04 Aug 2016

Going overseas for an extended period of time, or just seriously strapped for cash while you’re backpacking? These five backpacking secrets will not only enhance your trip, but will also restrict your spending. Which ultimately means you’ll be able to stay longer, right?

1. Couchsurfing 

What’s better than sleeping on a stranger’s floor? Sleeping there for free, that’s what. Couchsurfing lets you and/or your mates find ‘hosts’ who will let you stay with them for free while you’re travelling. Or you can become a host and allow travellers to crash at your place.

Stay with locals all over the world, share meals, go out drinking with their friends and have a ‘more authentic’ cultural experience. Pick up some of the language, learn to cook different meals, or go off and do your own thing taking into consideration all of their prime time suggestions. The rating system means you can check out your potential host’s reviews before you commit to staying. Plus there are plenty that will accept a small group of you too, so don’t be dismayed if you’re travelling with friends!

2. Findacrew

These days Findacrew is more like a Tinder for older folk looking for a lover to sail around the world with–beautiful right? (Note for future self). However, there are plenty of opportunities for independents and small groups to find a boat that’s sailing from one destination to the other and jump onboard. You’ll be working on-deck while tallying up those nautical miles, plus you’ll have a ridiculously cool experience out at sea. Did I mention it’s free? Yeah. Cool.

3. BlaBlaCar

Yeah, okay, so you get your Eurail pass or your 10 bus trips and you think you’re saving yourself big bucks. You are, don’t get me wrong–it’s much cheaper to get your trips in bulk! It also saves you the hassle of organising transport every 5 seconds.

However, if you’re overseas for a while there’s this great thing called the BlaBlaCar. It’s a cross between organised hitchhiking and Uber, but long distance. Type in where you are and where you’re going and find someone who is driving the distance. Essentially, a driver will sell off a seat in their car to help pay for petrol and for the company. It’s infinitely cheaper, and you can experience driving through the countryside and stopping off in little towns for driving breaks. You can chat away or you can stay silent–you can choose your talking levels on the website! And, like all of these things, people leave ratings, so if you’re hesitant, find someone who has done it a few times and has 5 stars next to their name.

4. Workaway

This is one of my favourite places on the internet. Have enough money for flights and not much else? Hook yourself up with a family or independent wherever you’re going and work with them for 4 hours a day in exchange for food and accommodation. Help build sculptures by the sea with an artist in New Zealand. Train Husky dogs under the Northern Lights in Norway. Look after stray cats and dogs in an animal shelter in Brazil. There are more than 22 thousand hosts on there, so I’m sure you’ll find something!

I know of people who have stayed with families for up to a year! You can also hop from place to place and do a month or two here and there, which makes for an incredible learning experience. Imagine all the skills and knowledge you’ll pick up along the way! If you’re lost about which career path to take, jumping on this site and sussing out the things you’re interested in could help make that decision a lot easier!

5. WWOOFing

This is very similar to workaway, except it’s in Australia and stands for Willing Workers On Organic Farms. A lot of travellers, upon returning to their motherland Australia, realise how little of it they’ve seen. WWOOFing allows you to give back to the land that provides for you and connect with the small towns and communities that make Australia what it is.