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Are you an English speaker who loves to travel and meet people from around the world? If so, volunteering as a conversation partner in exchange for a free stay in Europe may be a good fit for you!
I’ve written about my stay in Spain as a VaughanTown volunteer, but there are SO MANY more programs and options available for free stays throughout Europe.
How does it work?
In all of these programs, the premise is simple. In exchange for a week spent chatting with people who are learning English, you receive a stay in a nice hotel and all meals.
Volunteers follow a formal conversation and activity schedule for the week. It’s a week long commitment and not something you can opt in and out of as time permits. The schedule varies by program and location.
I met so many wonderful people during my week at VaughanTown and continue to keep in contact with them. Each one-on-one conversation was a chance to learn about someone new, increase my understanding of the world, and just laugh and have a good time!
Ready to learn more? Here’s a round-up of all of the available programs.
Locations in Europe
Germany
Englischhausen is a program based in Germany and part of the Pueblo Inglés family. They host six day workshops throughout Germany where German-speaking professionals spend a week improving their English skills through conversations with native English speakers.
Room and board are included. Accommodations are typically single rooms, although in some locations volunteers may be partnered with a roommate (can clarify ahead of time with the company). Both wine and beer are included with meals.
There are four different locations in Germany – two near Munich, one near Frankfurt, and one near Berlin.
Italy
Speak in Italy runs a similar program with Italian locations. The day includes time spent in one-on-one conversations with Italian people learning English, as well as social time at meals, and group discussions.
Speak in Italy offers several different locations throughout Italy including Lombardy, Puglia, and Lazio.
Photo from Speak in Italy website
Poland
Poland is a country that’s high on my list of places to visit. There are so many beautiful and historic sites to see including the Old Town of Krakow, the Wieliczka Salt Mine, and so much more.
In the city of Poznan, the non-profit company JustSpeak hosts English speakers for a free stay including room and board in exchange for speaking English.
Most programs last 5-6 days and they are typically able to provide single rooms, although sometimes participants are asked to share. Food is included in the stay.
Czechia
Prague is one of my favorite cities of all time. From Prague Castle to Old Town Square to the incredible architecture everywhere you look – if you haven’t been yet, you should add it to your list!
Why not combine it with a week spent getting to know Czech people working on learning English?
Prague Volunteers hosts English speaking volunteers with free room and board in exchange for a week spent speaking English. They have three locations in Czechia, each location including round-trip bus transportation from Prague.
Malta
Angloville offers two locations in Malta, with room and board included. Their programs vary in length from 5-10 days and are offered in several additional countries as well, including Poland and Italy.
Spain
Spain is the original location of these types of programs and by far has the most options available. Depending on your preferred locations and dates, it will be easy to find a place that fits your needs.
VaughanTown
This is the program I chose to volunteer with in Barco de Avila, Spain. I had a fantastic week and met so many wonderful people from all over the world. Not only did I make friends with the Spanish participants, but also the other English-speaking volunteers from England, Ireland, Sri Lanka, and the USA.
I look back on my time at VaughanTown so fondly and would do it again in a heartbeat!
Pueblo Inglés
Pueblo Inglés is a very similar program to VaughanTown, although the program lasts a bit longer. VaughanTown programs typically run from Sunday to Friday, whereas Pueblo Inglés programs run from Friday to Friday.
Other than that, the venues and locations will be different, but the rest is mostly the same. Friendly people, structured activities, free room and board – including wine.
Estación Inglesa
One of the people I met at VaughanTown was a frequent volunteer at these programs and told me about Estación Inglesa. The program is very similar to VaughanTown and Pueblo Ingles, but the venues are more centrally located and some of them even offer seaviews.
Which Spanish program is best?
They’re all relatively similar, so I recommend looking at your travel dates and the venues offered and deciding from there which program is the best fit for you.
What about flights?
Flights are not included in these programs, but luckily for you – this site is dedicated to traveling using points and miles, so I can help with that!
One sign-up bonus from a travel credit card will usually take care of a round-trip flight to Europe, depending on travel dates. Some great options are the Chase Sapphire Preferred (can transfer Ultimate Rewards to United, Virgin Atlantic, and more airlines) or the Barclays Aadvantage Aviator. Read more about getting started with points and miles here.
Don’t forget
When traveling to Europe from the USA, you’ll need to pack plug adapters for all of your American electronics. I like these adapters since they can handle multiple plugs and USB cords at once. It can be handy to travel with a back up power bank and a satellite WIFI hotspot, just in case your hotel’s WIFI isn’t the fastest.
Final thoughts
These programs provide an excellent way to get to know people in another country while having most expenses covered. Many people choose to combine one of these programs with anywhere from a few days to a week or more of sightseeing in the same country.
Although these programs require a large time commitment during your stay, I can speak from experience and say that the time absolutely flew by during my week at VaughanTown. I look forward to trying more of these programs and recommend that you do the same!