How to Travel for Free

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Travel doesn’t have to be expensive. By using a few easy tricks, you can travel for free.  And even make money traveling.

How to Travel for Free

Here are 8 ways to travel for free and 2 ways to get paid to travel.

1.  Credit Card Sign-up Bonuses

You can earn free flights from credit card sign-up bonuses. Signing up for one new credit card with a large sign-up bonus, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, can mean a free round-trip flight to Hawaii, Europe, Asia, or some other place on your bucket list.

You could also earn free airfare without flying or without leaving home. The fastest way to free flights is by applying for credit cards with big sign-up bonuses.

Maximize your points by going out on an AYCE (All You Can Earn) airline miles and credit card points binge.

Plus you can earn extra miles when you shop, eat out, and buy flowers. You can even earn miles when you take a cruise!

2.  Airline Companion Passes

Airlines companion passes mean your partner flies for free

Some airlines help you to travel for free by offering companion passes.

With the Southwest Companion Pass your travel companion can fly with you for free for up to 2 years. Yep, two years of free flights on Southwest Airlines!

Think Las Vegas, Florida, Costa Rica, and Belize, just to name a few of the cities that you can fly to on Southwest.  Never been to Belize? Here are 5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Belize.

Other airlines like Alaska Airlines, Delta Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, British Airways, and Lufthansa offer one-time use companion passes. Even with a single-use companion pass, that’s one free flight.

3.  Free Hotel Stays

Get free hotel stays for two nights at the Park Hyatt Sydney

Getting free flights can save you money and so does free hotel stays.

Just like airlines, the hotels offer credit card sign-up bonuses where you can get free hotel nights.

Hotel credit cards give you 25,000 to 150,000 points which can get you 1 to 10 free nights.

You can use those points for hotels in Hawaii, Europe, living it up in Las Vegas, or attending Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

4.  House Swap

Free stays for homeowners when you swap houses

If you own your home house swapping lets you stay for free. You can sign-up through services like HomeExchange and Love Home Swap.

5.  Housesit

Watch someone’s home and enjoy a free stay when you housesit.

Not a homeowner? You can get free accommodations when you housesit with Mind My House and Trusted House Sitters.

6.  Couchsurfing

Free digs and new friends when you couchsurf

Feeling adventurous? Try couchsurfing or globalfreeloading. It’s a great way to get to know locals and it’s free.

You won’t always have to sleep on a couch. Sometimes you’re sleeping on a couch, floor, or even a spare bed. It depends on your host.

I had a great experience couch surfing in Bend, Oregon.

7.  WWOOF

Organic farmers get free travel

If the idea of meeting locals appeals to you and you’re willing to work in exchange for free room and board, consider WWOOFing.

WWOOF connects you with a local organic farm where you can volunteer to help for as long or as little as you and your host farm agree.

Helpx and Workaway offer similar arrangements.

8. Free Car Rides

Go where you want for free with Blablacar

Instead of renting a car, you can get free car rides using BlaBlaCar.

You can get a free road trip if you’re willing to drive from Florida to Washington, or from California to New York.  That’s because car rental companies need to move their fleet to other locations.

9. Teach English

Get paid to teach English in other countries while you travel

Traveling for free is great, but getting paid to travel is even better.

If you’re a fluent English speaker and have a TEFL degree, you can make a lot of money teaching English in other countries.  Some countries will even pay for your flights.

10. Tour Guide

Freelance as a tour guide for extra money through companies like Viator

If you’re an extrovert and like meeting new people consider becoming a tour guide

You can pick up extra cash by hiring yourself out as a tour guide while you’re traveling. Contact tour companies like Viator for their freelance tour guide requirements.

Conclusion

You can travel for free (or close to it) and even get paid to travel if you know these eight tricks.

Big sign-up bonuses on credit cards can score you free flights without flying. And you can get up to 10 free hotel nights when you sign-up for hotel credit cards.  Some credit cards have no minimum spending requirement. This means you get the miles immediately after you apply.  How’s that for instant gratification?

Your partner can fly free with you thanks to companion passes from Southwest, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, British Airways, and Lufthansa.

Get free accommodations through home swaps, housesitting, couchsurfing, and WWOOFing.

And if you need a little spending money while traveling, you can teach English or work as a tour guide.

These tips a little too tame for you? Try your hand at extreme mile and point collecting.

Which of these eight tricks have you used (or plan to use) to travel for free?

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Traveling Well For Less has partnered with Your Best Credit Cards for our coverage of credit card products. Traveling Well For Less and YBCC may receive a commission from card issuers.

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Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card is currently offering a quick way to get up to two years of free flights. The welcome offer is up to 120,000 points: 60,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first three months. And another 60,000 points after spending a total of $15,000 in the first 9 months. This offer will end soon.

 

My favorite perks about this card are earning 3X points per $1 on Southwest purchases, 2X points on rideshare, 2 free Earlybird checkins, and no foreign transaction fees.

 

Review of the Southwest Premier Business card.

 

Learn more about the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card and how to apply

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Capital One Venture X Business

With the Capital One Venture X Business the welcome offer is 150,000 mile bonus after spending $$30,000 on purchases in the first three months.

 

My favorite perks about this card are free Capital One Lounge access, earning 2X points on all purchases, and transferring miles to over 15 travel loyalty programs.

 

Learn more about the Capital One Venture X Business and how to apply

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best card to get started in the world of miles and points. It is the first card you should get to start traveling for free because the welcome offer is 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months.

 

My favorite perks about this card are earning 5X points on travel when booked through the Chase portal (2X if direct purchase), 3X points on dining, $50 yearly credit on hotels booked through the Chase portal, no foreign transaction fees, and transferring points to 13 airline and hotel partners like Hyatt, United, and Southwest.

 

Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and how to apply