Apartment swaps and co. How to get vacation bargains
In times of expensive air travel and costly hotel stays, cheap vacations are becoming more and more of an alternative for many people. The options are many and varied.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Inexpensive travel alternatives such as apartment or house swaps, couchsurfing and pet sitting offer free accommodation, often combined with unique encounters and experiences.
- Programs such as workaway, WWOOFing or volunteer work allow travelers accommodation and partial board in exchange for help in various areas.
- Other money-saving options include wild camping in permitted countries, sailing as a crew member or low-season offers that make affordable vacations possible with flexibility and creativity.
Going on vacation for free? It really is possible.
Adventurous, cosmopolitan people have various options for traveling free of charge. These are often less comfortable than all-inclusive stays and frequently not without something in return, but they are almost always full of encounters, experiences and adventures.
So are vacations on the balcony the order of the day? Not necessarily! There is a whole range of travel options that are cheap or even completely free. However, these are not offered to you by travel agencies or travel portals. If you are prepared to gain experience beyond all-inclusive and package tours, you don't have to dig deep into your pockets.
Apartment or house swaps are a good option
But can anyone really go on vacation for free or is this perhaps only something for young, independent and extremely flexible people who don't value comfort?
In fact, there are many different ways to spend a vacation for free. Especially if you have living space that you can swap, your options are almost limitless.
Of course, not everyone has the opportunity to swap their house or apartment. But don't worry, there are plenty of free travel options for everyone else - from house-sitting to couchsurfing to workaway.
It's not just accommodation that's free, but also experiences, encounters and adventures. Those who travel for free often get to know the country and its people particularly well.
House swap is a cheap alternative
House swapping is a great way to travel for free and yet in comfort.
You swap your own home (or a vacation apartment) for someone else's home - either simultaneously or at different times. It's particularly easy if you live by the sea, in a big city or in another sought-after location. Both international and national swaps are possible.
And how does home swapping work? There are special paid platforms for this, such as HomeExchange or Love Home Swap, which make it easier to find swap partners and also offer a certain degree of security. You can also swap your home easily via Facebook groups or organize swapping privately.
Pet sitting is also an idea
Not everyone can or wants to offer their home for swapping. In this case, it may be an option to come as a pet sitter for a free vacation. People with pets are sometimes looking for guardians and caretakers for their four-legged friends while they are on vacation. The prerequisite is, of course, that you love animals. Your chances are even better if you have experience with the species in question.
Some homeowners do not want their house to be empty while they are away. Some have plants or a whole garden that someone needs to look after. Others don't want burglars to find an empty house.
An official platform for searching and finding pet and house sitters is Trusted Housesitters, for example. There are also corresponding Facebook groups.
Vacation in exchange for work
Vacations for work means that you get free accommodation and sometimes meals in exchange for helping out. Your help can take many forms - from childcare to manual work to web design. There is a suitable offer for every type of skill - simply browse through various "UgH" Facebook groups or post a request.
Workaway? These are vacations where you work
Concepts such as WWWOOFing, Workaway or Work & Travel follow the same principle.
Volunteering abroad is a great way to gain experience, get to know a country and its people and at the same time travel for free or very cheaply. This is because in return for the volunteer work there is usually free accommodation, sometimes even food.
Couchsurfing has been around for a long time
Couchsurfing is probably the best-known way of traveling for free. If you register with couchsurfing.com, you can offer travelers a place to sleep and/or search for accommodation with hosts worldwide yourself. In most cases, you get more than just a place to sleep from the cosmopolitan members of the community: first-hand tips and exchanges are part of this type of travel.
Wild camping is permitted in some countries
Wild camping is permitted in many places, but not in Germany. Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Baltic states are considered to be particularly liberal.
Wild camping is also permitted in most areas of Romania.
In Switzerland, wild camping is not generally prohibited, but there are many restrictions.
The legal provisions on wild camping - i.e. spending the night outside official campsites or motorhome pitches - are regulated at cantonal level in Switzerland. However, sovereignty ultimately lies with the municipalities, which can also set their own rules.
It is therefore important to find out about the rules of the individual cantons or municipalities. The TCS recommends: "Play it safe and always enquire locally at the respective municipality, tourist office or local police station if you want to stay overnight outside of official campsites or pitches." You can find a list of European countries here.
Camping for transit
In Germany, where wild camping is prohibited, you can park your van, motorhome or tent free of charge - namely on the property of private individuals.
You can use the "Parkn'Sleep" app or the Facebook group "Camper campen bei Campern" to find people who offer campers their land. This is usually more for a night in transit than for a full vacation.
Traveling by boat
It is even possible to cross the Atlantic by hitchhiking. Skippers are often looking for a helping hand and offer free (board and) lodging on board.
Sailing experience is an advantage, but not a must. If you would like to do this, either browse through Facebook groups or approach boat owners directly at the harbor.
Check out low-season offers
Nothing among the options mentioned? No problem - in addition to no-budget trips, low-budget vacations are a real alternative.
With a little flexibility in terms of destination and travel period, your vacation doesn't have to be expensive. Low-cost airlines, off-season or low-season and less touristy destinations - this combination is sometimes available for surprisingly little money.
