Overseas Work Exchange Sites

What is a work exchange?  Do specified work for someone in exchange for room & meals. Time commitments vary.  See info & sites in this post. 

I met with Francoise from Boulder, who has made travel her top priority for her entire adult life.  She just returned from over 6 months of travel, most recently on work exchange to Ireland (did a website for the castle she lived in), Scotland (worked at a bed & breakfast), New Zealand (made a video), and some months seeing the U.S.  She's recently done 5 experiences through Workaway.info and says they've been amazing!


Francoise (www.differenttrails.com)  also reports that she travelled more inexpensively than ever because by exchanging her work for living accommodations and meals, she had very little to pay for.  And, she made some lifelong friends at each work exchange experience.  What skills do you have that you could exchange for foreign hospitality?

On work exchanges, you pay a subscription fee to the website you sign up on to find a placement, but you don't pay for the work exchange itself.  You exchange your labor for room and board, usually including food. Below are some work exchange sites. 

Workaway.info  http://www.workaway.info/
Create your profile and look at work exchange opportunities and select those you'd like to do.  Those offering the work can then choose you.  Search for opportunities in many different ways.  Read reviews from others who have done the work for a certain business.  Days and times for the work exchanges vary.  This is the site Francoise has used and has been very happy with her experiences.


WWOOF.  http://wwoofinternational.org/
Work exchange on organic farms. 
WWOOF organisations connect people who want to live and learn on organic farms and smallholdings with people who are looking for volunteer help.
WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles. Volunteers give hands on help in return.


Help X.    http://www.helpx.net/
HelpX is an online listing of host organic farms, non-organic farms, farmstays, homestays, ranches, lodges, B&Bs, backpackers hostels and even sailing boats who invite volunteer helpers to stay with them short-term in exchange for food and accommodation.



Team Rubicon     http://teamrubiconusa.org/
Go to the site of a disaster to help immediately after the disaster happens. 
From the website:  Volunteers help at sites of natural disasters through this organization immediately after the event happens.  "Bridge the Gap" refers to Team Rubicon's primary mission of providing disaster relief between the moment a disaster happens and the point at which conventional aid organizations respond. The "gap" is primarily time.