Where to sleep for free
While travelling almost everyone experiences a time where they have less money. You are searching for solutions to spend as less as possible. Sleeping is a thing you have to do and sometimes even the cheapest hostels cost a lot.
Cheap sleeps
Of course, you can sleep under every bridge you can find, and it’s very cheap. Although not the most comfortable and not all places like it if you sleep randomly on a park bench or under a bridge. So if you looking for something else here are a few tips.
Go Couchsurfing. You can go to the app or website, here you can find and contact locals and sleep in there place. Sometimes they offer you a couch, sometimes you get an air mattress and if you are lucky you get a real bed. Some people like to get involved in your travels as well and like to show you around in the city, some people are fine with you sleeping there but don’t feel like hanging out together.
Read more in my blog about Couchsurfing here.
Workaway is a good option. Almost everywhere in the world you can do this. It’s working in exchange for accommodation and food. Here you have to keep in mind that you work a bit each day so if you want to have the whole day for sightseeing this is not a good option for you.
You have to pay to sign up for Workaway, your membership is valid for a year.
Read more in my blog about Workaway here.
Hostels sometimes provide free accommodation in exchange of a little bit of work each day. Often this work is housekeeping. Ask at the hostel where you want to stay if they have something like this. Maybe you can offer some of your own services to the hostel, in exchange for accommodation. Cooking for guests for example. This often works only if you stay at least a few nights.
In a lot of countries there are free campgrounds. They don’t offer a lot of facilities and most of the time you are only allowed to stay a couple of nights, but hey it’s for free and it is often really nice area’s. So if you have your own campervan or tent where you can sleep in then you can stay here for free. But pay attention to the signs not all free camp spots allow tents.
Stay with friends and family. Travelling is making friends everywhere, so after you made those friends you can go and visit them. Maybe they offer you a place to stay for a few nights at their house. Nice to do something in return, cook for them, clean the house, etc.
You can also do house-sitting. Where you stay in someone’s house while they are on holiday. Sometimes you get even paid for it. Most of the time it is only in return for your free stay there.
It is maybe more a job than only free accommodation, but out of my own experience, I can tell you it can be great to be an au pair. In most cases, as an au pair, you will stay with the family, for free. Read my experience here.
There are more options how you can sleep for free but I didn’t try them myself yet so can’t tell much about it. For example, I heard of warmshowers.org. What I have heard of it is it similar as Couchsurfing only than especially for cyclists.
So from now on everyone can travel, not enough money is no excuse anymore!