This is a post about what to do in a gap year.
As someone who took a few years off uni to go out into the world, I’m a big advocate for it. If you think you’re going to fall behind, let me tell you: you won’t! I have many friends who had similar experiences and are thriving nowadays! Some of them moved to London from Brazil when they couldn’t even speak English but they hustled and are now big dogs at multinationals. HERE IN LONDON! Speaking English! And I, I went back to uni at 23 and, for the past 8 years, have been working what was my dream job when I moved to London. Oh, and did I tell you none of us come from wealth and we all had to work our way up?
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s see how you can join the club… A gap year doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, some of the most rewarding gap year experiences happen when you’re travelling with very little money. By focusing on opportunities that cover your accommodation and meals, or even pay you, you can explore the world without draining your savings. This guide will show you what to do in a gap year and how to structure it on a shoestring budget while gaining valuable skills and cultural experiences.
Au Pair Programmes
Becoming an au pair is one of the most affordable ways to live abroad for an extended period. If you’re a regular reader you’ll know that’s how I moved abroad – 3 times!! And I LOVE talking about it! You’ll live with a host family, provide childcare and sometimes help with light housework. In exchange, you’ll get accommodation, meals and a small allowance. Many countries have official au pair visa programmes including France, Germany, the USA and Australia. You can use platforms like AuPairWorld or apply through agencies that handle visa paperwork for you (you’ll need that for USA, Netherlands and Switzerland).
Beyond covering your living costs, this role gives you a built-in support system, a chance to improve your language skills and the opportunity to explore during your time off. You can also save money because most expenses like rent, food and utilities are already included.
In Europe, especially, there are SO many countries where you can be an au pair! And a few of them offer great opportunities if you want to stay longer as well. Check out my “how to become an au pair in Europe” guide. Better yet, check out my au pair page filled with advice from how to choose a host family, what to ask them and mistakes to avoid.
Farm Work and WWOOFing
If you love nature and don’t mind physical work, farm stays can be a great gap year choice. Programmes like WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) connect travellers with farms in need of seasonal help. In exchange for a few hours of work each day, you’ll receive free accommodation and meals. Tasks can range from planting and harvesting crops to caring for animals or maintaining farm buildings. This is a particularly budget-friendly way to travel in rural areas where accommodation would otherwise be costly. It’s also a good option if you’re interested in sustainability or organic farming methods.
Hostel and Hospitality Work
Many hostels around the world offer free dorm beds and sometimes meals to travellers who help with reception duties, cleaning or organising events for guests. Platforms like Workaway and Worldpackers make it easy to find hostel work exchanges where you trade a few hours of help each day for free accommodation. This arrangement often requires just a few hours of work per day, leaving plenty of time to explore the city. Hostel work can also help you meet other travellers and get local tips you wouldn’t find in guidebooks. In tourist-heavy areas, you might also find paid hospitality jobs in cafés, bars or restaurants, which can help you save for onward travel. You might need a visa to take on paid work (student visas in many countries allow you to work part-time!).
Resort and Seasonal Jobs
In ski resorts, beach towns or holiday parks, there’s a high demand for seasonal staff. These jobs can include instructing, bartending, waiting tables, cleaning chalets or working in equipment rental shops. They usually come with staff accommodation at a reduced cost or for free, plus competitive pay during busy months. Seasonal jobs are perfect if you want to live in a popular destination without paying tourist prices and they often come with the added perk of free or discounted access to activities like skiing or water sports. You can find many of these roles through Season Workers, CoolWorks or directly on resort job boards.
In ski resorts, beach towns or holiday parks, there’s a high demand for seasonal staff. These jobs can include instructing, bartending, waiting tables, cleaning chalets or working in equipment rental shops. They usually come with staff accommodation at a reduced cost or for free, plus competitive pay during busy months. Seasonal jobs are perfect if you want to live in a popular destination without paying tourist prices and they often come with the added perk of free or discounted access to activities like skiing or water sports.
Teaching English Abroad
If you’re a native English speaker or speak it fluently, teaching can fund your travels. Many positions abroad cover accommodation and some even pay a salary high enough to save for future travels. Countries in Asia, such as South Korea, Japan and Vietnam are popular for their generous packages, but you can also find roles in parts of Europe and South America. Some require a TEFL certification, which can be completed online in a few weeks for a small fee. I actually got one myself with TEFL.org. It was super straightforward!
Platforms like iTalki and Preply are great for finding students online, while Dave’s ESL Café lists international teaching jobs.
Even without formal qualifications, informal tutoring or language exchange programmes can help you secure free housing in exchange for conversational English lessons. In fact, back to the au pair subject quickly, in China au pairs are usually there to teach English rather than undertake childcare.
Cruise Ship Work
Cruise ships hire staff for a range of positions, from hospitality and entertainment to technical and customer service roles. While the work can be demanding, your accommodation, meals and transport to new destinations are all included. This means you can save most of your earnings while visiting multiple countries without paying for travel between them. Positions are often contracted for several months at a time, making them a good way to fund a big part of your gap year.
I must say, I recently interviewed someone who’s currently on her third cruise ship contract and she gave me all the insights! Apparently (at least at her work) you don’t get ANY days off! You do get a couple of hours off per day and a bit of time to explore whatever destination the ship is docked. She’s working Caribbean routes and has been to the Bahamas so many times she doesn’t even go out there anymore!
Different positions will have different cabins and perks. There’s also plenty of fun and entertainment for the crew!
Check out opportunities on sites like All Cruise Jobs or directly through companies such as Royal Caribbean or MSC Cruises.
House Sitting and Pet Sitting
House sitting lets you live rent-free in exchange for looking after someone’s home and sometimes their pets. Websites like TrustedHousesitters and Nomador connect sitters with homeowners worldwide. Assignments can last from a weekend to several months, making it possible to line up back-to-back sits in different locations. If you love animals, pet sitting can be especially rewarding and in many cases, the homes you’ll stay in are far nicer than what you could afford otherwise.
I just spent nearly 4 months dog sitting and, although I miss my home, being around the dogs and taking them for daily walks brought me so much joy!
Volunteer Opportunities with Free Accommodation
This option gives you freedom to choose short or long placements and to travel at your own pace while keeping costs low. If you want to make a positive impact during your gap year, you can look for volunteer roles that don’t charge participation fees. Some NGOs, community projects and eco-villages offer free room and board for help with teaching, building projects or conservation work. Platforms like Workaway and Worldpackers also list meaningful volunteer projects around the world. While you won’t earn money, you’ll gain meaningful experience and often live in close contact with locals, which adds depth to your travels.
Cultural Exchange Programmes
Some government or non-profit schemes provide funding for cultural exchange experiences, which can include study placements, volunteering or work projects. In Europe, the European Solidarity Corps offers funded opportunities that include travel expenses, accommodation and a stipend. These programmes are competitive, but they can provide a structured and low-cost way to spend part of your gap year abroad while gaining skills that can boost your CV.
Final Thoughts
A gap year with little to no money is completely possible when you combine free accommodation, short-term work and resourceful travel strategies. By breaking your year into different phases you can see multiple countries without high costs. For example, starting with a hostel work exchange, followed by house sitting then volunteering. The key is to stay flexible, plan ahead for visa requirements and choose opportunities that suit your skills and interests.
Quick Links to Gap Year Platforms
Looking for the best websites to kickstart your gap year on a budget? Here are the most trusted platforms for each type of opportunity:
- Au Pair – AuPairWorld, Au Pair in America
- Farm Work – WWOOF
- Hostel & Hospitality Exchanges – Workaway, Worldpackers
- Seasonal Jobs – Season Workers, CoolWorks
- Teaching English – iTalki, Preply, Dave’s ESL Café
- Cruise Ship Jobs – All Cruise Jobs
- House & Pet Sitting – TrustedHousesitters, Nomador, MindMyHouse
- Volunteering – Workaway, Worldpackers
- Cultural Exchange – European Solidarity Corps
This was a post about what to do in a gap year.
