5 Ways to Find Free Accommodation Overnight When Traveling
Unless you’re a super-saver who finds it easy to stack-up the loot before embarking on the trip of a lifetime, then you are probably going to find it a little tricky to drum up the fund to see you through going traveling with a budget that avoids wearing thin.
This isn’t to say that if you’re rubbish at saving, or you simply run out of funds that you can’t keep the adventure going and one way of doing this is to source free accommodation. We’re not talking about trying out a bit of squatting, as this is very much not advised whatsoever, plus there is a multitude of ways that you can find free digs while you’re on your travels.
People have explored the world on extensive levels and have still saved some serious amounts of cash by getting free accommodation. We’ve picked out a handful of the best ways that have proven to have worked, so if you’re thinking your bank balance might need this kind of assistance to take the pressure off, these tips will come in handy!
Go volunteering
Okay, so there’s a pretty much nailed on chance that you will have to pay the initial layout to volunteer abroad, but when you factor in that somewhere to stay and often food as well, is part of the deal, you’re actually getting a pretty sweet deal!
Volunteering doesn’t have to last forever, and can be a good choice for people looking to meet other travellers, and doing volunteering work such as working on farms in Australia is hard work, but just as much time is spend partying with your new friends.
If the fruit picking thing doesn’t appeal to you, you can try some other avenues that can get you free accommodation, such as:
- Teaching English as a foreign language
- Cooking at recreation centers
- Gardening and landscaping
- Working with farm animals
Your time spent volunteering is a decent exchange for some free accommodation, because, let’s face it, you won’t be doing it forever and you’ll be able to experience the culture, sights, nights out, etc. when you’re not working.
Do a spot of house sitting
Well, what a wonderful and apt way to find free accommodation, we hear you say! Should you ever stumble across a more suitable to do some travelling while enjoying the perks of free accommodation, it’s housesitting.
The idea kind of speaks for itself in that you stay in someone’s house to keep it safe and secure; they might even want you to take care of their dog too (how cool would that be!), while they are on holiday/away with work, for example.
This is something Sarah Cummings from the sleepadvisor.org thinks is a sure-fire way to secure a good night’s sleep too as people tend to have a nice bedroom in their own homes. You might even get a fridge full of food to enjoy while you’re staying there as well, so there’s not really much not to like about this idea, now, is there?
Try a home exchange/swap
Possibly an idea for someone who has established themselves on the property ladder as opposed to a student looking to swap the room at their parent’s house, but you never know!
Essentially, the premise of this is that the two parties involved in the exchange or swap simply agree to live in each other’s homes at no cost to either side. Easy!
It’s worth looking at websites such as Home Exchange and other similar sites so that you don’t have to do the hard work of finding a random stranger in another country to organise an exchange with.
This idea has been around since the 1950s and is a really cost-effective way of travelling on a budget, so it’s well worth a look.
Sofa surfing
If you are happy to sleep on a couch, then you will be pleasantly surprised at just how much availability there is out there when it comes to obtaining somewhere free to stay this way.
It’s a method that is commonly used by travellers looking to spend their funds elsewhere, and all you have to do as a sofa surfer is to be a guest at a range of other people’s houses while allowing yourself to take advantage of sleeping options that tend to be something other than a bed.
Check out www.couchsurfing.com for more on this.
Give wild camping a whirl
Last, but not least, if you’re stuck for ideas and you need a basic free accommodation for a couple of days, then it could be a case of bedding down in a tent until you sort something else more suitable out.
Camping is fun, providing it’s safe and you’re not on the edge of a cliff or next to a motorway! You might want to bear in mind that wild camping is actually illegal in many countries, so consider this before setting up camp.
