The attraction to wander Earth’s continents to see different, interesting and beautiful places is overwhelming. Most of us can only dream of visiting all 7 continents. There is of course ways to do it without having to save hundreds of thousands of dollars but one in particular makes absolute sense. Find people willing to share their world. That’s right, find people in the locations you are traveling to before you leave. On average people make friends with about 20 people at school and best friends with 5. So with 7 billion inhabitants on this planet of ours how hard could it be to find someone willing to show you around the place they call home?
So let’s look at a few ways social websites can help you travel the world easier:
1. Become an Au pair. You find a family in a country that you want to visit and who requires someone to look after their kids. For a pre-agreed number of hours during the week you take care of the children in return for a bedroom, food and some cash. Depending on the country you may pocket $150 – $200 (USD). It is a fantastic way to experience not only the sites of another country but also the culture of the family you live with. I am sure some of you however are thinking “I don’t really want to look after kids”. Worldsharer.com has addressed that concern and has families and singles that have a spare room but are not necessarily looking for a babysitter. That takes us to our next point;
2. Find a family or person with a spare room and who need some help around the house. It might be you can help with cleaning or gardening or maybe just a personal assistant. Whatever it might be that you can do some families are happy to swap your help for their spare room.
3. Find a flatmate. Many people looking for a paying flatmate are happy to have people from other countries. It can be a cheap alternative to a hotel room if you intend to stay a while.
4. Become an exchange student. Do some time in a school in another country and save money by staying with a host family.
5. Stay in a youth hostel. They don’t adorn 5 stars but most are comfortable, social and cheap. Great value for money.
6. Find a friend before you leave. You may have your accommodation already sorted but would love someone to show you around or just hang out with. Again, with sites like Worldsharer.com, that has become so much easier.
So if you are serious about making the most of your travels then find a tour guide before you leave. Who knows, you might just find some friends for life.
