Working Nomads – How to Travel and Work Offline

We are all about working online as digital nomads. But we’ll be taking this post in a bit of a different direction. Why?

Because we know not everyone is dreaming about a job where they work from their computer while travelling. Others have dreams of traveling around the world full time and working as they go. And this is totally possible!

So instead of talking about the digital nomad life we’ll share our best info on being working nomads!

Here’s a list of the best jobs for working nomads!

#1 Work for accommodations

Did you know that most hostels are looking for helping hands?

Helping out at hostels in return for free accommodation is something many nomads do while travelling. We have a bunch of friends who have received free accommodation in exchange for work.

The best way to go about this is to walk into a hostel and tell them you’re wanting to work for accommodation.

Otherwise you can email them a few days or weeks in advance. Let them know what you’re trying to do. Then ask if you can get free accommodation in return for a couple hours of work each day!

Sounds easy right? Well, it is!

It may seem weird going up to reception and asking them about such opportunities but it is completely normal. 

If you prefer to plan ahead instead, you can look at companies such as for example Workaway. Workaway is a company with endless job postings for volunteering abroad in return for accommodation and travel.

The work itself will most likely be housekeeping which means cleaning rooms, changing bed sheets, and doing some laundry.

There are other jobs as well. We actually have a friend who was offered a job as an entertainer!

What does that mean? It literally means that she had to go knock on all the hostel rooms and ask everyone if they wanted to go for happy hour at the hostel every afternoon.

In return, she got a free bed, food, and alcohol. Say what!?

You could also end up helping out in the reception or the bar. Of course most of the time it’s paid workers who work those positions. But it doesn’t hurt to try and ask. So that leads us to option number 2!

Earning potential: None / tips
Fun rate: 3/5

#2 Working at a hostel

If you happen to have a work holiday visa in the country you’re visiting, you have a LOT of job opportunities!

One of the most fun ones is to get a job at a hostel where you get paid for the work you provide. This job can be either short term or long term!

This usually ends up being more of a full time job compared to working for free accommodation. But on the other hand you get paid for it and you may actually get free accommodation included with your job.

This is a great way to meet people. Also to make friends abroad since hostels are always full of travelers from abroad. Sometimes mixed with a few locals too.

Back in 2017, we worked at a lodge in Milford Sound, New Zealand, and it was an incredible experience!

We lived deep within Fiordland National Park with 25 other people who turned out to be friends for life. We’ve visited and met up with some of them on multiple trips since then.

We even had a reunion in Amsterdam a year later! It’s only been two weeks since we saw some of our friends from there, and when we did our US road trip we visited four other of our lodgie friends.

The point is that working in a hostel can be an amazing way to make friends and get to know the local area while being working nomads.

Earning potential: Minimum wage, tips, and potentially free lodging
Fun rate: 4/5

#3 Become a local tour guide

If you like history, being outdoors, and talking to people then this is the perfect job for you. As a tour guide abroad you will take people on different tours around the city or area you’re located in.

These tours can be anything from food tours, museum tours, or even ghost tours. The most common ones are definitely free walking tours.

These tours are especially popular in Europe and big cities in the US. They often take a couple of hours where you show a group of people around all the classic spots, tell them about the history there, and show them a few hidden gems.

By the end of the tour, they will most likely tip accordingly as a thank you for your time. So if you have a friendly, bubbly, outgoing personality, this is a great way to make a bunch of extra cash!

Imagine being a Game of Thrones fan, living in Dubrovnik, and showing tourists around the specific locations where they filmed certain shots and telling them about the history of the show.

It can be a very fun and rewarding job!

Earning potential: Tips
Fun rate: 4/5

#4 Teach English

While teaching English online is a great job for digital nomads traveling the world, there are also many opportunities to work as an English teacher in person. 

In Czech, for example, private lessons are very popular. You meet 1:1 with your students who can be anywhere from 5 to 80 years old (for real. Dom had a student who was 80 and she was the sweetest old lady).

You usually meet up with the student(s) for a couple of hours every week and speak/teach English with them and adapt the lesson to the needs of the student.

Some students prefer it if you have a lesson plan and a little worksheet prepared for them while other students prefer to just have casual conversations.

It’s really up to the student how they want their lessons. At the end of each lesson, the students will pay you cash for your time.

My (Dom’s) personal experience doing these types of lessons were amazing. I absolutely loved it, since most of the lessons were conversational lessons where the students just wanted to get corrected on their grammar.

So you get to know your students and have in-depth conversations while also improving their English and get paid for it!

This is very popular in many Eastern European countries such as Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland, just to name a few. With actual competitive wages that you could actually make a living off if you plan your schedule well.

Teachaway is a great company to look at if you want to get your foot in the door.

Networking and meeting people is a big part of teaching English abroad. The more people you meet and connect with the more it will help you find your students and groups that help English teachers connect with locals.

Prague has a site called Teacher Creature that connects students with teachers and I’m sure most other major European and Asian cities have these as well. 

Earning potential: Around $20/hour
Fun rate: 5/5

#5 Housesitting

As a house sitter, more often than not, your main responsibility is to take care of someone’s pets and house while they’re away.

People who “rent” out their houses to housesitters are often people who go abroad for business trips or people who love to travel a lot but who also have cats, dogs, or other pets at home that make it a little harder for them to just pack up and leave.

The only way they’ll be able to leave their house for long periods of time is to have someone take care of their lovely furry friends and that’s where you come in handy!

On top of that, you may have to do some house chores like cleaning the house regularly, watering flowers, and maybe checking the mail.

We have also heard of some people who have been given a few extra duties such as helping with a paint job, mowing the lawn, or even spending time with their beloved grandmother who lives next door.

Not a bad job in return for free accommodation if you ask us!

On top of that, you’ll also have a bunch of extra time if you’re looking at potentially also becoming a digital nomad.

So essentially you can live for free somewhere in exchange for helping out around the house and then on top of that have free time to make some extra money or learn a new skill or two that you can develop on the web!

In order to become a housesitter, you need to create an account and verify your identity before being able to start applying for houses you can “sit”.

We all know that accommodation is one of the most expensive parts of traveling. If you want to learn more about saving money on accommodation, check out this post: 7 Ways To Save Money on Accommodation While Traveling.

Earning potential: Free accommodation
Fun rate: 5/5

#6 Become a WWOOFER

This is kind of the same idea as working for accommodation but instead of working at a hostel, WWOOFING includes working on farms.

This type of job for working nomads is very common in Canada, the UK, New Zealand, and Australia. Although they have really tightened the restrictions over the past couple of years due to farmers taking advantage of the WWOOFERs – at least in New Zealand.

But WWOOFING is a great way to experience a country and you’ll end up learning some amazing new skills or develop new passions. It also doesn’t hurt to put that experience on a resume one day for a future employer.

You don’t get paid for WWOOFING but you get the experience of being abroad and end up getting accommodation and hopefully, food included. WOOFING is definitely more of an attractive option if you want to experience volunteering abroad and aren’t in need of money so much.

WWOOF is worth checking out as they focus on organic farms and help you find the best possible fit. They have connections in most countries and try and find only reliable and safe farms for WWOOFERS!

If you end up loving it and want to stay in a country (where you’re able to work legally) then you may be able to turn it into a full-time job.

During our time in Milford, our friend Ethan started as a WWOOFER until the bosses realized how good of a cook he was. So they offered him a full-time job as a chef for the rest of the season and were even willing to sponsor him so he could stay in New Zealand and work at the lodge!

Earning potential: Free accommodation
Fun rate: 3/5

#7 Work on a cruise ship

This has to be one of the most exciting jobs as a working nomad because you end up traveling the world while working on a cruise ship.

Of course, you’re still working the majority of the time and it’s not like you’re on a holiday like the guests. But you still get to experience all the cool places the cruise liner docks at and when you have time off you can go explore awesome new places!

The beauty of working on a cruise ship is that there are endless possibilities of positions available and if you end up working for some of the bigger companies like Royal Caribbean or Princess Cruise you may also get some really cool perks with the job.

So if you’re looking to travel the world and want to see everything this planet has to offer then consider looking for employment on a cruise line where you can make your dreams become a reality!

Earning potential: $20k – $60k / year + tips
Fun rate: 5/5

#8 Scuba diving instructor

If you LOVE diving and want to show others around the deep blue ocean, then this might be the perfect job for your nomad life.

It’s not easy to land this job as it is to land a WOOFING job for example, but it definitely sounds like an amazing job.

I (Jo) know a girl who’s lived in countries like Mexico, Indonesia, Honduras, and Malaysia while working as a scuba diver.

The tough part of becoming a scuba diving instructor is that it’s a bit of a process. First you (obviously) need to get your open water certificate.

On top of that you need a lot of other diving certificates, some safety certificates (CPR and first aid), and then you need to get your dive master.

You can get this in Koh Tao in Thailand, Santiago de Surco in Peru, and in the Seychelles, and many other recognized places.

If it’s something you’re seriously considering looking into then check out the information on becoming a PADI instructor here and SSI instructor here.

Earning potential: $20k – $40k / year
Fun rate: 5/5

#9 Being an Au Pair

Being an Au Pair abroad is more of a long-term commitment compared to just working as a WWOOFER for a couple of weeks.

This can be fantastic if you’re looking to go abroad for a year or two and sort of settle down in a country or city for some time.

If you’re thinking of being in Au Pair then maybe try working in a daycare or babysitting your neighbors’ kids a few times to get a feel for it and to see if you enjoy spending time with kids and caring for them. Since that will be a big part of being an Au Pair.

Unless you know then you know! It’s just nice to get a feel for what you’re getting into before making a decision of going abroad to be an Au Pair with no idea what you’re getting yourself into.

One thing we recommend is to really spend time on finding the perfect family. It’s 100% worth spending time and doing multiple interviews to find the right family.

Since it’s such a commitment and you’re going to spend a bit of money on flights and other travel expenses. So you want to do it right! Take your time and find a family that checks all the boxes.

This way, it will make it one of the most rewarding experiences in the world. You’ll end up getting so close to the family and by the end of your stay abroad, you may even feel like they’re your second family and hopefully stay in touch forever!

Earning potential: $200/week + perks, free accommodation
Fun rate: 4/5 (depending on the family and location)

#10 Working at a vineyard

This is really popular in Australia and New Zealand, but actually also in Canada!

It’s a great job where you’ll meet lots of other working nomads from all around the world. If you like being outdoors in nature then this is a job you have to try.

We’ve never had the opportunity to work on a vineyard during our travels but from the stories we’ve heard it sounds like a pretty fun job.

The pay can vary from country to country. Canada will most likely pay minimum wage for this kind of work plus the odd overtime and holiday pay.

Australia, on the other hand, has a higher minimum wage, pays overtime, night shifts, etc. So the earning potential in Australia is really high.

We know a few people who’ve made up to $40 USD/hour working on a vineyard. They even end up working a few months of the year and then have enough saved up to just travel as nomads for the rest of the year.

Lots of vineyards also offer free accommodation while you’re working for the season. So if you’re looking to make a bunch of money in a short period of time and just work a bunch then definitely look into working on a vineyard. There are many Facebook groups like this one where you can find jobs!

Earning potential: $15 – $25 an hour + overtime & night shift bonuses
Fun rate: 3.5/5

#11 Fruit picker

Fruit picking is quite similar to working on a vineyard but still a little different. You have the opportunity to choose what fruit and what sort of farm to work at.

Luckily most farms have lots of different positions. When I (Dom) was in Australia I worked at a banana farm and it was exhausting so I ended up switching jobs after a few days.

Instead of carrying the heavy bananas I was sorting them and washing them from any bugs and such.

Almost every country you travel to as a working nomad will have fruit picking jobs. Lots of the time there’s pretty fun communities as well of working travelers living in these small communities and working together.

It’s a great place to make friends and save up a little bit of money as long as you find a decent place to work.

Earning potential: $15 – $25 an hour + overtime & night shift bonuses
Fun rate: 3.5/5

#12 Street performer

This is something none of us have ever done. Partly due to the fact that neither one of us possesses a fun talent that would make tourists and locals stop to give up money, haha.

But if you love singing, playing the guitar, or any other awesome or even weird talent then why not put it to good use and make some money from it?

I’m sure if you went and sang Galway Girl on a street in Dublin you’d be sleeping in money! 😉

But seriously, what better way to travel the world and earn some money than by sharing a special talent you have? We both love watching talented street performers and end up tipping them as well.

We pay to go to the movies or a show, so why not support these awesome humans sharing their talents with us?

So go out there and show the world what you got and get rewarded!

Earning potential: Unlimited!!
Fun rate: 5/5

#13 Hosting pub crawls

If you love to party, hosting pub crawls could be a GREAT opportunity for you!

As a pub crawl host you work a few shifts a week and mostly on weekends. Your shifts will be 4-8 hours a night depending on the length of the pub crawl.

Essentially you’re taking care of drunk people. Making sure everyone makes it to each pub and that the group stays together.

You also want to (try to) keep the group as quiet as possible. Especially, while walking on the streets so you don’t end up being that obnoxious drunk group of tourists.

So if you’re a social butterfly and you love meeting people and making new friends over a few pints then it can seriously be the best time. Our friend Nick from Prague did it for a few months and he absolutely loved it.

Earning potential: $10 – $15 an hour + tips + free drinks
Fun rate: 4.5/5

#14 Food Delivery

There are so many companies out there like Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Skip The Dishes, and many more that are very easy to do as a working nomad abroad. It’s a great gig that you can just get into right away.

Especially in bigger cities, lots of these companies use bikes instead of cars so you don’t actually need a car to work for them. And you don’t need to pay for a gym membership either 😉

It’s a great way to find your bearings around a city and get used to the area. It’s also a nice little workout since you’ll be biking quite a bit.

Plus the tips can be quite good if you are having a busy night and get lots of orders. So it’s a great job if you’re looking for something short or long term while you’re traveling abroad.

Earning potential: $10 – $20 + tips
Fun rate: 3/5

#15 Becoming a Travel Agent

Being a travel agent is a very popular job in Australia and New Zealand!

Everywhere you go you will see travel companies all over the place. Each one is helping travellers plan their West Coast Australian road trip or their trips through New Zealand.

As a travel agent, you will most likely be helping other tourists who are looking to plan week-long or month-long trips. You will help them plan out the best possible route.

Sometimes it’s actually better to experience the trip firsthand before becoming a travel agent but you definitely don’t need to.

Ideally, you’ll be a good listener and able to help people plan their trips accordingly.

Another great perk of the job is you find out what average prices for hostels, trips, transport, and other things cost. So you will be able to find good deals on your own travels as well down the road.

Earning potential: $10 – $20 + tips
Fun rate: 4/5

You may also like…

• What’s it Like to Be a Digital Nomad
• 11 Fun Digital Nomad Jobs You Can Do in 2020
• 18 Amazing Cities for Digital Nomads Around the World
• 9 Awesome Places to Teach English Abroad
• 7 Ways to Save Money on Accommodation While Travelling

Recap of being a non-digital working nomad

We hope these jobs have inspired you to travel more and realize that it is 100% possible for you to travel long-term without working online.

It’s all about being creative, doing a bit of research, and reaching out to people. You never know what opportunities might come your way!

Have you ever worked abroad? What type of work did you do and how did you like it?

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