Volunteer, Work and Travel as a Solo Traveller

Tips, advice and inspiration to plan your epic trip

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Low cost travel

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Workaway for solo travellers

Some of the most extraordinary adventures are those you embark on alone! As a solo workawayer, you can directly connect with hosts all over the world, get immersed into different cultures and give back to unique projects along the way. If you decide to share your adventures with fellow workawayers, connect and meet up with other members of the community or find a travel buddy to visit hosts together.


Get inspired with over 50,000 opportunities to choose from:

Top tips and advice for solo travellers

  • about 5 min
  • 22 comments
Things I wish somebody told me before my first solo trip

Throughout my travel adventures, I learned a lot. But I always credit my first solo trip for giving me the courage to follow my dreams. I want to pass some of that courage on to you, too. Here’s what I’ve learned and advice I wish somebody told me before my first solo trip.

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  • about 12 min
  • 4 comments
10 Best Destinations For Solo Female Travellers

Just you and the ‘open road’ and there’s nothing quite like it! Being in a new country all by yourself may seem daunting at first- but it’ll be worthwhile when you get to meet new people and make life-long memories. Here are some of our favourite safe countries for solo-female travel so you can start planning your trip!

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Why join Workaway as a Solo traveller

  • Meet the locals

    Experience authentic cultures and local lifestyles with your Workaway host

  • Learning opportunities

    Pick up new skills, interests and languages to give your CV a boost

  • Be a part of a friendly travelling community

    Chat and meet fellow Workawayers near you or places you are travelling to.

  • Give meaning to your travels

    Offer your helping hands to local communities, projects, and causes as you travel.

  • Find a travel buddy

    Join our growing network of sustainable travellers and visit your next host together.

  • Travel on a budget

    Save up on accommodation and food while exploring unique places.

How to Workaway

Join the community

Create a great profile, we will verify you within 24 hours

Connect with hosts

Contact your favourite hosts, discuss your stay and what is expected in return

Travel like a local

Discover new cultures, friends, places and skills

Join as a Workawayer
I never feel really lonely when I am travelling with Workaway...

Because there is always someone around who will join you on a tour, have dinner with you or just some all-night talks. [...] As you are together with your host(s) and /or fellow Workawayers during a longer time period, it is almost inevitable to establish a friendship or even feel like being part of a new family in the end. more...

-- workawayer Lisa, Spain

I have been travelling and workawaying for 2 years and I never get bored.

You enter other people’s lives, share their world– exchange knowledge and ideas. I would never go back to tourism, I couldn’t. Workawaying gives you the initial contact with someone who lives locally, and this often leads to other opportunities. I have had offers of lifts to new destinations and even invited to be interviewed by a local newspaper. My life now unfolds in this way and it is truly fantastic. more...

-- Workawayer Daniel, Canada

There's just so much to be learned - all around the world!

There are so many amazing places and amazing people doing amazing work. The possibilities are never-ending where you could end up going and what you could learn. [...] I choose all my Workaway experiences with things that really interest me and go for something that I specifically want to learn but there have definitely been a few highlights. more...

-- workawayer Gisela, Germany

Connect with travellers

Asier

Last activity : about 1 second ago

Pamisa

Last activity : about 8 seconds ago

Nora

Last activity : about 16 seconds ago

Victoria

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Laura

Last activity : about 20 seconds ago

Monte

Last activity : about 22 seconds ago

Louis

Last activity : about 27 seconds ago

William

Last activity : about 31 seconds ago

Solo Travellers like you

Any questions?

When you sign up as a Workawayer you can access the host list and contact host families, NGOs or projects directly for one year to offer your help. You will also be able to find travel buddies, or contact other Workawayers for meet up or language exchange.

Workaway is a cultural exchange, you offer a few hours of help in exchange of food and accommodation.Take a look at the info on the site here again and if you have any more questions drop us a line.

To register as a Workawayer: https://www.workaway.info/en/signup/workawayer

Generally you will be expected to help around 5 hours per day in exchange for food and accommodation. Some hosts may give a paid allowance to ensure they are offering at least the minimum wage in their country. Conditions and agreements may vary depending on the skills you can offer and the requirements of each host. It is important you communicate as much as possible beforehand with your hosts so that you both know each other's expectations.
Couple accounts are for friends, families (with children under 18 years old) or partners who ALWAYS travel and volunteer together. If you plan to travel together for only part of your trip it is best to buy two single accounts and then link them together within your profiles.

This is how you indicate to hosts that you are travelling with another workawayer for a while:

After signing in, click on the "Connect your profile" button, and enter the USERNAME of the workawayer you want to connect your profile with.

An email will be sent to the second workawayer to confirm that they wish to have their profile connected to yours. Once they have responded and given permission your profiles will appear connected.

When you decide that you will not be travelling together, you easily can separate your profiles by clicking on the "disconnect profiles" link on your "My account" page next to the picture of the workawayer that your profile is joined to.

Here at Workaway safety is our top priority. We strive to provide all the resources for our community members to feel as safe as possible during their Workaway trips.

For more details about our safety measures please read our notes on safety: https://www.workaway.info/en/info/safety
You will also find some more advice and recommendation on how to travel safely as a workawayer: https://www.workaway.info/en/info/safety/traveladvice

Workaway is primarily for cultural exchange or learning new skills and a way of making new friends.

If a host is looking for help with a business or business activity, they may offer payment to ensure that they are meeting the minimum wage requirements of their country.

Remember you will need the correct visa for any country that you visit.

Where a host is offering payment this will be clearly marked on their profile.

More about Workaway

Safety, trust and respect
Find out about our safety values and how to best prepare for your travels
Insurance for Workawayers
Check out insurance options for Workawayers, volunteers and backpackers

The Workaway philosophy

As a community based on learning, sharing and exploring new ways of life, what makes Workaway work is the spirit and dedication of our members in providing positive cultural exchange experiences.

More about our mission