Many people dream of traveling the world and getting paid to do it. But they don’t believe it’s actually possible.
What if traveling the world and making money wasn’t a pipe dream? With a little creativity and determination, you can make that vision a reality. In this post, we’ll offer up ten ways to get paid to travel the world.
We’ll explain different ways to fund your travels, as well as pitfalls you need to look out for. Keep reading to find out how to make big money traveling the globe!
1. Start a Travel Blog
Running a successful travel blog can actually completely fund your travels. However, it is hard to make your blog stand out from the rest. There are thousands of travel pages out there, all competing for clicks and views.
So how do you stand out from the others? First, you need to create a niche for your blog. Write specifically about traveling as a single woman, traveling on a budget, or eating while traveling, etc.
By finding a way to make your blog stand out, you can start to attract more clicks. Study up on search engine optimization (SEO). By learning what makes websites rank higher in search engines, you can increase web traffic to your site.
It may take a while to become a popular blog, but if you study blogging strategies and post regularly, it can happen. Once you are hitting certain web traffic thresholds, you can start making some serious cash with your blog.
One way to do this is through influencer marketing. This is when you advertise products on your blog for a fee.
You can also strike up partnerships with companies and endorse their products on your blog. When people buy the product, you’ll get a small commission. This is called affiliate marketing, and it can really add up!
Finally, once your blog is popular enough, some countries or cities may pay you to visit and blog about how awesome it is. Once you’re at this point, you can be on the road indefinitely as a travel blogger.
2. Teach English
A great way to get paid to travel the world for free is by becoming an English teacher. Depending on the program and country, hiring requirements are different. But if you have a Bachelor’s degree in anything and a Teaching English in a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate, you can pretty much get hired anywhere.
English teachers are in high demand in many countries. And while these jobs don’t always pay a lot, it’s usually more than enough to thrive wherever you are placed.
Usually, you commit to spending several months or a year wherever you get hired. It’s a great opportunity to get paid to get to know another country.
And as a teacher, you’ll have several days off per week. This means you can use your time off to explore neighboring cities or countries. In Europe and Asia, this kind of travel is easy and affordable.
3. Be a Travel Photographer
Travel photography is a great way to make some extra cash while you travel. You’re going to be taking pictures anyway, so why not make some money doing it?
You can sell your photographs to tourism boards, magazines, or travel sites. Depending on the organization and the quality of the photos, you can make up to a few thousand dollars per contract!
You don’t have to be a trained photographer to make this side hustle work, but you do need to have adequate equipment. Invest in a nice DSLR with a couple of different lenses. Study the work of other travel photographers in order to learn tricks of the trade.
And don’t forget to turn the lens on yourself every now and again. Good photos of you in the field are great fodder for running your own travel blog, mentioned above.
4. Participate in a Work Exchange Program
Work exchange programs are great ways to make money while traveling. Essentially, you travel to a place to complete a job over the course of a few days, weeks, or months. Not all of these gigs pay you directly, but they almost always include room and board.
A popular example of a work exchange program is WWOOFing. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is a network of organic farms that allow and facilitate homestays.
You can travel to organic farms anywhere in the world and work while exploring the area. This is a great opportunity to see new places, make new friends, and learn about the organic farming industry.
5. Be an Au Pair
If you grew up babysitting on the weekends, then maybe being an au pair is for you. Au pairs provide childcare in different countries around the world. Sometimes you stay with the family, and other times the agency helps you find a place to live.
You don’t have to be fluent in another language to be an au pair. Many families who sign up for au pair services are interested in an au pair who can help their kids become proficient in English. As long as you can tutor their kids and keep them safe, you could land the job.
6. Become a Travel Writer
In addition to blogging, becoming a freelance travel writer is a great way to pay for your travels. There are a lot of different mediums that will pay you to write for them. Other blogs, magazines, tourism boards, and guidebooks are all good places to start.
The key to being a successful freelance writer is to treat yourself like a business. Diversify your clients and write for multiple outlets.
Travel writing, like blogging or photography, is a “digital nomad” job. Once you build up a reliable base of clients or outlets, you can take this job on the road anywhere.
7. Work in a Hostel
Hostels are affordable places to stay for travelers all over the world. Most major cities have a handful of hostels that charge very little for a nightly bed. Plus, hostels are great places to meet fellow travelers.
Contact hostels in places you are interested in exploring. Hostels are almost always looking for new employees. In exchange for cleaning rooms or working the front desk, you can earn yourself a hostel bunk indefinitely.
8. Get a Seasonal Job
One of the best ways to get paid to travel is by getting a seasonal job. Do you like to ski in the winter but surf in the summer? Check out resort towns for their seasonal availabilities.
You can become a hotel housekeeper, a ski instructor, or assume any number of seasonal jobs. Because resorts don’t need a full staff all year round, they are always hiring for the next season.
Many resorts with lodges will also include housing as part of your payment package. If you can find two opposite season jobs to rotate between, you could travel all year round indefinitely.
9. Become a Tour Guide
If you can accrue enough local knowledge about a place, you can break into the tour guide industry. As an English speaker, you’ll be able to communicate with American and British tourists.
This is a great way to make money while traveling, and also get to share your knowledge about a place you love. And once you are in the tourism industry, you can use those connections to get other jobs.
10. Travel By Boat
If you are wondering how to get paid to travel the world and you like boats, get a job on a cruise ship. Cruise ships are always looking for cleaners, servers, and other paid employees. Room and board are included.
Cruise ships travel to some of the most interesting and beautiful places in the world. If you are looking for a way to kickstart your travel blog, this is it.
Things to Watch Out For
As you can see from this list, it is completely possible to achieve your dream of traveling the world. But there are also some pitfalls you need to watch out for.
Beware of companies that require you to recruit others in order to make money. Businesses that over promise are generally not ones you should get involved with. Read this review on WorldVentures to learn more.
Additionally, remember that it can take a while to start making substantial cash by traveling. But that doesn’t mean it is impossible. Don’t give up.
Get Paid to Travel the World
Making money while traveling isn’t a pipe dream. In fact, it is completely possible to get paid to travel the world. Use one of the above strategies to make your vision a reality.
Interested in reading about more transformative steps you can take to change your life and make money? Check out our Business section to keep reading.