I’ve felt the travel itch for a long time and it hadn’t gone away. It’s not much of a shared interest and I feel I need to pursue it. I am a paralegal but would like a career change eventually. Former journalist so writing perhaps? I feel excited but also lost… I’m not sure how to meet people when I travel or how to plan for it. Advice??

Hi Marie, ever think of becoming a Travel Advisor? Only requirement I suggest is to TRAVEL and specialize in a few destinations that you know like the back of your hand. Making six figures and loving what you do (granted it takes many hours and hard work to this goal $) is totally achievable.

Meet anyone out there that is making it traveling with a kiddo?? Mine is about 8. Selling the house now and getting ready to make the leap.

Aloha! I loved your article! I went to school for travel right out of high school and planned to work for Carnival Cruise Lines… shortly after, i found out I was pregnant, so much to my dismay, my dreams were put on hold. Traveling has always been the one constant in my life! Now my children are grown and I’m ready to travel the world, but Im not sure how I would make a living at it now. Im determined to find out, though! I was so excited to read your tips! Thank you for sharing!

Sincerely, Erika

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10 Ways to Travel the World For Free in 2023

Sustainable travel expert, adventure seeker

Chicago, IL, USA

5-star resorts, private shuttles, and business class have conditioned us to think that travel is always going to break the bank. Of course there’s space for budget-minded travelers, but have you ever pondered how to kick it up a notch and really save money — perhaps by spending hardly any? With some creative spirit, there are plenty of ways to travel the world for (nearly) free.

Most of these are for the adventurous soul, so prepare to exit your comfort zone and enter that money-saving mode. From sleeping in airports to crashing on random couches, there’s no shortage of ways to cut costs. Try one of these 10 ways to make it work:

See the world for free by joining a work exchange platform

Can you pick fruit all day? Clean a questionably nasty bathroom? Wash piles of dishes? If the answer is yes and you’re willing to do it, you can find an opportunity for these types of jobs (and a handful more) by joining a work exchange platform. Participating travelers provide their labor in exchange for a free place to stay, with occasional bonuses like food or drinks, depending on your setup. With opportunities all over the world, this is one of the most common methods to get a free place to stay on the road.

How: Some of the more popular platforms include Workaway and Worldpackers .

Work in a hostel, earn free accommodation

For those who gravitate towards the backpacker lifestyle, working in a hostel gives you a cost-free place to hang your hat, cultivate a community, and have fun while doing it. Many hostel jobs are posted on the aforementioned work exchange platforms, but cold emailing is another useful tactic. Most hostels will ask for several days per week of work in exchange for a free dorm bed — and don’t be surprised when you receive free drinks, either. It almost makes up for the moldy shower that you now call yours.

How: Check out Hostel Jobs to find your new home.

Hack your hotel budget by becoming a house sitter

Enter house sitting: a far more comfortable way to be a total cheapskate. Studies have shown significantly lower volumes of snoring bunkmates and moldy showers by taking this avenue. It’s a bit more competitive — but not impossible. General duties include making sure that no one breaks in, occasional care for pets, garden tending, and any other upkeep that requires a traveler’s touch.

How: Aspiring house sitters can check out House Carers and Mind My House . Word of mouth is fairly popular with this option, but the magic of the Internet can pull through too. Either way, references are a big help. And, if you have a home of your own, check out HomeExchange : a unique, mutually beneficial way to share your home in exchange for a stay in someone else’s.

Save cash for future travel by Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is a global network of travelers and gracious hosts opening their homes (and often hearts) at zero cost. That’s right—it’s 100% free, and often an awesome social experience.

How: For social butterflies who embrace unpredictability, Couchsurfing is a one-of-a-kind way to make connections across cultures and stay for free all over the world.

Score a free stay while WWOOFing

No, it doesn’t have to do with dogs (sorry). World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is a database filled with international organic farms that offer once-in-a-lifetime volunteer opportunities for those who wish to explore their green thumb. You can earn a free stay and learn about local life, all while contributing to sustainable practices.

How: Visit wwoof.net to register and find farms in your destination of choice. Membership costs a small fee, but it pays for itself, especially if you plan to travel long term.

Make bank by teaching english abroad

Teaching English abroad can take many forms: TEFL certified teaching positions, online teaching, or a less formal arrangement. The good news is: this option can actually be quite profitable, especially if you’re living somewhere in Southeast Asia where the cost of living is dramatically low.

How: Paid jobs usually require TEFL certification , which can be achieved through a variety of in-person or online classes. The uncertified can still volunteer their knowledge of the English language by participating in a volunteer program in exchange for room and board. Diverbo and Culture Go Go are online resources to jumpstart your experience.

Earn free travel opportunities by living on a boat

Have you ever said screw land and lived on a boat? If you haven’t, it’s time to consider it. Cruise lines and yacht companies are always looking for crewmembers, especially during the high seasons for tourism. Whether you have experience in hospitality, cleaning, kitchens, or entertainment, the available positions vary greatly.

How: Carnival and Royal Caribbean are the biggest companies, offering seasonal positions and year round options. For yacht opportunities, try out Crew Seekers .

Cut transport costs with ride shares

While there’s no guarantee of safety for this one, there are several countries in the world where hitchhiking is both acceptable and common. HitchWiki breaks it down by country, so you can be the judge of your own chances. Proven fact: hitchhiking builds character, so stick out your thumb and hope for the best.

How: If you prefer a tad bit more of an organized process, try out an arranged rideshare. These long-distance carpool services can be incredibly cheap, despite the lengths traveled. Blablacar is worldwide, and Ridesharing.com is popular in the U.S. and Canada. And hey, it’s good for the environment too!

Travel the world for free by becoming an au pair

Think babysitting, but instead of your childhood suburb, it’s a beautiful coastal town in the south of France. Au pairs are in high demand in several countries, and it’s a formidable way to learn about a different culture, and also live for free. There are both English and non-English speaking opportunities, but knowing a foreign language opens up more doors. France, England, and Australia are three of the more popular destinations for au pairs, but the opportunities are worldwide.

How: Visit AuPairWorld or AuPair.com to connect with families around the globe.

Save money on travel by signing up for airfare alerts

Okay, okay, it’s not completely free, but it can still save tons of money when you play the cards right. There are a few budget airlines worth keeping an eye on. Sales and promotions are common, and if you can hop online when they go live, there’s a great chance at scoring a major deal.

How: A few to keep in mind are Ryan Air , Air Asia , Jetstar , and Virgin Australia . In addition to the airlines themselves, fare finders like Scott’s Cheap Flights can send you alerts based on the latest and greatest deals. There’s no guarantee for legroom, but who needs it anyway? You’ll be on the beach in a few hours.

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45 Great Jobs You Can Do While Traveling The World And How To Get Them

Looking for the best travel jobs? If you think that you can’t afford to travel the world, finding a job on the road may be just the ticket. Travel’s wonderful, sure, but little things like food and a place to sleep are good too.

The Best Travel Jobs

We’ve found some of the best ideas to get paid as you travel the world , with some help on how to land each job.

Tip! While house sitting may not pay all of your travel bills, it can take a huge bite out of accommodation costs. Trusted Housesitters  is a great place to start.  Check Trusted H ousesitters job listings here.

You should know the basics of sailing for this gig, although some jobs only require a keen willingness to learn and a great attitude. Check out Find a Crew or Crew Seekers  online or ask directly at a local yacht club. Well known jumping off points include Darwin, Phuket, San Diego and Panama. We volunteered as yacht crew for evening cruises at the yacht club in Brisbane and found the club and captains to be friendly and open to our help.

Freelance Travel Writing

Traditional freelance travel writing is a tough gig. The competition is stiff, and the life of a freelance travel writer usually doesn’t pay well (or reliably). Even if you’ve got stellar contacts, don’t expect to get much pay in the first year or so. Even irritatingly talented writers struggle as travel writers.

One of the best places to start looking for freelance writing jobs, and that includes freelance travel writing, is FlexJobs .

FlexJobs screens employers for you. FlexJobs comes with a small, flat monthly fee, but they also vet all of the job opportunities, meaning that there’s a lot less spam to wade through.

FlexJobs is one of the top job boards for remote work, but there is a monthly fee (about $14.95 USD a month).

Check out FlexJobs here.

Check out Virtual Vocations job listings here for freelance writing and plenty of other online jobs. You can try it out for free, but there’s also a paid version.

Looking for help with your resume or CV? Check out a top resume review .

Cruise Ship Work

Cruise ships hire all sorts of folks, from entertainers to waiters to cooks. This type of gig is best for those without kids or a spouse. It may also not be great long term for a digital nomad who needs reliable internet access, since WiFi at sea can be spotty.

Earl from Wandering Earl has used cruise ship work to fund a large part of his 12 years on the road, and wrote a book called How to Get a Job on a Cruise Ship .

Click here check out his book on getting a job on a cruise line .

Royal Caribbean even hires horticulturalists and cupcake supervisors (now that’s a job I could handle). Check out careers at Royal Caribbean  or Carnival Cruise Lines .

Travel Blogging

If you’re the enterprising sort, you can start your own travel blog. You’ll be putting in a lot of work (trust us on this) as you build your blog. Even if your blog becomes well known, you’ll need great business sense and a way to stand out from the crowd before you start bringing in any income. We’d estimate it takes about a year of hard work blogging before you can start to make any real income here (and by real, we mean around $1,000 per month).

Tip: To really enjoy the combination of work and travel, don’t forget about your safety. Here’s when a reliable VPN service may come in handy to protect your online presence and unlock geo-restricted content.

While volunteer jobs by nature don’t pay, some will provide (often very basic) accommodation or meals, or both. Conservation Volunteers  provides basic accommodation, but not meals, in exchange for help on conservation projects. Be careful with this strategy, as many voluntourism placements charge you a significant amount of money to volunteer. This helpful article from Wisebread will point you in the right direction.

If you’ve ever been interested in volunteering on an organic farm, this might be the gig for you. WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) brings together volunteers and farmers. You’ll work a set number of hours in exchange for room and board.

No previous farming experience is required, so all you need to do is check into visa requirements first an you could find yourself on a flight to Europe to work on an organic farm!

Flight Attendant

This is one of those jobs that require travel as part of the career. Flight attendants wages vary depending on the airline, and new employees don’t have a great choice of shifts or destinations. That said, you can still score some great flights while being paid. Airline employees often get substantial discounts on airfare for themselves and their family. Some airlines even allow you to pass on discounts to specified friends.

We always get travel insurance when we travel.

SafetyWing Nomad Insurance covers nearly every country on the planet.

While this is out of the reach of most of us, those with flight experience can score great flights. To become a pilot , you’ll need over 250 hours of flight experience, decent vision, a clear criminal record and good health.

Technical Writer or Editor

If you’re technically (or scientifically) inclined, and have great writing skills, technical writing and editing can be a great gig on the road. Technical writers write everything from website text to software user manuals to detailed computer hardware specifications. I’ve worked as technical writer for the past ten years, both remotely and in cubicle nation. I’d suggest getting a certificate in technical writing and a few clients under your belt before you hit the road. Starting pay is about $25/hour for North American gigs for native English speakers, but experienced writers and editors can earn $60 an hour or more.

Academic Editor or Writer

Academic editors and writers are often in big demand. English is a second language for plenty of students, so

Academic editors and writers are often in big demand. English is a second language for plenty of students, so getting an editor to proofread academic papers is common.

Editors can work on articles all the way from high school to PhD level, depending on their experience. Writers are also in demand with paper writing and editing services, which offer work in fields as diverse as English, biology, and physics.

Busking can be great if you have a skill in some sort of performance art, from singing to drumming or juggling. Pick a busy area to maximize your tips, and be careful not to run afoul of local city ordinances for street performers. Check out the video below of talented electric violinist Ed Alleyne-Johnson doing some busking work to get you motivated. Amazingly, all the music you hear is coming from his violin!

Bartender or Waiter

Depending on the country you’re visiting, you may be able to score a job waiting tables under the table. As you’ll be working illegally, you face a few risks, including being nabbed by the tax man, or even deported. That said, if you’re looking to work in a restaurant or bar, try to find a place where tips are good, as most of your income will come in the form of tips. There’s some helpful info here on traveling and working as a bartender .

Work for Your Accommodation

Many hostels will let you stay for free in exchange for light work around the hostel. While we were in Adelaide, Australia, we exchanged a couple of hours cleaning the hostel each day for a comfy double room with shared bath. All in all, it wasn’t a bad deal, as rooms were going for about $50. You research hostels before you leave on sites like Hostelworld.com .

Peace Corps Volunteer

The Peace Corps is serious business. Only apply if you’re able to commit to a long engagement in what might be a difficult environment. The application process is stringent, and usually includes an interview. The Peace Corps doesn’t pay a lot, but does cover health insurance and deferrals of student loans (for US Citizens), plus a bonus at the end of your term.

Run an Import/Export Business

The premise is simple: Find a product in one country, and sell it for a tidy profit somewhere else. This is perfect if you have a strong entrepreneurial bent, as you’ll have to dig up the product, the market and the suppliers all on your own.

Interpreter or Translator

You’ll need to be fluent in either written (a translator) or spoken (interpreter) two languages or more, and many employers want a university degree in linguistics.

If you can herd groups of confused people, and enjoy talking about the sights, this job might be for you. Tour guides don’t just schlep people around museums; you might even score a job as a wilderness guide. Speaking multiple languages isn’t a must but would be a definite asset.

Tour Organizer

If you can build trip itineraries, plan visas and stay arrangements, group tour organizing might be for you.

Seasonal Fruit or Vegetable Picker

The work is long and hard, but demand is often high for seasonal farm labor in Australia and many other countries in the world. If you’re staying in a New Zealand or Australian city with outlying farms, you should be able to find some work picking crops or shearing sheep.

Because the jobs depend on the harvest, timing can be a bit tricky. Here’s a tip from a backpacker we met in Cairns: Don’t pick watermelons, they weigh a ton and you’ll be exhausted within the first hour.  Anywork Anywhere is a good place to start looking for jobs.

Ethnomusicologist

I have to admit to being a little skeptical when I first ran across this job . Ethnomusicologists are involved in the anthropology of music and study how music and culture relate. The Society for Ethnomusicology  is a good place to start. Grant competition is fierce, and an academic background is highly recommended.

Online Poker Player

While this requires mad poker skills (obviously), the good news is that it’s open to anyone with a good internet connection and a small bankroll to start. According to the FBI, online gambling is illegal in the United States .

Day traders buy and sell stocks and other financial securities online, usually within the space of a day. A word of warning: You really need to know what you’re doing here, as this is a risky job for those without solid experience and knowledge. The large majority of day traders actually lose money .

Scuba Instructor

You’ll need a minimum of a PADI Open Water Scuba instructor course (or a similar accreditation). The more qualifications and specialized courses you take, the more marketable you’ll become. Instructors don’t make a lot of money, but the great perk of this job is that you get to teach in some of the world’s most beautiful locations.

Massage Therapist

While you don’t technically need an accreditation to be a massage therapist in certain countries, it may help you land clients and gigs. There are probably hundreds of styles of massage, ranging from deep tissue to Thai. Pay depends on the country you’re in, but the job can extremely flexible if you work as a freelance massage therapist.

Skiing Instructor

In most parts of the world, ski instructors must take courses and become accredited. Canadian ski instructors earn about $12 an hour to start.

Freelance Photographer

With the advent of digital cameras and the Internet, freelance photography has gotten a lot more competitive. That said, if you have great photography skills and a keen business sense, you may be able to sell some of your travel photos.

Travel Agent

Years ago, being a travel agent was one of the dream jobs for would-be travelers, who dreamed of perks and discounted fares. Today, travel agents are a rarer breed, as commissions have been cut and the internet has allowed consumers to book more of their own trips. You can work as a home based travel agent through a web-based travel agency. Successful travel agents today often offer specialized services that don’t compete with discounted web fares. Commissions and wages these days are low and perks are hard to come by.

An au pair is a nanny who may also be expected to do light housework. A large proportion of au pairs are female, and tend to work in Europe, the US and Canada, and Australia and New Zealand. If you’re looking to cover a lot of ground, this arrangement may not work well, as au pair contracts range from six months and up. Check out the  International Au Pair Organization  to start.

House Sitter

While house sitting may not pay all of your travel bills, it can take a huge bite out of accommodation costs. Trusted Housesitters  is a great places to start.

Check Trusted H ousesitters job listings here.

Also check for caretaking jobs, which generally involve a longer time commitment and increased responsibilities (like taking care of someone’s motel while they’re on vacation). Caretaking jobs often pay a stipend in addition to free accommodation. You can find caretaker jobs through the Caretaker Gazette . There’s a small membership fee for most sites.

Check Caretaker jobs listings here.

If you own an apartment or house, consider swapping for a place at your destination. You can save a fortune in accommodation costs, and often live much better than you would in a hotel.

International Resort Worker

International resorts like Club Med hire a wide variety of people, from electricians to bakers to activities coordinators. Check out Club Med jobs for information.

Time Share Salesperson

The bane of resort goers everywhere, time share salespeople make a commission by convincing vacationers to purchase a partial ownership of a vacation property (or multiple properties). For a set amount of money, the vacationer gets access to a vacation property for one or two weeks per year. Timeshares have taken a beating in the press for scamming vacationers out of their money. Even timeshares on the up and up are often sold with restrictive dates for access, hidden fees and taxes. Check out RCI.com  to get an idea of what kind of time shares are available worldwide.

Work at a Campsite

If you’re the outdoorsy type, you may be able to combine camping and work in Canada and the US. Work camping involves either hooking up your own RV or on-site housing and working as a camp host, desk clerk or even a tour guide. Private campgrounds and national parks like Yellowstone offer seasonal employees RV hookups or onsite housing.

Real Estate Agent

You’ll need to pick a specific area, become knowledgeable in the local real estate market, but many expats make good money as real estate agents, especially specializing in selling to other expats.

Location Independent Businesses

You can take many businesses with you on the road. These are usually computer-based business like website development or computer programming. All you’ll need is a laptop, internet connection, and a mad set of skills and you can work anywhere in the world. Sites like Freelancer.com  let you bid on jobs from all over the globe, while Fiverr gigs are set at a $5 (though you can add on extra services for extra $$).

Check out our article on the best online jobs for travelers for some ideas.

Deckhand on a Cargo Ship

While not as glamorous as working on a luxury cruise liner, working on a container ship can be a more leisurely way to see the world. Workers often acts as lookouts and perform maintenance like painting and maintaining containers. You’ll need a high school diploma and many deckhands have training through industry or labor union schools.

Back in the day, legit international businesses would pay couriers to fly packages as carry on between select destinations. Cheaper and faster international shipping, increased security and transporting docs electronically have made these jobs almost non-existent. Use a lot of caution with courier sites, as most seem to be trying to sell a membership, a supposedly discounted airfare or an outdated e-book written 10 years ago. Courier List, once one of the biggest names in the business, suspended subscriptions because of decreased opportunities.

Transport a Car or RV

Car and RV dealerships or car rental companies sometimes hire people to drive cars to a different destination. Car rental companies sometimes find themselves with too many cars in one destination and want to move them to an area where rentals are more in demand. Car dealerships may need a specific car, with specific options or colors that they arrange to get from another dealer. While most companies work with full time, professional drivers, there may be some opportunities for one time trips. The trick with these jobs is getting a car that’s going where you want to go at the right time. You’ll need a clean driver’s license and may need a specialty license to drive RVs. Transport companies like DAS Auto Shippers and RV Transport  hire drivers. HitTheRoad.ca  is a well known Canadian company that offers mostly long distance, one way, one trip driving contracts for cars, while AutoDriveAway  has listings for the USA.

Camp Counselor

Countries as diverse as Canada, the USA, Croatia and even Russia hire camp counselors. Check out Bitten By the Travel Bug’s helpful  articles on camp counseling .

ESL Teacher

Teaching English as a second language is a well worn staple for travelers, and for good reason. Some countries, like Japan, China and Korea are well traversed by ESL teachers, though there are opportunities around the world. Japan and Korea pay reasonably well, while countries in South and Central America generally pay less. Depending on the country, accommodation may be included in your pay. Many teachers also tutor after hours for extra cash. An English as a Second Language (ESL) Certificate  helps, as does a Bachelor’s degree, though with persistence it’s possible to get a job without either if you have the right connections. If you can figure out a way to break into the field, teaching business English to adults is reputed to pay better. There’s a helpful guide to teaching English abroad here .

Online Teacher or Tutor

Many universities and colleges are moving to online learning. While this is great for students, it’s also a fantastic perk for teachers or tutors, who can work from almost anywhere to teach their online students. An advanced degree is helpful for teaching, but it is possible to teach for a trade or technology school with experience and good connections.

Check out  Teaching Traveling  for a profile of a web and mobile design instructor who worked remotely for nine months while traveling from US to Argentina. The best part of this gig? You’re paid as well as if you were working at home. To find work, browse the teaching listings at university like the University of Phoenix , community colleges, and even technology and trade schools.

Geologists often travel as a requirement of their work. They can work in fields as diverse as oil and gas exploration, climate change and mining. You’ll need a minimum of a four year undergraduate degree .

Join the Military

Joining the military simply to travel seems like a bad idea, given the chance that you could be permanently stationed in your home town, or … well… killed. That said, military service can lead to opportunities to work overseas, though there may be little time for recreation.

Personal or Virtual Assistant

A personal assistant wears a thousand hats, depending on the needs of their employer. Personal connections seem to be critical.

Virtual Assistants offer administrative services to clients from a remote location. Virtual assistant services include scheduling appointments, managing email accounts, managing social media accounts, and more.

Marine or Wildlife Biologist

For nature lovers, the great perk of working as a marine or wildlife biologist can be location. Marine biologists can be stationed in fantastic locations like Hawaii and Costa Rica, while wildlife biologists can be found anywhere on the globe. Biologists need a minimum of a four year undergraduate degree, though researchers who work with universities usually require a PhD.

Internet Affiliate Marketer

Internet affiliate marketers create websites that sell other people’s products and then take a percentage of the sales. While the industry has a smarmy reputation, it is possible to make money through affiliate programs. No formal education is required, but a strong entrepreneurial bent and tech savvy is needed.

Working Holiday and other Visas

If you’re under 35, see if your destination country offers a youth working holiday visa. Many countries have agreements that allow youth to work on a working holiday visa for up to one year. Check out Wikipedia’s list of working holiday visa programs .

When planning to work in a foreign country, check into visa requirements first. In many countries it’s possible to work illegally (under the table), but be aware that there can be consequences that include immediate deportation. Receiving lodging or a stipend for volunteering may fall within the category of working under the table, depending on the country.

We hope we’ve inspired you that there are a lot of ways to make money on your travels . Now get out there and get one of these best travel jobs!

There’s always options if you really want to travel! 🙂

My boyfriend is a programmer on the go. He wrote a post to share some inspiration with other programmers, if anyone is interested or seeking an excuse to hit the road while still working as a programmer.

Hi Zara, Some helpful tips, there! Charles is a programmer, too, coincidentally enough. We’ve found that sites like oDesk and Guru tend to pay less than if we can manage to take our work for existing clients on the road.

Same here, a programmer… who is willing to be on the go….

Great list…hope to put some to use full time one day:)

Hi D.J., These days, I really favor jobs that I can take along with me – the whole digital nomad thing. It’s not quite as glamorous as everyone thinks, but honestly, it beats working in a cubicle 9-5 every day (been there!)

Fantastic list – very inspirational! I’ll send people this way – what a great resource!

Thanks! I know that we struggled with how to find a job when we were traveling, so I hope this can help someone out… 🙂

Quite an extensive list! I’ve looked into more than a few of these in the past (and am even considering a couple of them right now) and they’re all very viable options!

I tried to make a list of jobs that were possible for most folks. I honestly wouldn’t have thought working as yacht crew was viable if Charles and I hadn’t spent time at the yacht club and met a few people. Who knew? Now that we have kids, yacht crew may be out for a few years :), but then again, maybe we’ll get our own catamaran when they’re a bit older and be our own crew. 🙂

Anyone know if it’s necessary to have an ESL teaching certificate? I do not have a degree so thought maybe TESL cert might be helpful but many friends say not so much? Would love some feedback… Great article. Thanks!

Nice to see you here! I’m going to copy my answer from our chat on our Facebook page , in case someone else reading this would like to know.

“From what I’ve read, if you have a Bachelor’s degree, the TESL certificate isn’t necessary for most overseas teaching jobs (it depends very much on what the specific school you’re approaching wants, of course). Some schools will hire a teacher who doesn’t have a bachelors or TESL, but you need to have a connection (like knowing someone in the school who’ll vouch for you), or experience. Since you have experience, I’d say that trumps an TESL certificate for most schools. I’d try contacting one of the schools you’re interested in and asking – you never know, right? Hope that helps a bit… ”

Another good place to start is Nomadic Matt article on TESL certificates .

TEFL cert not that important, but you pretty much have to have a BA/BS in anything unless you have contacts and connections.

Many great ideas and a great single source of links! I can vouch that travel blogging requires a lot more time than the writing time! I would say that my preferred would be one job not mentioned: husband to a high-flying career (business, diplomat, etc.) spouse stationed in a well-located country 😉

Wow Raul, this was Micki’s post however I have to interject my thoughts on what you just wrote. I’m 100% in favor of that and will toss the idea to Micki. If she questions it I’m going to refer her back to you, okay. 😉

Nice article!

That’s a whole lotof jobs to consider! 🙂

Thanks, Tommy. Hopefully, the tips should keep someone well funded for a while 🙂

Fantastic Tips!

I never know we can exchange a hostel stay with cleaning and home Swap!

Opened my eyes really!

Hi Lex, Nice to see you here! I was surprised how many hostels were interested trading light housekeeping for a room. I haven’t tried it, but I’ve heard of people building a small website for a hostel in exchange for a short stay. I’d imagine any kind of barter might work, really, anything from cleaning to carpentry to gardening.

A terrific post jam-packed with great ideas! In short, there’s no reason to stay home.

Hi Terry, So true. I spent a lot of my 20’s working crappy jobs, and barely getting by. Honestly, I could have been traveling and working at the same time, and been just as far ahead financially.

This is a great list of ideas for people looking to travel long-term and work. Thanks very much for sharing!

Hi Emma, you’re welcome. Hope it provides some inspiration.

This is fantastic list and an inspiration for those who are considering travelling indefinitely but wondering how they can continue their journey. I know a lot of friends doing scuba dive instruction in Thailand and the Maldives.

Hi Samuel, Scuba diving in Thailand or the Maldives sounds like a great way to earn money on the road! We took our Open Water PADI course in Ko Tao. Thailand, and loved every second of it.

Great list! Very inspiring to those who may not have realized all the options out there. I’ve been going the digital nomad route myself, but I also love the idea of taking on seasonal jobs in different places. Especially things like campground host would be really fun, I think!

Great tips. But they really fall into two categories, don’t they? The jobs that you can do anywhere in the world which will fund your travels – and those which will also get you actively involved in the local community. I hope people will consider the latter and really see the world while they’re making some cash on the side!

That’s a really great way of thinking about work. Not only can it make you some cash, but working somewhere can help you connect with the local culture and people.

Great list! Some of these are really great suggestions, though some might not work out so well if the end goal is to travel. Getting a pilot’s license is extremely expensive, and it’s a very low paying job for several years when you first start. But picking up jobs along the way, teaching ESL and staring your own location independent business are solid choices. I always thought the different cruise types of jobs sounded interesting, but I don’t think I could handle the seasickness!

Yep, I won’t be taking up flying as a commercial pilot any time soon, either. I’ve had a couple of friends who put in some serious time flying in Northern Canada (mostly for oil and gas companies and flying firefighters up North). They really put in their dues for a lot of years, that’s for sure.

A lot of people are choosing the location independent work route, whether it’s working a regular job remotely, or starting their own business. The idea of sitting under a palm tree with a laptop while getting paid to work is a pretty powerful draw. Though it’s not all it’s made out to be – sand’s pretty tough on keyboards and there’s a lot of glare on the screen 🙂

Hi, What can i do for getting a job the above mentioned 45 list.I am interested to travel the worldwide.So please give the suggestion to get a job in the above mentioned list.

Don, some of these jobs require degrees or certifications. Some are as simple as showing up at the place you want to work. Others require that you apply for the position just as you would in your home country.

It really depends on the job you want, what you’re qualified to do, where in the world you happen to be and whether you want to work for cash only or after filling in the proper paperwork and getting a work visa.

The rest is up to you. Good luck!

Nice article also its nice to date airhostess so you keep getting cheap tickets…. Rest is everyone knows… 🙂

Ah, now that’s the SMART way to go about travel. Ren, I think you’ve got it all figured out 🙂

Very nice post. I simply stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to say that I’ve truly loved surfing around your blog posts. After this I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I am hoping you write more often!

Roccia, we’re so glad you stopped by! If you every have any questions, or need any help, give us a shout!

Great list! The best job Ive seen someone have that allowed them to travel with ease was as a hairdresser. They would rock up into a city – put up a sign in the hostel saying $30 a cut and would have queues of people getting a trim – just how they liked it back home. Then they would cash out and move onto the next city.

Peter, now that’s a fantastic idea! Love how enterprising that is – and at $30 a cut, they could make some decent money!

I wrote this article really just to get people thinking about all the options that there are to make money traveling. In my 20’s I worked a LOT of crappy jobs trying to save money to travel, when it would have been just as easy to work on the road.

What a great list! I’ve done a Work & Holiday in Australia and was able to get a couple “real” jobs in marketing that paid well enough to fund my travels (in such an expensive country), but some of these sound really tempting!

Rachael, the working holiday visas are a fantastic way to travel.

Some countries are starting to increase the holiday visas age to 35 for specific visitors (for example, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand residents up to age 35 can visit Italy on a working holiday visa).

Most folks think that the working holiday visas are only for jobs like fruit picking and waiting tables, but you can actually end up with some good jobs (like your marketing jobs) that give some great work experience and pay reasonably well.

Really great list! Thank you, Micky

What an awesome resource for people looking to travel but worried about income! This a great page to bookmark and share around. Thanks for putting this together.

Thanks so much Aloyna and JRinAsia! Glad we helped out.

I took your advice and recently became on online tutor… I started sharing this as well with kids that I tutor who are looking for a job.

Ralph, That’s so wonderful to hear! I tutored for a couple of years as well (though not online), and think it would be a great travel job. Thanks for sharing!

Great list of jobs here. I’ve done / still do many of these. Writing, photography, tour guiding, car delivery, working for accommodation. The only negative experience I’ve had was with hittheroad.ca so I can not recommend that service, but the more skills you have, the better, right?? I’ve travelled with a few geologists…and they get to go to some remote, crazy places…wish I knew that when I was in school.

Some great ideas, travel blogging is a challenge but rewarding.

Great post, great site. We’re a travelling family so always great to read about others. Looking for inspiration to find a new travelling career ideas and help us stay on the road for longer so this is great! Thanks!

Great ideas. This is the dream of all of us to finance our travel with work during our trip.

If you’re a certified teacher, you can easily travel by working in an international school! They pay your flights each year, give you a house or housing allowance, and the salary is usually good enough to travel every glorious school holiday! I’ve been doing it for 6 years now, and I will never go back to Canada to teach… No jobs! I can live in paradise, or a couple hours flight to it. You can’t go wrong! 🙂

Meg – overseas lifer

What an awesome list! It just goes to show that you can do anything if you are creative enough to figure out a niche that aligns with your destination. This is a much harder lifestyle to maintain when you have kids so I always recommend younger travellers go far while they are single:)

Some of these ideas seem really great. The list really is extensive!

I would have never thought to work while traveling, usually that’s my vacation time away from work. Though that could greatly extend your vacation and/or allow you do more if you are constricted by money and expenses. Having some cash inflow allows you to do a lot more than otherwise. Though as an Austin mover I have been lucky enough to travel and see a lot of places while working.

Myself a pilot, I would love to see the entry regarding traveling on a pilot’s wages changed. There is no need to have perfect vision innately. It simply needs to be correctable to perfect. Most contacts and glasses have no problem with this issue.

Andrew, yes it is a common misconception about perfect eyesight and pilots. Contacts and glasses are fine for most airlines if you can see 20/20 with them on. Most fighter pilots need perfect vision (whether naturally or via lasik) however I’m guessing the average traveler doesn’t fall in that category. 😉

Thanks for the comment.

Charles/Micki,

Thank God, I stumbled upon this site, this list is a terrific resource guys, I love traveling and this will help tremedously! In fact, I am in Europe right now, lol. 😉

Always like to stumble blogs I read by accident! I’ve done so many of these – most noteably, teacing English and summer camp work, with a dabbling in blogging, translating, tour guiding, etc. Definitely helps ease the blow!

Great share and post!

Tour guide is a very good way to make extra money while traveling. There are even some people who actually travel TO a country, work as a guide for a few days and vacation a few days.

Ha. Pretty good list. I have actually had a fair few of these. Timeshares was definitely an interesting experience.

I have yet to bartend. Australia maybe on my horizon.

This is great! Thanks for writing it 🙂 I plan to go work and travel Europe in 2014!

easy in theory…..1st: for how many of those jobs do you require a specific specialization? and also the percentage of employer happy to give a job, even if small or temporary,to a stranger traveller and very often from another country?…I’d say not very high,I aqm italian and have constantly travelled for the last twentyfive years (travelling is my life), and my opinion is,that,if it wasn’t for busking,probably, I would’t have never gone all the way I did,nice your ideas though,inspiring.thanks

Amazing post. So far we have been working as English teachers in China and web designers in Cambodia, but there are more job opportunities, as you say, we would like to go for in the future. Greetings from Macau!

Very nice tips. Thank for this. Travel Blogging is the best for me!

Fantastic post! Very useful info! Gave me some ideas of jobs I didnt know you could do!

Excellent list! yardandgroom.com has taken me around the world (before responsibilities & a real job!) It’s great for horsey types who don’t mind serious hard work.

Complete List..but in 2013 and so on, I think Internet Marketing will be a great job. Just traveling worldwide and sit relax in front of your laptop

Wow … A lot of different opportunities listed. Making income from Blogging is tough, but if you have the time, one day it can pay off. I also like the idea of a campground host in the near future. Thanks for sharing!

Great article, so many job apportunities , who would have thought so?? dont stop writting 🙂

Thanks for sharing this wonderful list – so many jobs here I hadn’t even thought of! Ethnomusicologist ;-D

When I was in Australia a girl came into my hostel about every other week and would cut everyones hair and within a few hours would walk out with $200-$300. She didn’t charge much (maybe 10-15 for guys and 20-25 for girls) but most people needed one. She would then head out and party till she ran out of money and start over again. I on the other hand utilized my skills as an entertainment coordinator for hostels and got free accommodation from them and would put on tournaments for money where winner takes all except for the organizing fee i took.

Great list. The working online options are better for persons like myself who don’t travel on a US/Canada/UK passport. Working holiday visas and sometimes just tourist visas can be such a nightmare.

Nice article. There are lots of jobs to do while traveling, I like to work in camp site while traveling to Australia. My main concern is the working permit.

I love walking bare foot on the grass in winter morning.. ahh.. feels so awesome..

I’d love to have more than one of the jobs on the list. This is a comprehensive post!

I was really enjoying your article and stopped at the campground picture because it looked so much like home to me. Imagine my surprise to see it WAS! Paul Lake is basically the closest campground to my hometown of Kamloops, BC, Canada. It was really cool to stumble on this. I am a relatively new single at 42. I am hoping after a few more years of work in a steady well-paying job I will have some freedom to travel extensively. I think you have listed a lot of great ideas and resources. I wonder, do you think a lot of them will apply to me at this stage in my life with no real formal education beyond high school? I am going to send this to my young adult children too. I think travel when you are young is a great idea!

Thanks for the list.

Very useful tips. I wish to use few of these some day.

Great article . Very informative

Hey what about looking after Elephants, or other animals abroad? Is the pay good enough to feed and let you have accommodation? I would be very interested in this type of work…..Let me know….Someone!!

Hi Dianne. There are a lot of places in the world where you can work for room and board however I’m not sure about looking after elephants specifically. I suppose you could get a job abroad in a zoo or perhaps work for a lodge in Africa or India.

There are lots of animal sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers around the world as well so that’s always a possibility however there’s usually a fee involved so it will actually cost you money rather than the other way around. Here are a few sites of that nature: Globalteer , Go Eco or Conservation Volunteers

Most places operate on small grants and donations so being paid to do a job where thousands of people are willing to pay their own way makes it hard to find. That’s not to say it’s impossible however you would have an easier time tracking down a privately owned animal reserve or animal rehab center if you want to actually make money looking after animals abroad.

If you’re lucky enough to have a background in animal biology or animal behavior, you might be able to join an expedition on a grant that would cover your expenses however that level of detail lies far outside the scope of this article.

Dianne, we wish you good luck finding something of this nature and if you do, please come back here and share your findings!

This all sounds pretty amazing….I always wish I had all this info in my early 20’s! Now, I’m more interested in how you guys keep up the travelling with 2 kids! I know from experience that it’s really expensive to travel on poor currency as the Commonwealth countries are 10 – 12 times more expensive!!Currently my husband’s job takes him away from us for 2 months at a time…it would be really great to be able to be a family unit again and still see the world 🙂

It’s always a bit of fun juggling work and travel with our two little ones :).

Wow, and we were trying to think of things we could do when we hit the road. Great list this will come in very useful! Great blog by the way!

Great list! Hope to use that list some day 🙂 Thanks for your post 🙂

Thank you so much for the brilliant as well as comprehensive list !

Fantastic list! I just wish that there were more options eligible for members on non-EU states as for instance House Sitting and House Swamping request you to be from a certain country. Moreover, there’s always visa issues to solve.

WOw its a great combination of two sites including traveling and job information. love your this informative blog…

thanks to share!!!!

Wow, that list is great. I never realized how many different opportunities there were for travelers. I especially like the tour guides. Always thought that would be fun.

Thanks for putting this together, some great ideas I hadn’t thought of! We’ve done a fair bit of volunteering along the way, which saves us money but certainly doesn’t make us any. I’d soooooooo love to volunteer on a sailing yacht for a long trip!

What an awesome list! Thank you so much for sharing!

Are you aware of any online opportunities which require extensive excell/analytical skills which can be done from remote locations? I am fully qualified accountant and auditor but not a huge fan of working in the profession. I really want to travel and try use the skills I have from remote locations…just not sure if those opportunities exist?

Hi Ant. The best way to work online is to try to find a local company that is willing to let you work remotely before you even start traveling. It will be steadier income and if you’re from a wealthier nation then the pay will be more than you’d make in a lot of countries with lower living costs. If you know you’ll be staying someplace that costs less, you can also offer your services for lower than the going rate to help guarantee your position. Because you’re also a local, you speak the same language, have similar views and can meet them in person. A lot of companies have no problem hiring remote workers however a lot of them have trouble outsourcing to employees in foreign companies.

In terms of your skillset, I can think of tons of industries where it would be in demand. Of course anything financial like banks, accounting firms, tax preparers, market analysis experts or any large company’s payroll and HR department need people with analytical skills. You can also browse the jobs on Monster or Workopolis to give you some ideas.

Other than that, there are numerous sites where you can bid on jobs or offer your services on a smaller scale. Odesk, Elance, Guru and Fiverr are 4 that quickly come to mind. You likely won’t be making the same money you could earn with a dedicated position however there are plenty of people that do just as well taking on numerous small contracts and they can pick and choose as they go.

Good luck on your search!

“While you don’t technically need an accreditation to be a massage therapist, it may help you land clients and gigs. There are probably hundreds of styles of massage, ranging from deep tissue to Thai. Pay depends on the country you’re in, but the job can extremely flexible if you work as a freelance massage therapist.”

Please change this horrible piece of information. It’s called a Massage License, and it is absolutely required to legally practice massage therapy in most countries. Here in the US, a MINIMUM of 500 hours from an accredited massage school is required. Upon completion of school, you are then required to pass a state licensing examination. And every state has their own licensing requirements. You cannot just simply start massaging for the hell of it anywhere you want. It is against the law and fairly strictly enforced.

Hi Robbie. Yes, a message license is required in the US and in 3 provinces in Canada it actually falls under the governmental health care service so you are right that in these countries it is illegal to practice without a license. The same holds true for a good portion of Europe and scattered first world countries around the world.

That being said, it’s not governed in a good portion of Asia, South America, Africa and many tropical islands around the world. So like we said, a license helps however we’ve seen many people offering massages in hostels we’ve stayed around the world and I’m pretty sure they weren’t licensed in that country. They all seemed to be making money doing it so obviously it’s a viable business.

In regards to your comment I’ve modified the line to clarify it more. Thanks for pointing that out.

It seems very useful for everyone. Nice info

Great list Micki! As a pilot myself, I can attest to the amazing flight benefits! The sad part is that most pilots probably travel only slightly more on their personal time than non-pilots. Many of my colleges tell me that the last thing they feel like doing after flying at work for 4 or 5 days is hopping on another airplane. It’s sad to see them lose the love for travel. After all, I think that’s why we all got into it.

Add travel nursing to the list! My husband and I started traveling in 2011 and LOVE it. Traveling abroad is a little more difficult but possible. We have stayed in the states but there is plenty to see in this great country. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for adventure and excellent pay.

Flight Attendant…..I’m glad you listed this as people rarely realize how much “perk” travel is associated with being one. I took a “gap year” between my undergrad college & next one to pursue this. It was the best choice I ever made. In the span of one year, I had opportunities to explore US (home base), Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Carribbean (over 15 islands!, often more than 3’xs each!) and this position was held almost 20 years ago. I am now fully into another career but this is always the job employers ask me about first in my interviews. They are very curious about how I became one, where did I go, how did I live out of a suitcase, etc. It was really quite easy. I answered a newspaper ad (yes, I’m that old :-)) and showed up for an open call. From that, about 450+ people were eventually narrowed down to 25 selected for training. My best asset was having a outgoing personality and decent work ethic. After waiting tables in highschool and having a Associates degree, they were happy to have me join. On my days off, I’d jumpseat to other locations and split bills w/ fellow crew members to say, spend 4 days in the Keys to go snorkeling or take 3 days and go explore New Mexico. I think it sounds so daunting and courageous to follow travel dreams by reading blogs but truthfully, once you’re out there doing it, it’s so fun you forget why you had any fears holding you back. Cheers. Here’s to just going for it. We only *know* that we’ve got this 1 life. Right now.

WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for travel jobs

Everyone loves what you guys are up too. This kind of clever wokrk and reporting! Keep up the terrific works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to our blogroll.

I’m a Freelance Photographer and capturing amazing sights to places where I spent my vacation. I even collect photos. Will probably sell my photos nest time. Thanks to your ideas.

That’s a very cool list. Love to explore the world. I am going to try this. Even-thought I have been traveling for the last 5 years with my wife. It helped me a lot since she is a travel nurse and willing to travel 3 months at a time.

Great article. Many choices. What this shows is that you can really put yourself in a no excuse position if travel is your main focus. I have a family of 5. We sold everything and went from a 4700 sq ft house to a 40 sq ft cargo trailer and SUV. For my revenue, I do consulting on 2 fronts: personal and professional. I do business strategy and tactics consulting for businesses and personal accountability and objective acquisition and completion consulting for individuals. Consulting is a great revenue stream as long as you actually know what you are talking about and can adequately relay advice. Anyway, great article. Thanks for sharing and have safe travels and a prosperous future!

Regarding the military option, I can tell you from experience that you would have time for recreational activities. I was stationed in Mannheim, Germany during my time in the Army and I got the chance to travel to surrounding countries during my time there. We had a lot of three or four day weekends that would come up plus all of the holidays. I had a great time during my time in Europe. Unless you’re a barracks rat or a natural homebody, you will more than likely go many places while stationed overseas. Deployment is about the only time you wouldn’t have much in recreation.

WOW! I pinned this for future reference! Very extensive and complete list and many I have never heard of or thought of!

The younger or older you are the more attractive this life style may be. As they say, where there’s a will there’s a way. Of course the more money you can make the better the travel (I’m for that). Thanks for the insight!

I love traveling and these are great ideas. We always stucked and can’t due to jobs issues but now i feel i really travel 🙂 thnx alot!!!

We no longer have any excuses…

Great list, really thorough! I know a lot of my friends think that you’ve gotta be some sort of millionaire to travel, but this serves as proof that it’s not so. There are so many ways to make money on the road. Great job.

Awesome post.

HI Micki, thank you for this extensive list. You provide great information and resources! There really are countless options when you want to finance your travels. When there’s a will, there’s a way!

Thanks to this site i got my job due to this sit i am enjoying

Great list ! And very Wise to recommend checking for the visa situation too…. been there done that and unfortunately it’s not that easy… 🙂

I want to travel the world. What kind of jobs should i take if i start. Can someone help me . I am from India and want to travel the world and get paid while i travel as travelling is my life.

Thanks for sharing such a detailed list!

Thank you so much for such a detailed article. It’s becoming easier and easier to work remotely while travelling and being able to pick up freelance work by advertising on websites like Elance and Upwork (formerly Odesk). If your dream is to travel and visit new places, you can find a way. There’s still plenty of places where it’s very cheap to live and get by, and half decent internet is available in most. It’s how I’ve been living my life for most of the last 15 years and hopefully will continue for many more 🙂

All the best

Working at a campsite, lol it reminds me of Regular Show even though they work at a park.

Well, it caught my interest and would definitely be one of the jobs that I would look for if I would travel the world. TV shows can be super inspiring :U

Thanks for sharing these jobs, these are very useful to me. When I go for travelling, I definitely try some of these.

I came across your website while searching for articles about tolls in Portugal (btw, thanks for sharing your experiences) which led me to continue reading your posts in your travel blogs and tips . I enjoyed reading them especially this one which gave me possibilities to travel without having 9-5 job.

Great stuff guys! Keep up the good work…

Web Design is a great idea too! Can do that sort of thing anywhere with a laptop and internet connection. You meet tones of people and potential clients while travelling meaning you could be doing work for people all over the world!

Hi Micki !! Great ideas, I admire your style of writing and can definitely feel the sense of adventure in each. Good reads !! 🙂

Great post – lots of jobs on there that don’t appear on most lists! You’ve given me a few great ideas!!! Thanks heaps!

Thats a great resource shared.

Wow great list, you thought of almost everything and I totally agree with you that blogging is not easy, it is a real job and you have to take it seriously!

Great list, as always…hope to put some to use full time one day:)

Thanks for sharing!

I really like your post. It’s a great resource for traveler that need extra income. May I suggest a company named VIPKid? VIPKid is a great place to work if you are looking for a job while traveling. I have been with the company for a year now and it’s so rewarding teaching English to students in China. You are able to make between $14 and $22 an hour as well as set your own work schedule. This job affords you the opportunity to earn extra income from anywhere with internet connection. All you need is a Bachelor’s degree, be a native speaker of English and have some teaching experience (formal or informal).

hi, I am currently 17 and a senior in high school, and I am confused I have no idea what I want to do with this life of mine after highschool I want to go to collage that’s for sure but I have no idea for what kind of career I want something that is a high salary and I like traveling a lot so I hope my future career would require that, but most of all I want a career that I like something I would have a passion for I want to do something I love, not just sit at a desk doing paperwork all day, no offence too anyone who does that but my point is I just need some advice here

Fantastic list! Thank you so much for the brilliant as well as comprehensive list !

Traveling with family is the best and most enjoyable

I started travelling by teaching English and that served me really for 5 years until I got into travel blogging! With the list you have though, you’re proving that there are a ton of ways to make your dreams come true these days <3 I recommend to just ask yourself what your passion is, and then work out how you can make money from it 🙂 Then you're laughing 😀

I really love the idea of work for accommodation. It offers an opportunity into the the lives of the locals. Got familiarized with the term recently on Hippohelp. Have you ever used it?

I do online marketing, with blog review, so it is very convenient to travel. I take advantage of these to make money and develop blogs stronger. The work you propose is also good, I will refer and try it!

Great list! Hope to use that list some day 🙂 Thanks for your post

If we enjoy working on cars and are looking for a new career path, consider enrolling in a career training program to become an automotive technician. There are many types of programs in the field.

Nice tips and work mention are really helpful. I definitely use some in my life.

Great tips for those who want to take advantage of their time even travel but I think he needs to have relations with the local people or know people there what do you think?

Such a beautiful blog. its really worthful. thanks for writing this.

Very helpful and motivating article. Thank you!

Great article! It really helps us think about our work opportunities on our 18 month around the world

I like your tip to work for your accommodation when you’re traveling abroad. My brother wants to travel to Canada to work while he’s taking a break from school. I wonder if there is a program that he could go through to get work.

This is such an informative article. Thanks for sharing 🙂

This is an outstanding post that’s filled with so many useful nuggets. Thank you for being so detailed on great Jobs you can do while travelling the world.

Ever since the covid 19 pandemics started, many people have lost their jobs. And just now I was thinking that what are those people doing now whose jobs have been lost. The importance of this post of yours has increased, even more, I have also read it, it is really very factual, that how we can move again along with travel.

Great list, really thorough! I know a lot of my friends think that you’ve gotta be some sort of millionaire to travel

You have post brilliant list of jobs.. I like this article.

Thank You! It’s actually a cool and useful piece of information. I’m satisfied that you simply shared this helpful information with us.

Thanks for these impressive ides. I have already chosen travel blogging to survive for a bike tour but after reading this, I am confident that I can do may other things to fulfill my worldwide bike tour dream

Working whilst travelling the world sounds like an absolute dream! I hope one day I have the guts to take a leap of faith and give it a go!

Thanks for providing these amazing suggestions about the great jobs in which we can travel the world such as pilot, travel blogging, trader, etc. as they will help a lot of people who like to travel and by reading this blog, they will get know about some fabulous opportunities.

Absolutely wonderful article!!! How I would love to travel the world while traveling, But alas I can’t. But I would definitely keep this article in mind, for future references. You never know when you might get the spark to leave all aside and live.

You posted a fantastic list of jobs. This article is good.

Amazing article! In my opinion, this is the best job in the world and everyone wants to travel and get paid for it. See the world without spending money on it and besides being free, this is something worth living for.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that there are a few jobs listed that don’t require a college degree, such as au pair and travel blogger. This is great news for people who might not have the financial resources to go to college but still want to travel and work at the same time.

Great post, thanks for the tips!

I can’t express how much I appreciate you for producing this list of fantastic employment for travellers! There are numerous opportunities. Have you or a loved one worked one of these occupations while on the road?

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Can you name all 7 Natural Wonders of the World?

F OX Weather is taking you on a vacation around the world to the most awe-inspiring natural wonders. If you love to travel and are looking for bucket list ideas or just want to be amazed by nature, this trip won't take days on planes, and no ticket is required.

There are several lists of the 'Seven Wonders', but popular opinion points to Greek historian Herodotus in the fifth century writing the original, according to the State University of New York at Albany . He listed the 7 wonders of the ancient world for travelers. 

George Washington University's History News Network points to second-century poet Antipater of Sidon, who wrote the list as a travel guide.

Since then, several lists have been compiled by non-profit organizations, travel writers, marketers and more. The first list of Seven Natural Wonders was published in 1997, according to the travel experts writing Brush Buck Wildlife Tours website.

In 2008, a non-profit group called Seven Natural Wonders formed and assembled a panel of nature photographers, teachers, travel writers, environmentalists, naturalists, and sustainability experts to establish this list.

"Seven Natural Wonders is a global grassroots endeavor committed to protecting the natural wonders of the world," reads their mission statement. "The mission is to help people discover and explore the natural wonders of the world, to teach them about the wonders and the things that threaten their existence, and to inspire them to create a philosophy and practice of conservation.

The highest peak in the world, at 29,029 feet or 5-and-a-half miles high, is in the Himalayan Mountain Range in Nepal and Tibet. Hawaii's Mauna Kea is actually taller, but much of it is underwater, so it is not the tallest peak above sea level, according to WorldAtlas .

Between 40 and 50 million years ago, the Indian continental plate rammed the Eurasian Plate at the breakneck speed of 30 feet per century, according to the U.S. Geological Survey .  Since both masses were the same density, the edges of the plate went skyward instead of overlapping. 

The Indian Plate slowed to a mere 15 feet per century, but it is still pushing. So Mount Everest is still getting taller by almost half an inch a year.

The Nepalese call the mountain " Sagarmatha " which means "peak of heaven," according to the Nepal Government.

INSTALLING THE WORLD'S HIGHEST-ALTITUDE WEATHER STATION ON LAND: WHAT IT TOOK TO CONQUER MOUNT EVEREST

The summit is sometimes in the subtropical jet stream . About 800 climbers attempt to summit Everest yearly, a National Geographic and Rolex Return to Everest Expedition team member told FOX Weather earlier. The arduous and icy climb through thin air to the summit is one mile but takes 12 hours, on average, reports Brush Buck.

The youngest volcano in the Western Hemisphere is only 200 miles west of Mexico City. It is also the only volcano in history whose lifetime was witnessed by humans.

A farmer noticed an opening in his cornfield in 1943 that soon began spitting hot rocks and dust, according to reports . In just 24 hours, the cone grew to 164 feet. In a week, it was about 550 feet high. Paricutin spit out one billion tons of lava in its 9-year eruption and is now 10,400 feet high.

The only natural wonder in the U.S. is the Grand Canyon . It is now a National Park and surrounds 277 miles of the Colorado River , and is 18 miles across at its widest. The deepest point is over a mile deep.

The Grand Canyon is not the biggest canyon on Earth . According to NASA , the Yarlung Tsangpo Gorge in Tibet is 3 miles deep in some places and over 300 miles long.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK OFFERS 277 MILES OF BREATHTAKING VIEWS AND ADRENALINE-PUMPING HIKES

According to the National Park Service , the canyon's formation began almost 2 billion years ago as rocks formed in the inner gorge. Later, between 70 and 30 million years ago, plate tectonics shifted, lifting the area of the Colorado Plateau.

The final piece of the canyon formation came from the Colorado River, which geologists believe has been carving out the canyon for 6 million years.

Victoria Falls is the largest curtain of falling water in the world. The Zambezi River on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, Africa , feeds the monster. Locals call it Mosi-oa-Tunya, which means "smoke that thunders ," according to Britannica .com . 

The smoke is actually spray from the falls, which are 5,577 feet long and creates a rain forest on an island in front of the falls. There is an explosion of rainbows in the mist at certain times of the day.

NO GOLDEN TICKET REQUIRED: CHOCOLATE FALLS SURGE AFTER MONSOONAL STORMS

The average flow over the falls is almost half a million gallons per second. The extreme water flow has eroded the earth under the falls causing the face to collapse and the falls to move upstream several times. An astronaut in the International Space Station took a photo of the zigzagging Zambezi that used to be previous locations of the falls.

In the dry season, the falls can be a trickle.

The harbor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is Guanabara Bay, which is the largest bay in the world based on volume of water. It is 88 miles long.

Rio de Janeiro is Portuguese for "river of January," referring to the summer storms creating massive runoff into rivers. Fifty-five rivers feed the bay, according to a study .

THESE AMERICAN CITIES HAVE SIMILAR WEATHER TO SOME INTERNATIONAL LOCALES

Australia's Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest living structure and can be seen from space. It stretches for 1,600 miles along the country's northeast coast.

The reef is actually made up of more than 2,500 separate reefs covering 134,000 square miles, according to NASA. There are over 900 islands within the reef.

NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF CORAL REEF SHARKS THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION FROM OVERFISHING AS MAIN CAUSE, STUDY FINDS

The base of the reef is several hundred thousand years old, while the living section only dates back 10,000 years, according to a study . At times the reef grew vertically 65 feet per thousand years and laterally 5 feet per year.

The reef started growing after the most recent ice age when the sea level was almost 400 feet lower than today, according to the Australian Academy of Science .

GREENLAND GLACIER MELT FASTER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT: HERE'S WHAT THAT MEANS FOR FUTURE SEA LEVEL RISE

About 9,000 species of marine life call the reef home. It only covers 0.1% of the Earth's ocean surface but supports 8% of the world's fish species, according to the United Nations Atlas of the Oceans .

Eerie, beautiful and fleeting; the Northern Lights light up skies in both hemispheres. They are Aurora Borealis in the Northern Hemisphere and Aurora Australis in the Southern Hemisphere.

7 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

Vivid Northern Lights displays usually follow a few days after solar events, known as coronal mass ejections or solar flares.  The flares bring a barrage of electrons that interact with oxygen and nitrogen in Earth's magnetic field that surrounds the outside of our planet. 

"The production of the colors is very similar to what you see in a neon sign," said Don Hampton, a researcher at the University of Alaska , Fairbanks. "It's basically just an electrical current."

SEE THE MYSTERIOUS SWIRLING SPIRAL IN ALASKA'S SKY AMID AURORA BOREALIS

As the electrons hit the oxygen and nitrogen molecules, it "dumps in a little energy," Hampton said. "And then (the molecules) relax back down to ground state. When they do that, they release a little bit of light."

The best chance of seeing the aurora is to head toward the poles, but they have been reported as far south as New Orleans, according to the Northern Lights Centre .

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This Country Was Just Named the Happiest for Retirees — With the Highest Life Satisfaction Among Seniors

No, it's not Finland.

Marco Bottigelli/Getty Images

Finland may have claimed the title of happiest country in the world for a record seventh year, but if you're over 60, you may want to seek happiness elsewhere. 

Denmark has the highest level of life satisfaction among seniors and retirees, according to the World Happiness Report, which, for the first time ever, ranked countries by age group . The Nordic state scored second in the overall ranking and fifth for the happiness of its young people. 

"Global happiness inequality has increased by more than 20 percent over the past dozen years, in all regions and age groups, to an extent that differs a lot by age and by region," the report noted. It stated that Baby Boomers, or those born before 1965 tend to be happier than millennials and Generation Z, or those born after 1980, even if the COVID-19 pandemic affected that generation the most.

Life expectancy in Denmark has steadily increased since the 1950s and is expected to reach 87 for women and 85 for men over the next 30 years, much faster than the rest of the world. Currently, the average retirement age in Denmark is 65, but it will change to 68 in 2030. Denmark spends 8.1 percent of its GDP to fund its universal pension system, which consists of a basic pension and supplements. However, some pensioners may also be eligible for "a supplementary pension benefit, a personal allowance, a health allowance, and a heating supplement," according to an analysis by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development . In addition, seniors in Denmark are entitled to deep discounts on fares for public transportation and cultural institutions.

And according to a survey by the Nordic Welfare Center that gathered data between 2003 and 2020, 61 percent of Danes between the ages of 65 and 74, reported high overall satisfaction with their health. 

"As people age, the prevailing negativity bias of younger ages is on average across the world increasingly offset as age leads people to focus more on positive news and memories, to accumulate enriching life experiences, to think better of others, and to rate their lives more highly," the World Happiness Report found. It also recorded a slight decline in reported happiness levels as age increases.

Finland is second on the list of happiest countries for seniors, and Norway is third. Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Lesotho are at the bottom of the ranking.

You can read the full report at worldhappiness.report .

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‘proof’ men are bad in bed revealed in study: 'tell us..., single mom issues dire warning after losing over $500 to ‘elaborate’ clothing brand scam: ‘i feel so drained’.

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A single mom and micro-influencer has issued an urgent warning about just how “elaborate” scammers have become after she was swindled out of hundreds of dollars from a fake clothing collaboration.

Australian fashion student Parker Jane said she “never” thought she would fall for a scam, but the 22-year-old revealed on TikTok she had been scammed out of over $526 after she was tricked into thinking she had secured a collaboration deal with UK-based online fashion retailer, Boohoo.

“I feel so drained about this whole situation but I want to share it, not for sympathy, but to spread awareness so that it doesn’t happen to anyone else,” she said in a recent TikTok video, which has amassed over 70,000 views.

“Scammers really do thrive and prey on your weaknesses and your vulnerabilities.”

In the video, the mom said she received an email from who she believed was Boohoo’s PR team in late December offering her a collaboration deal.

Under the deal, Ms. Jane would be sent a number of clothing items per month and be paid for each social media post she shared about the items.

“I was so excited, this was my first big collaboration with a brand that I love. It was paid and I was absolutely stoked,” she said.

“(I’m) also a single mom so the idea of being able to chase my passion and do what I love while earning money to support me and my son was huge for me.”

Speaking to news.com.au, Ms. Jane said the scammers went to extreme lengths to convince her she had received a legitimate brand offer.

“The email appeared so genuine with the clear Boohoo logo and wording … that I truly didn’t suspect anything.”

The scammers also sent Ms. Jane an “authentic-looking” contract to sign.

While Ms. Jane now admits she should have had a lawyer check over the contract, she stressed there weren’t any alarm bells that “anything was fishy or not quite right at the start”.

The contact simply included one condition – Ms. Jane had to pay a $125 one-time fee to cover the first round of shipping.

It was a cost she said she was “happy” to pay.

“I felt like this is an investment, I’m going to see this money come back. And also this is a brand I love,” she explained in the video.

She also felt the deal was legitimate as she had received communication from the PR team – falsely claiming to be Boohoo – as well as a separate shipping company.

However, after paying the fee and receiving a tracking number, Ms. Jane received another email weeks later informing her she needed to pay more money.

This time the scammers claimed they required a $125 “clearance fee” for the items.

“I know you often have to pay fees for customs so this wasn’t bizarre to me (so) I paid it,” she said in the video.

After a few more weeks of silence, she received another email from the shipping company informing her the items had been cleared.

But she was told they required another payment for the items to be processed before being shipped.

Ms. Jane said she questioned the additional fee and sent the company a number of emails.

But she kept receiving the same “generic email” in response, reiterating she needed to pay the processing fee.

“I know I should have gotten to a point where I should have refused to pay any more money and really questioned it harder but because I had signed a contract and because I am a bit naive, I was really scared that if I didn’t pay these fees I would be violating a contact that I had signed,” she explained.

Ms. Jane paid the fee, having been reassured all the shipping costs would eventually be refunded after she received the items.

However, after a few more weeks of being “ghosted”, she finally received an email from the scammers requesting that she pay over $131 after there was a delay in paying her last fee.

The money, they claimed, would be required to move the items out of a “permanent hold” at the customs warehouse.

“At this point, I’m so frustrated, I’ve had enough, I just wanted these items to me.”

After questioning the scammers a number of times, Ms Jane was eventually convinced to pay the fee.

The company confirmed it was the final payment required and the items would be successfully delivered.

But after making the payment, Ms. Jane didn’t hear anything from the shipping company for close to a month.

When she checked the tracking details they had supplied, she found both the tracking number and shipping link had expired.

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“My alarm bells really start(ed) going off at this point.”

She then received another email claiming she needed to pay more money.

But by this point, Ms. Jane was “done”.

The 22-year-old reached out to Boohoo’s customer support team, who quickly responded informing her they were launching an investigation.

Two days later, they delivered the unfortunate news that they believe the emails and transactions were fraudulent.

They also confirmed there was no evidence of a collaboration agreement on their end, and the emails Ms. Jane received were not sent from their official marketing team email.

Ms. Jane said her “heart dropped” realizing she had been scammed out of $546.

“I was devastated, angry and also incredibly embarrassed,” she told news.com.au.

“As a single mom, it’s devastating to think about how much I put into it and have now lost.”

Looking back, she said she wished she would have trusted her gut when she felt something wasn’t right.

“I questioned my own intelligence for weeks following finding out it was a scam and felt so angry at myself for not picking up on the red flags sooner and trusting my intuition.”

“I am still incredibly angry that there are people out there who thrive off taking advantage of young people, old people and single parents.”

Ms. Jane has launched a dispute with her bank over the fraudulent transactions but the matter is still being investigated.

She is also planning on filing a police report.

However, she has come to terms she may never receive the money back.

Ms. Jane urged others to trust your gut and to reach out to companies if you think you may be getting scammed.

“This is proof that it can happen to anyone, it can happen to individuals like me that are active on social media and digitally aware. Scammers are getting more and more calculated and elaborate as time goes on so after this experience … Scammers will build entire websites, tracking numbers, links etc. and go the full lengths to make the scam appear as legitimate as possible.”

“I truly believe you can never be too careful.”

Boohoo, who are in no way involved in the scam, declined to comment when contacted by news.com.au.

Anyone with concerns are encouraged to contact their customer services team directly.

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Middle East Crisis C.I.A. Director Is Heading to Cairo for New Truce Talks

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• A destroyed house in Rafah in southern Gaza. Reuters
• Mourning relatives killed during strikes in Rafah. Fatima Shbair/Associated Press
• Blocking a road in Tel Aviv to call for the return of hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attack led by Hamas. Jack Guez/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
• A camp for displaced people in Rafah. Mohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
• A house destroyed in a strike in Deir al Balah, in central Gaza. Mohammed Saber/EPA, via Shutterstock
• Aid dropped into northern Gaza. Leo Correa/Associated Press
• Palestinians searching for survivors under the rubble of a house after an Israeli airstrike in Rafah. Haitham Imad/EPA, via Shutterstock
• Israeli soldiers near the Israel-Gaza border. Hannah Mckay/Reuters
• A poster on Wednesday in Tehran of Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who was killed in an Israeli strike in Damascus, Syria. Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times

The C.I.A. director is heading to Cairo for new hostage talks.

The C.I.A. director, William J. Burns, is expected to travel to Cairo this weekend for further talks on releasing Israeli hostages being held in Gaza, according to two people briefed on the plans.

American officials believe negotiating a pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas and the exchange of Israeli hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel is the only way to put a temporary cease-fire into effect and increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave.

Mr. Burns, a key figure in the continuing negotiations, is expected to be joined by David Barnea, the head of Mossad, Israel’s spy agency, and negotiators from Egypt and Qatar. Neither the Americans nor the Israelis speak directly to Hamas. Instead, their proposals are relayed through Egyptian and Qatari officials, who speak to members of Hamas.

Mr. Burns’s travel plans were earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

The talks between Mr. Burns, Mr. Barnea and the other officials are set to begin on Sunday, according to one of the people briefed on the talks.

American officials said U.S. negotiators intend to deliver the message that the United States wants Israel to work toward a deal and not let small requests from Hamas or details of proposals derail the larger goal of beginning a phased approach of freeing the hostages.

The cease-fire talks have been stuck for weeks. This round will be taking place after President Biden spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel by phone on Thursday, repeating his call for a negotiated deal that would result in an “immediate cease-fire” and the release of hostages taken by Hamas.

Negotiators have at times seen the possibility of breakthroughs, only to have setbacks. A push for a deal before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan last month also was unsuccessful .

The current sticking point appears to be the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza, a main Hamas demand that Israel has been reluctant to give in to, according to people briefed on the talks.

Mr. Burns, a seasoned diplomat and negotiator before he became the C.I.A. leader, has put various proposals on the table, prodding parties to endorse plans to take to Hamas. It is not clear if Mr. Burns will be taking a new deal to the meetings.

Negotiations have been slow in part because it can take two days or more to relay proposals from negotiating sessions to Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza and the presumed mastermind of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Mr. Sinwar has been approving all Hamas counterproposals on hostage negotiations. He is believed to be hiding in the tunnels under Gaza, protected from Israeli raids by a group of hostages he is using as human shields.

— Julian E. Barnes reporting From Washington

Israel to open another crossing for aid after pressure from Biden.

Israel has agreed to open another crossing and increase the flow of aid getting into Gaza, a move seemingly aimed at tempering the U.S. president’s growing frustration over the dire humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

The Israeli government confirmed the new measures in an overnight statement, after the Biden administration announced them late Thursday after a tense phone call between President Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During the call, Mr. Biden threatened to condition future support for Israel on how it addresses his concerns about civilian casualties and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council said that Israel had agreed to open the Erez crossing to allow aid into northern Gaza, to use the port of Ashdod to direct aid into the enclave and to significantly increase deliveries from Jordan — “at the president’s request.”

“These steps,” the spokeswoman, Adrienne Watson, said, “must now be fully and rapidly implemented.”

The Israeli government did not say when it would open Erez crossing, a checkpoint between Israel and northern Gaza that Hamas attacked on Oct. 7 and that Israel had refused to re-open since. It said only that Israel would allow the “temporary delivery” of aid through the Erez crossing and the port of Ashdod, which sits about 16 miles north of Gaza on Israel’s Mediterranean coast.

Israel has come under rising pressure from U.S. officials and humanitarian agencies to open more border crossings for aid amid warnings from the United Nations that famine looms after nearly six months of war.

Mr. Biden has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s approach to the war against Hamas in Gaza, saying that more must be done to protect civilians. The killing of seven aid workers this week by Israeli forces appeared to bring that to a head, with Mr. Biden saying he was “outraged” and that Israel has “not done enough to protect civilians.”

That frustration carried over into his call with Mr. Netanyahu on Thursday, when Mr. Biden tried for the first time to leverage American aid to influence the conduct of the war against Hamas — prompting Israel to commit to letting more food and supplies into Gaza.

“As the president said today on the call, U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these and other steps, including steps to protect innocent civilians and the safety of aid workers,” Ms. Watson said in the statement.

The most dire shortages are in northern Gaza, where desperation has prompted people to swarm trucks carrying assistance and where aid groups say they have struggled to deliver supplies because of Israeli restrictions and widespread lawlessness.

Nearly all of the aid allowed into Gaza since the war began has entered through two main crossing points: Kerem Shalom and Rafah, which are both in the southern part of the enclave. But getting truck convoys from the southern border crossings to the north is difficult and dangerous, and the route is sometimes blocked by roads damaged by Israeli bombardment, Israeli checkpoints or battles between Hamas fighters and Israeli troops.

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, in a call with his Israeli counterpart on Wednesday, also “raised the need for the rapid increase of aid coming through all crossings in the coming days,” according to the Pentagon.

Late last month, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ordered Israel to ensure the “provision of unhindered aid” into Gaza, using some of its strongest language yet. Israel has rejected accusations that it is responsible for delays in the delivery of aid.

Patrick Kingsley contributed reporting.

— Cassandra Vinograd and Erica L. Green

Biden tells Netanyahu that U.S. support hinges on treatment of Gaza civilians.

President Biden threatened on Thursday to condition future support for Israel on how it addresses his concerns about civilian casualties and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, prompting Israel to commit to permitting more food and other supplies into the besieged enclave in hopes of placating him.

During a tense 30-minute call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, Mr. Biden for the first time leveraged U.S. aid to influence the conduct of the war against Hamas that has inflamed many Americans and others around the world. The announcement of additional aid routes hours later met some but not all of Mr. Biden’s demands.

“President Biden emphasized that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable,” according to a White House summary of the call. “He made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers. He made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.”

The statement was the sharpest the White House has issued on Israel’s conduct in the six months of its war against Hamas, underscoring the president’s growing frustration with Mr. Netanyahu and his anger over this week’s killing of seven aid workers by Israeli military forces. But while the president repeated his call for a negotiated deal that would result in an “immediate cease-fire” and the release of hostages taken by Hamas, White House officials stopped short of saying directly that he might limit U.S. arms supplies if not satisfied.

By the middle of the night in Jerusalem, Israel made its first gestures to Mr. Biden. In a statement, the government said it would increase aid deliveries to Gaza, including through the port of Ashdod and the Erez crossing, a checkpoint between Israel and northern Gaza that Hamas attacked on Oct. 7 and Israel had kept closed ever since. The statement did not say when the crossing would be reopened.

Biden administration officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private call in more detail, said that Mr. Netanyahu agreed to additional commitments intended to assuage the president. Among others, the officials said, Israel would promise to institute more measures to reduce civilian casualties and to empower negotiators brokering a temporary cease-fire deal in exchange for the release of hostages.

The reported agreement came as American officials held out the prospect of consequences if Mr. Netanyahu resisted. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who dialed into the call between the president and prime minister, said afterward that Israel needed to do more to increase the flow of humanitarian supplies to Gaza, a challenge that has expanded exponentially since the attack on aid workers prompted some groups to reconsider their activities on the ground .

“If we lose that reverence for human life, we risk becoming indistinguishable from those we confront,” Mr. Blinken said during a stop at NATO headquarters in Brussels. “Here’s the current reality in Gaza despite important steps that Israel has taken to allow assistance into Gaza: The results on the ground are woefully insufficient and unacceptable.”

The secretary of state made clear that the Biden administration was now ready to exact a price if Israel continued to rebuff its counsel. “If we don’t see the changes that we need to see, there’ll be changes in policy,” he said.

The president has long refused to curb the arms flow to influence Israel’s approach to the war. Mr. Biden said after Hamas killed 1,200 people and took hundreds of hostages in October that his support for Israel was “rock solid and unwavering.” While he has increasingly criticized what he sees as the excesses of the military operation, he has until now stuck by his vow.

But with rising agitation on the political left, particularly in electoral swing states like Michigan, even some of Mr. Biden’s closest Democratic allies are coming around to the view that Washington should exercise more control over the weaponry, including Senator Chris Coons, a fellow Democrat from Delaware and confidant of the president.

“I think we’re at that point,” Mr. Coons said on CNN on Thursday morning. If Mr. Netanyahu were to order the Israeli military into the southern Gaza city of Rafah in force and “drop thousand-pound bombs and send in a battalion to go after Hamas and make no provision for civilians or for humanitarian aid,” he added, then “I would vote to condition aid to Israel.”

Mr. Netanyahu did not immediately release a description of his call with Mr. Biden, but in other comments on Thursday he appeared unbowed. In a meeting in Jerusalem with visiting Republican lawmakers organized by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, known as AIPAC, the prime minister pushed back strongly against Mr. Biden’s longstanding insistence on a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict.

“There is a contrary move, an attempt to force, ram down our throats a Palestinian state, which will be another terror haven, another launching ground for an attempt, as was the Hamas state in Gaza,” Mr. Netanyahu said. “That is opposed by Israelis, overwhelmingly.”

In a separate video statement, he focused on the threat he sees from Iran. “For years, Iran has been acting against us, both directly and through its proxies, and therefore Israel is acting against Iran and its proxies, in both defensive and offensive operations,” Mr. Netanyahu said, referring to an Israeli airstrike that killed seven Iranian military officers in Syria this week.

“We will know how to defend ourselves,” he added, “and we will operate according to the simple principle by which those who attack us or plan to attack us — we will attack them.”

The White House statement noted that Mr. Biden stood by Israel against Iran during his Thursday call with Mr. Netanyahu, which in addition to Mr. Blinken included Vice President Kamala Harris and Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser.

“The two leaders also discussed public Iranian threats against Israel and the Israeli people,” the statement said. “President Biden made clear that the United States strongly supports Israel in the face of those threats.”

Unlike previous comments, however, the latest White House statement made no mention of Oct. 7 nor the by-now ritual defense of Israel’s right to respond to Hamas. Instead, it emphasized that “an immediate cease-fire is essential” and said that Mr. Biden “urged the prime minister to empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home.” A person briefed on the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said negotiators including William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director, will travel to Cairo on Saturday for further talks on such a deal.

At a briefing after the call between the leaders, John F. Kirby, a White House spokesman, said the president wants to see “concrete tangible steps” to reduce the violence against civilians and increase access for humanitarian aid to Gaza and predicted that Israel would make announcements of specific changes within hours or days.

But Mr. Kirby would not outline specific metrics for judging Israel’s response or what Mr. Biden would do if not satisfied. “What we want to see are some real changes on the Israeli side and, you know, if we don’t see changes from their side, there will have to be changes from our side,” he said.

Some Israel supporters criticized Mr. Biden for giving in to pressure from the left, arguing that it could prolong the war by emboldening Israel’s enemies. “Hamas, Iran, Hezbollah, and the rest of the destroy-Israel axis are sitting back and reveling in the growing tensions and signs of a coming breach between Washington and Jerusalem,” said John Hannah, a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.

The pivot stemmed from the killing of the seven aid workers, who were deployed in Gaza by World Central Kitchen, the humanitarian group founded by the celebrity chef José Andrés. Mr. Biden called himself “ outraged and heartbroken ” over the incident and made a point of calling Mr. Andrés to express his condolences.

Inside World Central Kitchen’s Work in Gaza

World central kitchen has suspended its relief efforts in gaza after seven aid workers were killed in israeli airstrikes on monday. videos reveal the challenges of food distribution in a territory under siege..

Zomi Frankcom and Damian Soból arrived in Gaza on a mission to feed Palestinians, documenting their efforts in social media videos like these. Then on April 1, they were killed by Israeli airstrikes, along with five other colleagues, bringing the work of the World Central Kitchen in Gaza to a halt. The charity’s videos offer a rare window into the challenges of food distribution in Gaza, a territory on the brink of famine that’s been cut off from the outside world. Celebrity chef José Andrés started World Central Kitchen in 2010 in response to the earthquake in Haiti. The organization brings meals to areas impacted by natural disasters or conflict, including communities displaced inside Israel after the Oct. 7 attacks. Since October, the group said it delivered more than 43 million meals to Palestinians through community kitchens, truck convoys and airdrops. In mid-March, they were the first to deliver aid by sea with a ship carrying nearly 200 tons of food from Cyprus. The Israeli military released footage of the coordination behind that effort, which brought food to northern Gaza, where the U.N. says people are facing catastrophic levels of hunger. “I’m very hopeful that we can be bringing millions and millions of meals daily. We may fail, but the biggest failure will be not trying.” A second maritime delivery arrived just hours before the attack. In a video statement, the Israeli military called the attack a grave mistake. Since Oct. 7, nearly 200 aid workers have been killed in Gaza, according to the U.N. And for now, the World Central Kitchen has suspended its operations there.

The seven workers were killed by three successive strikes on three cars traveling along a road in Gaza. Israeli officials have called the episode a tragic mistake based on a misidentification of the vehicles, but have not explained more expansively how it happened. The cars were marked with World Central Kitchen logos, although the attack took place at night. Mr. Andrés has said his organization kept in touch with Israeli officials about movement plans.

As of Thursday morning, the Israelis had not yet communicated any initial findings of their promised investigation into the strikes to the United States, according to a senior Biden administration official who insisted on anonymity to detail internal conversations.

Mr. Biden’s shift on Thursday came as he absorbed withering criticism from Democrats. Among those speaking out have been former colleagues in the administration he served as vice president under President Barack Obama, who assailed him for voicing shock without taking action against Mr. Netanyahu, known by the nickname Bibi.

“The U.S. government is still supplying 2 thousand pound bombs and ammunition to support Israel’s policy,” Ben Rhodes, a former deputy national security adviser to Mr. Obama, wrote on social media on Wednesday. “Until there are substantive consequences, this outrage does nothing. Bibi obviously doesn’t care what the U.S. says, its about what the U.S. does.”

Jon Favreau, a former chief speechwriter for Mr. Obama, was even more derisive of Mr. Biden. “The president doesn’t get credit for being ‘privately enraged’ when he still refuses to use leverage to stop the IDF from killing and starving innocent people,” he wrote, referring to the Israel Defense Forces. “These stories only make him look weak.”

Some Palestinian advocates reacted with aggravation to Mr. Biden’s articulation of anger over the deaths of the aid workers because in their view he has not responded with nearly enough indignation over the killing of more than 32,000 people living in Gaza, most of them civilians.

The president evidently has taken heat even from within his own family. Mr. Biden told Muslim community leaders at the White House on Tuesday evening that the first lady, Jill Biden, had weighed in , telling him, “Stop it, stop it now, Joe.”

Julian E. Barnes , Katie Rogers and David E. Sanger contributed reporting from Washington, Patrick Kingsley from Jerusalem and Lara Jakes from Brussels.

— Peter Baker Reporting from Washington

A call for early elections by a member of Netanyahu’s war cabinet highlights the domestic pressure he is under.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is facing challenges on multiple fronts, with his domestic support appearing to erode at a time when international frustration with the war in Gaza has reached new heights.

The Israeli leader has come under ever-sharper criticism from allies like the United States as the civilian death toll climbs in Gaza, and the Israeli military’s killing there this week of seven aid workers has heightened global anger. President Biden spoke with Mr. Netanyahu on Thursday, telling him that “the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable.”

At home, Mr. Netanyahu has been confronted with protests and divisions within his governing coalition.

A call Wednesday night for early elections from a former general who is a key member of Mr. Netanyahu’s war cabinet heaped more pressure on the prime minister. Benny Gantz, a popular political rival to Mr. Netanyahu, said that elections should be held in September — around the one-year mark of the war. (New elections in Israel are not legally required until late October 2026.)

“This agreed-upon date for elections will leave us time to continue the security effort, and it will allow Israeli citizens to know that we will soon need to renew the trust between us,” he told a news conference. “It will prevent the rupture among the people.”

Mr. Gantz’s remarks — which featured prominently on Israeli news websites on Thursday — underscored how government unity in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel is showing signs of strain nearly six months into the war.

A departure by Mr. Gantz’s party would not topple Mr. Netanyahu’s far-right coalition on its own, which holds 64 seats in the 120-member Parliament. But it would dismantle the emergency wartime unity government formed after the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, potentially creating even more momentum in favor of a push for elections.

Mr. Gantz’s words also echoed the calls of thousands of anti-government protesters who filled the streets outside the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem this week in a four-day demonstration to demand early elections and Mr. Netanyahu’s ouster.

At the same time, Mr. Netanyahu is facing sharp criticism from his far-right coalition partners , Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, over any indication that he is hesitating in the war against Hamas or in the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The pressure comes as the Biden administration’s frustration with Mr. Netanyahu appears to be coming to a head. The 30-minute call between Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Biden on Thursday came a day after Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III had a tense call with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant.

Mr. Austin upbraided Mr. Gallant over Israel’s deadly attack on the aid workers, according to the Pentagon’s account of the call , expressing “outrage” in remarks that demonstrated a significant change in tone from the American secretary’s previous calls with the Israeli defense minister.

Despite the tough language, there was no indication that Mr. Austin had threatened to halt the flow of American munitions to Israel or place conditions on their transfer, as many congressional Democrats are now urging.

Adam Rasgon , Aaron Boxerman , Johnatan Reiss , Peter Baker and Eric Schmitt contributed reporting.

— Cassandra Vinograd reporting from Jerusalem

World Central Kitchen demands an independent investigation into Israel’s deadly strike.

World Central Kitchen on Thursday called for an independent investigation into the killing by Israeli forces of seven of its staff members this week as they worked to deliver aid in Gaza.

Governments around the world have condemned the killing of the workers . They included a man from Gaza and citizens of Australia, Britain and Poland, as well as a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has said that Israel “deeply regrets” the strikes, in which the military fired upon three vehicles carrying the aid workers on a coastal road in Gaza on Monday night. He said that Israel would make sure it did not happen again.

Israel’s military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said on Tuesday that the attack followed a misidentification, and that the Israeli military had started an investigation. But World Central Kitchen, the disaster relief organization founded by the Spanish chef José Andrés, issued a statement Thursday saying that was not enough.

“We have asked the governments of Australia, Canada, the United States of America, Poland and the United Kingdom to join us in demanding an independent, third-party investigation into these attacks, including whether they were carried out intentionally or otherwise violated international law,” the group said .

Other Israeli actions in Gaza have prompted similar calls. In one example, António Guterres, the U.N. secretary general, said in February that there needed to be an independent investigation of an incident in which dozens of people died while trying to collect aid, after Israeli forces opened fire and there was a stampede. To date, no such investigation has begun.

World Central Kitchen also called on Israel to preserve any documentation related to the strikes, and pushed back on Mr. Netanyahu’s assertion that the mistake was something that “happens in war.”

“This was a military attack that involved multiple strikes and targeted three W.C.K. vehicles,” the statement said. “All three vehicles were carrying civilians; they were marked as W.C.K. vehicles; and their movements were in full compliance with Israeli authorities.”

— Matthew Mpoke Bigg

Israel’s military cancels leave for combat units and jams GPS signals.

Israel’s military said on Thursday that it was canceling leave for combat units, calling up more reservists and blocking GPS signals.

The Israeli military did not explicitly cite the reason behind the moves. Israeli newspapers said they came amid fears of an increased threat from Iran , a prospect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alluded to in remarks to his Security Cabinet on Thursday night.

“For years, Iran has been acting against us both directly and via its proxies; therefore, Israel is acting against Iran and its proxies, defensively and offensively,” he said, without directly referring to the military’s moves. “We will know how to defend ourselves, and we will act according to the simple principle of whoever harms us or plans to harm us, we will harm them.”

President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran has vowed to punish Israel for killing top Iranian commanders this week in an airstrike in Syria. The attack was one of the deadliest in a decades-long shadow war between the two enemies, and American officials have voiced concerns that it could prompt retaliatory strikes against Israel or its ally, the United States.

The Israeli military said on Wednesday night that it had decided to draft reserve soldiers for its aerial defense unit. It did not provide further details.

An announcement about pausing leave for all combat units came in another brief statement, issued on Thursday morning. The military said the decision — which it described as temporary — was taken given “the latest situational assessment,” adding that Israel is “at war and the deployment of forces is under continuous assessment.”

A military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said later on Thursday that Israel also had been disrupting GPS signals over the past day to intercept any threats. He did not attribute those threats to Iran or any group or country in particular.

“During the war, we dealt with a large number of threats launched toward Israel — missiles, UAVs and cruise missiles,” he told a news briefing, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles, like drones, and adding that “most of them were manufactured in Iran.”

The moves come as Israel’s military is under strain from months of fighting against Hamas in Gaza. Reservists have been called to serve longer or additional tours of duty, and a fierce national debate over whether ultra-Orthodox Jews should be required to join the army has been reignited.

Mr. Netanyahu has vowed to press on in Gaza with a ground invasion of the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have sought refuge. His promise to invade Rafah comes despite mounting calls for a cease-fire and international criticism over Israel’s conduct in the war.

U.S. officials have expressed alarm over the scale of civilian deaths in Gaza and warned that Israel’s plans to invade Rafah could lead to catastrophe. Israel’s deadly strikes on a convoy of aid workers this week amplified those concerns, prompting sharp critiques from President Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III.

Johnatan Reiss contributed reporting.

— Cassandra Vinograd Reporting from Jerusalem

More than 600 lawyers and retired judges call on the U.K. government to end arms sales to Israel.

The British government is coming under escalating pressure to suspend arms sales to Israel after the strike on a convoy in Gaza that killed seven aid workers , including three Britons. More than 600 lawyers and retired judges sent a letter to the government, arguing that the sales violated international law.

Citing the risk of famine among Palestinians, a potential Israeli military assault on the city of Rafah and a finding of the U.N.’s top court that there was a “plausible risk” of genocide in Gaza, the lawyers urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to “suspend the provision of weapons and weapons systems” to Israel.

“Serious action,” the 17-page letter sent on Wednesday concluded, “is moreover needed to avoid U.K. complicity in grave breaches of international law, including potential violations of the Genocide Convention.”

Among the signatories are Brenda Hale, a former president of Britain’s Supreme Court; Jonathan Sumption and Nicholas Wilson, former justices on the court; and dozens of the country’s most prominent lawyers.

Mr. Sunak has hardened his criticism of Israel’s conduct of the war in recent weeks, while stopping short of punitive measures. On Tuesday, he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel that the strike on the World Central Kitchen convoy, in which the three Britons were killed, was “appalling.”

But Mr. Sunak has not signaled he is considering a halt to arms sales. Speaking to The Sun, a London tabloid, on Wednesday, he said, “We’ve always had a very careful export licensing regime that we adhere to. There are a set of rules, regulations and procedures that we’ll always follow.”

Britain’s arms trade with Israel is nowhere near that of the United States. Grant Shapps, the defense secretary, told Parliament that British exports to Israel totaled 42 million pounds ($53 million) in 2022, a figure he described as “relatively small.” It sells parts for military aircraft, assault rifles and explosive devices. Under a 10-year agreement reached in 2016, the United States provides $3.8 billion in annual military aid to Israel.

But the strike on the aid convoy has provoked fury across Britain, dominating the front pages of newspapers and TV news broadcasts. The family of one of the three British victims, John Chapman, said in a statement, “He died trying to help people and was subject to an inhumane act.”

Britain summoned Israel’s ambassador to lodge a formal objection and demanded an investigation into the strike, which Mr. Netanyahu characterized as a tragic accident in the fog of war.

That explanation is unlikely to quiet the growing chorus of condemnation. Several members of Parliament from Mr. Sunak’s Conservative Party have also demanded that arms sales be halted, as has Peter Ricketts, who was national security adviser to David Cameron, the current foreign secretary, when he was prime minister.

“Sometimes in conflict you get a moment where there is such global outrage that it crystallizes a sense that things can’t go on like this,” Mr. Ricketts said to the BBC on Wednesday. “I hope that this awful incident will serve that purpose.”

Mr. Cameron, who was in Brussels on Thursday for a second day of meetings of NATO foreign ministers, said Israel needed not only to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, but also to make sure that the convoys were able to transport it throughout the enclave without further lethal incidents.

“Britain will be watching very closely to make sure that that happens,” Mr. Cameron said to reporters on Wednesday.

The Labour Party, which holds a double-digit lead over the Conservatives in opinion polls, said Britain should suspend arms sales if Israel is found to have violated international law. “I must say that I do have very serious concerns,” David Lammy, the party’s shadow foreign secretary, told reporters.

— Mark Landler reporting from London

Netanyahu Faces Pressure at Home and Abroad, From Foes and Friends

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is facing challenges on multiple fronts, with his domestic support appearing to erode at a time when international fury and frustration over the war in Gaza have reached new heights.

The Israeli leader has come under sharper criticism from allies like the United States as the civilian death toll climbs in Gaza, and the Israeli military’s killing there this week of seven aid workers has heightened global anger.

On Thursday, President Biden and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken both suggested that American support for Israel was not unconditional in remarks that laid bare the growing divisions between Washington and Jerusalem.

In a phone call with Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Biden called the strikes on relief workers and the broader humanitarian crisis in Gaza “unacceptable,” according to a White House statement.

“He made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers,” the White House statement said. “He made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.”

Speaking to reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Mr. Blinken said, “With regard to our policy in Gaza, look, I’ll just say this: If we don’t see the changes that we need to see, there’ll be changes in our own policy.”

Within hours of the phone call, a spokeswoman for the U.S. National Security Council had released a statement announcing that, at Mr. Biden’s request, Israel would allow more aid crossings in Gaza. The statement said Israel had agreed to use the Ashdod port to direct aid into Gaza, to open the Erez crossing into northern Gaza for the first time since the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7 and to significantly increase deliveries from Jordan.

At home, Mr. Netanyahu, who has outlasted many predictions of his political demise, has been confronted with protests, divisions within his government and falling approval ratings in opinion polls.

On Wednesday night, Benny Gantz, a former general who is a key member of Mr. Netanyahu’s war cabinet, heaped more pressure on the prime minister by calling for early elections . A popular political rival to Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Gantz said that elections should be held in September — just before the one-year mark of the war. (New elections in Israel are not legally required until late October 2026.)

Elections in September “will leave us time to continue the security effort, and it will allow Israeli citizens to know that we will soon need to renew the trust between us,” he said at a news conference. “It will prevent the rupture among the people.”

Mr. Gantz’s remarks, which Israeli news websites featured prominently on Thursday, underscored how government unity since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel was showing signs of strain nearly six months into the war. An opposition leader, Mr. Gantz crossed parliamentary lines after the attack to join the Netanyahu war cabinet as an emergency measure.

Mr. Gantz did not suggest he would quit the war cabinet, and if he were to, that alone would not topple the government; his centrist party is not part of Mr. Netanyahu’s far-right governing coalition, which holds 64 seats in the 120-member Parliament. But it would dismantle the emergency wartime leadership team formed after Oct. 7, along with the air of solidarity it created, potentially creating more momentum for new elections.

Mr. Gantz’s words echoed the calls of thousands of anti-government protesters who filled the streets outside the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem this week in a four-day demonstration to demand early elections and Mr. Netanyahu’s ouster.

At the same time, Mr. Netanyahu has faced sharp criticism from his far-right coalition partners , Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, over any indication that he is hesitating in the war against Hamas or in the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Unlike Mr. Gantz, they have the power to make the government fall and to force elections by leaving the coalition.

The pressure comes as Biden administration officials are expressing more open frustration with Mr. Netanyahu’s prosecution of the war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

In a tense phone call on Wednesday, the U.S. secretary of defense, Lloyd J. Austin III, criticized his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, over the deadly attack on the aid workers, including a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen. According to a Pentagon account of the call, Mr. Austin expressed “outrage” at the attack — a significant change in tone from their previous calls.

Despite the tough language, the Biden administration did not directly threaten to halt the flow of American munitions to Israel or place conditions on their transfer, as many congressional Democrats are now urging.

“I’m not going to preview any potential policy decisions coming forward,” John F. Kirby, a White House spokesman, told reporters at a news conference on Thursday. “What we want to see are some real changes on the Israeli side,” he said, including a significant increase in humanitarian aid, additional border crossings into Gaza and a reduction in violence against civilians and aid workers.

Israel has called the strike a tragic mistake that resulted from a “misidentification” but has not offered further details.

Another Israeli ally, Britain, is also coming under more pressure to curtail its support for Israel; three of the seven World Central Kitchen workers who were killed were Britons. On Wednesday, more than 600 lawyers and retired judges sent a letter to the British government urging it to suspend weapon sales to Israel, arguing that they violated international law.

The letter cited the risk of famine in Gaza, a planned Israeli military assault on the crowded city of Rafah in southern Gaza and a finding by the U.N.’s top court that there was a “plausible risk” of genocide in Gaza.

Among the signatories were Brenda Hale, a former president of Britain’s Supreme Court; Jonathan Sumption and Nicholas Wilson, former justices on the court; and dozens of the country’s most prominent lawyers.

The international pressure to suspend military sales to Israel came as the Israeli military said that it was canceling leave for combat units and blocking GPS signals. The Israeli military did not explicitly cite the reason behind the moves, but Israeli newspapers noted that it came amid fears of an increased threat from Iran .

Israeli officials have also suggested that increased cross-border fighting between their forces and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia backed by Iran, could prompt a much larger military response by Israel than it has mounted so far.

Iranian leaders have vowed to punish Israel for killing top Iranian commanders this week in an airstrike in Syria. The attack was one of the deadliest in a decades-long shadow war between the two enemies, and American officials have voiced concerns that it could prompt retaliatory strikes against Israel or the United States.

Israel said on Wednesday night that it had decided to mobilize reserve soldiers for its Aerial Defense unit. On Thursday, it said it was pausing leave for all combat units given “the latest situational assessment.”

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a military spokesman, said Israel had also been disrupting GPS signals to intercept any threats.

“During the war, we dealt with a large number of threats launched toward Israel” including missiles and drones, he said at a news briefing on Thursday, adding that “most of them were manufactured in Iran.”

As outrage continues to boil over the killing of the aid workers this week, their employer, World Central Kitchen, called for an independent investigation into the attack and asked Australia, Britain, Canada, the United States and Poland, whose citizens were among the victims, to join it in demanding an outside inquiry.

World Central Kitchen also called on Israel to preserve documentation related to the strikes and pushed back on Mr. Netanyahu’s assertion that strikes, while “tragic” and unintentional, were something that “happens in war.”

Reporting was contributed by Lara Jakes , Adam Rasgon , Johnatan Reiss , Eric Schmitt , Mark Landler , Katie Rogers and Michael Levenson .

— Cassandra Vinograd ,  Victoria Kim and Matthew Mpoke Bigg

String of Israeli Errors Led to Fatal Attack on Aid Convoy, Military Says

A series of Israeli failures, including a breakdown in communication and violations of the military’s own rules of engagement, led to the deadly airstrikes that killed seven humanitarian aid workers in Gaza this week, senior Israeli military officials said on Friday.

The military officials said that the officers who ordered the strikes on the aid convoy had violated the army’s protocols, in part by opening fire on the basis of insufficient and erroneous evidence that a passenger in one of the cars was armed.

The attack prompted a wave of international outrage and renewed questions about whether Israeli forces on the ground in Gaza properly vet targets before unleashing deadly force. Israel has come under increasing pressure over the high civilian death toll in its six-month war in Gaza . The strikes on the aid workers prompted President Biden for the first time to say he would leverage U.S. aid to influence the conduct of the war against Hamas.

On Friday, the Israeli military announced that two officers — a reserve colonel and a major — would be dismissed from their positions. Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the Israeli military’s chief of staff, had also decided to formally reprimand the head of Israel’s southern command as well as two other senior officers, the military said in a statement .

The military said the “grave mistake” had stemmed from “a serious failure due to a mistaken identification, errors in decision-making and an attack contrary to the Standard Operating Procedures.”

“It’s a tragedy,” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military’s chief spokesman, told reporters in a briefing on Thursday night. “It’s a serious event that we’re responsible for, and it shouldn’t have happened.”

World Central Kitchen, the relief group whose aid workers were killed, called the Israeli military’s statements “cold comfort” and reiterated its call for an independent inquiry. The aid organization’s operations — which have distributed millions of meals to Gazans — remained suspended, the group said.

“It’s not enough to simply try to avoid further humanitarian deaths, which have now approached close to 200,” the group’s founder, José Andrés, said in a statement . “All civilians need to be protected, and all innocent people in Gaza need to be fed and safe. And all hostages must be released.”

Critics have said that the Israeli military has shown a disregard for Palestinian civilians in its campaign to root out Hamas, the militant group whose attack on Oct. 7 killed 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials.

The army said its findings on Monday’s strikes would be sent to military prosecutors to assess whether anyone should face criminal charges. The army is also assessing whether the two officers stripped of their posts should be moved to other roles or be fired entirely.

Though the Israeli military has assigned a special committee to investigate allegations of misconduct during several conflicts over the past decade, rights campaigners have said the military justice system has historically been slow to charge, let alone convict, soldiers accused of crimes against Palestinians.

For Abdu Rahman Mohammad, an accountant from Khan Younis who has lost eight cousins in the war, the Israeli military’s apology for the aid workers’ deaths felt like “a slap in the face” that further demonstrated that Palestinian lives were of lesser value.

According to the military, Israeli forces began striking the World Central Kitchen convoy at 10:09 p.m. on Monday, as the vehicles made their way along Gaza’s coast. The attack killed six foreign nationals and a Palestinian, all of whom had handled the food aid that had arrived in Gaza by sea.

Like many aid groups, the World Central Kitchen had sought to ensure its workers’ safety in Gaza, where, according to local health officials, Israel’s campaign against Hamas has killed more than 32,000 people. The workers had coordinated their mission in advance with the Israeli military, and the roofs of the vehicles had been marked with the World Central Kitchen’s logo.

Despite those safeguards, a series of critical errors led the troops to open fire on the convoy, according to the results of the military’s preliminary inquiry. Drone footage, the inquiry found, had not captured the organization’s logo in the dark; some officers did not review documentation showing that the convoy included civilian cars; and a drone operator had identified incorrectly an aid worker, who was most likely carrying a bag, as a member of an armed Palestinian group with a gun.

The seven aid workers had arrived in northern Gaza earlier on Monday to help deliver more than 100 tons of food aid, according to World Central Kitchen. Their trucks left around 9 p.m. and headed south for the group’s warehouse, according to the Israeli military.

Along the coastal road, the trucks met with cars who joined their convoy, according to the military. Shortly after, a gunman appeared to fire a single round from the roof of one of the trucks, according to Maj. Gen. Yoav Har-Even, a reserve officer who oversees the military’s investigations into potential cases of wartime misconduct.

The drone operator and his commanding officers were unaware that the cars were part of the approved humanitarian convoy and wrongly assumed they were carrying armed Palestinians, the Israeli officials said.

Asked why the soldiers were out of the loop, General Har-Even said that certain officers had not seen the coordination documentation. “No excuses,” Gen. Har-Even said, describing the communication failure.

After the convoy arrived at the warehouse, Israeli drone footage captured what officials said were believed to be more gunmen at the scene. The Israeli military screened videos for reporters at the briefing on Thursday. The New York Times could not independently verify the military’s video.

The officers were convinced that the scene they had witnessed resembled what they said were previous attempts by Hamas militants to seize humanitarian aid in Gaza, the officials said. Basem Naim, a Hamas spokesman, denied that Hamas stole aid, calling the accusation “Israeli propaganda.”

The cars then left the warehouse — three cars went south and one went north, the military officials said. Before they left, a drone operator spotted what he believed — wrongly, General Har-Even said — was a figure bearing a weapon entering one of the three southbound cars.

Within four minutes, at least one Israeli drone struck each of the three vehicles in the convoy as they traveled south one behind the other, killing all seven passengers, the Israeli officials said. Israeli officers fired on the first car without “enough to say this is a legitimate target,” said Benny Gal, one of the Israeli generals who briefed reporters.

Some aid workers in the first vehicle struck fled to the next vehicle for protection, the officials said. That vehicle was hit, too.

The soldiers’ decision to fire on the second and third car, assuming wrongly that they were also harboring militants, failed to meet the Israeli military’s open-fire protocols, the officials said. The Israeli military’s rules of engagement are classified, making it difficult to know what the standard for using deadly force was on Monday night. But General Har-Even indicated the attack categorically broke them .

“This was against the rules of engagement,” he said.

The Israeli military also failed to convey key information about the aid workers’ plans to lower-ranking soldiers operating in the area, General Har-Even said.

Aid agencies had begged the Israeli authorities for months to open a direct line between them and Israeli military forces to avoid disastrous misfires, Jamie McGoldrick, a senior U.N. relief official, said. But those pleas had mostly fallen on deaf ears, he said, contributing to “a lot of near misses.”

Asked whether the military was concerned that more cases of indiscriminate fire had occurred over months of intensive Israeli fire across the Gaza Strip, Admiral Hagari, its spokesman, didn’t provide a substantive answer.

Referring to the strikes on the aid convoy, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel “deeply regrets the tragic incident.”

During a phone call with Mr. Netanyahu on Thursday, the White House said, Mr. Biden described the attack on the aid convoy and the overall humanitarian situation in Gaza as “unacceptable.”

Mr. Biden threatened to condition future support for Israel on how it addresses his concerns about civilian casualties and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, prompting Israel to say it would open up more routes for aid into the besieged enclave.

Abu Bakr Bashir contributed reporting from London and Patrick Kingsley from Jerusalem.

— Aaron Boxerman and Adam Rasgon Reporting from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem

In a televised show of unity and defiance, Iran and its proxy militias denounce Israel and the U.S.

The leaders of Iran and the militia groups it backs around the Middle East made an unusual televised show of unity and defiance on Wednesday, railing against Israel and the United States, as war rages in the Gaza Strip.

On a joint broadcast, the leaders of a group that calls itself the Axis of Resistance, speaking from different locations, delivered fiery speeches ahead of the upcoming Quds Day, a show of solidarity with Palestinians held each year on the last Friday of Ramadan.

The war between Israel and Hamas gave this year’s iteration a sharper edge than usual. The broadcast also came just days after Israel struck an Iranian embassy compound in Damascus, Syria, killing three generals of Iran’s Quds Force and four other Iranian officers in one of the deadliest attacks in the yearslong shadow war between Israel and Iran.

President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran said that Israel would be punished and made to regret its attack in Damascus. He focused most of his speech on what he called Israel’s demise in world public opinion and said any normalization of ties with the Jewish state — referring to Saudi Arabia — would be akin to “betting on a dead horse.”

Last April, a similar event took place to commemorate Quds Day, with a broader list of speakers representing political and military leaders from across the Arab world and Iran. This year’s event, however, was tightly focused on militant groups supported by Iran that have been fighting Israel on multiple fronts since Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault on Israel, which they refer to as Al Aqsa Flood.

The speakers, in addition to Mr. Raisi, included Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas; Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese group Hezbollah; Ziad al-Nakhaleh, the leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which, like Hamas, is active in Gaza; Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi movement, which controls a large part of Yemen; and Hadi al-Ameri, the leader of Hashd al-Shaabi, an Iraqi Shiite militia.

“The Al Aqsa Flood united the Muslim people and this collective unity has manifested with the help of Iran on battlefields in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq,” Mr. Haniyeh said. He said that the United States had aided crimes committed by Israel by supporting it financially, providing it with sophisticated weaponry and vetoing cease-fire resolutions at the United Nations Security Council.

Since Oct. 7, Hezbollah has launched daily attacks against Israel after a long lull in fighting, raising fears of a wider regional war, and the Houthis for the first time have launched drones and missiles against Israel and vessels in the Red Sea, disrupting international shipping.

Iran has tried to calibrate its response, applying pressure on Israel while avoiding all-out war. Earlier this year, it made an effort to rein in Iraqi militias , including Hashd al-Shaabi, that had been firing on U.S. bases.

Mr. Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, urged his followers not to “overlook the achievements of the resistance” in six months of battle with Israel.

Mr. al-Ameri focused most of his speech on the resolve of militant groups to force the American military to withdraw from Iraq saying, “we are steadfast and there is no turning back.”

Separate from that broadcast event, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, held a large meeting on Wednesday with government, military and religious leaders of the country, and pledged that Israel would receive “a slap” for killing Iranian officers in Syria. The crowd, fists in the air, chanted back, “Death to Israel.”

— Farnaz Fassihi and Hwaida Saad

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