Woofing, it’s eco(logic ; nomic) ! (English version)

Do you want to travel alone, or group travel, for the price of a plane ticket only ? Do you want to meet people and discover a new culture ?

My name is Alice, I’m a student, and like most students I can’t really afford a luxury trip, book a five-star hotel sea view with spa and massage at will, and more.

But I decided to embark on an adventure, my own adventure : I went to Irland by-myself for a month, with only myself, my small suitcases and my thirst for my adventure, and just for approximately the price of a plane ticket.

How did I do it ? I did some woofing. Woofing is an organisation putting volunteers travelers in touch with farmers. The deal is that you have to work and help them, and in return, they will offer you the full board for free (such as a roof, a bed, food...) I didn’t work every day ; I had a weekend from Friday to Sunday. So, during these weekends, I could go visit the surrounding area. There were other people like me in the farm, we were coworkers and we became all friends. During working hours, I was in the potato fields, where we did some weeding, and laughed the most ! We were all together and we supported each other during this difficult task, it was a lot of fun and pleasant work time. During our rest periods, we exchanged words in English or French and sometimes a little bit both. We played cards, and on weekends we did road-trips, we really went on an adventure together and it was a really nice time. I travelled, and I learned. I learned about myself through the encounters I was able to made. Today, this trip still brings me a lot because it made me evolve, it enriched me, it made me stronger and for that reason, I could just recommend it to anyone who is thirsty for adventure and new encounters. Go for it ! You will only come out of it enriched.

Practical information to register :

Go to woofing website : woofing.(name of the country), pay an annual fee (about 20 to 25 euros), create a profile, then choose among the hosts who need yours services. You can choose according to :

- the geographical area (e.g. Irland, West),

- the activity on the farm (market gardening, taking care of animals, cooking, cleaning...),

- the proximity to big cities,

- your feeling about the hosts and if they fits with some of your criteria.

There are lot of possibilities, so choose !