10 Ways to travel the world for FREE

You read it right!!! You CAN Travel the World for Free. Here’s How to do It.

Traveling for free. It’s the ultimate dream, right?

It might sound impossible — but it’s not.

Combine some travel points with a dose of seasonal jobs, a sprinkle of creativity and voila: You really could travel for free.

I know because I did it for many years.

For the better part of a decade, I trotted the globe by using frequent flyermiles, teaching English abroad, volunteering in several countries and working a variety of seasonal adventure jobs.

All these strategies allowed me to travel for much less money than you can imagine — and often, for free.

Because I want all of you to experience the magic of exploring somewhere you’ve never been, here are 10 ways you can start traveling for free.

1. Get Free Plane Tickets

Transportation is one of the most expensive parts of travel. Without a doubt, the quickest and easiest way to get free flights is to rack up points with a rewards credit card.

For example, with the Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card, you’ll earn 2% cash back on everything you purchase. Plus this card has no annual fee and you’ll get a $100 bonus just for signing up:

What I like to do is just put my regular purchases on the card each month (groceries, gas, etc.) and then save the cash-back up until the end of the year. I’m usually able to save about $1,000, which I can use to cover the cost of 2-3 plane tickets.

And by the way, from a card with no annual fee, this is the highest reward rate we’ve seen all year.

You do need to have excellent credit to qualify for this card. Also, in order to get the maximum amount of rewards, you’ll need to have a qualified Fidelity account to deposit the rewards.

Eligible Fidelity accounts you can redeem your rewards into include most non-retirement accounts, as well as Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, SEP IRA and Fidelity®-managed 529 College Savings Plan accounts.

We advocate responsible credit card use — so, please, only get a credit card if you’ll pay the bill off in full each month. No rewards are worth going into debt over.

2. Play With Polar Bears

Due to retreating sea ice, polar bears have become classified as a threatened species.

Though we’ll hopefully figure out ways to reduce climate change and bring their numbers back up, now is still the time to see these beautiful animals in their natural habitat.

And if you spend the summer working at Deadhorse Camp in Alaska’s arctic, you’ll get to do it for free.

In addition to an hourly wage, you’ll get free lodging, three meals a day and a $1,000 end-of-season bonus to cover the costs of your plane tickets.

3. Hoard Points

Have you heard of MyPoints? It’s a cash-back site that lets you earn rewards by shopping online and printing coupons.

I use it all time because it’s an instant way to save on everything you buy, including travel accommodations. For example, it gives you up to six points for every dollar you spend on Expedia. Later, you can redeem those points for cash.

But, enough about that, here’s how to get a free $10 Amazon gift card that you can use to buy travel supplies (or anything for that matter):

1. Sign up for MyPoints using your email or Facebook account (it’s free).
2. Use the MyPoints portal the next time you need to shop online (it’s connected to thousands of stores including Walmart, Amazon, and Target).
3. As long as you spend $10 at any of those stores, MyPoints will reward you with 1,750 bonus points which you can redeem for a free $10 Amazon gift card.

4. Drive People Around the Country

If you find solace on the road and want to see the country, this is a great way to make money doing it!

As an Uber driver partner, you’re responsible for setting your schedule and motivating yourself to work — no one is keeping tabs on you. You get 80% of everything you earn as a driver (Uber keeps 20%).

Need some extra cash on your road trip? Just clock in on the app.

If you want to give it a try, there’s a few things to keep in mind. You must be at least 21 years old, have three years of driving experience, have an in-state driver’s license, a clean driving record and be able to pass a criminal background check.

Finally, your car must be a four-door, seat at least four passengers (excluding the driver), be registered in-state and be covered by in-state insurance.

5. Join the Cartel

Traveling for free takes a lot of work — otherwise everyone would do it. So sometimes it’s smart to get help from the experts.

Chris Guillebeau, one of my personal heroes, has visited every country in the world. Lucky for us mortals, he shares his secrets through the Travel Hacking Cartel.

As a Cartel member, you’ll receive several emails each week with promotions and tips to help you earn more travel rewards.

Membership only costs $1 for the first 14 days, and $15 to $39 per month after that. It also comes with a unique guarantee: Earn 100,000 miles — enough for four plane tickets — in your first year of membership, or get your money back.

I’d say that’s a bet worth taking!

6. Move to Antarctica

Want to live in one of the most remote corners of the planet?

Get a job in Antarctica.

You’ll get free housing and food — plus a decent income — for spending months on the bottom of the world.

Because you won’t have anywhere to spend the money during your stint, you’ll also leave with a significant chunk of change…

Not only that, but Antarctic employers also pay for your transportation to the continent.

Because you can still use your own frequent flyer account, these round-trip flights will earn you enough miles for a free ticket to a different destination during the off-season.

7. Participating in contests

Some companies start contest to win holiday packages which are fully company sponsored. Subscribe/Like such compaines page to stay updated about such contests and offers.

8. Eat Out at Restaurants

Cooking at home is an excellent way to save money, but sometimes you just can’t be bothered.

If you do decide to eat out, make sure you sign up for travel rewards programs first.

Major airlines such as United, Delta and American all have dining programs that give you miles when you eat at one of their affiliated restaurants. And, oftentimes, you can get a bonus just for signing up.

9. Cuddle With Baby Goats

This is a real thing that exists. 

Through World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), you can get free room and board in exchange for four to six hours of work per day. Gigs range from crushing grapes in New Zealand to cuddling goats in North Carolina.

And WWOOF is far from your only option; there are several more types of work exchanges that’ll help you travel for free.

10. Set Sail

Is there any better way to see the world than by boat?

Probably not.

But it is never gonna happen for me, unless I happen to marry a millionaire.

Since that’s looking fairly unlikely, I’ve often considered joining the crew for a sailboat or cruise ship. These travel jobs cover room and board and allow you to see many different locations within a single season.

Don’t be like the countless people who wish they could go places — but don’t want to put in the effort travel hacking requires.

From experience, I can tell you: It’s a lot of work, but it’s so worth it.

Instead of sitting around wishing you could travel, follow these tips, and explore the world for free.