Hello everyone! In this article we will answer the question that we are asked the most: “What is Workaway?”.
So… Workaway (https://www.workaway.info/) is a site where you can search for hosts who are looking for some kind of help, such as caring for animals, taking care of the house, helping in the garden, painting the bedroom walls, help taking care of children, be a receptionist in a hostel, in short, all kinds of tasks that a house, farm or business usually needs. There are other sites like https://www.worldpackers.com/ (very similar to workaway), https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/ (focused exclusively on taking care of the house while the owners are away), https://wwoof.net/ (for those who want to work on organic farms), https://www.helpx.net/ (also similar to workaway). So far, we have only tested workaway and we are quite satisfied.
Workaway is a paid service and you can sign up with a host account (to offer work / be a host) or as a workawayer (to seek for hosts). As a workawayer, you may sign up for individual account (36.00 EUR per year) or for a couple account (EUR 48.00 per year).
When you create an account on Workaway, you will add information such as your destinations, what skills you have, what languages you speak, whether you have a specific diet – such as being vegetarian, vegan or food intolerant -, your driver’s license (if you have one), your interests , add photos of you, that is, a great questionnaire which – if we can give you an advice – is good you fill it as complete and sincere as possible.
On the site there is also a tool called feedback, where both hosts and the workawayers give their assessment of the experience they have gone through. In our opinion, this is the most important tool of the site because it gives us a sense of what we can find ahead.
Once you create the account (in our case, a couple account) you get to search by host on the country you are planning to go. It is important to read the entire profile of the host very carefully and look for information regarding accommodation, food, availability and location. After analyzing the profiles and finding the ones that matches your interests the most, it’s time to fire e-mails to them showing you’re interested in their offer.
The offers are quite varied, as well as working hours, but generally you will work 4 to 5 hours a day, 5 days a week and you will have two days off. This way, the traveler can help those who need, have the opportunity to live the reality of where they are and have time to explore the surroundings.
In return for the work you do, you generally receive in exchange food, lodging, cultural exchange and some places may offer you money as well.
The logic is simple: the host publishes what he needs, the interested party makes contact and, if they match, the partnership happens. And you will get a chance to meet new places, new cultures and – most important of all, in our opinion – meet more people. And if you are as lucky as we were, these people will become great friends for the rest of your life!
So how’s that? Do you like this possibility of nomadic life?
As you already know, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. We will be more than happy to help you.
Kisses to everyone and see you next time!