Want to Travel More? Top 5 Ways to Fund Your Adventures Abroad

Everyone wants to travel, but it’s not easy to book your flights on a whim when you need to budget or have personal commitments. But whether you’re career-focused or just mindful of your wallet, it’s possible to break even or earn a salary while improving career prospects abroad. 

Here are the top 5 ways to fund your adventures abroad, and the top countries to accommodate your adventures.

Working Abroad at a Glance

	Best for ...	Average salary	Accommodation provided?	Visa sponsorship?	Requirements	Top countries
Teach English abroad	Career-driven travellers	$1,000–$2,000 / £750–£1,500 per month	Sometimes	✅	TEFL Certificate (120 hours minimum), degree (preferred)	China, South Korea, Japan, Spain, Thailand
Working Holiday	Backpackers	Depends on location, industry, and hours	Sometimes	❌	Working Holiday visa, aged 18-35	Australia, Taiwan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea
Digital Nomad	Remote workers	Depends on industry	❌	❌	Employment or freelance work	Georgia, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Costa Rica
Au pair	Childcare workers	Monthly stipend of ~$500 / £450	✅	✅	18-30 years of age	France, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, UK, Sweden, Italy, USA
Volunteer exchanges	Budget travellers	Unpaid	✅	❌	Platform membership	USA, France, Italy, Canada, Australia, New Zealand

Can you really earn money while traveling? 

Yes, you can earn money while traveling! As long as you know where to look and prepare ahead of time, the hype is real. 

But “earning while traveling” can mean different things. Some people might want to cover accommodation fees, others might want to make a quick buck here and there, while others want to actually save up while traveling. The great news – each of these are possible! Every traveller is different, so we’ve gathered some of the best ways to earn money or receive benefits whether you’re career-minded or a spontaneous backpacker.

1. Teach English Abroad

• Who it’s great for : Career-driven adventurers, gap year graduates, and culture seekers  
• Average salary : $1,000–$2,000 / £750–£1,500 per month
• Top countries : South Korea, Japan, China, Spain, Thailand 

Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is the jack of all trades when it comes to combing immersive travel with a stable income. TEFL is suited to career-minded adventurers, gap year graduates, and everyone in between, as jobs come in all shapes and sizes, whether you want to spend your summer working in Spain or teach in Japan indefinitely.

But, it’s still real job that requires commitment. While teaching abroad, you’ll develop deeper insight into the cultural cogs and become a member of the community rather than barely skimming the surface of the country. 

Outside the classroom you can visit iconic landmarks, try foreign food, make friends, and learn new languages. Whether you want to spend your free time wandering through ancient temples in Seoul or gazing at Tokyo or Shanghai ’s glowing skyline, there’s a country for you. 

When it comes to salaries, the hype is real. Popular TEFL countries like South Korea and China offer teachers around $2,000 / £1,500+ per month, including benefits like flights and accommodation if you’re mindful of saving up for the future. The best part is that all you need is a TEFL certificate and a degree (in most cases, but not all) – no experience is required. In some cases, you can also teach English abroad without a degree . 

Tip : If you want to teach abroad with a support network, choose a government-sponsored TEFL programme like EPIK or JET . But if you’re purely thinking about salary, applying directly to schools is the way to go. 

Why people choose to teach English abroad: 

• You only need a 120-hour TEFL certificate to get started
• You’ll feel like a member of the community through “slow travel” – you’ll make lifelong friends, learn languages, and establish a “home away from home”
• Earn a salary and receive benefits like free accommodation, visa sponsorship, health insurance, and more
• Develop your CV with teaching and transferable skills while seeing the world

2. Go on a Working Holiday 

• Who it’s great for : Backpackers and adventurers 
• Average salary : Varies according to job and hours.
• Top countries : Australia, Taiwan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea

If you’re a spontaneous backpacker who wants the option to earn money here and there, a working holiday visa is the way to go. With a working holiday visa, you can enter a country as a tourist with the option of picking up short-term paid work as you go, whether that’s bar work, hospitality, teaching English privately , and so on. 

Working holidays are so popular among travellers under 35 years of age that countries have specific visas for them, including Australia, Taiwan, Canada, New Zealand, and South Korea. Rules vary from one country to another, but the gist is that you can legally work and receive payment from employers within these countries. Some countries, like Australia, may stipulate that you can’t work for the same employer for 6 months. 

Top working holiday jobs for travellers: 

• Retail, hospitality, and bar work
• Freelance English teaching 
• Au pair
• Sports instructor (skiing, diving, surfing)
• Tour guide 

3. Become a Digital Nomad 

• Who it’s great for : Remote workers, slow travelers, online teachers 
• Average salary : Varies by industry
• Top countries : Georgia, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Costa Rica

Since the world has shifted online, remote workers have proved that some jobs can be done  from anywhere in the world. Whether you’re in marketing, sales, IT, or you’re an online English teacher , being a digital nomad allows you to take your work wherever you go as long as you have a stable internet connection. This is a perfect option for slow travelers who like to spend longer in one location to soak up the culture. 

Many countries today have their own digital nomad visa , like Portugal, Spain , Thailand, and Costa Rica. Georgia in the South Caucasus is growing in popularity, with remote workers from the EU, UK, US, Canada, and Australia able to enter visa-free and work remotely for up to 1 year, provided that they earn $2,000 per month. 

Tip : You might need a VPN depending on where you're heading!

What you need to become a digital nomad: 

• Proof of a stable income or enough savings
• Stable internet connection
• Employment or freelance contracts with clients outside the country 

Download The TEFL Org’s guide to teaching English online ! 

4. Become an Au pair 

• Who it’s great for : Childcare workers 
• Average salary : $400–$670 / £300–£500 and free accommodation
• Top countries : France, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, UK, Sweden, Italy, USA 

If you’re patient, nurturing, and have experience working with children, you can find excellent opportunities working abroad as an au pair. As an au pair, you’ll stay with a family while supporting their child through babysitting, homework assistance, housework, and promoting cultural exchange. In some cases, au pairs teaching English to children depending on the country. 

In return, au pairs receive free accommodation and a monthly stipend. It’s an excellent way to not only gain work experience abroad, but to also form connections with people from other countries and to gain insight into different cultures.

Why people choose to become an au pair: 

• Develop a connection with families in new countries
• Live abroad with the security of accommodation and a local family to guide you
• It’s the quickest way to understanding a new culture 

5. Do a volunteer exchange

• Who it’s great for : Budget travellers and culture seekers  
• Average salary : Unpaid but includes free accommodation and meals
• Top countries : USA, France, Italy, Canada, Australia, New Zealand

Similar to a working holiday, but workers on volunteer exchanges or “workaway” projects receive payment in the form of accommodation and meals, which is an excellent way to travel if you’re in an expensive country like Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. But it’s also a great way to learn practical skills, network, and delve deeper into the local community and culture.  

Popular platforms include Workaway and WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), and placements exist all over the world, whether you’re interested in becoming a deckhand on a ship, working on a vineyard in Italy, or working at a dog sanctuary in Cambodia. Or, if you’d rather have the place to yourself, you can house or pet sit for homeowners who are away – some housesitting exchanges are as simple as watering the plants in a new country!

Popular volunteer exchange platforms:

• Workaway
• WWOOF
• Worldpackers
• Trusted Housesitters

Learn Here to Teach Anywhere

Whether you're looking for a gap year, budget-friendly travel, or career prospects abroad, there are more opportunities than ever today. But of the options above, teaching English abroad combines a stable salary, international work experience, and opportunities for career growth. 

With an online TEFL certificate, you can teach at public and private schools, teach online, or offer private tuition wherever you are in the world.  Most employers require a minimum of 120-hours of TEFL training – which can be completed in as little as 6 weeks. This means that you could get started today teach English abroad professionally in Spain , Vietnam , or Japan in as quickly as a few months.

Read more about teaching English abroad:

• English teaching salaries: What to expect
• How to become an English teacher
• When is the best time to apply for a job teaching English abroad?