The biggest barrier to being able to travel is the cost involved. It can be an expensive business paying for a holiday – particularly by the time you add together the flights, accommodation, meals and drinks, the cost of entrance to visitor attractions, and an allowance for some spending money.

If you’d love to travel but have limited resources, don’t despair. There are some crafty ways to enjoy the travel experience without getting yourself into financial difficulties. Here are a few pointers to get you started.

Book A Volunteering Holiday

If you enjoy getting stuck into restoration projects, maybe a spot of archaeology or natural habitat maintenance, among many other opportunities, you could sign up for a volunteering holiday. As the name suggests, you will be contributing your time and energy to some form of worthwhile project. Some of these are completely free, with all expenses paid for by the organisers; others require you to cover your living expenses or travel costs. Some of these trips may charge you a fee for taking part, but this will cover your bed and board and will be considerably more economical than paying for a full price holiday. You’ll still have plenty of time to enjoy yourself and explore your location, just make sure the work is something you are interested in and enjoy doing in order to have the best experience.

Bargain Trips

If you browse the web regularly, you could find some drastically reduced offers on certain holidays. Providers may sell off flights, hotel rooms, or packages at greatly reduced prices if they are down on bookings, or if not all the spaces have been filled in the last days before departure. There are also sites such as Teletext Holidays that specialise in offering cheap all inclusive deals for those looking for a little luxury. Have a look through the details on each site you find and see what hidden charges there may be. All-inclusive options are easier to budget for as you know what you’ll be spending ahead of time, or you might be able to combine separate offers on flights and accommodation to get the best price.

Working Abroad

Rather than volunteering and still having to pay towards your trip, you could see if there are any suitable roles available whereby you could work for the season, earning some cash at the same time as enjoying your surroundings. There are often openings for tour guides, lifeguards, chalet maids and other roles associated with the tourism trade. You will typically need to be available for the entire season, and you may have to work longer hours than you would as a volunteer. However, in addition to having time to explore your surroundings, you’ll also gain valuable new skills and experience that could help you in your future career.

It is possible to travel across the world using these methods, and save yourself a whole lot of cash in the process. Some of the ideas may seem a little unconventional, but if you have the right attitude, you could find this is a rewarding and life-enhancing way to visit places you wouldn’t have the opportunity to otherwise.