As we discuss in the book, How to Travel for Free (or pretty damn near it!), entering contests and giveaways is a great way to get free travel. I have won several trips over the years, and here at How to Travel for Free we often run our own contests (so keep checking back often!)
Elisabeth Good
First we have some tips on How to Win Giveaways by Keeping it Local, from Elisabeth Good. Elisabeth runs a site called My Local Giveaways, a directory for giveaways that are specific to your area. The idea is to find giveaways with fewer possible entries giving you better odds of winning. Here is Elisabeth’s advice – and check out some of the awesome active travel contests below that, which you can enter now!
My husband and I recently spent a Saturday out in Atlanta with my younger siblings. We took them to lunch and a museum for free, both from giveaways I’d won. We even filled up the car with gas on the way home using a gift card I had won! There have been many things my husband and I have been able to do, from plays and movies to concerts and eating at fancy restaurants. These are things that we wouldn’t normally do because, like everyone else in the country we are keeping close tabs on what we spend, which sometimes means that having fun isn’t our biggest priority. I love winning experiences rather than just “stuff”… although that’s nice too!
A lot of these giveaways I have won have been local giveaways. By entering sweepstakes that are local to your city or state you can greatly increase your chances of winning! Some of the advantages are: fewer entries giving you better chances, it gives you the opportunity to do activities you wouldn’t normally be able to do, and they typically run for a shorter amount of time.
I would suggest bookmarking your local radio stations, news stations and newspaper’s contest pages and checking them often for updated contests. Also, see if they have a facebook page. Often times they will hold random giveaways on the facebook. You could also find some of your favorite local businesses or restaurants on facebook, who might offer up a giveaway at some point.
It won’t be long before you have a win!
Here are some AWESOME travel giveaways we have seen recently, that are all active and open for entries. I’ve entered all of them, and suggest you do the same. Who knows, you may even win!
Nymgo – Win a Free Trip Anywhere in the World
Nymgo, in celebration of it’s global relaunch, is hosting a month-long contest on 5 of it’s regional Facebook pages to win one of 5 plane tickets to fly anywhere in the world. The contest was originally scheduled to end submissions on Jan 20th, but has just been extended to Feb 1st.
Nymgo is heating up its social media efforts by celebrating and honoring the hard work of expats and all kinds people living all over the globe by launching the “Nymgo, fly me to visit someone”contest on its regional Facebook pages: Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan. A total of 5 competitions and 5 round trip airplane tickets , Nymgo is awarding one person on each of these Facebook pages the chance to fly anywhere in the world, by simply choosing a friend they would like to visit. The contestant simply uploads a picture along with a required caption (maximum 500 words) explaining why they should win the trip to see that person.
Click on the link to enter from one of 5 regional pages – and you can enter all 5!
The Rickshaw Run – Win a Spot on the Autumn 2012 Race
If you want adventure, you can hardly get more adventurous than the Rickshaw Run. This is an absolutely insane race across India in a rickshaw – the slowest, most impractical, prone-to-breakdown vehicle there ever was. There is no route or rules, your only goal is to finish. Keith and I have seriously considered doing this, and jumped at the chance to win a free spot on the next Rickshaw Run this September!
I recently wrote about a team from Austin, the Lone Star Rickshaw, that just completed the last race that ended a week ago. Click here to enter a chance to win your spot!
Finnair – Win Two Round-Trip Tickets to China
In May, Finnair will be the first European airline to open a direct route to Chongqing, a burgeoning metropolis of 30 million in inland China. The new route will complement Finnair’s already excellent connections from over 50 European cities to ten destinations in Asia, including Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
In order to celebrate the new Chongqing route and the Chinese New Year, Finnair is giving away round-trip tickets to Chongqing for two. Alternatively, if the lucky winner is from Asia, they will give away Finnair flight tickets from Chongqing to a European destination of your choice.
All you have to do is answer a simple multiple choice question and fill out your contact information!
Adventures with Ben – Win a Guerrilla Pack Voltij Backpack
After a glowing review of this new travel backpack, adventurer and blogger Ben Reed is offering multiple ways to win one for yourself.
Guerrilla Packs will be offering one Voltij Backpack to one of you lucky readers! How awesome is that? This is a fantastic backpack that will treat you well. And whether you’re in need of a backpack, or in need of a gift to give a fellow traveler, this will be sure to hit the spot.
Go to Ben’s site for multiple ways to get entries, such as signing up for his newsletter, sharing or tweeting the post, etc.
And of course, don’t forget to check back on our site often for new updates on resources for traveling free and more contests that you can enter!
How to Travel for Free 