Departure preparation for your working holiday (the full guide)

To start your adventure under the best possible conditions, it’s a good idea to plan where you’re going to sleep (and adjust to a new time zone) for the first few nights.

Some working holiday makers would rather have the keys to their own place when they arrive. However, we don’t recommend signing a lease without visiting the place in person for several reasons:

• Housing scams—read Common scams to avoid during your working holiday abroad to avoid them (and learn about other popular scams targeting travellers!).
• It’s best to explore the city and various neighbourhoods first to figure out where you’d prefer to live long-term.
• If you plan to work and hate long commutes, you may want to find a job first and then sign a lease.
• If you’re looking for shared accommodation, it’s always better to meet your roommates in person.
• Your plans may change and you might want to move to another city shortly after starting your adventure.
• In the age of AI and Photoshop, it’s not a good idea to sign a lease based on the place looking perfect in pictures.

You don’t have to book the first few nights before you leave home but it can give you some peace of mind—after all, nobody feels like looking at Airbnb or hostel options from the airport’s arrival hall.

Here are all the short-term accommodation options you can consider when starting your WHV:

1. Hostels

Most hostels are ideally located in the downtown core or close to public transit options—just as well, considering you will have to open a bank account, visit apartments or maybe even look for a car in your first few weeks.

As well as often being the cheapest option, hostels are friendly places full of like-minded backpackers. Staying in a hostel is a great way to meet travellers from all over the world and get tips about the city, the country, and more. Who knows, you may make friends, find a road trip buddy or even your future roommate!

Depending on your budget and the level of comfort you are looking for, you can book a private room (the most expensive option but also the most comfortable) or a bed in a dorm. The bigger the dorm, the lower the price is, but also the more people you have to share a room with.

Keeping your belongings safe can be a challenge in dorms—it’s best to choose hostels offering lockers or safes that can be locked with a padlock or code.

2. Hotels

Booking a few nights in a hotel when you arrive is usually more expensive than sleeping in a hostel, but this solution offers other advantages:

• You’ll be able to enjoy peace and quiet, which is ideal when you’ve had a long journey and you’re fighting jet lag. Starting a working holiday can be emotionally intense and some people will need to be in a calmer environment.
• You will be able to leave your belongings safely. It may still be a good idea to leave your valuables in your padlocked luggage.
• Depending on the location and the standard of the hotel you choose, you may be able to get a reasonable deal (especially compared to private rooms in a hostel).
• As with hostels, if your hotel is in the city centre, it will make things easier for getting set up in your first few days.

However, you will have to find other ways of making friends when staying in a hotel, and you might not have access to cooking facilities.

3. Short-term homestays

If the idea of sleeping in a 12-bed dormitory doesn’t appeal to you and booking a hotel is too expensive, then booking a room, apartment or house could be a good compromise.

Websites such as Airbnb or Booking.com list a wide range of accommodations, from shared spaces to private apartments. If you want to meet locals, booking a private bedroom in someone’s home is an option.

Homestays may be a better value than a hotel if you’re travelling as a group. You can also usually get discounts for weekly or monthly stays.

You could book a sublet, so long as subletting is legal in your WHV country. Many working holiday makers sublet their rooms or their entire apartment while they’re away. Use Facebook groups in your area to find ads.

4. Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is a platform where strangers who love hosting travellers will offer you a place to sleep in their house for free (usually the sofa but, if you’re lucky, you will get a bedroom). Women can also use Host a Sister, which is a safer option.

Couchsurfing is a great way to meet new people and be shown around by a local when you arrive in a new place.

For more information about how couchsurfing works and whether we recommend it, read:

• Couchsurfing abroad: a way to meet friendly locals and save money
• My experience with couchsurfing (as both guest and host)

5. Working for bed and board

Since you have a visa that allows you to work, you might prefer to dive straight in and line up a work experience that includes bed and board for when you arrive. Remember to factor in jet lag when deciding to work straight away!

The most common method is volunteering for bed and board with a platform like WWOOF, Workaway or Helpx. However, some paid jobs (e.g. nannying, fruit picking) also include accommodation, usually in the form of private rooms or shared dorms.

As with signing a lease, be careful when agreeing to work if you have not visited the premises or met the host in person before you arrive. If you book a volunteer job through a platform like WWOOF, you can read other traveller reviews and be sure the offer and the host are legit.

6. Camping

Some working holiday makers, especially in countries like Australia or New Zealand, prefer to skip brick and mortar accommodation altogether and go straight into camping and van life. If you plan to buy a campervan or camping equipment as soon as you arrive, this might be an affordable option.

Remember that you will still need to stay close to a city while you set up your bank account, insurance number for tax, etc.