Free Luxury Accommodation In Europe For English Speakers

Traveling to Europe and looking for a way to get free accommodation in exchange for work (aka speaking English and meeting amazing people)? Volunteer holidays are one way to do it! Volunteering in Europe in English Immersion programs is a great way to experience a new way of life and enter a cultural exchange.

I’ve written a bit in other posts and on social media about my time teaching English in Europe as a volunteer, but this post gives more details, including contact information for the different programs in which you can find free accommodation in exchange for work.

Traveling Long Term or Solo in Europe? 

Do you love traveling to Europe, staying in nice hotels, eating in restaurants & meeting amazing people?

Think you can only afford budget hotels and home-cooked meals for one because you’re traveling solo?

What if I told you how you can have a great week-long experience in Spain or Central Europe, and stay at a four-star hotel, with your meals included and all it would cost you is the airfare or train fare to get there?

I’ve been traveling Europe on and off for the past 16 months since I left my career to re-discover my passion. Because I’ve been traveling for such a long period, and I’m traveling solo, cost is a huge concern.

When I used to take vacations, my budget per week was about 10X what it is now. But those were two week vacations, and I typically was traveling with someone and therefore splitting the costs. I was also getting paid… so the experience and location was far more important than budget (although I always researched to get the best possible accommodation, travel, and experiences for my money).

1. Volunteering in Europe: Don’t Compromise on Luxuries

Even though I’m traveling on a much tighter budget than I ever have previously, I haven’t given up the luxuries that are most important to me.

These include staying in nice (safe, well located, good quality and don’t have to share a bathroom) places, drinking wine, and going out for coffee (usually somewhere I can sit and people watch or get a lot of work done on my laptop).

In saying this, I’ve only been able to maintain the lifestyle that I enjoy, by doing a ton of research and work (literally hours per day) on all the opportunities out there for a long term traveler such as myself, to travel better, and longer, for much less.

Note: I have never stayed in a hostel.

I’ve found a lot of resources since I’ve been traveling, and because I’ve been on the road much longer than a typical vacationer I’ve been able to hang out and take advantage of opportunities as I find them and as they become available.

This is key. If you only have two weeks to one month of vacation there’s no way you could figure all this stuff out, try it, and know it works within your limited time-frame.

But fear not! I’ve done the research for you.

One of the most exciting and least known opportunities I’ve found, since beginning my journey, is the opportunity to volunteer in Immersion Programs where essentially you get free accommodation in exchange for work (or volunteering).

2. Volunteering in Europe: My Introduction to ‘English Immersion Programs’

A few months ago, I decided on a whim, to apply for a volunteer holiday in Europe in what is called an ‘Immersion English Program’. An ‘Immersion English Program’ is basically a program designed to teach English in an environment where participants are fully immersed in the English language (speaking, listening, and socializing).

I came across a listing on a work exchange site (a site where people offer free accommodation in exchange for work while traveling) that talked about staying for a week for free in a nice hotel, with meals included in exchange for simply conversing in English with a group of professionals.

The listing said this “volunteer holiday” was available in Hungary, Romania, or Poland. Well, of course my interest was peaked! Free hotel with meals for simply speaking English with adult professionals? I would already do that anyway, for free!

But, I couldn’t get the contact info for the company on the work exchange site because I wasn’t a paid member (and I didn’t want to be, as it turned out the site was geared towards those who want to work on farms and do labor in exchange for basic accommodation and no pay… not for me!).

So, I plugged the details from the listing into Google and found the organization’s website pretty much immediately.

3. Free Accommodation in Exchange for Work in Europe

I submitted an application to a site called Angloville (the organization) and a few weeks later got an email offering me a place in a one week program in Wroclaw, Poland the next month.

I asked the company if I could do two weeks in a row since the travel costs were too much to justify otherwise. They said they had a program the week after but it was in a different city (Warsaw) and I’d have to get there myself. I said ‘no problem!’

4. Finding More Opportunities.. Teaching English in Spain!

I like my experience so much during my two weeks in Poland with Angloville, that I researched to see whether there were similar volunteer programs elsewhere in Europe.

I found two….in Spain!

I immediately applied through a company called Vaughan and was accepted for a program a month later.

Since then I’ve done volunteer holidays in Spain, and have another week-long program coming up in Spain this next week.

I also volunteered for a last-minute volunteer spot in a daytime program in Madrid (one intense 12-hour day where participants come to get a quick English immersion refresher course), in exchange for a night in a posh hotel, a credit for dinner, and a spa treatment.

5. How to get Free Accommodation in Exchange for Volunteering in Europe

When it comes to volunteering in Europe it’s important to understand that many volunteer programs around the world actually charge you to volunteer or at least charge you for expenses while you do unpaid volunteer work.

However, these Volunteer programs let you volunteer in Europe while also providing free accommodation in exchange for simply conversing in English. They should really be called volunteer holidays.. 🙂

The three volunteer exchange programs below are with different companies. They are structured similarly but have some differences that are worth pointing out:

1. Angloville: 

These volunteer holidays in Europe are located in Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Dublin. They are typically for five-six day periods. Volunteers are almost always expected to share rooms. No alcohol is included with meals.

2. Vaughan Town:

These volunteer holiday programs in Europe are located in Spain and are also for six-day periods. Volunteers get their own rooms. Wine is served with meals. Shorter Term Volunteer Opportunities exist if you’re already in the country 

3. Diverbo/Pueblo Ingles:

These volunteer holidays in Europe are in located in Spain and Germany. Programs are longer (eight days versus six). Wine is served with meals.

Of course, the style of each program varies as well, but overall, all three of these volunteer exchange programs are located out in the middle of nowhere ( you leave with the students from major cities and travel together to the program destination), demanding time-wise (12 hour days), and a LOT of fun.

6. Volunteering in Europe as an English language conversation partner SAVES you money!

The total savings for me so far, from volunteering in Europe through language Immersion programs–when looking at what I’ve saved on lodging meals, entertainment, etc. is between $1500-$2500.

Of course, how much you save depends on how much you would have spent on other lodging, meals, and entertainment otherwise.

Plus, I’ve had the privilege of making a ton of new friends and gaining the valuable experience of hanging out with people from a different country, in an intimate environment and hearing a lot of stories about their country and culture.

Volunteering in Immersion Programs is not something that only long-term travelers, like myself, can do. In fact, many people apply for these volunteer holiday programs months and months in advance and plan their trips and vacations around them. Once you’re accepted to a program there are no backsies (on the part of the program anyways). You’re in.

7. So how can YOU get free accommodation in exchange for volunteering in Europe as an English language conversation partner?

If you are interested in volunteering in Europe, then these volunteer holidays could be for you. Free accommodation in exchange for work? Who wouldn’t be interested?

Visit the websites using the links I supplied above, and apply at least a few months ahead of when you are interested in volunteering. Each website will show you available dates and locations when you apply.

If you are already in Europe, you can also email the organizers and tell them you’re available for last-minute openings (people do sometimes back out last minute) and this could mean you could be ‘in’ as soon as the next week!)

Try one of these volunteer holidays out on your next trip to Europe, I’m sure you’ll love your experience. And, if you do end up volunteering in one of these Immersion English programs, message me afterward and let me know how it went!