13 ways to travel freely

Can you travel around the globe independent from money? In other words can you be absolutely free from financial restriction? To answer this honestly, yes and no. 

If you are a type of person who can’t handle a little bit of discomfort while traveling then the answer is no. The so called “no-money travel” isn’t just a cheap way of traveling as a sort of leisure trip. It is a way of exploring one’s discomfort and freedom. This is possible when you let go all your stress in material value and open up to more experiential values, awareness, and abilities that you hone during the journey itself. 

If you are looking for international experience but don’t have the cash to spray upon or if you are simply looking for what true freedom tastes like, sounds like and feels like then this article is for you. You don’t need thousands of dollars to get yourself on the track. In fact, all you need is some creativity, some guts and enthusiasm, and some ideas to get you started. Some of the ideas below are sensible ones and others are a little more risqué.

it is amazing what some people will do to save a buck!

Don’t let your empty wallet stop you from taking the trip of a lifetime. Remember; with the right attitude, amazing things are waiting for you just beyond the self-made border.

1.Volunteer Abroad

There are plenty of volunteer opportunities you can take abroad where most of them might not pay for your plane tickets but some will offer shelter and food during the duration of your volunteer service. To give you an example; there are volunteer abroad exchange programs for foreigners to teach languages. If you speak more than one or two languages that is great! You got one of the most valuable assets up your sleeves but this is just one example. Here is a very helpful article regarding on this topic by Natalie Southwick

 Volunteering abroad allows you to explore and experience new knowledge in whatever field or cause it may be. Furthermore, you will be in a community that will further help you out in your next destination or journey. Whether that is information about the destination itself or local experiences you wouldn’t have got just by surfing through online.This is an exchange for your time and effort stemming from your independent will so don’t ever be afraid to ask kindly to simple help from others. You can always generate more value so be confident in your action!

2.Fundraise

An option that is possible when you can prepare and present to the audience what your cause is for traveling in certain places. If you have a strong cause to travel that could be of benefit to others then this is the platform for you to start some fundraising. This fundraising method can come in countless forms from charity to raising awareness to business opportunities to entertainment and content creation. If you have great ideas and also have time to dedicate on crafting your goal then this is the right tool for you. 

To give you some more information,

There are two major fundraising portal sites called Trevolta and Kickstarter

3.Undertake Apprenticeship

Although, this might sound like something out of star-wars where jedi seeking for master to be the apprentice; it is actually quite different than that of course. You will be amazed how simple this can be done than you might think.

To give you a brief story, I was at a mountain hike one day on my penniless-journey in South Korea to capture the beauty of nature surrounding the mountain range on top with my heavy equipped camera gears. On my way down I saw quite an odd yet intriguing down-to earth looking buddhist temple beneath the cliff in one of the mountain hills.

There were some monks appeared to be practicing martial arts and I thought to myself; “is this some kind of Shaolin temple in Korea?” (which found out to be one of very few temples that continues to practices the old discipline of Hwarang which is also known as Flowering Knights.) I approached to a man who appeared to be the elder and asked what this place is and why are there so few people here with a very curious expression.

He answered “isn’t it rude to ask questions to a stranger before introducing yourself?” So then I quickly apologized but as soon as I try to say my name he cut my line to continue his own introduction. I stood there speechless with a blank look on my face. Then this elder asked me what brings me here so I told my story that I was on a penniless mission of my own to practice.. “Oh so a pilgrim I see” says the elder. “Yes practically I guess.”

The interaction felt awkward but I proceeded my inquiry boldly that if I could work here in exchange for shelter just for a night. He looked at me briefly and said, “You cannot grab a hand with the same hand” I took a moment to think for a bit and took it as a no, but that didn’t stop me there. “Look, I don’t know what that means exactly but I am a healthy young man and I just thought you could take a great use out of me here.” He bursted out with laughter and just walked away.

But few minutes later, the other monk who were observing my interaction with the elder came up to me and said, “The old man is quite stubborn you see.. That is his way of showing respect.” Being utterly confused as I was back then, this other monk showed me around the humble temple and let me stay in his own room in the end in exchange of hard work by loading heavy logs, harvesting crops, and cleaning the temple.

As you can tell, I haven’t done much other than asking quite boldly followed by clear intention with honesty. I learned that we have natural instincts to help one another and bring values that can help each other grow. Which brings holistic pleasure in our own personal growth and in other person as well. It was also very cool that I got to learn briefly about the history of Hwarang and that it has been faded away with only a number of people still continuing to preserve the essence of the teachings of Hwarang to this day.

4.Hitch-hike or Carpool

You can get on board with someone going in the same direction, or if you have a car, you can let others to join in thereby offsetting fuel costs. Carpooling usually requires some planning, as travelers will look to fill their car way in advance of their departure. Some travelers advertise on travel forums (thorntree.lonelyplanet.com), and there are websites specifically dedicated to this kind of ride sharing like erideshare.com, compartir.org and hitchhikers.org. While this requires some planning unlike hitch-hiking, carpooling is more likely a safer option. You can meet the person in advance of the trip (preferably in a public place), as well as check their phone numbers, photo ID and references. Though of course, in some parts of the world, such as Cuba, hitch-hiking is just part of the way of life.

6.Crew Work

You don’t need to know everything about navigating the sea or how to run the engines of a ship or have mechanical knowledge, even though it will be great to be able to do some of these things which will get you a paid position on board. Surprisingly, often times an extra set of hands is enough to earn you the working passage on a yacht. if you want to get a feel for the kinds of options available, check out UK-based Crew-seekers international: crewseekers.net (Note: A membership fee applies). 

if you are spiced up on an adventure – or happen to find yourself in a port town – then just get yourself down and start asking questions. Check out the restaurants, bars and check the bulletin boards for ads and consider posting your own. At different times of the year “repositioning crossings” take place – boat owners have limited weather window during which time they must move their ship. Get yourself to the right place at the right time. With the right mentality you are almost set to get on board. 

7.Donate your Talent

Religious organizations or communities let others donate their time and effort to hop on their mission even to global international opportunities provided with food supplies and a place to stay during the time period. The bigger the community the better chance you will get in broader area. You may look into some big church monastery and/or missionary organization under the name such as, Salesio, and Benedict. They have churches all over the globe and take young talents to donate their time to help people around the world. If you happen to find a local church or any sort of monastery contact them or simply visit them and kindly ask if they could lend you some help. Worst they can do is say no, so what? There are still thousands of other options you can take from this route. Apply for it or either simply join the community and gain some insight. 

If you happen to not find any local religious communities then you can join some free social media groups or online communities you can find easily there.

8.Transport Other People’s Vehicles

When people move from one place to another, they often have their car sent and this is where you come in. Start by inquiring directly with car rental or relocation companies, some of whom need drivers to move vehicles from one city to another in a limited number of days. Checking for ads or advertising your own services in city, community, or university newspaper classified sections could also bring you in contact with a car owner in need of a driver. Try advertising and looking in both the city where you are and in the city that you want to travel to. Australia-based rental companies including Britz (britz.com.au), and Maui (maui.com.au) require occasional relocations throughout the year. And at season’s end, they often need to move a number of vehicles en-masse to specific location due to seasonal demand. Keep in mind that many companies require you to be at least 21 years of age. 

9.Win an Award

Alright, this sounds like a long shot, but if you’re short on the money and long on time you’ll be absolutely stunned by how many contests there are available online.

some very well known and big international free entry competition like ADAA(Adobe Design Achievement Awards) offer tickets to winners to fly to San Diego for awarding prizes and ceremonies and much more (However this contest is for design students). This will depend on the project and the theme of whatever competition you have entered. Meeting top professionals in a field you are passionate in can often give you a surprising opportunities which is the real prize after winning an ward for anybody in this case. Even though this can be very difficult to achieve it is still an option worth trying if you want to open up more doors on your path. 

There is also tons of travel contests you can enter. just Google “travel contests” and you’ll get hundreds of pages of results. if you are not picky about where you go, a little time and effort invested might get your seat pretty sooner than you think.

10.Use the Pilgrim Routes

The pilgrim routes or you may also call it as the “rite of passage” sometimes can be the life changer along the journey which is also comparably safer than most routes you will take along the penniless-journey. Some passages will be hidden and won’t be able to find just by surfing through internet. You might have to gain some information about the pilgrim route from local person or just create one of your own maybe. But the point is, you are getting to experience the thought processes and insights on previous sages or saints who have walked along the path with some extra scenery you will get to see during the journey as well. Within this journey you also get to meet like-minded people who are walking alongside with you. The friendship you gain from a trip like this will be unforgettable and the experience you go through even in solitude will be a great reflection time.

here is the link of great list for you to investigate on.

www.worldtravelguide.net/holidays/editorail-feature/feature/10-best-plgrimages-modern-travellers

11.Help & Stay in Monasteries

As a free living soul and determined character with little less than your body and backpack who happens to stumble across the temples or monasteries, they sometimes find people like yourself in need of hands. You will find their way of living and philosophies and cultures within the harmony of nature (not always though). Willing to work and take disciplines at any cost will get you far. in some cases, there were people who are open, very generous and kind to give extra supplies for the next destination.

12.Couch-Surf

This one you might already know since it has become exceedingly popular among travelers. Couchsurf is a hospitality exchange and social networking website. The website provides a platform for members to “surf” on couches by staying as a guest at a host’s home, host travelers, or join an event. likely with someone who has a few things in common with you. For a night, two or even three you could stay on a couch, your own room or even a yurt out back for free. One aspect of CouchSurfing that people find appealing is that you are able to get to experience an area with a local. Another aspect of CouchSurfing that people find appealing is that hosts and couch surfers have profiles and reviews from past guests and their hosts so you can get a general feel for the person before contacting them.

13.Take Hard-Core Challenges

if you are the sort of person who would welcome the challenge of climbing the mount everest to raise money for charity, this one could be for you. One of the newest trends in travel has seen companies springing up that will help you organize the challenge of your choice or join an exiting expedition all in the name of charity. You do the expedition (or other adventure), and raise the sponsors, they take care of the rest. Check out Global Adventure Challenges, Across the Divide or Charity Treks.