The two biggest travel expenses tend to be airfare and accommodation. International flights can easily cost thousands of dollars (or euros, pounds, etc.) which is why we already did the research to bring you the best sites for cheap flights. When it comes to having a place to sleep, wouldn’t it be great to eliminate this cost from your budget entirely? The good news it that you can by finding free accommodation while traveling!

When traveling long-term, finding cost-effective accommodation can be tricky. Hotels are nice but not sustainable, Airbnb often cost just as much, and while hostels keep costs down, they are not tailored to women over 30.

So what do you do do if you love to travel for a longer period of time, like many in our She Hit Refresh community, but need to cut down on costs on a place to sleep? There are a variety of options for you. We’ve created a comprehensive guide to free accommodation while traveling so you can save money, stretch your budget, and spend more time on the road.

How to Get Free Accommodation Around The World

House Sitting

What is house sitting?

House sitting sounds almost too good to be true: travel the world with a free place to stay, in exchange for taking care of someone’s home while they are away. Not a bad deal. House sitting is becoming more popular and is accessible to everyone: singles, couples, families, and young and seasoned travelers alike. In addition to looking after someone’s home, you may also take care of a pet and outdoor home areas.

While there are some paid house sitting jobs, most gigs are unpaid; it works more like an exchange,  your assistance for free accommodation. This service is more suited to saving money than making money.

Some of the expenses you can expect as a house sitter include an annual house sitting site fee, any special food items and possible restocking of the homeowners food that you have consumed, and in some cases utilities (more common for a long-term stay, and this should be discussed and negotiated between you and the homeowner before arriving).

A plus is that you get to live like a local whether it’s luxury or no-frills in houses, apartments, and farms. If you’re looking for long-term slow travel, this is an option to save you some serious money! Stay for days, weeks, or even months at a time. When you’re ready to sign up on a house sitting site, be sure to check out these tips for creating your profile so that you can stand out from the rest.

How can I start house sitting?

TrustedHousesitters* is the largest and most popular house sitting site and “helps pet lovers travel.” If you are not into animals then this is probably not the site for you. All house sits are unpaid, but in exchange for being a trustworthy house/pet sitter you get free accommodation in a seemingly endless list of locations around the world. Some of the most popular destinations include the U.K., U.S., Australia, Canada, and France.

TrustedHousesitters allows you to search by region, travel date, trip duration, and type of pet. While it is more common to house sit cats and dogs, there are house sits that require guests to care for horses, reptiles, fish, birds, and even farm animals.

The annual Membership is $119 USD/ 89€. If you have any questions, read through their thorough FAQ for house sitters.  

Another popular house sitting site is HouseCarers. Although HouseCarers has a much lower membership fee than TrustedHousesitters, $50, their selection of house sits is not as broad. If you’re looking for a low annual fee, check out MindMyHouse, another frequently recommended site that is only $20 a year. The new kid on the block in housesitting is Nomador, with an annual membership of $89 or $35 a quarter; they have a cool “stopover” feature which allows travelers to search for hosts for short-term stays for when you’re in between long-term accommodation.

While all the aforementioned sites have a global reach, you can narrow your search in a specific country through sites like, House Sitters America, House Sitters Canada, and Aussie House Sitters.

Volunteer Exchange

What is a volunteer exchange?

If you have time or knowledge to offer and are interested in volunteering abroad then a volunteer exchange is a practical way to obtain free accommodation while traveling. There are a wide range of hosts who need help with everything from teaching English, childcare, marketing, working at a hostel, caring for farm animals, teaching yoga classes, restoring homes and more.

A volunteer exchange provides the opportunity to get involved with locals as you will be both living with them and working alongside them. Each exchange is unique, which means the amount of required work hours vary from host to host, as do the minimum and maximum duration for each stint.

Meals are sometimes included, while special foods, toiletries, and transportation are not. Depending on your volunteer exchange you may have access to free classes, excursions, and language lessons. While some hosts are located in major cities, many can be found off the beaten path, giving you the opportunity to explore a lesser-known area of the country you are visiting. Wherever you choose to go, read the reviews carefully first to get a feel for the hosts and the previous volunteers’ experience.

How can I start volunteering?

Workaway is the biggest online community for volunteering and cultural exchanges around the world. You can find a host in every corner of the world; when doing your research we suggest first deciding if you prefer a rural setting with limited transportation and “luxuries” such as air conditioning and Wifi or  being closer to a city with access to sightseeing and social opportunities.

Through Workaway you’ll be able to choose from a variety of volunteer options: working with an NGO, families, schools, farmstays, animal welfare, and communities. Some volunteer exchange opportunities host multiple volunteers at the same time, where you can meet people from all over the world.

Most Workaway gigs include both accommodation and food in exchange for your help. The work week typically ranges from 20 to 30 hours a week. Accommodation varies with each exchange, however unlike house sitting, you most likely won’t have a private space. Be open to sharing a bedroom and bathroom with other volunteers. For those that are traveling with families and/or pets, there are a few options available, although they are more limited. Annual membership is 32€  for a single person and 42€ for couples.

WWOOF , or WWOOFing as it’s often called, stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It’s similar in concept to Workaway, as a network of host and volunteer matching, except WWOOF is limited to living and working on organic farms around the world. For those that are “passionate about healthy food, healthy living and a healthy planet,” as the website states, WWOOFing might be a perfect match for you.

Volunteer opportunities with WWOOF are categorized by country. Unlike other work exchange sites that allow you to search global opportunities for a flat rate membership, each country on WWOOF has its own site, rules, and individual membership fees. This is because each country is comprised of a network of local organizations that work independently.

HelpX is another popular site that works v like Workaway but with a less attractive interface, with an annual membership of 20€. There’s also the  lesser-known Worldpackers. For anyone looking for a nautical experience, Find a Crew is the “the world’s largest international and interactive marine crew and boat database” for boat, yacht, and ship owners to connect with volunteer crew members. Finally, if you are looking for regional farmstays check out Farm Stay US and Farm Stay Australia.

Others Options for Free Accommodation While Traveling

Couchsurfing is the original stay-for-free-with-strangers option. It’s defined as a “stay temporarily in a series of other people’s homes, typically making use of improvised sleeping arrangements.” Although I had a couple of incredible experiences couchsurfing in my 20s, it wouldn’t be my first choice as a woman over 30. However, we still have “refreshers” who use Couchsurfing, and it could be an option for free short-term accommodation.

An “improvised sleeping arrangement” might mean a stay on your host’s couch instead of an extra bedroom or inflatable mattress. Other similar sites  are BeWelcome and the Hospitality Club, although the latter has a very antiquated interface.

In addition to finding hosts, couchsurfing sites offer more than just homestays, as they can also be used to meet up with locals and even find people who are willing to show you around their city.

For cyclists, Warm Showers is a perfect fit where you can find a warm shower, store your bike, grab a bite, or just have a drink with a host along your international route.

Lastly, you could opt for a house swap. As the name implies, a house swap or home exchange is where you can contact other travelers and exchange homes for a free stay around the world. Home Exchange (boasting more than a million exchanges worldwide), Home Link, and Love Home Swap are the most popular sites.

*Disclosure: Please note that the link above is an affiliate link, and at no additional cost to you, She Hit Refresh will receive a commission if you decide to sign-up for a TrustedHousesitters account after clicking through the link. Please understand that She Hit Refresh recommends this product because we feel it is helpful and useful to our audience, not because of the small commission we make if you decide to sign-up through th link. Please do not spend any money on membership unless you feel you need to.

See, travel doesn’t have to expensive! If you’ve tried out any of the above or have a suggestion that we left off, please let us know the in comments below!