TripHip - Travel Tips and Advice for Traveling on a Budget

Well, first of all, it is technically illegal to work in a foreign country without the proper work visa. But with that said, it is possible to get work under the table. You will basically need a "cash in hand" job, and the only people willing to pay you like that will be small, independent business owners or individuals. Your best bet for finding cash in hand work is through word of mouth. You can try housecleaning, babysitting, dog walking, etc. They won’t pay much though. Sometimes in the UK you can get a cash in hand job working in a pub. It all depends on who you know and whether you get lucky. Do you have any skills? You can offer someone help in their garden, or cook meals for an elderly person. Sometimes you can get jobs picking grapes in the vineyards of France or Italy (or so I’ve heard).

If your finances are tight, you definitely don’t want to rely on getting a cash in hand job while you’re traveling in Europe. Make sure your finances are in order before you leave.

When you travel abroad to a country where you don't speak the language, you need to prepare yourself for the sudden shock of not being able to communicate easily with others.

You can prepare yourself beforehand by listening to some language-learning CDs or mp3s and by flipping through a language guide. However, nothing will prepare you for the real thing - suddenly finding yourself in a country where you can't understand them, and they can't understand you!

There's no reason to get overwhelmed though. You can turn it into a fun learning experience. When people realize you can't speak their language, most often than not they will bend over backwards to try to help you out. Remember that you are just as exotic and interesting to them as they are to you!

For those who like gadgets, there are some talking translators available that allow you to type in a word or phrase, and it will actually "speak" that sentence for you in the other language. These translators tend to cost anywhere from $50 - $550. Are they worth it? For most travelers, probably not. You might want to get a cheaper one and program it to say some emergency phrases, just in case. Other than that, you're pretty safe just carrying a guidebook, using sign language and hoping for the best.

Remember that whenever you travel to a foreign country, you are a guest in that country. Whether you want to or not, you are essentially representing the country where you are from.

Because America has been the major world power for so long, many Americans have a narrow, Ameri-centric point of view that rears its ugly head when they go overseas.

Not everyone is like this of course, but if you've traveled abroad, you've probably seen them: binge-drinking American college students abroad being loud and raucous; ditzy Americans who wonder why foreigners don't understand English and so they raise their voice several octaves in the hopes that volume will somehow serve as a magical language translator; and those who get angry when things simply aren't done the way they are in America - ("2 hour afternoon siestas every weekday where all the businesses are shut?! What kind of place is this!!")

Please don't be one of these people. It only further cements the stereotype that people in other countries have of Americans.

Culture shock is perfectly natural when you are suddenly immersed in a strange place where everyone has an unfamiliar way of doing things. Don't let it overwhelm you in a bad way. Just relax, open up and go with the flow.

Remember: When in Rome, do as the Romans!