25 Ways to Make Money While you Travel

1. Be a Web Designer

In this day and age, a business doesn’t really exist until it has a website and there is a huge demand for people who know the basics of WordPress, HTML and Web Publishing. If you have the ability to put together a decent website, you can make money while you travel by offering your services as a freelance web designer.
You will probably have to start small, working for cheap in the beginning to build up your portfolio and improve your reputation online. However, once you create an established name for yourself and refine your skills, you will be able to spend your days designing websites for your clients from a beach hut in Thailand or an internet cafe in Amsterdam and make money while you travel.
9 Steps to Starting Your Freelance Web Design Business
Simon and Erin at Never Ending Voyage travel the world with their web design business, check out their great blog for some insight into the lifestyle.

2. Be a Freelance Writer

This is the chosen path for yours truly and the best way for me to earn money while travelling the world. There are many different types of freelance writing you can do, from writing sales copy for websites to writing travel guides to writing newsletters and blogs for various companies. I like to do a little bit of everything, as it keeps the money flowing in and keeps things interesting.

Doing some writing work in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Just like freelance web design, this is another source of income that won’t happen overnight and needs to be built up over time before you can make money while you travel. It took me about a year to build my freelance writing income from side gig to full time, by writing in my evenings and weekends outside of my “day job” while working abroad in England.
How to Become a Freelance Travel Writer
How Working Abroad Helped My Start My Dream Business

2. Teach English

English is becoming the global language and there is a very big demand for people around the world to learn it so that they can improve their education and career prospects.

Teaching English in Armenia – photo by G0h4r via Wikimedia Creative Commons

Many of the people who we meet on the road are English teachers who have been working abroad for many months or years. Most have seemed very happy with their jobs, as they get to work with people in a fun and challenging way and have the option to live abroad anywhere in the world. English teaching jobs are available in many countries throughout Asia, South America, Europe, Central America and elsewhere.
Some jobs require a Bachelors Degree, others simply require an English teaching certificate such as a TEFL. You could end up living in a hut in a village in Ecuador or in a modern apartment in Seoul, Korea, the possibilities are endless.
Dave’s ESL Cafe – A great resource for English teachers
A collection of Rockin’ Resources to Teach English Abroad

In Halong Bay, Vietnam there is a job available as an English teacher at this small floating school. No qualifications are required, although there is no salary. (But you get unlimited free fish!)

4. Work in Bars

Do you know that bar on the beach in Thailand or Tenerife that you absolutely loved during your last holiday? What if you could spend every night hanging out there, listening to the music and chatting to other travellers?
In a lot of popular backpacker destinations, bars and nightclubs will hire Western staff for short term stints. The only requirement is being able to speak English and handle a drink. Being friendly and outgoing certainly gives you an advantage, as well as having bartending experience.
This might not be the best way to experience the local culture, as most of your interactions will be with drunk tourists, but you will get days off for that and it can be a lot of fun as well as a great way to make money while you travel.
Life Behind Bars – Keep the Party Going by Bar Tending Abroad
How to Get a Bartending Job Overseas

5. Work as a Tour Guide

Are you comfortable speaking in front of crowds? Do you have a passion for history and culture? You could find yourself sharing stories about the ghosts of a haunted prison in New Zealand or the house where Vincent Van Gogh used to live in the Montmartre district of Paris.
There are many tour guide jobs all over the world, including walking tours at historical sites and in city centres as well as bus tours, bike tours, outdoor adventure tours and much more. You could find a job taking visitors on a 45 minute walk around an old castle in Scotland or taking them for a two week camping trip through the Rocky Mountains of Canada, all depending on your preference and your area of expertise.

Our tour guide showing us that the rock in Halong Bay we kayaked through is pictured on the Vietnamese 200,000 Dong note.

The downsides of the job might be the stupid questions you get asked and having to deal with lazy travellers who expect you to figure everything out for them. However, the upside is getting to make money while you travel and spend your time in a location that is fascinating to you, sharing its wonders with others.
Tour Guide Jobs – Working Abroad Magazine
Life Working Abroad as a Tour Guide

6. Work in Hotels or Hostels

There are millions of hotels and hostels around the world and each one needs anywhere from a few staff to dozens to keep it running smoothly. If you have customer service and hospitality training and experience, you could find yourself working at reception or as a concierge, or there are also jobs as cleaners, bellhops, kitchen staff, wait staff, event hosts and much more.
It’s up to you whether you would prefer to work in a laid back youth hostel or a five star resort, as each will have its advantages or disadvantages and will offer a different experience.
So You Want to Work in Hotels

7. Work as Crew on a Boat

Imagine living on a yacht or a sailboat, going wherever the wind takes you and spending weeks, months or even years exploring tropical islands and sun-soaked shores.

Boats at Granville Island, Vancouver, Canada

There are many boat owners who love to take large voyages and will hire you on to work on the boat in exchange for accommodation, food and the chance to sail the seven seas. Some might ask for a basic amount of sea-faring knowledge, but others will likely be willing to train you in the art of swabbing the deck and hoisting the main sails. As long as you don’t suffer from sea sickness and can get along with people in a confined space for long periods of time, this can be an exhilarating way to see the world.
There are many websites out there that help you find crew positions on boats, such as Find a Crew, Crewfile and Crewbay.

8. Become a Diving Instructor

Gaining a diving instructor qualification will give you a great opportunity to work in many gorgeous beach locations all over the world and it pays decent money too. Your daily routine will consist of taking travellers on underwater expeditions and hanging out on the beach, with no doubt some partying mixed in there.
Whether diving becomes a lifelong passion or just a way to stay on that idyllic Thai island for a little bit longer, this is a great job that will enable you to make money while you travel.
How to Become a Certified Scuba Diver
PADI Scuba Diving Instructor Courses

9. Work as a Translator

Do you speak a second language? Or two or three? There is quite a demand for translation jobs online and also offline as well. Just take a look at the translation section of any freelance website and you will see many companies willing to pay you to translate their web copy or other materials into another language.
This job requires quite a bit of skill, because you need to be very fluent and have strong writing skills in the language you are translating into. However, if this comes naturally to you it can be a sweet way to work remotely and travel the world.
Translation jobs are often posted on freelance websites such as Odesk, Peopleperhour and Elance.

10. Work for a Charity

Charities operate around the world and they need staff, whether it is for fundraising, administration or hands-on-labour. No matter what cause you are interested in, whether it is rehabilitating orphaned baby elephants, providing clean water for a village or delivering medical supplies to remote hill tribes, there is likely a charity out there that you can team up with to make a difference in the world.

Work abroad for a charity to help people in developing countries. – photo of refugee women in Chad by Mark Knobil via Wikimedia Creative Commons

If you already have a set of skills or a trade, you will be able to put them to good use to help a charity. For example, if you have a medical degree Doctors without Borders provides medical aid to warn-torn regions and developing countries. If you have carpentry skills, Habitat for Humanity helps to build affordable housing in impoverished regions.
How Can I Do Charity Work Abroad?

11. Pick Fruit

If you can handle a bit of physical labour and don’t mind working outside in the sunshine all day, a great way to make money while you travel is to pick fruit. When harvest time comes around in orchards all over the world, extra workers are needed to pick the huge amount of produce.
The nature of this work is impermanent and as soon as the last strawberry, apple or kiwifruit has been picked you will be essentially out of a job. However, if you time it well you will be able to make your way around season by season, staying wherever the picking is good and then moving on to the next crop.
Pickingjobs.com
Fruit Picking Jobs on AnyworkAnywhere

12. Pick up Seasonal Retail Work

Lee has retail experience as he has put it to good use on our travels on two occasions. In Christchurch, New Zealand and in St. John’s Newfoundland he got a temporary job over the busy Christmas season in an electronics shop, thanks to his passion for gadgets and his outgoing personality. Many retail stores will hire extra temporary staff in the weeks leading up to Christmas to handle the busy crowds of shoppers and since the position is short-term they won’t usually mind that you are a traveller.

Lee looking very enthusiastic about his seasonal retail job at Bond & Bond in Christchurch, New Zealand

If you do a great job over the season, they might even offer to keep you on afterward as a member of staff, which is what happened to Lee both times.
Get Hired for the Holidays – How to Get a Seasonal Retail Job
How to Turn a Seasonal Retail Job into a Permanent Position

13. Become an Au Pair

If you have experience working with kids, being an au pair or nanny can be a fantastic way to make money while you travel. You will be a live-in childcare provider for your host family, in exchange for room, board and a small salary.
Native English speakers are very sought-after as au pairs all over the world, as many host families want their children to speak some English. It will also give you a chance to improve your language skills. Your job will usually consist of taking care of the children, picking them up from school, helping them with homework, cooking light meals and performing other household duties. You will also have plenty of free time to study, socialise and explore the area where you are working.
There are many websites that will help you find au pair jobs, such as GreatAuPair.com, Aupair.com, and Aupairworld.net.

14. Work on a Farm

In farms all over the world there is a never ending daily array of things to do, from milking the cows to feeding the chickens to chopping wood. If you can work hard and don’t mind getting your hands a little bit dirty, then you can make money while you travel by working on farms.

I’m not trying to goat you into anything, but working on a farm might not be a bhaaad idea

It is also a great way to escape beyond the cities and the tourist track and to experience what the rural side of life is in the country you are visiting. It might help to have experience on a farm, but it is really not necessary as most of the tasks you will be doing will be simple manual labour.
Farm Work Abroad – Gap360.com
NeedaFarmer.com

15. Become a Travel Photographer

It’s a big and beautiful world out there and there is an infinite number of amazing travel photographs to be taken. Someone has to capture the beauty of a sunrise on a remote alpine peak or a fisherman asleep on his boat on a slow-moving river, maybe it can be you.

Lee on the beach with his camera, in search of the perfect shot

Being a successful travel photographer doesn’t happen overnight, but if you can develop your skills (no pun intended), build up a portfolio and sell your pictures, it is a great career that will allow you to make money while you travel.
How to Become a Freelance Photographer
How to Make Money as a Freelance Photographer

16. Do Your Job… Abroad

If you already have an awesome career and a great set of skills you don’t need to reinvent the wheel when figuring out how to make money while you travel. You can simply see if you can find a job in your field in another country. Whether you are a chef, a carpenter, a fire fighter or a nurse, you can probably make it happen.
One of your biggest obstacles will be obtaining working permits, so check out our list of what countries offer working holiday visas so that you can start planning.

17. Start Your Own Business

Starting up your own business gives you a lot of freedom, as it allows you to set your own goals and make your own hours. If you can start a business that you can manage online, this will allow you to work from anywhere in the world and lead a digital nomad lifestyle.
Some great resources for digital nomad entrepreneurs are the Digital Nomad Academy and Thrilling Heroics.

18. Become a Successful Blogger

You have a unique voice, so share it with the world online. If you can create a blog that captures the attention of readers and generates plenty of traffic, it is possible to generate an income from it so that you can make money while you travel.

Working on Global Goose by the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos

It takes a while to build up your blog to the point when you can earn significant revenue from ads or sponsored posts, so be patient and stick with it. The most successful blogs are honest and passionate, so make sure you write about something that is important to you and really let your opinion shine.
Here are some words from the legendary Chris Guillebeau from The Art of Non-Conformity about Success as a Travel Blogger.
How to Create a Successful Travel Blog in Your First Year of Blogging by Nomadic Samuel

19. Dropship

Dropshipping is a method of retail in which the merchandise is shipped to the customer directly from the supplier or the warehouse rather than from the retailer. Essentially, it means that the retailer never comes in contact with the goods themselves. When the product is sold, the retailer passes along the order to the supplier who then ships the product to the customer.
This method has a lot less risk, because as the retailer you don’t have to buy the product at all until it has sold. The supplier will be responsible for the packaging and shipping of the goods, so you will save a lot of money.
Your job as the retailer is to design a website for the product and promote it, as well as coordinating with the supplier. If done well, this can be a very profitable way to make money while you travel.
How to Start a Dropshipping Business

20. Find Freelance Work that You Can Do

I’ve already mentioned freelance webdesign, photography, translation and writing, but these are not the only types of freelance jobs that you can do remotely to make money while you travel. There are a lot of different freelance jobs out there, including software development, marketing and PR, SEO consulting, business support and much more.
Take a look at some of these freelancing websites and if there is something out there that you can apply your skills to, you can turn it into your opportunity to make money while you travel.
Check out freelance jobs on Odesk, Elance, Peopleperhour and more.

21. Busking

Two young buskers I met on my first day in Auckland, New Zealand

Do you have an entertaining talent, such as playing the guitar, singing or juggling? Do you have the confidence to perform your heart out on in a public square or on a street corner and attempt to charm passersby into dropping a few coins into your hat? Busking can be a fun way to make a bit of money while you travel.
In some places, you might need to be approved for a busking licence, but in other parts of the world you can simply find a good spot and start playing. Remember, your friendly smile has as much influence as your music in encouraging people to donate to you.
How to Make Money Busking

22. Do Event Work

When a big event comes to town, such as an arts festival, sporting event, cultural fair or concert, dozens of helpers are usually required to prepare the area, set up the stages, sell tickets, manage crowds and perform other tasks. This is often a short term gig which begins with festival preparations and ends when the festival has been cleaned up and packed away until next year.
If you time it well, working at an event can be a great way to make money while you travel and you could even keep your trip going by working at many different events throughout the season or by following around a show or a festival that travels to several locations.
Overseas Job Centre Guide to Music Festivals (Scroll down for paid work)
Job Monkey – Festival Jobs

23. Work on a Cruise Ship

A cruise ship is pretty much like a giant floating city that is designed for entertainment and pleasure, with spas, restaurants, nightclubs, coffee shops, shopping areas and much more. There is such a huge array of different types of jobs on a cruise ship, from Children’s Activity Leader to Banquet Manager to Bartender to Tour Coordinator, that you are sure to find something that matches your skills and interests.

Working on a cruise ship is a great way to make money while you travel

Working on a cruise ship is a pretty sweet gig. You get all your food and accommodation provided for and you will be able to sail around the world to some amazing locations. Cruise ship work contracts are usually for three to six months, depending on the cruise company and since your expenses are paid for you will save a lot of cash (unless you spend it all when the ship stops in port).
Work On a Cruise Ship
CruiseLinesJobs.com
AllCruiseJobs.com

24. Do Construction Work

If you have construction skills, this might be a great option for earning a little money while you travel. The construction industry usually hires people for short term work and will pay them under the table, which means that there are many opportunities for travellers to earn some quick cash.
Craig, one half of the amazing Australian work and travel duo Caz and Craig from yTravelblog, worked in the construction industry for 4 years which gave him the portability to travel and work abroad.
 How to Find Overseas Construction Jobs
And if all else fails…

25. Read Backpacker Palms

When we were in Ho Chi Minh City, we saw an interesting scam (I mean business plan) to make money while you travel. We were sitting around drinking beer on the plastic tables in the street and a middle aged woman was walking around asking people if they wanted to have their palm read.
Apparently she was a psychic back in the UK and has “the gift”. One of the young backpackers that we were drinking with paid the woman $10 to read her palm! If you have psychic powers, or you are just really good at telling semi-drunk backpackers vague truths that they can apply to their own lives, perhaps this could be the way you make your travel fortune.

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10 Creative Ways To Make Money Online

If you’d claimed it was possible for the average guy on the street to make millions of dollars online just a decade ago, the chances are good you’d have heard nothing but laughter in response. Today, though, there are countless Internet millionaires who turned a great idea into obscene profit, used the power of the web to promote their offline business or simply worked their butt off to sell their skills online.
While it’s unlikely that you’ll ever earn enough to buy your own private island, there’s nothing to stop you from using your skills to make a comfortable living online. In fact, while the media would have you believe that online success stories are limited to just a few lucky, hard working people who stumbled on a great idea that went on to make millions, the reality is that there are tens of thousands of people who make a living exclusively online. Here are just ten ways you can join them.

How To Make Money Online

1. Sell Stock Photography

The Internet has caused an explosion in the demand for stock photography. As the number of media and commercial outlets has increased dramatically with the growth of online media there’s an enormous need for high quality stock photos.
Yuri Arcurs is the man everyone turns to for their stock photo needs. As the world’s top selling stock photographer he sells an image every 8 seconds, 24 hours a day (that works out to over 4 million images each year). Arcurs makes millions of dollars each year simply by being the best at what he does. There are lots of great photographers in the world and the barrier to entry is as low as ownership of a camera, but Arcurs has managed to build a reputation online for consistent, high quality and imaginative images.
If you’re a professional photographer (or even just a hobbyist) you should consider the possibilities of selling stock images online.

2. Tweet For Sponsors

SponsoredTweets.com is an online platform that allows you to make money on Twitter by charging sponsors for communicating their advertising messages to your followers. You set the amount you want to get paid for every tweet you make, choose a category and select keywords you want to work with. You then wait for advertisers to contact you and take you up on your offer, paying you the amount you specified for each tweet that you make.
All throughout the process, the tweeter has full control over his or her account, and may choose the wordings of the tweets, or may choose to reject the tweet altogether.

3. Blog for Ad Revenues

If, however, you already have a blog with a devoted following it should be easy for you to leverage your readers into hard cash. Ad networks such as Google AdSense pay big money to place their ads on your site, and you’ll receive a payment every time a reader clicks one. While it’s easy to go overboard and fill every spare pixel, if you place your ads well it’s possible to make a comfortable income from your site.
One of the most successful bloggers around today is John Chow, a Canadian blogger who makes more than $40,000 a month through ad sales and other revenue streams. Ironically, his blog is about ways to make money online.

4. Sell Affiliate Products

If you have a flair for sales copy you could try your hand at selling products for affiliates. While many people take the seedy route of selling diet pills and penis enlargement products, if you want to keep your conscience clear you’ll find that Amazon runs a very successful affiliate program that allows you to make money advertising any of the products for sale on their site. eBay also have a pretty good affiliate setup, with their top affiliates earning $1.3 Million a month, WOW!

5. Write an e Book

In recent years the self-publishing world has exploded online to the point at which you don’t even have to run your own site in order to promote a book. Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo are just a few of the sites on which you could self-publish today, with commission rates of around 70% available on every sale.
The number of eBooks on Amazon reached 8 million last year, and Amazon stated that eBooks are outselling hard backs 2 to 1, 62% of ebook sales fell into the Thriller and Mystery genre, so if you feel that you could pull this style of genre off then you will be in for a good chance of sales.
26 year old self published author, Amanda Hocking from Minnesota makes more than $2 Million a year from her ebook sales. Amanda Hocking’s stories about, trolls, vampires and zombies and  ‘supernatural teen romances’ sell for $2.99 or for as little as $.99.

6. Become a Virtual Assistant

Every small businessman would love to hire a full time assistant to take care of the little things, but many simply can’t afford one. Thanks to the Internet, though, they can now hire part time assistants who work for a whole host of clients, and all at a much lower cost than a full time staff member.
If you work from home this may be a perfect opportunity to make a consistent income. Virtual assistants can earn $20 an hour in return for booking travel tickets, interacting with clients and dealing with the daily needs of small businesses.

7. Lease Your Skills

Most people have at least one skill that carries a market value, though until now that skill may have been impossible to monetize in the traditional job market.
Sites such as 99Designs, Elance, Freelancer and iWriter allow people to hire out their skills as writers, coders, designers, translators and lots more on a contract basis. Freelancing sites are a great way to boost your income in your free time, and with enough motivation and hard work you could find yourself earning a comfortable full time income from them.

8. Selling on eBay

eBay is a great way to turn your unwanted things into a little spending money, but it isn’t just a place to sell your old Star Wars action figures. In fact, eBay’s global marketplace can offer a great way for canny traders to buy and sell their way to profit. By buying wholesale you can sell anything with a mark up. Even better, if you have the skills to make things people want to buy you could start your own home-based craft business, selling to customers around the world.
Matt & Amanda Clarkson are a successful couple who so far have managed to make over $8 Million in eBay sales.

9. Become A Mobile App Tester

People that are rather uncertain of their application development potential can still make some money through the usage of iPhone apps.
People that have the time and desire to test iPhone apps and discover bugs can be rewarded payments for their efforts. uTest is one such application. Individuals that have signed up will also build some reputation on the basis of the testing they have done so far.
Better reputation signifies access to more profitable app testing opportunities.

10. Designing T-Shirts

Finally, if you have something of an artistic streak you could kick off the next viral sensation with your own range of funky, arty t-shirts. Sites such as CafePress allow users to upload their own t-shirt designs and sell them on their personal online store.
You can also contact distributors such as threadless.com or designbyhumans.com to release your t-shirt designs to the masses.
If your designs catch the eye you could be looking at enormous profits when they take off in a big way.
Checkout our article The Top 10 Tips On Starting Your Own Successful Clothing Line, this should give you an idea on how to kick things off.

Conclusion

As you can see, to make money online you don’t have to be particularly skilled with computers. You don’t need to be know how to build your own website from the ground up, and you don’t have to be a mogul with millions of dollars to invest in success. If you have any kind of artistic skills, creativity or business savvy you can turn it into profit.
In short, you should understand that the online world is just like real life. The same opportunities are there for the taking, but instead of drawing your customers from just your home town you can reach out with your great ideas to the far reaches of the earth.
So why not start today?

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10 Surprising ways to Make Money Online

It is hard enough to find one steady job in this tough economy, and it's harder still to find part-time, supplemental income. As a result, more people are searching for ways to make money online. The online opportunities to which people are turning may surprise you.
Find your niche on Craigslist
The popular online marketplace craigslist.com extends its services beyond offering products and services and provides employers a fresh outlet for finding qualified workers. Its job board has generated interest comparable to that found for sites such as CareerBuilder.com, HotJobs.com and Monster.com.
Flip web sites
If you are web-savvy, you can make money online by designing and selling web sites with purchased domain names that have not yet been developed. Just as many have become successful in real estate flipping, you can make money by creating these web sites.
Become a copy writer
Many web sites are looking for copy to help sell their services and products. The tone and display of web copy is similar to that you would find in an infomercial. If you have a strong command of grammar and spelling, this is an easy way to make money online.
Sell your photographs
If picture-taking is your hobby, you can earn money doing what you love on sites such as iStockPhoto.com. Simply upload your pictures for sale on the site. You might be surprised how many people and businesses need pictures for projects.
Be a virtual assistant
Offers for online administrative duties crop up often on sites such as elance.com, which allows you to bid on and make money from virtual assistance administrative jobs. Browse online for ads requesting a virtual assistant, or sign up with a job database site, and bid on jobs.
Get paid to play games
Many online gaming sites are offering cash rewards to their members. Sites such as pogo.com have winnable jackpots. What better way to obtain additional funds than playing your favorite game(s)?
Review products online
You can try out the latest gadgets and inventions, write honestly about them and get paid to do so at sites such as vindale.com. This site offers $5 to $75 for each product review. You will receive your first paycheck upon making $50 with the company.
Provide web site-design services
Many businesses are hiring contractors to complete web-design projects. Unlike web site flipping, this work requires that you design and update a business' or individual's already-functioning web site. You can generate business for yourself by creating a web-design site that showcases your talent.
Write letters
LetterRep.com is an online job marketplace for letter writing. Individuals and businesses request specific letters they need written and select the best fit out of the pool of available letters. The site pays you $10 for every letter you write that is purchased by a client.
Become an online tutor or instructor
If you have tutored or taught before and would like to return to the field, performing these services online is a great opportunity. PCMoneyMaker.net has a list of different companies seeking online tutors and instructors. Find offers from well-known companies such as Sylvan Learning Center.
By taking on only what you know you can handle and avoiding scams, you can enjoy earning money from the comfort of your home.

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41 Ways You Can Make Money and Travel the World

Have you ever asked yourself, “How will I possibly make money while traveling?” or “How will I survive on the road?” or maybe “How can I can’t start traveling when I don’t have much money?”.
Chances are that these very thoughts have indeed crossed your mind (they cross all of our minds at some point!) and there’s also a chance that you haven’t found any answers. As a result, you’ve still yet to take that first step and start traveling and as time passes by, you start to wonder if you’ll ever achieve your travel goals.
Here on the blog I’m always making the claim that you can make money and travel much more easily than most people think. But yesterday I realized that I should probably back up that claim with some actual examples. So, that’s what I want to do here. I want to help you answer those questions above.
Are you ready? Here’s a list of 42 ways you can make money while traveling (keep in mind this is just a fraction of the opportunities that actually exist!)…
Teach English – Job opportunities are all around the world and in many cases, you don’t need to be certified. You just need to be a native speaker. Check out eslcafe.com, send in a few applications to schools in South Korea, Japan, Thailand or dozens of other locations & you’ll be surprised at how many interviews you land.
Sell Timeshares – If you were born to be a salesperson, then head to Greece, Thailand, Mexico, the Caribbean or any other major resort area and you can find work selling timeshares. These resorts want salespeople who can relate to their potential customers, so they prefer to have Americans selling to Americans, Italians selling to Italians and so on. The earning potential is huge in this line of work.
Resort Jobs – If selling isn’t your thing, resorts all over the planet often hire staff from other countries for a variety of positions, such as front desk, restaurant or the activity/entertainment department.
Work in a Hostel – Hostels are often looking for new staff who are willing to work some hours each day, either at reception or cleaning or maybe both, in exchange for a free bed each night. Not a bad way to save money at all.
Online Freelance Work – Whether you have a background or interest in web design, programming, illustration, writing, marketing, consulting, legal work, engineering or able to do any type of admin work, you should definitely look at websites such as Elance.com and Odesk.com. These are platforms that connect freelancers with people and companies who need work done. Even if your background is in something else, have a look anyway as there is freelance work to be found in dozens of different fields.
Act in Films & Television Overseas – Head to Mumbai, stand on a street corner in the Colaba neighborhood and before long, an industry scout will ask you if you want to act in a Bollywood film. (I once acted in an Indian daytime drama!) You won’t make millions, but you’ll be on the big screen. I also know people who have done the same in Kenya and earned very good money.
Working Holiday Visas – Countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Ireland and Singapore offer these to foreigners, generally those who are between the ages of 18 – 30. If you’re in that age range, the working holiday visa might just be your best option to make money and travel. It allows you stay in a country for up to one year and in some cases, to apply for and work in any position you want. Yes, it is a sweet deal and one incredible way to earn an income while being overseas.
Fruit-Picking – Get out into the sun, grab a basket and start picking fruit. Such an option is quite common for travelers/backpackers passing through Australia and the pay can include payment per kilo of fruit you pick, room, board or any combination of the three.
Travel Blogging – It’s not easy to earn a big income with a travel blog. The amount of time/effort required to do so is much more than most people imagine. But if you’re looking for some extra cash to help fund part of your travels, while keeping the world informed of your adventures, starting a travel blog might be your answer. (Have a look at the useful Travel Blog Success course if you’re serious about earning money from your blog and for inspiration, see my list of fellow travel bloggers out there.)

Any Kind of Blogging – You don’t have to start a travel blog just because you’re traveling. Whatever your interest may be, that might be the kind of blog you should start. There are always opportunities to earn some money no matter what you choose to focus on.
Affiliate Marketing – Making money this way is definitely possible even though the competition can be high. But if you’re willing to dedicate yourself to a couple of months worth of research, you’ll find your niche and hopefully a steady paycheck. If you don’t know much about affiliate marketing, have a look at Affilorama.com, which offers an excellent series of free lessons to get you started.
Selling Goods Online – Found some cool product that you think others would be interested in? Have your own handmade product you want to sell? You could set up a website or a shop on eBay or any other type of online sales outlet and start selling. Your success will depend on many factors but again, if you’re willing to learn how to get your goods in front of the right people online, even a few sales each week could potentially keep you on the road.
Day-Trading – It may not be for everyone, but there are people out there earning a living and traveling as a result of their day trading efforts. One in particular is Marcello from WanderingTrader.com.
Housesitting – Who wouldn’t want a free place to stay? While you typically won’t get paid, if you don’t mind looking after somebody else’s house while they’re away, this is a great option. I know many people who just hop around from house-sitting gig to house-sitting gig, essentially avoiding accommodation expenses for years. Gigs can be one week, one month, one year or anything in between. (Jess & Dani from GlobetrotterGirls.com and Pete & Dalene from HeckticTravels.com are the experts when it comes to house-sitting!)
Work Remotely – There’s no rule that states you must quit your current job in order to travel. Perhaps your position allows you to work remotely and all you need to do is speak with your boss in order to make the adjustment. Head down to a place like Playa del Carmen, Mexico and you’ll find foreigners everywhere who are doing just this, able to make money and travel wherever they wish.
Haircuts – Choose a popular hostel, put up a sign (ask first!), charge a reasonable amount and off you go. I remember meeting a traveler who was doing this in Zagreb, Croatia and she was making $40 USD per day by advertising in 3 hostels. She would cut hair for a month, then travel for a month and repeat. Not bad at all.
Massages – Follow the same idea as above but offer massages instead! I’d sign up for sure after a long day wandering around a town or city.
Bartending – There are bars in many towns and cities that pay ‘cash in hand’ to travelers who can work a bar and are willing to stay in one spot for a while. Bars connected to hostels are often your best bet.
Cafe/Restaurant Work – The same goes for cafes and restaurants. If you’re in a popular backpacking destination, just ask the hostel staff if they know of any cafes that hire travelers. Sometimes you’ll find a local classifieds/coupon traveler-oriented magazine lying around the hostel as well. Flip it open and many times you’ll find restaurants advertising for help.
Website Design – Know how to build simple websites, or even more complex ones? Start your own business and look for clients online, through family & friends or even overseas. Staying at a hostel in Turkey that has a crappy website? Tell them you’ll completely improve their site for $50. (When I was traveling in Syria, just because I worked online, I received over a dozen offers from budget hotels, restaurants and other tourism-related businesses who were willing to pay me up to $500 USD to set up a new website for them. And this can be done anywhere.)
Teach Musical Instruments – Piano? Guitar? Flute? Glockenspiel? Whatever you can play, chances are there are people all over the world who want to learn as well. Advertise in local online classifieds or put up signs in busy areas, such as gathering places of college students, and you just might have a few classes lined up before you know it.
Teach Any Language – English isn’t the only language people want to learn. Speak French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin, Arabic or anything else? Look for jobs or set up your own classes by advertising at universities or popular hangouts such as cafes.
Teach Dance Classes – Again, put up some signs around town, find space in a public park and teach others how to get their tango on. You could also work out a deal with a restaurant/bar where they pay you to hold a class at their location because it will bring them plenty of extra business.

Teach Yoga – You could do the exact same thing as above with yoga or any form of exercise!
Construction Work – If you have construction experience, or you can fake it, this is one industry that tends to hire people for short-term work while paying them ‘under the table’. As a result, this makes for a great option for travelers looking to earn some quick cash.
Au Pair – The situations vary but you’ll get room, board and a weekly paycheck for helping take care of a family’s kids, allowing you to explore the country you end up in during your free time as well.
Surfing Instructor – I’d be fired as a surfing instructor in two minutes right now (here’s the video proof), but even after I had practiced for a couple of weeks during a stay in Mexico back in 2008, I was offered a job teaching beginners. You don’t need to be an expert to land a job, you just need to be better than those who have never tried surfing before!
Scuba Diving Instructor – Are you certified? If so, there are dozens of great scuba destinations around the world – Egypt, Mexico, Thailand, Australia, Hawaii – where you could find work. Talon from 1Dad1Kid.com has done just this in Central America.
Tour Escort – Many international tour operators, especially those such as Indochina.com that offer budget tours around the world, hire tour escorts to accompany each group. The pay is on the low side and you usually must sign up for a 1-2 year contract, but the benefit is that you get to explore parts of the world without spending any money at all, while gaining some great work experience in the process.
Sell Your Art & Crafts at Local Markets – There are markets in many places where foreigners can rent a stall and sell their goods. Usually these are markets that are geared towards tourists and other travelers. As a result, there are many people who follow the market circuit, bouncing around from market to market all year round, selling their hand made crafts, artwork, clothes from India or other goods that are in high-demand.
Tour Operators in the Caribbean – When I worked on board cruise ships and we would dock in places such as St. Thomas or St. Maarten or Cozumel, many of the staff working for our local tour operators were from the USA, Canada and Europe. Their job was to greet the passengers coming off the ship, keep the groups organized and lead them to their tour bus or van or boat. The pay was okay and they got to live and work in a tropical location for a while.
Photography – I’m an average photographer at best but for those who know what they’re doing with a camera, it is possible to try and sell the travel photos you take. You could set up your own ‘shop’ on sites such as SmugMug.com and you could try and sell your photos to a variety of travel magazines and to companies that have stock photography collections.
Travel Writing – If you’re a decent writer, there are opportunities out there to write about your experiences and the destinations you visit and then have those articles published on websites or online magazines. It’s not an easy business, but if you can get a couple of articles published and start to establish yourself, your articles might soon become sought after.
Corporate World – Maybe you want to live overseas but you want to have a proper career or are looking for a higher paycheck. Well, there’s nothing stopping you from applying for corporate or other long-term jobs around the world. China has a growing number of opportunities for foreigners, Singapore and New Zealand are very popular and several countries in the Middle East are home to thousands of expats living and working for companies there.
Cruise Ship Employment – I always recommend this option as an excellent way to earn good money while getting a taste of the world, gaining some solid work experience and networking with hundreds of people (both fellow crew and passengers) from around the world. Not a bad list of benefits. If you’re interested, you might want to look at my popular eBook – How to Work on Cruise Ships.

Work on a Yacht – Sometimes they pay, sometimes they don’t, but if you look at websites such as DesperateSailors.com, you might find it hard to turn down an offer to work on board a yacht or sailboat, especially one that will spend a few months in the Caribbean or Mediterranean or perhaps even head across the Pacific.
Travel/Tourism Industry – This won’t ensure that you’re on the road all the time, but a job in the travel industry at home might be perfect for some. A steady paycheck, plenty of good networking possibilities and if you end up in the right position, you’ll just have to travel as part of your work. (Work in Travel is a great resource for anyone interested in working in this industry.)
Edit English Signs/Menus – It might sound silly but there are travelers out there earning decent money by wandering around touristy areas all over the world and getting paid to correct the English spelling/grammar on signs and menus of businesses that try to attract foreigners. I met one guy in Thailand who would charge $10 for his editing services and he would have approximately 20 clients per week. Not a bad way to earn $800 bucks per month.
Busking – Do you have some kind of talent? Maybe you don’t have talent but you’re more than willing to have people laugh at you, especially if they’ll throw their spare change in your hat. Many, many travelers are playing guitar, juggling, dancing and singing their way around the world. It may not be legal in some places though, so be sure to check the rules.
Volunteer Work – In most cases, this won’t pay, but you’ll have an unforgettable experience while usually saving money on room and board, which is just like getting paid! You don’t have to spend a lot of money with large global operations in order to volunteer as there are local organizations in every country that would love to have you. Two good websites are GrassrootsVolunteering.org and IndependentVolunteer.org.
Work Exchange – Just check out the listings on HelpX.net and you’ll be ready to pack your bags today. If you’re willing to work a few hours each day in exchange for room, board and sometimes, some extra cash, there is no shortage of opportunities. There’s also WWOOF.org which focuses on organic farm work.
Be Creative! – One of the best examples of this involved a female traveler I met in Central America who had funded over 6 months of travel by using a very simple business model. She would hop from beach town to beach town, contact several local tour operators (who usually offered snorkeling and scuba diving trips) and then worked out a deal. In exchange for bringing them business, she would receive a good commission. Each day she would hang around the hostels and travelers cafes and recommend the tour operators she was working with. Let’s just say she was doing very well. So put on your thinking cap, brainstorm some ideas and don’t be afraid to get creative!
And that’s the list. I really do hope that this has helped you realize that you can make money and travel, that earning money on the road is not as impossible as you once thought. If it were impossible, there certainly wouldn’t be so many people, from countries all around the world, traveling and working as they explore this great planet of ours.
Of course, there are many more ways to earn money while traveling as well, so if you have anything you’d like to add or share, please leave your thoughts in the comments below. The more opportunities we list, the more we can help each other!

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