Talk your way to a free stay
Fancy a free week in a resort in Spain or Germany? If you’re willing to help Spanish and German speakers with their English language skills then you are in luck. Diverbo offer week-long programs where a group of 15-25 volunteers (from Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, USA, etc) stay at one of their hotel resorts and provide conversation in English, through a diverse daily schedule. It involves one-to-one conversations, mealtime discussions, group sessions and evening entertainment. Not only can you experience another country for free, you’re bound to make new friends as well.
Relocate cars
Keen to take a roadtrip in Australia? There’s a free car for that! Say what? Transfercar is a vehicle relocation service that enables rental car companies to drastically reduce costs while offering a way for budget conscious travellers to travel for free. Basically you’ll be relocating a one-way hire car (and it’s often a new model too!) back to its original location. As long as you can travel within certain dates you can take advantage of offers. There are free offers available as well as supercheap rates.
Be crafty with your credit card
Want instant frequent flyer points, enough to take you as far as the USA? There are numerous loyalty programs that will link you with free travel awards when you sign up and using a credit card to pay bills and shop online will generate significant points. Research, and more research is the key, otherwise, amongst other nasty surprises, you can be charged a hefty interest rate. Remember, you should only do this as long as you stay within a budget and keep up to date with payments. Compare what’s on offer at Credit Card Compare.
Houseswap
If you’re willing to give up the keys to your place you can take part in a houseswap. A straight swap means they stay at your house while you stay at theirs, and if it's a secondary home or holiday rental there may be more flexibility. There are a number of companies that allow you to browse available homes around the world from luxury inner city condos to chateaux. You can sign up to HomeExchange for free and LoveHomeSwap has a free trial, they have a pet-friendly filter as well if you’d like a pet-sitter, or a furry friend in your destination.