Comments on: International travel (for free)

By: DiaryofADink

DiaryofADink — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:24:03 +0000

Thanks FF!

Hadn’t heard about those ideas. I’ll keep my eyes open for such opportunities. We’re enjoying tourism for now but would like to do longer volunteer trips once we have more time and are closer to “retirement.”

By: firefighter

firefighter — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:47:01 +0000

DoAD,

Having a needed skill does help, but
there are many other ways to get free
travel and compensation while
volunteering.

My dentist goes on a couple of dental
clinic missions trips a year.

While most of the people he takes with
him are dentists and hygienists, he does
take along some admin volunteers, too. No
compensation, but airfare and everything
else is included.

As another example, my wife traveled
extensively while volunteering to teach
English abroad. She did get a small
stipend, room, board, and travel.
The minimum commitment for her organization
was ten months, but that is still quite
a bit shorter than the peace corps’ two
years (I think). I would guess there
are other ESoL organizations that need help
that have shorter minimum commitments.

Other good places to look include churches
and Red Cross/ Salvation Army type
organizations. You are correct in that
these gigs typically do not “pay”, but
airfare, meals, and lodging is frequently
included.

It seems to me that carpentry,
medical, and instructional skills
are most helpful in making these trips
pan out.

-FF

By: DiaryofADink

DiaryofADink — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:26:17 +0000

I agree with the above posters and was going to ask the same question– WHERE could you possibly be paid to volunteer besides peace corps which is a pretty long-term commitment??? The volunteer opportunities I’ve seen have all required the volunteer to contribute to the organization AND pay their own airfare. I’ve seen very few “volunteer trips” where volunteers were paid or even compensated for their airfare and travel there.

Would be really interested in more specifics about where these opportunities exist…

By: Big Winner

Big Winner — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:38:22 +0000

There’s couch surfing too. While I’ve never tried it, there have been good results and reviews in lots of countries.

By: tedj

tedj — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:21:59 +0000

Number 4 is essentially the ‘permanent tourist’ idea…3 or 5 flags theory

By: Jacob

Jacob — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:29:03 +0000

@Jason – sorry, can’t give you any specifics, but have you looked into longer term appointments like 6 months or so? My guess is that skill level plays a role as does commitment. For instance, when I have relocated for career purposes, I have been reimbursed for the relocation.

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:05:40 +0000

I have done some volunteer traveling, but have always had to pay to do so. I did not know that this exists! Can you enlighten me as to where? How?

Thanks!

By: matt g

matt g — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:36:35 +0000

I agree a bit with Lise… Travel with a purpose (or a specialized interest) rocks. Paris is a great city if you have a big nerdy interest in the right kind of art, but it’s probably a big pain in the butt if you could care less. When you do it that way, travel is sort of an extension of what you like to do at home, and it’s going to be something that will stick with you. Any vacation you have to research (the culture, not the hotels) is bound to be a good one.

What gets me most is “travelers” who want to go to a foreign country to shop in the same stores that they can shop at in their home city. A Coach in Hawaii is (probably) the same as a Coach in NYC. Yowza…

Anyway, enough of my ranting. I’m interested in #3 – volunteering, and I wonder if anyone out there has some good organizations to go through, or good stories to tell. Everyone in the U.S. has heard of Peace Corps, but i’m sure there are other groups out there doing good work… Any tips?

By: Lise

Lise — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:55:05 +0000

I’m of your opinion on the tourism variety of travel. While there are a few “sites” I’ve wanted to see, I’m more than content to sit in the hotel room reading a book. Guess I don’t need to travel across the country and come back exhausted for that.

To me, if you’re traveling, you should be traveling for a purpose other than “to look around” – to go to a convention, to visit relatives, to eat awesome food, etc, etc. For example, this week my husband and I are going to Kiawah Island, off the coast of SC, for a vacation with his parents. We had to pay for the airfare, but other than that, the trip is free to us – every year my mother-and-law’s company holds a conference at this resort, and families are invited. Since I actually enjoy the company of my in-laws more than my actual blood relatives, this is exactly the kind of vacation I want. I’m going to sit on the beach, read, and swim, and someone else is going to pay for most of it.

I also like the idea of traveling to study. I want to do an immersive month-long Spanish course in Argentina, for example, because I love languages. That, however, will have to wait on a time when my employment situation is different.