How One Traveller Kept Moving for Almost Nothing

Most people assume that long-term travel belongs to the wealthy or the very lucky. Michael Wigge tested the assumption by setting out with almost nothing and finding ways to keep moving. He has bartered for meals, performed in streets, worked his passage on ships and slept on strangers' couches. The ten ideas below are his, written for anyone who wants to see more of the world without a large savings account behind them.

Ten ways he kept going

1. Trade a skill, or a laugh, for a meal

Bartering services and humour for food was one of his core strategies. Teaching English, taking photographs or entertaining locals with a sense of humour often produced a meal in return. The exchange saved money and gave him a reason to talk to people, which is where the memorable parts of a trip usually begin. Identify what you can offer before you leave home; almost everyone has something.

2. Put on a street stunt to fund a ticket

His most creative fundraiser was a street stunt: pillow fighting, performed for passers-by, with contributions going towards a plane ticket. The performances drew a crowd and turned an abstract need into something people could join in with. If you try it, check local regulations and get any permits you need first. A legal pitch is the difference between a story and a fine.

3. Take an unexpected job

Work can appear in unlikely places. He spent time as a butler for the German ambassador in Panama, which came with free accommodation and travel and a look inside the diplomatic world. Unusual jobs fund the journey and put you among people you would never otherwise meet. Keep asking; the answer is often no, and occasionally it is a room and a wage.

4. Cycle instead of paying for transport

He cycled across part of the United States. A bike is cheap, slow enough to notice the landscape and fast enough to cover real distance. It brought him into contact with local communities and gave him the particular satisfaction of arriving somewhere under his own power. Plan the route, check the equipment, and accept that the weather will have opinions. Bikepacking.com is a good place to start planning.

5. Sleep on couches, or ask at a church

Accommodation is where budgets die. Couchsurfing became his main resource: hosts opened their homes, shared local knowledge and made the trip more than a series of beds. He also found that churches often offer free or inexpensive accommodation to travellers who explain what they are doing. Both routes require manners and a willingness to fit in with someone else's routine.

Couchsurfing connects travellers with hosts who offer a place to stay and a bit of local life; create a profile and read the reviews. BeWelcome is a non-profit hospitality exchange with hosts in Asia and elsewhere, built on the same idea of cultural exchange.

6. Work your passage at sea

He found positions on a cargo ship for a transatlantic crossing and on a cruise ship heading to Antarctica. Both came with free passage and accommodation, and both offered a glimpse of the maritime industry and the people who work in it. The jobs are not glamorous, and life at sea has its own discipline, but the fare is hard to beat. Research reputable companies and apply before you need the berth.

Job boards worth watching include All Cruise Jobs, which advertises vacancies across departments; Cruise Ship Jobs, which gathers current openings in hospitality, entertainment and other areas; and Jobs on Ships, which explains roles, requirements and how to apply.

7. Eat what grows around you

In Hawaii he discovered edible flowers. Many plants and flowers are both attractive and safe to eat, and identifying them added flavour and nutrition to meals at almost no cost. It also forced him to learn about local flora, which is a good reason to talk to the people who know it. Research before you eat anything wild; a guide or a local expert is not optional. The Edible Flowers Guide covers identification, preparation and recipes.

8. Use the network you already have

Friends, distant relatives and friends of friends are an underused resource. He contacted people in the places he wanted to visit and stayed with them, which removed the accommodation bill and gave him a view of each destination through a local's eyes. The same contacts provide advice and a support system when something goes wrong. Ask earlier than feels comfortable; people like being asked.

For more on building those connections, read how to meet new people and make friends in a new place.

9. Hitchhike, carefully

Hitchhiking was a constant in his journey and he did it more than 100 times. It saved money, produced conversations he could not have planned and showed him landscapes from the passenger seat of a local's car. It also demands judgement. Research local customs and rules, choose well-used routes, and trust your instincts about a lift. Hitchwiki collects practical information from hitchhikers around the world, including Asia; Trustroots is a hospitality exchange built around hitchhikers, with hosts and ride offers.

10. Learn to listen

The cheapest currency in travel is attention. People enjoy telling their stories, and a traveller who listens properly receives advice, kindness and invitations that no booking site sells. Ask questions, remember the answers and show real interest. It is not a technique so much as a habit, and it produces the encounters that make a journey worth repeating.

What it adds up to

None of this is a guarantee, and none of it is effortless. Bartering, unusual jobs, networks, ships and lifts all depend on other people saying yes. What the list shows is that the yeses are more common than most of us assume, and that a traveller who is flexible, polite and persistent can keep moving for far less than the brochures suggest. The joy is not only in the destinations but in the exchanges, the cultural swaps and the small growth that comes with them.

It also helps to start close to home. A cheap first trip teaches you how little you actually need, and that lesson travels with you. The links below are a sensible next step.

If you are new to this, pick one tactic and test it on a short trip rather than trying all ten at once. Asking for a lift, offering a skill or staying with a friend all get easier with practice, and one success makes the next request less daunting. The first trip does not need to be long, and it does not need to be far from home. Budget travel is a set of habits rather than a single trick.

About the author

Michael Wigge is an award-winning motivational speaker who documents stories about beating challenges. His travel shows include How to Travel the World for Free, How to Barter for Paradise (in which he traded an apple up to a Hawaiian dream home) and How to Travel Europe Blindfolded, three of seven series. He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, alongside co-guest Katy Perry, and on the Today Show, and his programmes and books have been published and broadcast internationally.

He began speaking in Germany and founded CMW Coaching & Speaking. His best-known corporate keynotes are Challenge-4-Change Leadership Success and Challenge-4-Change Sales Success. He now gives motivational speaking engagements in Germany and works as a motivational speaker in the US.

More budget travel: 10 ways to work and travel the world, cheapest ways to travel in Germany, four cities in three countries for 110 euros, and practical tips for travelling alone.