Working while traveling sounds like a dream come true, and for many freelancers, this is their life. Curious as to how to do just that? Read our 6 tips for traveling the world as a freelancer.
Of course, while traveling the world as a freelancer may sound idyllic, it does certainly have its downsides, and if you’re new to the game, it can be quite overwhelming. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place as we will be sharing six tips you can follow if you want to travel while working as a freelancer.
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What Documents Do You Need
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All countries have certain requirements for documents required to cross their borders. If lucky, sometimes all it takes is a passport to enter many countries without a visa, but this isn’t always the case.
Many freelancers require visas to travel to different countries while working, and the truth is that the process of filling in the various application forms will certainly get tedious after a while. A good option is to look into a digital nomad visa to see if this will be a good fit for you.
Read More: International Travel Checklist
Save On Flights
When jet-setting around the world, your budget’s most expensive line item is the flights.
International flights aren’t cheap, and if your plan is multiple flights and destinations each year, the fees will quickly rack up. One of the most important tips to travel the world as a freelancer is to save money on flights. One of the ways to do just that is to save your frequent flyer miles. Another is to use sites that alert you to price drops, such as Google Flights, Kayak, Hopper, AirfareWatchDog, and more.
And even if you find a cheap flight, there are still ways for you to make your flight enjoyable.
Pack light
One of the most difficult aspects of being a nomad is not returning home each night, instead living in short-term accommodation. This means that you won’t have all your possessions with you at all times.
Most freelancers who work while they travel tend to only have the necessities on them, like their laptops and clothes. The lighter you pack, the easier it is to travel. Since you will be traveling and packing so often, we’d recommend investing in a quality luggage brand.
Stay safe
Traveling alone (or even in a group) might be fun, but it can also be dangerous. Unfortunately, many people see foreigners as easy targets, and it’s quite easy to fall into trouble if you are in an unfamiliar location.
Therefore, we’d recommend always being on alert, and knowing some basic self-defense. You may also want to carry some kind of protection such as pepper spray so that you can ward off anyone who tries to hurt or rob you. Don’t let fear take away from the fun of traveling while you work, but also don’t be too lax – it’s always better to be safe rather than sorry.
Set A Budget
Budgeting is incredibly important. But when you’re a freelancer, it’s even more important, since you won’t necessarily have a stable income. And if you add the fact that you will be spending money on travel and accommodation and also switching between multiple currencies, it becomes clear that staying on top of your finances is incredibly important.
How you decide to budget and manage your finances is up to you, as long as you make sure to keep track of how much money you earn and spend so that you can always have enough for your expenses.
Work on Time management
To travel the world as a freelancer certainly has its perks! One of the main ones is the flexibility and free time.
However, this can also be a downfall because you need to make sure that you are getting your work done on time. If in a new country, it can be tempting to neglect your responsibilities and have fun all the time, but remember that this isn’t a vacation; you need to work to keep up your lifestyle of traveling as a freelancer. Being able to effectively manage your time will help with this.
If you ever have the chance to travel while working as a freelancer, it’s an opportunity that you should take. After all, being able to travel while still earning money is the ideal situation for many people.
That being said, you do need to make sure that you know how to do this correctly, as this lifestyle will have its challenges. In the end, you will need to figure out a routine and system that works for you, but we hope that this post offered you some helpful information that you can use as a starting point.
