10 Unusual Ways To Travel Around The World For Free

Traveling the world doesn't have to mean draining your bank account if you're savvy, know how to find a good deal and are willing to sacrifice a little comfort.

In fact, you can travel basically for free -- if you know the right tricks and are willing to work a little.

House-Sitting

House-sitting is the perfect way to explore places you never would have thought to visit and get free lodging.

Check out websites such as HouseSittersAmerica.com, TrustedHouseSitters.com and MindMyHouse.com for house-sitting opportunities.

In some cases, homeowners are only looking for you to spend time in their home to make it look lived in. In other situations, you may have some minor responsibilities, such as watering plants, feeding pets and taking in the mail.

Work Exchange

Work exchange programs allow you time to both work and play while visiting a new city or country.

WWoofing, which is when you work on an organic farm in exchange for room and board and sometimes a stipend, is an excellent way to learn a new skill and visit a new place for free.

HelpX is a similar concept to WWoofing, except the opportunities aren't limited to farming, but also hostels and lodges.

Workaway requires you to volunteer five hours a day, five days per week but they offer a wide variety of opportunities, including farm upkeep, babysitting and paperwork.

All of these are fabulous ways to spend time abroad without the expense.

Blogging

Blogging is an excellent way to travel the world and get paid at the same time. A blog can be a creative outlet and offer a way to express yourself and your thoughts.

If you create a successful blog, you can be invited on fully expensed press trips all over the world.

There's upfront work involved with gaining momentum for your blog, but if you have a passion for travel and writing, this could be for you.

Become An Au Pair

If you enjoy caring for children and would like to visit a new place for more than a few days, becoming an au pair might be the perfect opportunity for you.

Au pairs have the chance to live in a new location, receive free room and board and get paid for their services. The amount of work and pay you will receive varies from job to job.

You may find you enjoy visiting new places often and only want to au pair with each family for a short time, but there are plenty of opportunities out there.

Credit Card Miles and Travel Hacking

Using credit card miles and travel hacking as a way to be able to travel for free is called churning. It's the practice of signing up for new credit cards just for the sign-up incentive, and is the best way to get somewhere cheap.

A Virgin Atlantic card's miles have the potential to pay for your round-trip ticket to your destination, and a Chase Sapphire Preferred card points could pay for your rental car and hotel.

Don't forget to take advantage of Intercontinental Hotel Group's best price guarantee program to score some free hotel rooms in some of the best hotels in the world.

Teach English

Teaching English offers you the opportunity to work with others and immerse yourself in a new culture.

Diverbo, for example, offers volunteer opportunities in England and Spain. No special skills are required, except you have to speak English fluently and be willing to teach others.

If you'd like to travel to Asia and teach students, you may wish to gain a TEFL certificate. This certificate will show you understand the practice and theory of teaching students who are learning English as a second language.

Several schools in Asia hire English teachers and provide them with housing and a paycheck. The evenings and weekends are generally yours to explore.

Summer Camp in the States

Summer camps are always looking for staff, and being a camp counselor is great for personal development. Whether you're a lifeguard, nurse or just want to be a counselor, chances are good there's a position for you at one of the many American summer camps.

Sleep-away camps offer staff room and board in addition to a paycheck. Weekends or time in between camp sessions offer you a perfect chance to explore the local area.

Start looking for a position in February or March. Some of the best and busiest camps are fully staffed by the end of April, so don't delay your search.

Adventure Travel

Adventure travel offers one of the best options for free trips.

AdventureWork.co.uk provides a listing of a variety of travel jobs. Ski instructors and technicians are commonly listed.

These gigs offer transportation, lodging and a paycheck, and opportunities are available throughout the world.

While skiing is seasonal, you'd likely have no problem teaching skiing in the winter and working in a related field during the summer. Each season you could travel to a different country and have an entirely new place to visit and explore.

Different jobs have different hours and pay, but with the plethora of jobs on AdventureWork.co.uk, you'll have your pick of gigs.

Work in a Hostel

Hostels offer group living for people, often traveling college students and backpackers, to stay while exploring the local area.

Hostels tend to have dormitory-style housing, and many offer a community kitchen. Working in a hostel offers a small paycheck with free lodging and usually meals.

In addition to being able to explore the surrounding city, working in a hostel allows you to meet all kinds of people from around the world.

You might find yourself working as a housekeeper, a receptionist or even an event coordinator. Some hostels allow check-in all day, so you may be able to work irregular hours, which can often offer you the best hours of the day to explore.

SCUBA Diving Instructor

SCUBA diving is available all over the world, which means opportunities to work at a dive center are abundant.

Becoming a SCUBA diving instructor is a fabulous way of marrying a love of the sea and travel. You will need to become a dive master, but many believe it's the most rewarding job available.

While you might have to spend some of your time in a classroom teaching students the theory of SCUBA diving, much of your time will be spent in the ocean teaching students the practical aspects, too.

During your off time, there's no reason why you can't explore the local area or go SCUBA diving with a buddy. It's such a transferrable skill set you can use around the world, teaching in different places.