Imagine spending your days exploring the Verona Cathedral in Italy, the Louvre in Paris, and the great pyramids of Egypt. What if you could do it every day of the year opposed to sitting at home? Well, you can. You can travel for free for extended periods of time with some planning. The key to doing just that is to keep your mind open, your costs low, and to secure free lodging wherever you can.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/business/businesstruth/movers_and_shakers/5154571/Hotel-review-website-Travel-Intelligence-is-highly-rated.html

Here are some tips that will help you travel forever without money:

•Get a credit card that rewards you with frequent flier miles. Research your options by doing a simple web search. Choose a card with no annual fee and a low percentage rate. Put all of your purchases for the month on the card and pay off the balance. Accumulate frequent flier miles that you can use to get free plane tickets anywhere in the world.

•Become a caretaker or housesitter. There are a number of publications available on the Internet that list caretaking opportunities for you to inquire about. In return for watching a house or a pet, the owner of the home will allow you to stay free of charge and sometimes even pay you a flat rate for your services. This is a great way to stay in one location for a few weeks or months at a time.

•Visit free parks, festivals, and museums. Instead of paying exorbitant entrance fees to listen to a concert or attend an art gallery opening, seek entertainment options that cost nothing. Pack a picnic lunch and make a day out of it. There are entire books written about free places to visit all over the world.

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•Barter services with locals. Spend a day helping a farmer in exchange for fresh fruits and vegetables, offer to wash dishes at your favorite restaurant for the price of a meal, trade your art for toiletries and travel supplies. Do whatever it takes to acquire the things you need for free.

•Live simply, travel light, and take lots of pictures. It’s about the journey not the destination. A lot of joy can be had by living like the locals do.

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Take pride in the smallest things, step outside your comfort zone, and be frugal. Each cup of gourmet coffee or visit to a gift shop eats at your budget making it harder to travel full-time. Plot out your course but be flexible. If an opportunity arises, take advantage of it. That’s how you will successfully travel the world for free.

Truly adventurous jobseekers should consider working abroad. A number of unique and profitable international opportunities are available to native English speakers. Working in another country is a big step, so a number of factors should be considered.

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Why It Rocks To Work In Another Country

- Being away from home. There is something highly seductive about being a stranger in a strange land.

- Learning about another culture. Some people feel that real life teaches them more than any book.

- Money. This varies by opportunity, but some people have earned up to three times their domestic salary working only a fraction of their former hours.

- An impressive resume. Working in another country is a definite conversation piece that makes an applicant stand out from the crowd.

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What Makes Leaving Tough

- Rebuilding a life. New friends, new hangouts and new routines can be refreshing and inspiring.

- Culture shock. Some people love being out of their element. Others simply cannot adjust.

- Career advancement may be difficult.

Where To Look

Some employers have international locations and welcome current employees who wish to discuss transfer requirements. If this is not an option, a number of outside agencies offer placement to native English speakers who wish to teach English in a foreign country. The job board at Monster (monster.com) lists general positions by country. InterExchange (interexchange.org) has opportunities for international childcare workers, English instructors and work/travel programs.

http://sophant.co.uk/tag/travel/

Additional Information

According to an expatriate job board, the following are equally important topics for international job opportunities:

- Candidates should ask how their immediate family could be affected by the decision. International moves are highly stressful.

- Everyone involved should have a full understanding of laws and social customs pertaining to the country of employment. The opportunity should be reconsidered if there appears to be a potential for trouble.

- Not every international move is a career builder. Moving to another country may place candidates further away from industry movers and shakers.

- Employment contracts should carefully be reviewed for information on compensation, health insurance and other benefits. These items should be discussed before a candidate sets foot on foreign soil.

Finding the best deal for your travel needs can be cumbersome because specials and prices constantly change. If you know where to look, online travel sites can give you a wealth of up-to-date information on the best deals. They also provide easy tools for a comparison analysis. Whether you’re looking to bag a bargain for lodging, car rentals or airfares, online travel sites can be your best friend. In addition, they are free to use.

http://travel.spotcoolstuff.com/travel-vacation-deals-discounts/july-2010

Best Deals for Plane Tickets

Kayak.com is a great resource for cheap airline tickets. If you’re flexible on time and destination, you can find some great deals. You can search up to three days before and after the dates you wish to travel. Their travel site also features some nifty tools, the Buzz and the Explore. Using the Buzz tool, you can search for flights that leave within a calendar month and scan whole regions, such as Europe and the Caribbean. The Explore tool allows you to scan a world map for your destination within your price range.

If you’re willing to fly at the drop of a pin, air fare watchdog is a great resource. Known as the lurkers, this company constantly watches airline websites for fare sales. They sign up for promotional codes and pass the savings on to their users. Their site also includes fares from Jet Blue and Southwest, which many of the larger search sites do not feature.

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Great Deals on Lodging

Hotels.com has a data base of more than 130,000 properties. You can score some big bargains with their Smart Picks of the Month feature and the site’s seasonal sales. They also have a Welcome Rewards Program. For every 10 nights you spend at their member properties, you’re given one night free.

With William Shatner at the helm of priceline.com, this negotiator will help you haggle the best price for your hotel. Just name your price and dates of stay. With this travel site, you can score up to a 60 percent savings on lodging.

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Save on Car Rentals

Hotwire.com collects rates from its seven rental car partners, such as Enterprise and Budget, and publishes the best deals on car rentals. While hotwire.com does offer some good rates in international cities, the real bargains can be found at autoeurope.com. This travel sites specializes in car rentals, and they have over 8,000 locations around the world.

With these travel sites, you’ll have the best bargains at your fingertips.

Embarking on a trip can be exciting and exhilarating. Seeing new places, experiencing new cultures and trying out new things can really get a person’s blood pumping. But long term traveling can also present the traveler with a variety of different challenges, especially if the traveler is ill prepared. In order to maximize their travel experience and ensure that all complications are anticipated, the world traveler should make sure they pack for the trip accordingly. Below are around the world essentials that will enable travelers to focus more on their trip and less on the problems they may encounter.

http://www.sudocremtube.co.uk/blog/travel-essentials-list/

1. ATM Card

No world traveler should travel without their ATM card. ATM’s are located all over the world and bank cards are one of the safest way to carry funds. Bank cards are also convenient and easy to carry, adding to their value to the traveler.

2. Travel Insurance

Travel insurance shouldn’t be overlooked by the traveler. Unfortunately, most travelers do overlook this essential item or discount its value because they think it is too expensive. Travel insurance is relatively cheap nowadays and protects the traveler from expensive unforeseen accidents. If you can afford to travel, then you can afford travel insurance.

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3. Extra Clothing

Travelers should always keep an extra pair of clothing in their handbags and not just packed in their luggage. Accidents do happen and there are few things worse for the traveler than having to wear wet or soiled clothing because they don’t have access to their clean clothes.

4. Plastic Waterproof Bags

Plastic waterproof bags can really be an essential item for the traveler. These bags can be used to store bottles of liquid which are apt to leak or to keep sensitive electronics safe from moisture.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/southamerica/ecuador/737426/Crowning-glory-of-the-Andes.html

5. Hat

One of the most underrated pieces of equipment for the world traveler is the hat. A hat can protect the travelers heads from rain and sun, and is useful in just about any climate.

Taking the above items can help any world traveler with just about any situation they encounter. Just carrying these few items, which by the way aren’t cumbersome, can make the world traveler feel like they are prepared for just about any situation that may arise.

Spain has a lot to offer as a holiday destination. With sunny beaches, ancient and modern architecture, amazing art museums, fascinating history and fabulous food, visitors never want to leave. However, for visitors on a schedule, it’s good to know some of the must see’s in Madrid or Barcelona.

http://www.terena.org/activities/tf-noc/meeting1/

Spain has some of the most important art museums in the world. In Madrid the Prado Museum has one of the largest art collections in the world that rivals the Louvre in Paris. In Barcelona, the Picasso Museum has Picasso’s paintings arranged in chronological order. Visitors see his design development throughout his life. The Salvador Dali Museum in Barcelona is an extravagant and strange experience.

The Sagrada Familia by Antonio Gaudi in Barcelona is a must-see and two million people a year think the same. It is a giant temple which has been under construction since 1882 and is still not finished.

http://celopereira.hubpages.com/hub/Sagrada-Familia-Gaudis-Cathedral-in-Barcelona

Also, in Barcelona the Poble Espanyol de Montjuic or Spanish Village is a small village that has different quarters representing the different styles of architecture and village houses from all around Spain. There are specialty craft shops with traditionally made Spanish products. They also have a famous Flamenco show.

For a music, light and water extravaganza the Magic Fountain of Montjuic cannot be missed. It is the main feature of the collection of ponds and waterfalls on Avinguda Maria Cristina.

Another water feature is in Madrid at the Plaza de Colon. It contains a monument to Christopher Columbus with a fountain and a huge waterfall with stairs nearby that go under the fountain and underground to an arts center where plays, folk concerts, ballets and children’s theater projects take place. Also in Madrid, visit the Plaza Mayor for trendy bars and cafes as well as fascinating murals and the opera house and royal palace.

http://elliotweiss.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/urban-design-the-piazza-at-schmidts/

Retiro Park in Madrid is an urban park with gardens, architectural buildings and a lake. It is a great place to take children. You know it is good when it is full of locals. There is constant entertainment from street artists as well as memorials and statues to see. The Parque Warner Bros is a theme park that focuses on Hollywood, cartoons, the Old West and Superheros. There are a lot of thrilling rides and attractions. It’s 20 kms south of Madrid, and makes a nice break for some mindless fun and the children love it.

Paris, the romantic capital of the world and the most visited tourist destination with over 75 million tourists per year. Although you might not think 24 hours is much time in which to see anything, a carefully executed plan can ensure you experience the incredible landmarks and rich tastes of this historic city with modern appeal.

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It is easy to get around Paris. A Paris ComboPass will cover your Paris Metro needs and take you to some of the must-see’s of this spectacular city:

Champs-Elysees
One of the greatest ways to kick off your tour is on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, the broadest street in Paris where you can walk all the way to Rue de Rivoli. There is no better way to experience genuine French cuisine than in its restaurants and cafes which sell famous treats like pastries or breads, and stellar cheese and wine selections. In addition, numerous boutiques offer a grand selection of famous French fashions and perfumes.

Notre Dame
Notre Dame is one of the world’s most famous cathedrals. It is the site of the coronation of Henry VI and Napoleon I and is located at Ile de la Cité. The Notre Dame cathedral took two centuries to complete (1163 – 1345) and is an incredible French gothic architecture complete with naturalistic statues and colorful stained glass windows. You can also walk to Blvd. St. Germain and towards St. Germain-des-Prés, the oldest church in Paris ( built 542).

http://www.ironews.com/the-romantic-eiffel-tower/

Eiffel Tower
This world renowned landmark of Paris is a must see. It’s great to know you can buy your Eiffel Tower tickets in advance, along with other Paris Tours, including those found here.

Museums
There is a large number of museums which exhibit spectacular permanent displays and are free for visitors. Or purchase a museum pass in advance here. If you get a chance, be sure to stop at one or two of these museums for a firsthand experience of this rich city’s art and history.

http://www.dosomethingdifferent.com/experiences/bateaux_parisiens_dinner_cruise

Dinner Cruise
Paris offers its visitors a wide variety of fabulous dining options but one sure way to experience their excellent cuisine and make the most of your time by sightseeing at the same time is to book a Paris dinner cruise, here.

Moulin Rouge
Finally, be sure to head to the Moulin Rouge Paris  for a romantic evening and impressive show to wind down your day in the magnificent city of Paris.