The family farm in St. Vincent. Photo courtesy of HelpX.com

“On mountaintop. Great view. On a small Caribbean island. Pineapple and wax apple farm. Building in construction. I live with my 3 kids. 3 German Shepherds 1 Dobermann, in the unfinished building. This is a child friendly environment. St.Vincent is a lovely island, non touristic. I can offer food and lodging for your help. I appreciate your assistance. Please come and help out with farming, construction, creating greenhouse, landscaping, plumbing, carpentry, organic planting, house stay, restoring antiques, handyman, domestic work, kids homework, kids activities, decoration, home reorganization….We speak Flemish, English, French, Dutch, but all nationalities are welcome to apply.”

The family in St. Vincent. Photo courtesy of HelpX.com

The above is just one of hundreds of listings found on HelpX.net (short for HelpExchange), a website that connects host organic farms, non-organic farms, farmstays, homestays, ranches, lodges, B&Bs, backpackers hostels and even sailing boats with volunteers who exchange short-term work for food and accommodations. This particular listing is for a property located on the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean, and the family has already hosted numerous volunteers, some of whom have posted reviews of their experience. Kurt wrote:

“I loved the saltfish and bread fruit. Accommodation is very nice, your own room and bathroom. There is plenty of work, maintenance of the pineapple fields and landscaping around the house and odd jobs. Trips to town are often and you will get to mingle with the locals. When taking the local bus…hold on it is a ride.” Read the rest of this entry »

There are dozens of ways to get free or budget accommodations when you travel. At CouchSurfing.com you can find someone almost anywhere in the world who will allow you to sleep on their couch for free. HouseCarers.com lists home owners who provide free accommodations to travelers who will act as caretakers for their property while they are out of town. Still other agencies arrange for free or reduced accommodations in return for volunteer work.

But I have never heard of a way to get free transportation. Until now. I recently learned about Hitchhikers.org, a website that provides travelers with a way to search for rides from Los Angeles to Costa Rica, from Dar es Salaam to Madrid, or just from Amsterdam to Paris. Drivers who are looking for some company (or sometimes a modest fee) submit their rides to the site and hitchhikers search for routes that match their travel plans. They connect through the website and then handle their own arrangements from that point. There is no fee for posting or searching for rides, nor for contacting posters, and the website is available in more than 10 languages. Read the rest of this entry »