11 Reliable Ways to Travel for Free

Just because you love to travel, we created this article just for you, nomad from heart, to help fuel your passion for exploring the world and keep the excitement for travel alive! As a travel enthusiast, you’re probably already familiar with some of these ways to travel for free, but sure you’ll learn new ones. We’ll divide them into three main categories: travel hacking, work and, special programs and contests.

Photo credit: Annie Spratt

Travel for Free by Travel Hacking

1. Use Credit Card Points

Many credit cards offer generous welcome bonuses, along with points earned on every purchase. These points can be redeemed for flights, making them a great way to earn travel for free. Here are a few examples:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card often offers a bonus of 60,000 points, which can be used for round-trip flights. That amount of points is equivalent to 750 USD.

CaixaBank Visa Miles & More cards offer from 2,000 to 7,000 welcome milles for Lufthansa Airlines.

2. Stopovers

A stopover flight means taking a planned break at a connection point before reaching your final destination. It’s a longer stop—usually at least one night—that gives the chance to explore the stopover city before moving on with the trip. It’s like a 2×1, for one trip you get to travel for free on another.

Photo credit: Kranich17

It may sound expensive because is one more flight, one more destination and so on but, good news is that it isn’t! Many airlines even offer free stopovers, such as:

3. Loyalty Programs

It’s worth dedicating those ten minutes (or less) to register in an airline or travel tickets vendor loyalty program, specially if it’s one you really like. Even with just one trip you could be saving up to 30 USD in the next flight, and after a lot of flights, even have some free ones thanks to accumulated miles or being a member of the high-tiers.

Most airlines, train companies and even travel vendors offer a program of that style. There are also major airlines alliances programs that allow to gather points/milles that are interchangeable between the members of the program. Some of the most popular ones are: Star Alliance, OneWorld and SkyTeam.

Travel for Free by Working

4. Getting a Job that implies Traveling

The most traditional path is to find a job that implies traveling a lot. Several jobs offer the opportunity for free flights or frequent travel, often involving roles that require employees to be mobile for work-related purposes. For example:

Positions in sales or business development for global companies often include international travel to meet clients, attend conferences, or explore new markets.

Jobs in consultancy or project management may involve on-site work at various locations, requiring employees to travel regularly to provide expertise in different regions.

Event planning or coordination, especially for international events, where professionals need to be present at venues, ensuring everything runs smoothly.

In international commerce, roles such as import/export managers, business development managers, and supply chain coordinators often require traveling to meet with suppliers, attend trade shows, or explore new markets.

Positions like travel consultants, travel agents, and trip planners may receive trips to popular locations or partner hotels to create tailored itineraries and firsthand knowledge for clients, or may involve attending travel expos and networking events worldwide.

Marketing roles, especially for global brands or digital agencies, may require traveling to conduct market research, attend workshops, or oversee international campaigns.

Freelance or remote work, such as digital marketing, writing, or video production, often involves travel opportunities to cover events, document locations, or network with clients worldwide, allowing individuals to incorporate travel into their professional lives.

5. Getting a Job Abroad

Similar to the last point, getting a job abroad is also a great way to travel for free while developing your career. Depending on your job, there are a lot of companies that are willing to pay the flights, the accommodation and even do all the paperwork.

One might think these excellent benefits are only for skilled workers, but no, even unskilled jobs can offer free flights. You can apply directly to an employer, a recruitment agency, or through special programs:

Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) from Canada – Some employers cover full relocation costs, including flights (farm workers, caregivers, truck drivers).
360 Agency Middle East from Dubai – It’s a recruitment agency that usually look for candidants for positions in the UAE and they usually cover full relocation (flights and accomodation).
Employment Permit System (EPS) from South Korea – Some contracts for factory and manual labor workers include paid flights and housing.

Photo credit: Pexels

6. Working in means of Transport

Working for an airline is one of the most reliable ways to travel for free or at extremely low cost. Flight attendants, pilots, and even ground crew often receive flight benefits, allowing them and sometimes their families to travel for free or at a significant discount. Airlines like Delta, American Airlines, and Emirates offer non-rev (non-revenue) standby flights, meaning employees can fly for free on available seats.

Many railway companies offer free travel to employees, especially conductors, onboard staff, and maintenance workers.

For those who love the sea, working on yachts or cruise ships is a fantastic way to travel the world without spending on transport. Jobs range from deckhands and chefs to stewards and engineers, all of which usually come with free travel, accommodation, and food. Websites like CrewSeekers and FindACrew help connect travelers with yacht owners looking for workers. There are also opportunities on cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line.

7. Content Creation

In today’s world this one is becoming more and more popular. If you have a blog, YouTube, or Instagram, tourism boards and brands might sponsor your trip.

In smaller scales, even with a small base of followers, offering high-quality content in exchange for flights/accommodation can work.

8. Teaching Languages

The most common language to teach in another country is English and many countries (specially from Asia) offer free flights and even accomodation. A native-level English fluency is usually required, or at least a TELF certificate. Some places to look for these opportunities:

TEFL jobs offer vacants in countries such as: South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Japan.

CIEE is a non-profit international exchange organization, and offers placement and support.

Travel for Free by Special Programs and Contests

9. Volunteering

If working can allow us to travel, imagine volunteering work. Volunteering abroad can be a great way to travel for free, as many programs cover expenses like airfare, accommodation, and meals.

United Nations Volunteers (UNV): The UNV program offers volunteer opportunities in various countries, and in many cases, they cover the cost of airfare, visa, accommodation, and a stipend for living expenses.

Peace Corps: Although not strictly a short-term volunteer program, the Peace Corps may provide airfare for volunteers who are sent to countries in need.

Volunteer Programs with NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations): Certain large international NGOs, offer airfare or travel reimbursements for volunteers, especially for roles where highly specialized skills are needed.

10. Scholarships and Grants

Several scholarships and grants provide travel stipends or funding for students. These programs help cover travel expenses, making it easier for individuals to pursue international education or career opportunities. It’s one of the best ways to travel for free while studying. Here are some notable ones:

Fulbright Program: The U.S. government’s Fulbright Program offers scholarships for study, research, and teaching abroad. It includes travel stipends to cover international airfare and living expenses for recipients.

Photo credit: StartupStockPhotos

Erasmus+: Funded by the European Union, the Erasmus+ program offers grants for students, staff, and institutions participating in international exchanges and collaborations. Travel allowances are often provided to support transportation costs for study abroad, internships, or teaching placements.

The Rotary Foundation Global Grants: International studies and service projects often include funding for travel, accommodations, and living expenses for recipients involved in global initiatives.

11. Enter Travel Contests & Giveaways

Airlines, tourism boards, and travel companies frequently run sweepstakes with free flights as prizes.
To know about these contests to travel for free follow the airlines, travel influencers and companies that do giveaways. You never know if you might be the winner.

…

Although we may think in big when is about traveling, truth is, we can travel to the city next to ours, we can go in a roundtrip with some friends, take the car and go by our own. What I mean is, if you really want to travel you can start doing it and if it’s in a simple way, almost for free. Don’t let that desire to discover the world be turned off.

If any of this nomadic tips were helpful to you, please share a comment or share your tips to travel for free.

For more travel tips, here is our travel section.