Stewards, farm hands, hosts – how you can travel for free this summer

But there’s definitely a catch

Organisations including Oxfam recruit an army of volunteers to work at festivals like Glastonbury (Getty)

Summer is here (maybe) and it’s oh so easy to spend more money. Cultural events, overseas holidays, music festivals, even just time spent in beer gardens can all add up to a costly few months.

But if you don’t want to spend a fortune then there are ways to enjoy a break for free or for a relatively low cost… as long as you don’t mind rolling up your sleeves.

Festivals for free (sort of)

Glasto, Reading, Beautiful Days… There are a lot of big and not-so-big music events coming up now the weather is warmer and that can mean spending a lot of money on tickets, assuming you’re lucky enough to get them.

But it might be possible to spend time at a festival for free, while also doing some good: volunteering.

Organisations including Oxfam recruit an army of volunteers to work at these events, as shop workers, stewards and campaigners. The work and perks vary depending on which organisation you volunteer through, with Oxfam asking volunteers to do three 8-hour shifts per festival.

Volunteers get phone charging, camping, food vouchers and when they are not working they can enjoy the event. It’s even possible to sign up with friends and be put on the same rota, allowing you all to hang out together when the shifts are done.

“You could be providing directions, checking wristbands, monitoring arenas and venues, or patrolling campsites,” says Oxfam. “You’ll be on viewing platforms, up fire towers, or roaming around the site as part of the response team.”

Swap homes for a holiday

There are so many companies offering to set would-be travellers up with others so they can exchange home and have a cheap holiday. Often the only cost apart from travel is a fee to the agency that has helped match the households – subscriptions can vary from the £30 mark right up to a few hundred.

So this can be a cheap way to travel, especially for families who will find it easier to stay in a home than rent multiple bedrooms in a hotel.

This is rocketing in popularity and so there are many different companies set up to match swappers, including Love Home Swap and HomeExchange. Some even allow you to earn points by lending your home and spend them by borrowing one, meaning it doesn’t have to be a straight swap – you can find the best property for you.

One really important thing to remember is that house-swap companies do not inspect or check the homes that are listed. Any agreement will be between you and the owners of the home you are borrowing, so there is an element of risk.

There may also be some work involved such as pet sitting or watering plants, so be ready for a genuine negotiation and ask lots of questions.

After all, you need to be confident in the person whose home you’re borrowing, so it’s vital to do lots of research and get answers to any concerns before you show up at the door.

You also need to be sure your own mortgage provider or landlord and home insurer will be happy with you taking part in a holiday swap. Insurance companies are often more happy with this kind of exchange than with a commercial agreement to rent your home out.

Work for your holiday

If there’s no such thing as a free lunch then there’s definitely no such thing as a free holiday.

But there are holidays you can take for free or for a very small amount in exchange for doing some work while you’re there.

For example, the International National Trusts Organisation has a list of working holidays run by members in different countries, where travellers are put up in tents and spend time each day restoring historically significant sites.

Although these breaks aren’t free, they are cheap. For example, you can spend 12 days helping restore Budos Castle, situated in Aquitaine in southwest France, for €165 (£143) plus the cost of your flights. You’ll be sharing a tent with others and sharing shopping, cooking and cleaning duties, but you would also be immersed in the local culture and history.

Or for £150, you can spend a week building a visitor centre near Kromeriz in the Czech Republic, including full board at a modern hostel in the town’s main square.

There are other organisations offering accommodation and sightseeing in exchange for work. For example, the owners of a hostel and café in Flørli, Norway, offer up to two weeks accommodation in exchange for 6-8 hours of work each day.

With opportunities like that it’s really important to discuss in advance exactly what is expected of you, to ensure it is a direct exchange rather than exploitation.

There are also organisations linking would-be volunteers with farms in the UK and abroad. For example, WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farms UK (WWOOF UK) links visitors with growers.

Travellers spend around half their day working on the farm and learning about growing organic produce and can then spend time exploring the local area.

As with any of these working holiday opportunities, it’s essential to research a placement in advance and ideally read reviews from other visitors to be sure that your expectations match the reality.

Volunteering can help make a holiday or festival free but, with the right gig, it can also be an opportunity to learn something new, give something back and have fun.