How to Get a Holiday or Vacation for Free!
Beat the Credit Crunch by Going on Holiday Without Paying Anything
Jan 1, 2009
Contrary to generally held beliefs, one can occasionally get something for nothing. The following suggestions allow people to take a holiday/vacation at no cost, or extremely cheaply. It is one way of saving a great deal of money during difficult economic times.
Competitions and Timeshare Promotions
A large number of holidays to popular resorts are sometimes offered as prizes in scratch card games. These are basically promotions under another name. Is there a catch? Yes, usually the holidaymaker has to go alone, on dates chosen by the company, or pay extra. But for those who can conform to the company’s rules, the vacation really is free.
Timeshare companies frequently offer free stays in their accommodation in places like Spain and Tenerife. Again, there is a catch – the holidaymakers have to attend a sales pitch, and sometimes fairly insistent selling techniques are used. Also, the companies usually only target married people with reasonably good incomes. However, some friends of the author have obtained free holidays this way several times, and they felt it was well worth jumping through the required hoops in order to do so.
Budget Airline Promotions
Budget airlines sometimes offer free flights, particularly to their new destinations. In the UK, Ryanair is the airline best known for this, but is not the only airline doing it. The flight may not be completely free; the holidaymaker will have to pay airport taxes, and also a surcharge if taking more than carry-on luggage. So it is worth keeping one’s baggage to a minimum – see Airline Flying with Only Hand Luggage for hints on doing this. Many of these airlines have links on their websites to budget accommodation too, so the whole vacation can work out incredibly cheap.
Working Holidays/Vacations
There are many more ways of obtaining a free holiday in exchange for a little work than the traditional fruit picking, teaching English, working in a hotel, or becoming an Au Pair – although these are all still possible methods. But potential vacationers may wish to consider the following:
- Market research interviewing – travel companies often wish to find out what their clients feel about them, and so do surveys while people are on holiday. One interviewer found that people were only in their hotels in the morning and evening, so her days were free to spend on the beach or elsewhere. You may need experience as a Market Research Interviewer first, as these jobs are usually only offered to those who have done the job for some time.
- Becoming a courier – it is sometimes possible to obtain free flights by transporting items for a company. An internet search should provide the details.
- Be a companion – children traveling alone often need someone to accompany them. It is worth perusing small ads in The Lady and similar magazines for details.
- Dancer on a cruise ship – men who have good ballroom dancing skills can get free trips on some cruise ships to act as partners to single women. An acquaintance of the author’s had been on several cruises in this way.
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