The Cheapest Way to Travel as a Broke College Student

By: Lexa Critchfield

Berlengas Islands (Photo by Lexa Critchfield)

College students tend to have a wide range of travel experiences. While many have the opportunity to study abroad, take family vacations, or plan trips with friends, some have never left their home state. As a broke college student, I was anxious about missing out on the amazing experiences the world has to offer due to financial constraints. That was until I discovered Worldpackers.

The Worldpackers Platform

Worldpackers is a platform that connects volunteers with hosts around the world in exchange for various benefits, including meals and accommodations. The platform offers both a website and an app where you can explore these opportunities and choose the best fit for you. It also allows for travel in pairs or couples, which can be reassuring if traveling to a different country alone feels daunting.

My Experience

In the summer of 2023, my friend and I traveled to Portugal for one month and volunteered at the Supertubos Beach Hostel. This was my first time traveling abroad, and Worldpackers made the experience seamless. We worked as housekeepers, making beds, sweeping floors, and cleaning bathrooms. While this work might not be glamorous, it was entirely worthwhile. Our hostel was right on the beach, and we received a free month-long stay, breakfast, discounted surf lessons, and outdoor gear such as bikes, wetsuits, and surfboards. We worked for about four hours each day, leaving the rest of the time for other activities. We each had our own beds in a shared room, full access to a kitchen, fridge, cooking utensils, a washer, and a place to hang our clothes to dry.

Budgeting and Fees

While Worldpackers can save you a significant amount of money, there is a yearly fee to use the platform. The current rate is $49 per year for solo travelers and $59 per year for pairs. For my friend and me, splitting $59 between two people was a small price to pay for an almost free trip to Europe. Keep in mind that you will need to cover your own flight to your destination, so include that in your budget. Also, factor in costs for groceries if meals are not provided by your hosts, travel expenses if you want to explore beyond your accommodation, and leisure activities like surf lessons or dining out.

Things to Consider Before Booking a Trip

With Worldpackers having hundreds of opportunities to pick from, it can be overwhelming trying to pick one. Don’t worry, you can apply to multiple for the same range of dates. Once you apply to an opportunity, the hosts have to approve you and you have to accept the offer and confirm arrival and departure dates. It can get competitive for opportunities, so apply to a bunch. I applied to around 10 opportunities and only got approved for one. Something else to consider before booking is location. Do some research on where you may be traveling to and learn about the traditions, customs, language, and what percent of the population speaks English, in case you're not able to learn the language. Luckily for me, everyone in Peniche, Portugal speaks English along with Portuguese. Also, take note of what accommodations each opportunity has because some are just free housing or free meals, while others may offer much less or much more. There are certainly some opportunities out there that are better than others, so take your time scanning through them. The best way to do this is to read reviews. Travelers who have previously been on these opportunities leave reviews about their experience. This is the best place to find insight into how hard or time-consuming volunteer tasks are, what the hosts are like, or what activities are available in the area you will be staying in. 

Why You Should Check Out Worldpackers

While this blog may sound like an advertisement for Worldpackers (which I am not sponsored by—though I wish I were!), I believe it's important for college students to know there are affordable travel options beyond studying abroad or booking expensive hotels. Staying in a hostel can be a life-changing experience. We got to know our host parents, who were fascinating and generous throughout our stay. We shared meals with other guests, learning about different cultures and cuisines. We made friends in the hostel which joined us in our surf lessons and bar excursions. We bonded with the other volunteers we worked with from Singapore and Italy, with whom I hope to remain lifelong friends. I can now say I have connections from all over the world, even though I was only in Portugal. If you’re looking to make new friends or experience new locations on a budget, Worldpackers is definitely worth checking out.