I’ve been feeling like I need a permanent vacation lately. So I’m seeing if I can save up money to start traveling for an extended period at some point. I’ve been looking into how to go about it, and hostels seem to be the way for me to go. So I was just wondering if anyone here had any experience with working for an extended stay in a hostel? Especially if you’re female and you were traveling alone; the idea excites me and scares me at the same time. Tips and tricks would be much appreciated.
I know when we toured France, there were many hostels. I have had other friends who stayed in them across Europe. I have only heard of working for free stay though, I have never done it nor know of anyone who did. From what I've read, some post job listing and you can even make money while there. Others you have to go into and ask directly if you can work for stay. Since hostels are not that expensive, I bet you could atleast get a discount for being willing to clean. We have also brought our tent and have stayed for as little as $4.00 a night in some places throughout Africa with full running water and electricity! There is also the option to volunteer. You will get free room and board and have a longer stay with some options for travel. It all depends on how much time you can spend.
Yeah, I think some of the work-for-your-stay hostels do require a time commitment. I found one in Seattle that asks for two months, if I remember correctly. Haven’t looked too far into any other places yet, though. Finding a few that offer a bit of actual pay would be great. These are all great tips, I appreciate them!
This is a common practice in Korea, Japan and some parts of Asia. You do volunteer work for the hostel, usually as one of its staff, and render around 3-4 hours of service everyday. In exchange, you get free lodgings depending on the duration of your stay. You have to tell the management in advance whether you intend to stay on a short-term or long-term basis. They don't really pay you but some hostels/inns serve free breakfast to their volunteers. I know of one place in Korea you might be interested to stay at: Kimchi Guesthouse. I communicated with the manager last year and was received warmly. Unfortunately, my plan was put on hold.
One thing you could consider, and it's quite similar, is working for a cruise line. You'll be posted on a ship for months at a time, visiting various locations around the world. You'll earn a wage while on the ship, you'll get to visit locations when the ship stops and you have free time, and then you also get free room and board!
Re Asian hostels, that’s excellent to know. Japan and Korea are actually more convenient destinations for me than most other places, so I’ll definitely have to consider that. I was actually considering working for a cruise line a while back. Just never made the jump because I was convinced absolutely no one would hire me at the time, haha. And I do live in a place where the cruise industry is pretty big, so it could still be a possibility. Thank you both for sharing your insights!
My friends often worked on cruises as the money is tax free. If you can, do it and if you have no ties, it maybe fun. You could work in retail as one of my friends did and others were dancers. It would be a chance to travel and also to make contacts and to learn about other similar jobs.
More useful info, I’m pleased! I may have a job offer on the table but if it falls through, I’ll certainly consider checking in with the cruise lines here. Tax-free income sounds like the sweetest deal, to be honest. Most of my experience is in clerical work, which I can’t imagine would be terribly useful on a cruise ship, but maybe I could find a way to leverage something else, as I do have a bit of performing experience as well.
