First Workaway tips: 9 things to do before your trip
After 2 successful experiences, here are some Workaway tips we can share so you can also have a smoother Workaway experience. These 9 things helped to make our adventure smoother, stress-free and more enjoyable! Unsure of what questions to ask your host or what to prepare before your first trip? Whether you’re looking for some first time Workaway tips, or advice for your upcoming adventures, these will come in handy 🙂
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To get 3 months extra for free on top of your one year membership, use this promo code link for workaway.info
What’s included: access to 50,000+ volunteer opportunities in 170 countries and unlimited exchanges during your membership. You can also access the travel buddy list to find your travel partner for your next trip!
Now let’s move on to our 9 Workaway tips 🙂
1. Ask for an accommodation photo!
- Our Workaway host in France told us that the accommodation would be rustic and we asked for an accommodation photo in advance so that we would not be taken by surprise! We were happy that we asked for the photo, as we knew exactly what to expect when we arrived (the bedroom was actually nicer than the photo he sent so it was a pleasant surprise)
- Our first Workaway adventure in Thailand taught us this tip because the host offered to send us accommodation photos without us asking
2. Do a video/phone call
- Get to know each other, ask any questions, feel the vibe if you will be a match and get a peace of mind, knowing that you’ve ‘met’ your host 😀
- It gave me a peace of mind when booking our flight and train tickets, otherwise we may have been more anxious as it didn’t feel as if we’ve confirmed our spot
3. Ask about tasks during the time you will be there
- From experience, another Workaway tip we can share is that the host profiles may not be completely up to date. Therefore, it’s always good to clarify when you are messaging the host or during your video call. There may also be seasonal help that isn’t written on the profile. At the same time, be open to unexpected spontaneous tasks (usually that might turn out even more fun!)
4. Go with a travel buddy if location is remote
- Doing tasks with a friend is more enjoyable and being able to spend days off together (we had a good time on countryside walks in the woods and by the lake!)
5. Have an exit plan 😀
- Try to plan the closest place you could look for help – it may be a neighbour or a business location. It would also be a good idea to have an idea of the apps/contact numbers you could call to book a taxi if needed
- Check out more Workaway safety tips here
6. Ask about day off expectations
- If it’s important to you, you could ask if there are flexible days off or if you can have the same days off as your friends/ other Workawayers
- If you’re heading to a remote location and there’s limited car use available, think about whether you would be open to exploring the place by walking and cycling
- Once you have an idea about your days off and limitations, it could help you to plan areas you would want to go (most hosts could probably drop you off at nearby train stations!)
7. Double check important things and have an open communication
- If they’ve written that food is provided, it’s always a good idea to just double check that this is still the case (and that it is for all meals). Thankfully, our host provided meals on all days (including days off). It’s a good idea to double check just in case you need to factor in extra costs if e.g. dinner isn’t provided (the host may be asking for less hours)
- My friend and I were leaving on the 15th day of the Workaway (the host told us he is flexible with our leaving times) and we had an open communication that since we weren’t able to work on the 15th day, we were happy to pay for our own food or chip in for groceries. The host kindly said that we didn’t have to worry about it. It was nice that we had great communication and we didn’t have to worry about this during our Workaway exchange!
- Also, don’t hesitate to remind hosts on the exchange of things you have discussed earlier, as they may have received 100+ messages from Workawayers, or it’s been 3 months since your last conversation on the topic!
8. Bring a book/learn to entertain yourself
- A book came in handy after the sun set and the outdoors was cold! After dinner, it was a nice cozy entertainment in our countryside bedrooms, plus it gave us some ‘me time’ even though my friend and I were in the same room
- A book/audio book was also great for scenic countryside walks and picnics
- There may not be other Workawayers there or the whole family of the host may not be there! Having a book was a good detox from watching TV shows and helped us to be more in touch with nature
- Extra Workaway tip: Some locations may have limited internet access, so bringing something to entertain yourself offline is a good idea 🙂 You can see hosts’ internet access availability on their profile
9. Bring a small souvenir from home or offer to cook
- Sometimes we don’t always have extra suitcase space…(something I know from experience) but even if it’s a small paper item or a small snack from your home country, hosts will appreciate the gesture! Something small but can show a bit of culture or food that’s made in your country is a nice token and could even help to drive interesting conversations
- Or offer to make a homemade meal (extra brownie points if it’s inspired by your home country’s cuisine)
- My two cents is that it could be a catalyst to spark part of your cultural exchange 🙂 and even set the tone that you’re a guest that genuinely wants a cultural exchange (not just a pure work exchange)
Bonus Workaway tip: Good communication is key during the exchange!
- Good communication continues when you’ve arrived at the hosts’ place 😉 More is more in this case…
- Our host trusted us in counting our own Workaway hours, but he still appreciated us sending him a Whatsapp message when we were done for the day (he was always on the farm but sometimes working outdoors or in his office)
Workaway discount code: 3 months extra for free
To get 3 months extra for free on top of your one year membership, use this referral link
New to Workaway?
What is Workaway.info? It’s a way to travel for less money but to gain more experiences with the local community. Through Workaway, you can travel and volunteer for free accommodation and food: find out more on how it works and how it compares to other work abroad websites here.
It depends on each Workaway host you apply to! There are different hosts and variety of help you can search for: farming hosts, teaching at schools, helping at charities and NGOs, being an Au Pair and so much more!
Workaway hosts provide free accommodation and food. The traveller (Workawayer) covers their own transport costs and any of their personal expenses on their travels and days off. So essentially once you’ve arrived at your destination, you can travel for free for extended periods of time!
You can search for Workaway paid jobs by using the keyword search on the website or using the Workaway app to filter by hosts that offer payment. Hosts that offer money will have a banner on the host list and profile. The most popular paid jobs on Workaway are businesses, business farms and Au Pairs.
Unlimited exchanges for the duration of your membership 🙂 Extra free months means you can travel for longer 😉
Write a good Workaway message by including why you’re interested in their profile (shows that you read their profile!), how you can help and what your interests are – what are you expecting from this Workaway experience? (for example, maybe you’re expecting to do language exchange or cultural exchange together)
