UPTOURIST

Our mailbox at UpTourist is constantly filled up with great questions that you guys have about traveling — how to get where you’re going, where you should stay, how to save money on airfare and hotel rooms, etc.

One of the most common trending questions as of late is about how to make money and travel at the same time. This is no surprise to me as I’ve been in your shoes before, wondering if there’s a way to leave the hum-drum of daily life behind and just hit the road with nothing but a plane ticket and however many clothes can be crammed into a large backpack.

Grrrl Traveler, Christine details several different jobs you can get while moving from one place to the next and even discusses a bit about how to get a working visa to teach English.

There was a lot of good information dished out in this video. I’ll send you over to Christine’s site, where she gives a detailed overview of everything she just told you about, including all the great links she talked about: http://grrrltraveler.com/the-grrr/gap-year/make-money-traveling/

Of course, she’s talking about doing everything on the “up and up”. That’s great, but I know many traveler’s who’re nomadic by nature and don’t like being tied down to one place. Going the working visa route is great if you’re inspired to teach English or if you have a special trade or degree such as being a doctor or something. Korea, Japan, and China all pretty much require you to have a university degree in order to get a visa to work in their country as an English teacher. I have no idea why in the world they insist on this requirement, but it is what it is.

Thailand is a great place to find work if you don’t have the education but want a visa for an extended stay working as an English teacher. There are also many places to find “illegal” work as an English teacher or tutor there.

However, if you truly want to travel and make money as needed, this isn’t the way to go.

I’ve found that hostels are the very best places to learn about available jobs. The hosts generally have their thumb on what’s going on in terms of work in their locales and you’ll also meet other experienced travelers who know where to find work in a given area. Going this route, you can build up credibility with local business owners and farmers and they’ll take you back when you pass through again in the future. You can bounce around from season to season going wherever the work is and cash is usually paid daily.

When I first set out many moons ago on my first journey, it was to the Land Down Under. A guy I met working here in Canada told me about the fruit and vegetable picking jobs that were available all over the Oz and I settled into my first job with Finborough Park in Victoria picking apples and pears. I’ve heard they do require a visa now to work there, but most of these places are more than glad to qualify you if you show up in person and talk to them. This is much easier than applying for a teaching job in Korea, then waiting and desperately hoping you’ll get approved. $40 for the day plus a free bed and shower — not bad and there’s even better jobs to be had if you look around.

For the most part, if you truly want to work, you can find it and pick up all the cash you need along the way.

 

Main image by Queen’s University