Get your ticket to free travel, from couch surfing to house swapping, teaching English and WOOFing it up.

Couch surf

Would you sleep in a strangers’ house? For many budget-conscious travellers, a free night’s kip is not as dirty as it sounds. Nolan, 29 from San Francisco joined a 10 million strong community of couch surfers for a free place to stay. “I’ve hosted a few times over the past few years and used this site to have great experiences in Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East,” he says.

Couchsurfing’s website “connects travellers with a global network of people willing to share in profound and meaningful ways, making travel a truly social experience.” Strangers all around the world are offering their couches for free, with no strings attached.

Challen, 26 from New Zealand, has been a member of couchsurfing since 2007 and she enjoys being a host. “Let’s face it. The prices for hotel rooms have got out of hand so I am happy to offer my couch,” she says.

Get paid to travel

“I believe travel should be absolutely accessible for everybody,” says Katie Rooke, who funds some of her travels through teaching English. “I taught in Spain, Italy and the Philippines and I got paid in all schools and this turned out to be great fun,” she explains. All you need is the ability to speak English fluently. It is also good to have teaching qualifications such as TESOL and TEFL depending on the country you work in. Katie has experienced a lot in the long run and was able to travel around the countries she visited. “The positive bit is that I learned so much about who I am and want to be as a teacher and was also inspired,” says Katie.

The world is yearning for teachers but remember that this is a job and you will often be  expected to work the equivalent of a full-time job.

Swap your house

Anyone who has seen the movie The Holiday, which sees Iris (played by Kate Winless) swapping her cozy English cottage for Amanda’s (played by Cameron Diaz) L.A. mansion, has probably had this idea on the brain ever since. Thanks to the websites like HouseCarters, HomeLink and LovehomeSwap a home exchange is becoming real.

Caroline Connolly, co-ordinator for HomeLink has been helping like-minded families exchange homes all around the world. “Sharing your home with another family and staying in their home gives a real insight into how that family lives. Many members remain life-long friends with their exchangers,” says Caroline.

House swapping means more than saving more, it adds an extra dimension when you exchange your house.

WWOOF it up

In return for your voluntary help, WWOOF hosts offer room and board and a priceless experience. This worldwide community spreads awareness of organic farms and give people an opportunity to become friends with individuals all over the globe. You don’t need to have any experience with farming as WWOOF is as much sustaining travel and learning as it is about farm work.

Victoria Duggan, who call herself an adventure seeker and a rich non-gmo foods freak, started her WWOOFing experience last June, travelling to Italy and Turkey. “WWOOFing is so much more than just free accommodation, it is a complete cultural exchange. You become part of a family from a foreign country with different habits, traditions, and often language than your own,” reveals Victoria. “The best part is you are not in touristic areas of these countries, it is the real deal”.

Win it!

We all know the old adage that the best things in life are always free. This may sound like a long shot, but to get yourself on a road you need to be willing to take a risk. You will be amazed at how many opportunities there are to travel on an empty wallet. Just google “travel competitions” and there are plenty of options to choose from.

Wojtek, 15, from Poland entered the promotional competition of a popular soft drink and won a holiday to Disneyland for his family. “We had an amazing time, probably one of the best vacations ever,” says Wojtek.  So a little time and energy invested might get you out of here sooner than you think.

So if you have been making excuses that you want to travel but can’t because of $$$, then you don’t need to any more. Travelling for free is now a reality.

In this internet age, when we don’t necessarily have time to attend language courses, how can we become multilingual?

All you need is your smartphone, that’s what the app’s creators claim; whether you’re learning a language for the first time or just want to brush up. The language knowledge from apps you can fit into your break times, commutes or moments spent waiting in queues.  So why not give it a whirl?

These are the language learning apps that we think are the absolute best.

Duolingo

Duolingo turns learning a language into a game. You pick a daily goal, earn points and level up. By tracking your progress, getting daily reminders and duelling against your friends, you stay motivated to practice every day. These bite-sized lessons are fun, totally free and teach you to read, listen and speak.

Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish. Portuguese, Irish, Dutch, Danish, Swedish.

Price: FREE

Available: Apple and Android

The 50 language

Why just learn one language when you can pick up 50 at the same time? The 50 languages app takes you through a basic vocabulary so you will learn to get by in various situations abroad in no time. With many language options, from Albanian to Spanish or Chinese, you will never get bored. This app is easy to use and practical but includes only 30 free lessons.

Languages: 50+

Price: FREE

Available: Apple and Android

Busuu

Busuu connects learners with native speakers. It offers both free and paid plans. Along with a system of games and flashcard exercises, the app includes conversational practice with speakers of your language of choice. After you set a goal, there is a very clear path for your course. So You have no excuse not to keep up.

Languages: Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Portuguese, Turkish, Chinese, English

Price: FREE

Available: Apple and Android

HelloTalk

HelloTalk is more than just an instant messenger; it connects people all over the world. You learn a language through text and voice message exchange. You can also share photos about your life and home country culture. The app is fun and social, so ideal for short bursts of learning when you have a moment.  So say Hello and talk to your language partner today.

Languages: English, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, Russian, Arabi

Price: £0.66 – £6.49

Available: Apple and Android