20 Best Ways to Travel and Make Money in 2023

Who wouldn’t want to travel the world and make money? The biggest roadblock for most people is what to do for work. I mean, travel is expensive! Fortunately, you have more realistic options than ever before. To help you narrow your search, we’re breaking the ideas on this list down by remote side hustles, local opportunities, and how to get paid to travel. 

Get ready to pack your bags because you’re going to learn how to travel and make money in 2023.

How to Travel and Make Money Remotely

Remote work means you’re location independent, so you can work from anywhere. If you want to learn how to travel and get paid, one of the first things you can do is see if your current job offers remote work, otherwise check out the options below.

1. Freelancing

One of the best ways to travel and make money is by leveraging an existing skill into a part or full-time freelance job. The great thing about freelancing is that you can build your career as you travel. You don’t have to quit a job as you move onto another location. 

M$M Tip: Check out FlexJobs to find freelance and part-time jobs that are fully remote.

Here are our top freelancing ideas for 2022. You can start freelancing with existing skills or learn a new one:

Proofreading

If you have a natural ability to spot grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes, proofreading could be a good fit. Proofreaders are responsible for polishing written content — everything from blog posts, web copy, email marketing campaigns, books, and more.

Proofreading has become a job you can do 100% remotely, and all you need is a laptop and internet connection, making it a great way to get paid while traveling.

Freelance Writing

A lot of the digital content you see today is written by freelance writers, from blog copy, marketing materials, emails, online articles, lead magnets, and much more. While there are tons of writing niches, you can always use your travel experience in your freelance writing career.

Having firsthand experience traveling will make you a strong candidate for specific types of writing jobs. You can pitch ideas to bloggers or check out the job board on ProBlogger.

Bookkeeping

Freelance bookkeepers help business owners record and manage daily financial transactions. This can include paying bills, managing payroll, and collecting payments. Bookkeeping is not the same thing as accounting, and that difference is why you can start bookkeeping online without a degree or certification.

Bookkeepers need to be familiar with popular financial software like Quickbooks and know how to read and create balance sheets, and this is a great way to work online while you travel, especially if you nerd out for numbers.

Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is a broad term used to describe any marketing via the internet. It includes email marketing, SEO, social media marketing, and more. Running Facebook ads is one of my favorite forms of digital marketing because it’s how I side hustled and how I grew this blog.

Running Facebook ads is simply digital marketing through Facebook. Facebook’s wide reach and easy-to-use ads platform make it a great option for small business owners, both local and online. And you can make $1,000 to $1,500 per month per Facebook ads client.

This is one of my top ideas if you want to learn how to travel and make money because you can work for clients anywhere in the world, or bring your services to clients you meet on your travels.

Virtual Assistance

Virtual assistants are a huge asset to online entrepreneurs like me because they manage day-to-day tasks like inbox management, scheduling, publishing blog posts, bookkeeping, social media management, data entry, and more.

This is an excellent job for travelers who have some experience in human resources, operations, administrative assistance, or customer service. The average virtual assistant (or VA) makes $500 to $1,000 per month. Being a full-time traveler will make you an ideal candidate for business owners in the travel industry because you’ll have specific knowledge that not every VA has.

2. Blogging

I’ve gotten to meet some really incredible people through blogging, and many of them blog while traveling because it’s such a flexible option. One of my best blogging friends (Michelle of Making Sense of Cents) is a full-time traveler, and she and her family spend half the year sailing in the Caribbean and the other half of the year exploring the U.S. in an RV. It looks like a pretty sweet life!

Bloggers make money in a variety of ways: affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, display ads, freelancing, course sales, and more. But the core of blogging is finding a topic that you can write about and use to connect with your audience.

Traveling is full of profitable blog topics, like budget travel, traveling with kids, RVing, road trips, travel hacking, and more. You can write listicles, itineraries, ultimate guides, how-tos, etc. Because you travel full-time, you’re offering expert advice to people who want to learn from you, and the trust you build with your readers translates to blogging income.

If you’re interested in starting a blog, here are a few blog resources I highly recommend:

• Bluehost: This blog hosting service starts at $2.95/month when you sign up through my link, and it’s the exact service I used to start my WordPress blog.
• How to Start a Blog 2022: The Easy Step-By-Step Guide: Our guide will walk you through every step of starting a WordPress blog.
• Launch That Blog | Free Installation and Set-Up Service: When you sign up for Bluehost through my link, you can take advantage of Launch That Blog, our free installation and set-up service. Our team will install your self-hosted WordPress blog, install 10 essential plug-ins, give you free training resources, and more.

3. Online Surveys

Let’s get this out of the way first: you can’t fund your travels on surveys alone. Online surveys are an easy way to make a little extra money, but it’s not a high-paying option overall. I’m still including it because you can get paid to take short surveys in your downtime, and it’s one of the most flexible and mindless options on this list.

Market research companies use online surveys to get feedback from consumers that helps companies make better products and services. This is valuable information and why you’re paid to take online surveys.

There are more than a dozen legit online survey companies out there, and here are our top recommendations:

• Survey Junkie: Make $1 to $3 per survey and get paid via PayPal, bank transfer, or gift card.
• Branded Surveys: Earn $0.50 to $3 per survey on average, and Branded Surveys pays with PayPal, bank transfer, check, or gift card.
• Pinecone Research: You can make $0.50 to $3 per survey, and Pinecone Research pays via check, PayPal, or gift card.

4. Photography

You’re going to take some pretty incredible photos while you’re traveling, so why not monetize those shots? Here are a few different ways to make money as a photographer:

• Stock photo websites: Platforms like Shutterstock, iStock Photo, SmugMug, and Adobe Stock will pay you commissions when one of your photos sells on their platform.
• Etsy: Turn your travel shots into digital artwork that can be hung around the home. 
• Your own website: Shopify makes it easy to start an ecommerce business dedicated to selling your travel-related photos.
• List your services locally: If you’re going to be staying in one spot for a while, you can do photoshoots for families on vacation, destination weddings, adventure photoshoots, and more. You can also approach local business owners and see if they’d like to update their business photos.

5. Sell Digital Printables

You know Etsy as the go-to place for all things creative and crafty, and one of the best things to sell on Etsy right now are digital printables, including:

• Stationary and invitations
• Calendars
• Planner pages
• Graduation, wedding, and birth announcements
• Printable home decor
• Sticker sheets
• Party decorations

What’s really cool about digital printables is that you don’t need to store, ship, or create each item you sell individually. Because these are digital files, you can create one file and sell it virtually indefinitely without any extra work.

There’s a fantastic free ebook called Seasonal Products Secret that will explain the types of digital files that sell well throughout the year and how to capitalize on them. 

6. Teach Online Courses

This is one of my favorite ways to make money online, and it’s an awesome way to make money while traveling because it can be fairly passive.

See, online courses don’t have to be taught live. You can pre-record your material and deliver it to customers as they sign up for your course. You’ll still need to run traffic to your website and update your material, but this is much more passive than freelancing or other ideas on this list.

I’ve got a blog post that outlines how to sell online courses — How to Sell an Online Course Like a Pro — if you want to learn more.

7. Start a YouTube Channel

YouTube is an ideal platform for travel-related content. You can share videos while you’re cruising cross-country in an RV, overhead drone shots of you sailing, packing videos, and more. 

Like blogging, this is a slow business model overall, but you’re in near-total control of your business. You get to choose the companies you partner with, when you work, and what you vlog about. It’s hard work, but making money from YouTube can become pretty lucrative if you work at it. 

Learn more here: How to Create a YouTube Channel & Make Money (7 Strategies for 2022).

Ways to Get Paid While Traveling

This next section is all about local jobs you can find while traveling. These are very location-dependent jobs, and the availability will change based on where you’re traveling and the season. They may not be the highest-paying ideas on this list, but they’ll provide lots of new experiences.

8. Pet Sit or Dog Walk

Pet sitting and dog walking could be a fun travel job for anyone who loves pets. This is ideal if you stay in one spot for an extended period because you can build relationships with people in the area.

Pay varies based on where you’re traveling, but you can expect to make anywhere from $15-$25/hour for dog walking and $35-$70/day for overnight stays.

9. Housesit

TrustedHousesitters is a platform that connects people to homeowners around the world who need someone to house sit for extended periods of time. Rather than being cash, you’re paid for your time with free lodging. 

While this isn’t technically getting paid to travel, you’re cutting one of your biggest travel expenses. That means the money you make working can be put towards something else.

I recently browsed the TrustedHousesitters website and found free stays in Colorado, New Zealand, London, San Francisco, Switzerland, and more.

10. Work at a Hostel, Hotel, or Resort

During the high season, tourists flock to hostels, hotels, and resorts, and these places look for short-term staff to fill the demand. You can work at the reception desk, in housekeeping, driving to and from the airport, and so on.

You might get paid cash, but it’s not uncommon to work in exchange for free room and board. It’s not the best option if you want to learn how to travel and make money, but it will help you save money!

To find jobs, check out HostelJobs.com to browse listings around the world. I did a quick search and found these jobs:

• Temporary hotel receptionist in Santorini, Greece
• Bartender for a beach hostel in the Netherlands
• Volunteers for a lodge in the Scottish Highlands 

11. Street Performances or Busking

If you’re talented, you can make money performing in busy tourist destinations. Did you know that Ed Sheeran, Sheryl Crow, and Rod Stewart all started off as buskers?

You should check local rules before you start busking because some areas have strict laws prohibiting street performances.

12. Work in a Restaurant or Bar

Waiting tables and bartending can be an exciting way to travel and make money, and you’ll probably come home with some really hilarious stories. You’ll be tied to a schedule with this kind of travel job, but it’s a fun way to meet locals and learn about the area.

Travel for Work

If your goal is to learn how to travel for money, these next ideas are for you. These jobs can take you all over the world.

13. Flight Attendant or Pilot

The pandemic has been a rough time for airlines, but there’s still a lot of demand for flight attendants and pilots. While your job will literally take you across the country or worldwide, one of the main perks is free or deeply discounted travel for you and a companion.

Flights attendants need a high school diploma or GED equivalent, strong communication skills and empathy, complete an airline-provided flight attendant training program, and get a Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency from the FAA.

Airline pilots are required to have 1,500 hours of training, multiple certifications, and many airlines require a college degree. 

14. Work on a Cruise Ship

Cruise ships are like floating cities, so all kinds of jobs are available. You can work as a cabin steward, waiter, bartender, performer, cook, deckhand, gift shop attendant, seaman, and more. 

Cruise ship life can be intense. You work long hours and might not have full days off for weeks or months at a time, but the benefits are a major draw for some people. There’s little or no cost of living, you get paid to travel to some of the most beautiful places in the world, and you can take 6 to 8-week breaks between contracts.

15. Teach English Abroad 

Teaching English as a foreign language (or TEFL) is a job that can take you to places in Asia, South America, or Europe. TEFL teachers typically make $10-$40/hour, and there are some programs that help TEFL teachers find adorable or free housing. 

You don’t need a degree in English to become a TEFL teacher, but you do need a bachelor’s degree and TEFL certification.

16. Crew a Yacht

Grab your nautical themed Pashmina afghan… 

You can live that yacht life working aboard luxury charters and private yachts as a steward, deckhand, yacht chef, purser (the person who handles the finances), and more.  Most jobs require that you have experience working on a boat, even if that’s summers on your rich uncle’s sailboat. 

17. Deliver Sailboats 

When someone buys a boat or wants their boat moved, it often needs to be delivered by a crew. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine crewed a catamaran delivery from France to Croatia. All of his travel expenses were covered, including food and airline tickets, and the crew made stops along the way to explore. The pictures looked incredible!

This is a great way to travel and make money if you have sailing experience. If you don’t have experience, you can start with unpaid crew gigs (they still cover travel expenses and provisions) and gain experience that will lead to paid jobs. CrewSeekers.com can help you find related jobs.

18. Deliver RVs

This type of delivery might be more your style if you get seasick. You’ll need a CDL (commercial driver’s license) for this option, and you can make up to $100/day in profit after expenses.

To find jobs, get in touch with an RV manufacturer to ask which companies they use to deliver products. They might also know of private owners who need help delivering.

19. Travel Nurse

Nursing is an incredibly selfless profession, and travel nursing pays higher than regular nursing and often includes a stipend for living expenses. Most travel nursing jobs run 13 to 16 weeks long, and you’ll be working in doctor’s offices, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. 

What’s cool is that you get to pick where you go, so you can travel and make money in places you’ve always dreamed of visiting. 

20. Au Pair

Au pairs are considered young people between the ages of 18 and 30 who travel to a foreign country, live with a host family, and take care of the family’s young children. You’re paid in free room and board, plus pocket money.

Working as an au pair can provide some great opportunities because travel between countries in Europe, Asia, and South America is relatively cheap. You travel and make money while also saving money on travel expenses.

The Final Word on How to Travel and Make Money

Between the costs and constraints of traditional work, traveling more is something most people only dream of. Fortunately, there are more than a dozen ways to make your dreams a reality. Whether you want to travel full-time or simply travel more, here are my top recommendations to travel for money:

• Proofreading is one of most flexible freelance gigs, and you can learn more about it in the FREE Well-Paid Proofreader seminar, which teaches you the five-step process to becoming a profitable proofreader. 
• Blogging: This is a slow business model overall, but there’s serious income potential — I went from high school band teacher to 7-figure business owner in 5 years. Learn how to get started with my free How to Start a Blog Guide.

Online Surveys: You’re not going to make a ton of money from paid surveys alone, but you can make a few bucks here and there while traveling. My top survey site recommendations are Survey Junkie, Branded Surveys, and Pinecone Research.