Nothing’s better than traveling (and trust me, I’ve done my fair share of sightseeing…). As a travel writer by trade, discovering new places, new cultures, seeing beautiful landscapes and trying exotic dishes makes me come alive. For many, traveling is the ultimate vacation, but for those who see traveling as a lifestyle, packing your bags and heading out into the world is not just a hobby, it's a way of making a living.

If you like traveling and want to make a living out of it, there are several ways to get paid for doing it. Although it's not as literal as the name suggests, it is possible to sustain yourself on the road and that's exactly what we're going to talk about in this article.

If you're interested in seeing the world and making money at the same time, just keep reading and find out how to get paid to travel.

How does getting paid to travel work?

To be honest, getting paid to travel involves a lot more making money while traveling than making money from traveling. There are many activities, business options, and specific jobs that give you the opportunity to travel the world while making good money.

And contrary to what many people think, you don’t need to own a multi-million dollar company nor do you need to have incredible professional and academic qualifications to make money traveling. Certain activities and positions that allow you to get paid to travel require some knowledge, of course, but you need a lot less than you think to see the world and get paid for it. Having courage, will, and determination is the starting point.

The best ways to get paid to travel

There are many ways to get paid to travel, but the truth is that none of them are going to be a "click here and start right now" method. All of them require a good deal of work, effort, and planning, especially considering that you have to balance professional activities with the day-to-day life of someone who is constantly on the road. 

Here are the best ways to get paid to travel.

1. Start a travel blog (become a travel influencer)

adventurous kate

When searching for ways to get paid to travel online, one of the first options that will usually pop up is to start a travel blog and become a travel influencer.

It's no wonder, as this specific activity has practically become the poster child for the lifestyle of what we call digital nomads—professionals who work while traveling. So, in short, few things fit the concept of "getting paid to travel" more than being a travel influencer.

Building a loyal following and expanding your influence online are initial challenges that you will have to face. Many travel influencers focus on specific niches and focus their travel content on them, such as nature trips, city exploration, or even travel content focused on historical monuments.

The best part about being a travel influencer is that the more you travel, and the more your audience grows, the more opportunities to make money appear as a travel blogger. Such as:

  • Influencer marketing: Many companies rely heavily on influencer marketing in their campaigns, and with a solid base of followers, you can set deals with several travel companies that may even sponsor your traveling adventures in exchange for publicity.
  • Tourism marketing: Cities with great tourism potential also tend to hire influencers to visit their tourist attractions and create content about them, whether by posting photos on their social networks or writing articles about landmarks and great travel locations.
  • With display ads: Google Adsense is a Google platform that places targeted ads on your blog or during your YouTube videos that are specific to the type of content you produce. It is an excellent tool for blog owners because it gives you the opportunity to earn extra passive income with ads that fit your platform and are targeted to your audience. Every time someone clicks on one of these ads, you earn passive income, while you travel.

Being a travel influencer is the closest you can get to getting paid to travel in the most literal sense of the word. But it does require a lot of effort, especially in the beginning when your audience isn’t yet established. Despite all this, it brings many benefits and allows you to earn money while seeing the world.

Check out these travel blog ideas to get you started, and this guide on how to become a travel influencer.

2. Run affiliate marketing campaigns

clickbank home page

With a thriving travel blog that gets a lot of traffic or through paid advertising, you can make a lot of money through affiliate marketing. How’s it work? In short, you (the affiliate) generate buzz (traffic) around someone else’s product.

This is typically done through something like a blog that relies on search traffic or through running ads on behalf of another product or brand that fulfills the orders. This is deal for traveling because you really only need your computer—you don’t have to deal with sending out boxes, taking returns, or any of the other operations associated with starting a brand or in person shop.

Discover the top affiliate marketing tools to use.

3. Become a travel photographer or videomaker

travel photographer

If you have a talent for photography and video making, few things are more rewarding and exciting than making a living as a travel photographer or videographer.

Whether you work for a travel magazine or newspaper, you can get paid to travel all over the world to capture images of beautiful landscapes, exotic cities, events, and much more.

But if a full-time job with a company isn’t for you, you can also work as a freelance photographer. National Geographic and other major publications accept images from freelance photographers, and well-produced videos can be sold for a good amount of money to journalism teams and production companies wanting good images for a documentary, among other productions. Stock photo websites and similar platforms are also great sources of passive income.

With a strong portfolio and good contacts in the market, companies may even pay you to travel to a specific location and photograph a rare natural phenomenon or an exotic festival in a small country, for example.

Just like being an influencer (and other examples below), it all depends on your work and effort. If you’re just starting out, you can add value to your offering by photographing hidden gems in your own city, then state, and finally country. Build your portfolio regionally before you start making money traveling the world.

At the end of the day, being a travel photographer is a great opportunity to get paid to travel and build a portfolio that will give you even more travel opportunities in the future.

Find out how you can sell your pictures online.

4. Teach english or other languages abroad

teach english abrod

Are you good at teaching? Many companies, and even governments in certain countries, pay for foreign language teachers, especially English teachers.

Being a foreign language tutor is an excellent opportunity to, well, get paid to travel to countries that require your work. You’ll basically live in that country and teach your native language to students from that country. Depending on the program, you may even have your own accommodation in the countries where you're teaching, which is an extra benefit.

If you’re interested, you can also sign up for programs to teach remotely with online courses. The advantage of this model is that you can teach any language you are proficient in and from anywhere. You earn money while teaching and traveling—just make sure that your travel destinations have good connections on class days.

An important detail is that to work in this field you’ll need a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers for other languages) or TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate. Obtaining these certificates depends on the way you prefer to work.

Check out this complete guide to teaching English online.

5. Work as a tour guide

tour guide

If you’re already a well-traveled person and know your way around some of the world's most famous tourist attractions, being a tour guide is an excellent way to get paid to travel.

As a tour guide, you’ll offer tours to groups of tourists, whether to regions in your country or even around the world, designing, creating, and organizing trips in the best way possible.

Unlike the other examples given so far, an important detail of working as a tour guide is that, depending on your company, you won't choose the destination you’ll travel to, which can be a disadvantage for those who prefer more flexibility when it comes to travel. Even so, it’s a much more stable way to get paid to travel compared to being an influencer or even a travel photographer.

6. Take on Au Pair jobs

au pair

Au Pair is a cultural exchange program where you basically sign up to live with a family anywhere in the world for a period of time and take care of their children in exchange for a salary, housing, meals, and educational opportunities.

It’s a great way to get paid to travel, save money, and meet new people all at once. Sure, it’s essentially being an international nanny (which, depending on your opinion, is less glamorous than the other options on this list), but for those who love to experience new places, get to know new people, and live other cultures, it’s an irresistible option.

7. Travel industry jobs

delta

The most obvious options include flight attendants, but there are many other jobs that are similar and require far fewer requirements than all the training required to work on airplanes. Trains, buses, and cruise ships, for example.

A great advantage of cruise ships is that they employ all kinds of professionals, from bartenders and fitness instructors to artists and nurses. You can travel the world, see some pretty exotic places, and get paid for it, all on something as cool as a cruise ship.

If you don’t have professional training in any of these areas, a great way to see the world, make some money, and help those less fortunate is to volunteer. The Peace Corps and other non-governmental organizations around the world are always in need of people. You won’t make a lot of money as a volunteer, but you’ll certainly get to see other places in the world.

8. Work remotely

work remotely

Remote work is essential for traveling not only because of the flexibility of setting your own hours, but also because of the freedom to work wherever you want. It won’t necessarily pay you to travel (depending on the job, of course), but it will be your way of earning money while traveling.

Graphic designers, programmers, and advertisers are some of the most common jobs for working travelers—also known as digital nomads—but you can also work as a writer, reporter, or copywriter. Companies you work for may send you on trips to events or training sessions, and game programmers are constantly traveling to technology fairs on behalf of their companies.

If you’re an entrepreneur, ecommerce is for you. It’s possible to run an online business while traveling. With dropshipping, you can sell products from anywhere in the world, since you don’t have to worry about physically handling your products or storing them.

And if you’re a travel influencer, monetizing your audience is just a matter of wanting to. You can create and manage paid communities, or create your own brand of travel products, photo albums, or any other type of digital product.

Having a remote job means having the right to travel while being paid. It is an option that gives you the flexibility to work wherever you want, but it also requires dedication.

Check out these remote side hustles that you can do from anywhere.

9. Become a freelancer

freelancer

But if, in addition to flexibility, you value being able to set your own work schedule while traveling, freelancer is the right work model for you.

Many of the jobs we present here can also be done as a freelancer. Advertising agencies are constantly hiring freelance graphic designers, as well as copywriters, video editors, and even voice-over artists.

Freelance work offers travelers a lot of freedom, but little stability. If you plan to take on the world as a freelancer, calculate your budget carefully in case work suddenly becomes scarce.

With Whop, you run your online business from anywhere

The best part about building your business online is that you don’t need to worry about physical locations, and in many cases, not even product storage.

And Whop has everything you need to build a business from scratch, no matter where you are.

Sell digital products, learn about dropshipping, profit from affiliate marketing, and monetize your followers with a paid community. Dominate this and many more, guided by some of the best ecommerce experts on the market.

Why waste any more time? The world is waiting for you! Build your own business with Whop and start making money while traveling!


Get paid to travel FAQs

The frequently asked questions about getting paid while traveling.

What skills do I need to work remotely while traveling?

The skills you need depend on the type of remote work you're interested in. Common skills include writing, graphic design, programming, marketing, customer service, and project management. Strong communication skills and self-discipline are also essential for remote work.