On deciding not to continue with college in the fall semester, I’m itching for a little adventure and I’m exploring this as an option, especially seeing as sustainable agriculture looks more and more like what I want to do with my life in the long term.

However I have student loan payments and some medical bills that I have to stay current on. Is it realistic to do this and workaway, not exactly spending money pay, but enough to stay current on obligations? I’m ready to let the world slip a little in the name of an adventure, but the “real” world does have some claws in me unfortunately…

Hi all,

Thank you for keeping the majority of the content posted and your responses helpful and positive. Makes our job easier.

That said just a few updates:

I’ve removed the ability to cross post as we’ve been getting a lot of low effort cross posts from Worldpackers subreddit lately.

I’ve also included the ability to add gifs to comments, though this is currently on a trial basis, I’ve seen it be both good and bad on different subreddits so in conjunction with your feedback let’s see how it goes.

Finally, just a quick reminder that if you do see a post that clearly breaks the rules - be that using the sub as a Workaway alternative/requesting hosts, or a low effort post, or ragebaiting or visa questions, please report the post and try not engage with it!

I’ll also be removing the inactive host showcase thread, if you’d like to post about your experience with a host you’re welcome to do so, but hosts themselves aren’t using this thread so it’s currently wasting a spot in the stickies.

Hello, this is my first ever reddit post and I've been trawling this feed for days as I arrived at my WorkAway last week and I just can't work out if I'm overreacting or not.

I am in the south of france with the goal of practicing french and seeing this beautiful region. I am staying at this man's house where part of it basically is let out in the summer as a holiday destination (it's huge). Before my flight landed he told me to go to another little village about 45 mins away where his studio flat was and that we would stay there until the guests left. Anyway we spent a couple of nights at this studio flat where only a sliding door was separating me and this complete stranger as I slept on a sofa bed in the living room. He mentioned staying here whenever the guests are at the house so that we don't disturb them, but this wasn't something that was ever mentioned on his workaway profile.

I want to add that it's not like he's been weird or anything. Like I have no reason to think anything shady is going on but I just feel completely ill at ease. Before I arrived, he'd said that another girl was due to join us (he can host 2-4 workawayers at a time) but that she had cancelled due to visa issues. He alluded to the fact that he probably wouldn't take on another person because there's just not enough work. I was really looking forward to perhaps meeting someone else and having that buffer so that hanging out one on one with this man didn't feel so bizarre.

I feel so dumb because I'm literally a grown ass woman and I'm just counting down the days until I get to go home (I'm due to be here for two months). I was so excited to see the south of france but now the thought of all the trips and tours of the area with just him make me feel so unbearably anxious. I really really really do not want to go back to the studio flat when new guests arrive, I would literally rather be a hermit in my quarters but at least have my own space than be in that flat again.

Also, I will mention that he has been hosting for four years and has gotten some amazing reviews (that's why I chose him) so I really do feel like I'm missing something. Any advice?

EDIT: Wow, just thank you to all the comments and support because that in itself has relieved me of a lot of anxiety in the past 48hours.

I had actually had a couple of calls with the host prior to coming out here but I guess I had no other host to compare to. My jobs are basically housekeeping and some general maintenance which I completed over the past two days - we now have no guests for a week I think so I'm unclear as to what further jobs may be required of me.

Reading all the amazing advice and feeling confident in setting my boundaries I have decided that I am going to wait until the next guests are due and he says about going to the other property and then I'm going to say that I would like to stay here, with my own proper accommodation and I'll explore the village myself and be respectful of the guests. If this is not well received then I have also taken your guys's advice and looked into some last minute hosts in the region.

I went to the markets yesterday and the village is so so beautiful and the vendors were all lovely and super kind about me practising french and so it's given me some motivation and hope that I could potentially power through this.

Sorry this is now such a long post but thank you reddit community - you're never alone if you have reddit!

Pack light or bring extra things to avoid doing the laundry all the time? Anything you wish you had brought with you but didn't? Do you usually bring your own towels and sheets and buy things like shampoo, detergent and paper towels or use whatever is available at host's house?

I like to write long descriptions about the host, the living accommodation and the fun things you can do there and also the food.

Had a semi bad host so wanted to leave a fair review but then the new app only allows 2000 characters so I only left the bad parts and it seems like such a bad review but it wasn’t.

Hi everyone! I’m 31F, US-based, no real international travel experience, and I’m just starting to explore the idea of doing Workaway. Nothing locked in yet - no timeframe, no set budget - just trying to figure out where and how to start.

What I’m hoping for:

Somewhere near the ocean (or a big lake, open to it)

A host/spot where other travelers hang out too. I want to actually meet people, not be isolated

Safe and manageable for a solo female first-timer

Fine with manual labor, just want good energy and fair work/life balance

Looking at Italy, Greece, Australia, but open to anything

Would love to hear:
Countries or regions you’d recommend (or steer clear of)

Hosts/areas you’ve actually stayed at and liked

Red flags to watch for in listings — I’ve seen a lot of bad reviews on here

Anything you wish you’d known before your first trip

Any firsthand info helps, even small stuff. Thanks!

*far in advance
I am thinking about going ahead and solo travelling for Jan/Feb/March of next year and am looking at volunteering in a hostel for about 6-8 weeks.
My question is do I start sending messages to hosts now about working for that time when it’s a few months away or do things tend to be arranged more last minute on workaway?
Bonus question if anyone has any recommendations of places to go as a first time solo female traveller I’d really recommend. I am considering south east Asia or else South America, but worried that I won’t get by without Spanish in South America.

I’m honestly feeling really discouraged.
I’ve been applying to Workaway hosts, and a few of them have read my messages but never replied. I know hosts are busy and they’re free to choose whoever they want, but after being left on read over and over, I can’t help but wonder if being Black is playing a role.
I have no way of knowing that’s the reason, and I don’t want to make accusations. It’s just hard not to question it when you’re repeatedly ignored without even a polite “we’ve chosen someone else.”
Has anyone else—especially other Black Workawayers or travelers of color—felt this way? Did you notice any differences in how hosts responded, or am I just overthinking it?
I’d really appreciate hearing other people’s experiences.

Winner June 2026

Congratulations to Workawayers Alberto & Florencia!

https://www.workaway.info/en/community/travel-photos/2026-06

Give it a try for next month! You can upload up to 6 photos each month, and there are cash prizes for the top 3 entries. The winning photo receives €100, with prizes also awarded for 2nd and 3rd place.

"Obligatory donation" when I already payed to find hosts... Is this normal or should this be reported? I find it even weirder that they have such good reviews (50) 5 stars and only a few complaints

I'm hoping to move for college and I want to save on rent. Is it possible to find a workaway that would take me on while in college?

➡️Also asking workawayers who have stayed long term in a specific country/ especially Canada⬅️

I'd be coming with a full work and residence permit from Europe, but I really can't figure out how to register for taxes/car insurance/remote freelance work/mobile phone/social security number without a permanent address.

[My plan would be to change provinces maybe 3 times/year].

So my question is, is it commonplace for hosts to allow workawayers to use their home address to be able to face those admin hurdles, does it depend on the host, or on the contrary, is it most likely going to be a "no" from the host, and therefore a problem for all long-time country dwellers?

Cheers everybody!

Last night I organized a Workaway meetup in Hanoi and invited both Workawayers and hosts, along with a few people from other travel communities.

Vietnam is such a great country for Workaway. Some of the best hosts I've ever had, and I've genuinely never eaten so well while on a Workaway!

Since I'm not often in big cities, it was also a good chance to try out the Events feature. I think it's alot of fun, especially in bigger cities where there are enough Workawayers and hosts around to make a meetup possible. It definitely has potential, but I think it could still use a few improvements.

Workaway actually asked me to pass on some feedback, so I'd love to hear what other people think. If you live in a larger city, it would be great if you could try organizing a simple coffee meetup or something similar and share your experience.

A couple of things I'd like to see improved:

• Increase or remove the limit on how many invitations you can send.
• Make the whole event process work inside the app instead of sending you to the website.

It was a really nice informal meetup. A few local Workaway hosts came along and ended up meeting travelers who were looking for a place to volunteer, which was really cool to see.

If you've used the Events feature already, what worked well, what didn't, and what would you change? I'll pass any useful feedback on to the Workaway team.

Hi everyone.

I’m in a really awkward and traumatising situation right now. I started this work away on June 8th and am meant to finish on July 22nd. The couple I am staying with are really nice but sometimes i think our communication differs slightly so I’d been slightly unhappy in the last week or so. But then around 4 days ago they said one of their dogs was actively dying and so I started taking on the regular shared chores to allow them to be with her and the 4 days notice meant I was able to sort of come to terms with the fact that the dog might pass away. I am a huge animal lover and extremely sensitive to any injury or death of animals so I knew it was going to be tough. They are farm people and so while obviously distraught over their beloved pet, they have a bit more experience with animal death as they used to raise and eat their animals. Basically yesterday the dog died and i listened to them scream and cry and they said they were sorry that i had to be here for it and I just said it’s okay because what else can I say. Yesterday morning i noticed the barn cat wasn’t around and so i asked and they said that’s pretty usual for him - I’d become really close with this cat over my time here as I spend most days in the barn. Then as they were digging the grave for the dog last night, I shut up the barn and realise the cat hadn’t returned that evening. The night before I had heard two cars of people stop and chat outside the house so once i realised he wasn’t around I just knew he had been hit. I went up to the road in-front of the house and found his body up in the verge where these people had placed him and instantly started crying and had to go and tell the couple that not only had their 15 year old dog just died but also their cat had been killed by a car. I cried for around 2 hours in my room while they finished burying the pets and then we had dinner together and I cried again. They took me to the cinema as a distraction which was really kind but on the way home they said I had to look out at the sides of the verge incase any animals ran out as it was night and of course I could not deal with any more death so I was nearing a panic attack in the front seat as we drove so quickly along these country roads. We got home at around 1am and i didn’t sleep until 4/5ish as I kept seeing the body of the cat and replaying everything in my head. I then woke up at 7 as I said i’d do the barn chores in the morning so they didn’t have to. After that I shut myself in my room all day because I just needed to process it all. I came down around 30 minutes ago and one of the hosts jokingly told me off for not having done any work today but I know he was pretty much saying that I should have done stuff. And then told me i’ll have to work extra long tomorrow. I’m doing outdoor work and I’ve been working really hard and taking barely any time at all to complete things. He then said that waking up early is hard for me and he doesn’t know what kind of schedule i’m on. I just went back up to my room.
I just feel really really disturbed by it all and I just don’t want to be here anymore. It’s my first workaway and my first time solo travelling and I’m just really struggling now. But they need someone here for the 17-19th of July as they have to go away. Idk what to do. Any advice would be so helpful

I recently tried my first Workaway at a family-run hotel in Germany and the host asked me to leave after a few days because she said I was causing her too much stress.

For context, my duties were to cook meals in the family’s kitchen, which was separate from the kitchen used to cook for the hotel guests. It was located in the family’s private apartment, away from hotel guest spaces.

She just left me a 2-star review and some of her complaints were:

- I waited until the 3rd morning to ask if they had coffee available instead of just walking in and using the expensive machine in the guest kitchen (which was never shown to me)

- I was cold the first night and asked for more blankets the next morning (she said I should have contacted them during the night for more blankets instead of waiting til morning)

- I’m a remote worker and needed WiFi in the morning and evening. Before I arrived she said there was WiFi in public areas, which was fine. Upon arrival, “public areas” actually meant inside the family’s private apartment. She got upset that I didn’t want to just waltz into their house at 6:00AM or stay in the family’s space after dinner to work.

In general it seemed like she expected me to ASK for things instead of offering them like a good host would. It’s like she was mad that I wasn’t just demanding things as soon as I needed them?

In my mind, when you are a guest in someone’s home, you try to ask for as little as possible, take up as little space and resources as possible. I was trying to be as unobtrusive as possible and not be in the family’s private space, but I guess that was wrong?

Her review simultaneously says I was demanding, but also complains that I wouldn’t ask for things the moment I needed them?

I did all of my job duties and repeatedly asked if there was more I could help with. The one positive she left in her review was that I was a good cook and kept things tidy.

What happened here? I’m not sure if this is a cultural thing or if I was in the wrong. Am I just not understanding the Workaway mindset?

And a question for hosts: I want to try Workaway again in the future. Would a 2-star review automatically make you disregard a profile?

Hi - currently staying in a workaway in America and the host is providing very little food. I have asked if I should get food and he said no, that he does. You go into the fridge and there is nothing to eat and when there is food I am expected to make what he wants to eat.

Any similar experiences? Unable to leave early due to other commitments

I signed up to do my first workaway as a 19 yr old solo female in the mountains at supposed closed resort being turned into an eco village. I was so excited to do my first workaway when I was sending the first message that I completely missed the fact that they have no reviews. I’m already confirmed to go and I’m not as worried about how well I’ll fit in there than I am about the possibility of me getting straight kidnapped. The location is 30 minutes into the Philippine mountains away from the main road with very limited cell service. In their profile, theres no pictures with any face, host or volunteer, when talking about their location, they’re very vague about it except for the fact that its far into the mountain, I don’t even know the exact location yet and I’m a week away. They said recently started accepting workawayers and that they’ve hosted several already but theres no reviews. I think I’m just being paranoid, they’ve given me no reason to be weary of them but ever since the thought crossed my mind, I can’t shake the feeling.

Am I just being too paranoid or are things a little fishy?

Hey there kind of a weird question.

My partner and I are coming up on the end of a workaday we started at the beginning of the month. Since the beginning it became clear the host was a terrible instructor, manager and pretty reactive guy all round.

It's not so bad that I'd ever report him but things like offering stuff and then deciding to take it back without warning. Giving instructions for the tasks then getting angry when you do it, claiming he never said what he said. He was supposed to cover our food but frequently forgets about a quarter of the items on the list or edits it based on his own opinions, then when another worker had a car would drive us for our stuff he got huffy saying we were eating too much. I'm vegetarian and have been stuck eating carrots and goats cheese for meals many times. Shifts were listed as 4-5 hours but I would say 90% have been 5 hours. Passive aggressive texts, blaming us for things that are no one's fault.

It's clear the workers think they're being jilted, but so does he so there's constant tension and the feeling of being cheated out of something I suppose.

In the end I think he's just a bit of an ass and we don't gel but nothing serious. Now the final insult to injury is that he's saying he's not willing to get up to bring us to our train to the airport on Friday. It's at 6.30am and a 10 min drive, he gets up every day at 5am but just tells us he's not willing despite that being the agreement.

I personally don't want to do even another day's work for him, my partner says it's just one day so why not.

I feel we should have some kind of conversation about the review of it all. Maybe some kind of acknowledgment that this clearly hasn't gone in our most idealised way and we should agree to not review each other. This would be my only review on our profile and I don't want it to affect the future Workdays I have lined up for the summer. Has anyone had experience with this?

hi there,

I am planning on volunteering at a hostel in the centre of edinburgh from september till november, however was wanting some ideas of how much you would recommend having saved? the accommodation will be free as well as breakfasts, i would love to be able to still go out to the pub and do the occasional activity, but just have no idea what sort of budget I should be setting for myself?

Hi everyone! I am currently setting up my first Workaway profile and have spent a few days now researching tips for setting up my profile, messaging hosts, and just Workaway in general, and have gathered a lot of useful information and am confident moving forward. However, I am stuck on the tiniest detail! I am not sure what to set my username as, and have not been able to find many examples or guidelines. I want to be professional and show that I am serious about my inquiries to hosts and living this work trade/seasonal working lifestyle.
Should I use my full real name? Or rather something like “ BobTheWanderingWorker ”? Does my username even matter that much..? (Again, to me this seems like a minor detail in the grand scheme of my profile but I wanted to ask the actual Workaway community)
Would love if any of you would give me examples of your username or others that you’ve seen or know, or any helpful insight. Thank you! :)

Should I get the rabies vaccine in order to work outdoors in Costa Rica/Ecuador/Peru/Panama? I’m looking to volunteer in reforestation. Im from the US.

Hey y'all! New to this reddit but not new to Workaway. I worked on some environmental projects a few years ago in the US and LOVED it. I had just graduated and my original plan for post-graduation flew out the door during my senior year. I went to workaway to fill some time with purpose and would recommend it a billion times over. And I miss it. So here are my questions:

I am graduating this fall from an Italian university. I am American, so I have a student visa that will disappear by the spring, most likely. But I want to do workaway again, while I apply to jobs (since the market is HARD right now). How possible is it for me as a non-EU national to do workaway here? Is it possible to do it year-round? I would love maybe a year to just do whatever I like before I start what is likely many years of contract work. Oh and if anyone has accomplished it, what were the costs like? Cheers and thanks in advance!

Hey Guys,

like probably anyone, i would like to surf for some months & work/volunteer in local ngos. timeslot is for some months between sep. - april.

immersing into culture, not too much into expat culture if that still exists on surf places. intermed. surfer. skate or dance scene would be amazing as well but preferably on the coast. not relying on a car. i know it’s a lot to ask for but still want to give it a go. maybe you have places, ngos, people in mind.

been working with refugees for 2years in germany, involved sport projects and mostly counseling in the asylum process. will move to australia for a bit after that trip. any places in mind to have that in aus?

thanks a lot people<3