Now available for Kindle!
Are you tired of the conventional wisdom which says that you have to spend a lot of money to travel the world? Do you want to learn how two well-traveled vagabonds have managed to do it for decades, as well as the travel-cheap insights they have accumulated over many years of gallivanting the globe?
There are many travel resources and guidebooks out there that tell you how to travel on the cheap, how to save money, how to get the best airfares. We have read and used many of them, and there are lots of good ones around. How To Travel For Free (or pretty damn near it!) is different in that in these pages, we share our own personal resources and experiences to show ways in which you can travel not just cheaply, but for free – or damn close to it.
As featured in the Washington Times!
Whether you are planning a weekend getaway or a round-the-world journey, we let you in on our secrets for how to:
- Stay in a fully-furnished house or apartment in locations around the world, for days or weeks at a time, absolutely free.
- Utilize airlines’ frequent flyer programs to the maximum advantage, to earn free tickets very quickly, for domestic and international travel.
- Uncover more unconventional and local means of travel in different countries, that will allow you to travel far more cheaply than conventional methods.
- Find the best, most reputable, and often difficult-to-locate opportunities for working and volunteering your way around the world.
- Learn to access the many hospitality and travel exchange programs that allow you to not only visit international locations cheaply or for free, but to interact and make friends with people in a true cultural exchange.
- Get creative about the endless ways you can travel for free, from bartering, reviewing products or caretaking to combining job training or educational opportunities with personal travel.
Keith & Shelley in Morocco, 2009
While we won’t claim to have traveled the entire world – the more we travel the longer our list of destinations grows – between the two of us we have traveled extensively throughout our little planet over the past two decades, and over that time we have both discovered that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to see the world. In fact, we often travel to exotic places for very, very close to free. And the more we’ve traveled, the less we’ve spent.
People ask both of us, all the time, how do we do it? They are admiring, envious, impressed and mystified. They sigh and say, “I wish I could afford to go to Europe or Asia.” But the truth is, most of the people who say this have far more financial means than we do. They could do exactly what we do, – from a long weekend on the beach to months exploring the ruins of Asia or South America – if only they knew how. And so can you.
By far the overwhelming consensus out there is that to travel extensively you have to be rich. Believe us, we are far from it! In How To Travel For Free (or pretty damn near it!) we discuss various ways to help people think outside the box when it comes to how to approach travel for themselves. Some of the general concepts covered are:
- Why it is absolutely not necessary to have lots of money to travel well.
- How you can actually save money by traveling for longer periods of time.
- Methods for integrating your current life and work into ways to travel more.
- The wide range of transportation and accommodation choices, some of which you may not have even thought of.
- Creative ways to travel that can seriously help you stretch your budget.
This book is our own personal account – this is how we do it, along with additional resources we have picked up from fellow travelers, friends, travel writers, and the hundreds of travel books, magazines and websites we’ve read or written for. It is not meant to be a comprehensive guidebook of everything cheap-travel related, but more of a handbook of our own personal resources and tips. Using the exact methods that we outline in the book for you, we have:
- Stayed in a studio apartment in Barcelona for a month, completely for free.
- Taken a two-week vacation to Hawaii for the cost of airline tax, using frequent flyer miles for the tickets and staying in a two-bedroom duplex for free.
- Traveled around Asia for nearly two years, on surprisingly little money – less than half the cost of living at home.
- Spent nearly a month on the Upper West Side of New York City in a free two-bedroom apartment, and using dirt-cheap air tickets to get there.
If you or someone you know wants to learn how to see and experience the world without the need to have or to spend large amounts of money like so many in the travel industry will have you believe, then buy this book now and start your own personal journey toward your dreams of independent travel freedom!
$9.99
65 pages | PDF download
For more ordering options, including Kindle and softcover print versions, go to the Order Page.
I have been to 100 countries and 109 islands in the world by bartering performing working, networking connecting with people all over the world. I did it and i am still doing it. I have been on the news and I am now producing a reality show on this skill..yes you can travel cheaply and I am a true wittness to this cheers
I travelled the world for 15 month as a backpacker, but still, nothing is for free. I couchsurfed many times to save some money but in the end my trip cost me around 12.000 EUR incl. 38 flights. I know I could have make it cheaper but not like for less than half. I didnt work at any point while I was travelling and when I travel, I dont want to work.
What u describe, things like “staying in a two-bedroom apartment for weeks for free etc..” – sorry I doubt that this is possible without doing anything for that person who left you the apartment. Many people work while they travel, they get none or a shitty salary but they offer free rooms and sometimes free (crappy) food. And in the end these people didnt really travelled, they just worked around the world for free and didnt see much.
If u wanna some some touristic sites you have to pay, visas cost money aswell, and sometimes a lot!!! On top u have a picture of the Macchu Picchu, people who has been there, know the trip to Macchu Picchu cost u at least 100 Dollars, transportation to Aguas Calientes, the entry cost another 45 Dollars, u probably need a room for one night, so tell me please, how u can visit the Macchu Picchu for cheap or for free?? I really wanna know that, dont think it’s possible.
Travel for free means also sacrafice a lot. Not everybody will enjoy that. And I dont wanna live on other costs either. If I couchsurf, I pay the food for my host. Travelling doesnt means working time for me. Travelling is travelling, its vacation time. If I start taking the the local bus in Bangkok instead of using a taxi to save 20 cents, I should probably better stay at home.
Hi Sabrina,
Thank you for your thoughts – they bring up some excellent points about long-term travel, and enable us to clarify what this book is and isn’t about. We certainly never claim that someone can travel around the world for 15 months, going so many places that require 38 flights, completely for free. We do not claim that it’s possible to always travel totally for free; however, we do share a ton of methods and tips by which you CAN travel for 100% free, and others that enable extremely inexpensive travel – and every single method that we share, we have personally done ourselves.
As far as things like staying in a two-bedroom apartment in New York for 3 weeks for free – yes, it IS possible and we DID it. In March 2010, as part of a home exchange, which we cover extensively in the book. It was 100% free, and of course we did something in return for the person in whose apartment we stayed – we let him stay in my house. In fact, when your comment came in we were currently staying in a house in Chiang Mai, Thailand for 10 days, absolutely free. That is the beauty of a home exchange, and I have done about 20 of them around the world. They have enabled me to stay for weeks not only in New York, but also Los Angeles, Portland, Hawaii, Vancouver, Washington DC, Paris, Venice, Berlin, and many other places – 100% for free! On many of these trips, I combined the home exchange with using frequent flyer miles, getting an exotic 1-4 week vacation for no more cost than the small airline fee for booking an award ticket.
You are completely right when you say there are unavoidable costs of traveling, including as you point out, passports and visas, entrance fees to museums, etc. However, there are many ways to eliminate or greatly reduce the other costs such as accommodations, transportation and meals – all of which make up a much greater portion of the travel budget than the incidentals.
And you are also right when you say that traveling for free means sacrificing. In fact, that is the very first thing we address in the book, right up front in the introduction. What you sacrifice is time. When you travel, you will spend either time or money, and you have to decide which. Traveling for free or extremely cheap does mean being willing to invest more time and creativity in planning for your trip. However, we personally disagree that it means sacrificing any sort of experience or enjoyment in the travel. In fact, we would say exactly the opposite. By traveling very inexpensively, people tend to do things that greatly add to their experience and interaction with the people and culture, such as taking local transportation, walking or riding bikes, eating at local spots and doing local things rather than the tourist attractions. All of these things really enable you to experience the heart of a place, rather than staying on the well-worn tourist trail.
Thank you for highlighting some important points about travel. Have fun on your journeys!
Shelley and Keith
Shelley, Going to order this book to read on my next trip to India and Malaysia. I’m pretty good about travel and deals but I can’t wait to learn more from the two of you! Cheers for writing this book for all of us that love to travel but are not rich!
Its so amazing that people don’t realize that traveling doesn’t need to be expensive. So many more people would be able to get out and see the world! I’ve got a nice post about the top 6 resources for cheap or free travel. The ideas are pretty unique, and its proof that traveling doesn’t have to cost a dime.
We saw the article in San Antonio Express news about packing light that said you went to St. Kitts with 6 wardrobe items. In August my husband and I are going to
Europe for 1 month, and we hope to just take a backpack each. I am very interested in the wardrobe that was mentioned in the article. Is there some place to get more info? Is there more about this in your book?
Thanks,
Ruth
Hi Ruth,
Thanks for the note! This was actually part of a “6 Items or Less” wardrobe experiment I did – I wore only 6 pieces of clothing for a whole month. You can read an article I wrote about it here: http://www.shelleyseale.info/AustinWomanApril11.pdf
In terms of traveling, there are many good resources out there for how to pack light while traveling. We do have an excellent One-Bag packing list in our How to Travel for Free book. Personally I think the biggest challenge to traveling with only one bag is weather – if you are going somewhere that is cold and you need coats, boots, heavy gear, etc. But if you’re going to Europe in spring/summer you should be fine. Keith and I spent two and a half months in South Asia this past fall, with only a backpack each!
Shelley
While I know for sure that the above poster is right in saying “nothing is for free” – that’s not to say that we can’t contribute in some way that does not involve MONEY.
Everyone travels sin a different style, and there is a big difference between those who travel as a lifestyle, and tourists. Whichever you decide is for you is ok – but i think this book will be geared towards those who travel as a lifestyle.
Anyway – whatever way you chose to go – travel is the spice of life. Personally, I’ve been doing it as much as possible for the past 10 years, and yes, I’ve sacrificed a lot too – no seady relationship, no steady job, no house etc etc…. BUT, I wouldn’t trade it all back, because time spent seeking new experiences is far better spent than time in an office. That’s just my thinking anyway
Good luck with the book guys. HaPPY TRAVELS FROM iNDONESIA.
It costs more to stay home working than it does to travel the world exploring and learning. I’ve been traveling for 6 years – 27 countries on 4 continents. I teach photography to international travelers, shoot, write, lead volunteer programs, and have learned how to not worry and fall in love with life. I used to spend $500 a day on vacations now I spend $500 in one month of living outside of the USA. And I live well. I am renting a house now with a drop dead gorgeous view of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. Cost – $300 per month.
I also travel solo and have learned that courage takes practice. Being on my own opens me up to more experiences with other people – I am free to decide in the moment what I want to do! I love it.
I have photographed the Dalai Lama in India, ridden elephants bareback, (yes it was illegal) swam with sea turtles. and taught Buddhist nuns kundalini yoga in Nepal – it’s all here and more in my new book – the first reviews are in – check it out –
Lisa C., “I just read the introduction and am already crying. Tears of joy and gratitude for your sharing, your courage, your curiosity, your spirit, and YOU!”
Jemie S, “I couldn’t put it down, it spoke to my heart, it paints a beautiful portrait.”
Satya M, “I am inspired how you surrender everyday to the unknown.”
Nancy R, “The photographs are mind-boggling and beautiful.”
Jenn H, “It’s a great read!”
the ebook is ready:
Kitten Heels in Kathmandu, the Adventures of a Female Vagabond (Friends and Family Version) http://www.bitmenu.com/widget/offer.html?offerId=2619
And an epub version for ipads and iphones:
http://www.bitmenu.com/widget/offer.html?offerId=2633n
Congrats on your book! I will check it out – from one vagabond to another.
Kindly,
Mary Bartnikowski
http//www.bartnikowski.com
http://solofemalevagabond.wordpress.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/zestyzippy
Hi Shelley, from this post I can say for sure this would be a one handy book for a traveler like me. If you just travel once or twice a year or so you wouldn’t really worry about expending too much but once it becomes an addiction, and let me tell you when it does, it’s not really about staying in luxury hotels or pampering yourself. The real fun is to mix with the locals, get familiar with the culture, walking miles to reach a destination. It’s really about getting out of your comfort zone, and that doesn’t really cost much. One site I started using recently and would like to suggest to you as well is http://volunteerstays.com/, it is a great site if you want to stretch your travel dollars and experience local cultures and ways of life. Do check it out.
Thanks Ali, and I agree about volunteerstays.com and volunteering while traveling in general. I have done a whole lot of this, and it has some really good benefits including less expensive (and sometimes free) travel, as well as the opportunity to really get to know a community and be a part of it in a way that regular travel doesn’t allow. Thanks for posting!
Shelley and I are “soul mates” in the sense of enjoying the cultural and intellectual benefits of world travel, while understanding and applying strategies for keeping those travel costs manageable. In addition to Shelley’s informative book, you might also want to check out my book on the same topic: On The Other Guy’s Dime: A Professional’s Guide To Traveling Without Paying. I also invite you to visit my blog, otherguysdime.wordpress.com.
It sounds like a lot of the best experiences you have had were from home exchange programs. What if you want to travel before you are a homeowner? Does the book have alternatives to home exchange programs still traveling very cheap?
Hi Laila,
I think you can still do it if you’re a renter. In fact, at this very moment I have home exchangers in my place in Austin, and I rent it. My family and I stayed at their place in Montreal this past summer, and now they are staying at my place while I visit my family up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
No reason why renters can’t do it. I guess it just depends on your lease and if it’s okay with your landlord. Check your lease and ask. I rent from an individual. Most leases say something like if you have guests for more than 7 days you have to get permission. A lot of home exchange stays aren’t very long term, so it’s not the same as subletting or anything.
So I guess the bottom line is to make sure it’s okay, but I don’t see why you couldn’t do it still. And if not, get creative by thinking of other things to barter besides a place to stay. Many people barter their time or work in other ways (accounting services, graphic design, legal help, etc) in exchange for accommodations or other travel.
And yes, home exchange is definitely one of our best, favorite and more frequent ways to travel for free!
Shelley
Travel writing is and always has been a good way to travel for free or at least to have other people fund your trip in advance. My sister does this several times a year. Prior to travelling she arranges upfront payment for articles and images relating to her chosen destination, primarily from local newspapers and travel supplements in local magazines. It’s not that difficult and you don’t have to be a great writer, all you have to do is write about out-of-the-way locations and take out-of-the-ordinary images and be prepared to contact numerous potential clients to be sure of finding a few to pay for all your travel and living expenses. She’s also found blogging about various countries, and monetizing her blog with affiliate promotions is another way to generate a decent income that at least pays for her to travel. And it’s enjoyable work also.
Everyone travels sin a different style, and there is a big difference between those who travel as a lifestyle, and tourists. Whichever you decide is for you is ok – but i think this book will be geared towards those who travel as a lifestyle.Ayurveda in Kerala
Hi !
I really like what you say here, I would like to talk to you about a website (mine) named backpackmojo.
I think you’ll find the concept interesting. Go to http://www.backpackmojo.com and just send me an email back (kevin(dot)creusy(at)backpackmojo(dot)com) if you want to know more
Good traveling !
Great post! We will definitely check that book out. Any chance of visiting Australia?