How to Become a Travelling Bartender: The Ultimate Guide

Can I Actually Travel the World by Bartending?

Do You Need Experience?

The great thing about becoming a travelling bartender is that you don’t need years of experience to get started. Everyone has to start somewhere. My first ever job was actually as a bartender and, obviously, I had absolutely no workplace experience.

I genuinely believe that if you can communicate well, enjoy working with people and stay calm when things get busy, you already have some of the foundations you need to become a good bartender.

That being said, experience is and always will be desirable. Especially if you want to work in fine dining, cocktail bars or more upmarket hotels. These kinds of places tend to be more competitive and will often expect you to already know what you’re doing.

But don’t think that means you have to spend five years working your way up before you can travel. There are plenty of hospitality jobs that are much more beginner friendly. My first job was in a pub where I was pouring pints, running food and cleaning glasses. It wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it taught me how hospitality worked and gave me something to put on my CV.

When I later moved into cocktail bars, I started as a barback, basically someone who supports the bartenders by cleaning glasses, restocking and doing all the little jobs that keep the bar running. This was a great way to get into a more technical bar environment without being thrown straight into the deep end.

What experience do employers actually want?

This will obviously vary depending on the job, but some useful hospitality experience includes:

• Pouring draught beer
• Using a proper coffee machine
• Carrying plates and running a section
• Using a POS system
• Handling cash
• Dealing with the general public
• Working quickly when it’s busy
• Working as part of a team

A lot of hospitality is actually made up of soft skills that you can pick up throughout life. Things like communication, teamwork, customer service and staying calm under pressure are incredibly transferable.

The more niche things like making cocktails, changing a keg, using coffee equipment or running a busy bar, are much easier to learn once you’re actually working in hospitality.

So if you’ve never worked behind a bar before, don’t panic! If you have worked in retail, customer service, events, a café, an office or basically anywhere that has required you to deal with people, you probably have more transferable experience than you think.

If you can:

• Answer a phone
• Hold a conversation
• Stack a shelf
• Use a till or POS system
• Follow instructions
• Work as part of a team
• Deal with difficult people without losing your mind

then you already have skills that can be useful behind a bar.

Don’t leave previous jobs off your CV just because they weren’t hospitality jobs. You might be sitting on a gold mine of skills you didn’t realise were valuable simply because you’ve never worked in the industry before. If you are in a position to get some hospitality experience before you start travelling, I strongly recommend it. It will make the whole process less intimidating and give you a much better chance of standing out when you’re applying for jobs abroad.

Just remember: you don’t need to know everything before you apply. Bartending is a skill you learn by doing, and nobody expects a complete beginner to walk into their first shift knowing every cocktail recipe in existence.

For more help with getting your first job, check out my guide: 5 Essentials Every Bartender Should Know

What Skills Do You Need?

As I said above, bartending isn’t just about knowing how to make cocktails. In fact, I think some of the most important skills have very little to do with the drinks themselves.

A lot of becoming a good bartender is learning how to deal with people, manage your time and keep your head when everything goes completely mental.

Some of the biggest skills I’d work on are:

• Small talk and charisma
• Time management
• Working as part of a team
• Customer service
• Memory
• Staying calm under pressure
• Fitness
• Attention to detail
• Stock and inventory

And remember, you don’t need to be brilliant at all of these things before you start.

Most of them get better through experience.

The important thing is that you’re willing to learn, you’re willing to work hard and you actually want to get better.

How to Get Your First Bartending Job

So, let’s say you’ve decided you want to become a travelling bartender, but you’ve never actually worked behind a bar before.

What do you do?

My biggest piece of advice is don’t make your first bartending job harder to get than it needs to be.

You don’t need to walk into a fancy cocktail bar and convince them to hire you with zero experience. Start somewhere that is willing to teach you.

Start with an entry-level job

Your first job doesn’t have to be your dream job.

In fact, I think it’s much better to get your foot in the door somewhere you can learn than spend months applying for jobs that are way above your experience level. A high-end cocktail bar is probably going to want a bartender who already knows their stuff. A five-star hotel is going to have high standards too.

But a local pub might be much more interested in someone who is friendly, reliable and willing to learn.

My first job was in a pub. I was pouring pints, running food and cleaning glasses. It was pretty basic stuff, but it taught me how hospitality worked and gave me the experience I needed to move on to bigger and better things. When I later moved into cocktail bars, I started as a barback. Basically the person helping the bartenders by cleaning glasses, restocking and doing all the little jobs that keep the bar running.

Don’t underestimate jobs like these.

You are still getting paid to learn how a bar works, and you’re getting experience that you can put on your CV.

Learn the basics before you apply

You don’t need to become a cocktail expert before your first interview, but doing a little research can make a huge difference.

At the very least, I’d recommend knowing:

• The difference between common spirits like vodka, gin, rum, tequila and whisky
• A handful of classic cocktails
• Basic bar terminology
• The difference between neat, rocks, up and on the rocks
• Basic beer and wine knowledge
• How a busy bar generally works

You don’t need to memorise the recipe for every cocktail ever invented.

The point is simply to show an employer that you’re genuinely interested in bartending and that you’ve made an effort to learn.

If I have two beginner applicants in front of me and one has clearly spent time learning the basics while the other hasn’t, I’m going to be much more interested in the person who has shown some initiative.

Don’t underestimate your previous experience

This is where a lot of people make a mistake.

They see “previous hospitality experience preferred” on a job advert and immediately think:

“Well, I’ve never worked in a bar, so I have nothing to offer.”

That’s not true.

Think about what you’ve already done in previous jobs.

• Can you answer a phone?
• Can you talk to strangers without completely panicking?
• Can you use a till or POS system?
• Can you handle money?
• Can you follow instructions?
• Can you work as part of a team?
• Can you stay calm when someone is being difficult?

Those are all useful hospitality skills.

So don’t write your CV as if your previous work experience doesn’t count just because you weren’t technically a bartender.

Instead, think about what you actually did and how those skills could transfer into hospitality.

Apply for more than one job

Hospitality recruitment can be a bit of a numbers game. Sometimes you’ll apply for a job and hear nothing. Sometimes you’ll get an interview but not the job. And other times you’ll walk into somewhere at exactly the right moment and they’ll need someone immediately.

Don’t take rejection personally.

If a venue has 250 CVs sitting in their inbox, a great candidate can still get overlooked simply because of timing. The more suitable jobs you apply for, the more likely you are to get that first opportunity.

Where should you look?

For online applications, I’d start with job sites such as Indeed or Seek or the main online job platform for your country. Larger hotels, restaurant groups and hospitality companies often advertise there.

I’d also look at local Facebook groups. These can be particularly useful for smaller independent venues and jobs that need someone to start quickly.

And honestly, don’t underestimate the old-fashioned approach.

If you’re already in the area, walking into a pub, bar or restaurant with a clean CV and asking if they’re hiring can still work surprisingly well in hospitality. Just pick your timing carefully. Walking into a packed bar on a Friday night and asking to speak to the manager probably isn’t going to make you their favourite person.

Get yourself ready before you arrive

If you’re planning to travel specifically to work, there are a few things I’d have sorted before you get on the plane.

Make sure you know:

• What visa you need
• Whether you need an alcohol-service licence
• What type of work you are legally allowed to do
• What your CV needs to look like in that country
• Where you’re going to stay when you first arrive

You don’t want to land in a new country, realise you need a qualification before you can work and then spend two weeks sitting in a hostel wondering what you’re doing with your life. Do the boring admin before you arrive where you can. It will make the whole process much less stressful.

When should you start applying?

This is where I probably go against some of the more traditional advice.

Personally, I prefer to look for hospitality work once I’ve actually arrived.

There are a few reasons for this.

1. Employers are much more likely to take you seriously if you’re already in the country.
2. You’ll have a local phone number and be easier to contact.
3. You can actually attend interviews or trials.
4. Hospitality jobs often need people relatively quickly, so employers may not want to wait weeks for someone to arrive.

That said, this isn’t the only way to do it.

Some people prefer to have a job organised before they leave, particularly if it’s their first working holiday and having something lined up makes them feel more comfortable. If that’s you, there are companies that can help organise working holiday packages, including support with visas, accommodation and employment. I personally used Global Work and Travel for my first Working Holiday Visa to Canada and had a really positive experience with the process. Just remember that these services cost more than organising everything yourself, so decide whether the convenience is worth the extra money for you.

Don’t wait for the perfect job

This is probably the biggest thing I would tell anyone starting out.

Your first job is just that: your first job.

It doesn’t have to be your dream venue. It doesn’t have to be in the coolest city. Nor does it have to be the highest paying job you’ve ever had. What matters is that you get in, learn as much as you can, build your CV and use that experience to get yourself somewhere better next time.

Once you’ve got six months or a year behind you, the conversation changes completely.

You’re no longer saying:

“I’ve never bartended before.”

You’re saying:

“I’ve worked in hospitality, I know how a busy service works and here’s what I’ve learned.”

That’s a much easier person to hire.

And from there, you can start being much more selective about where you work and where you travel.

Choosing a country

Okay lets get onto the fun stuff! You know you want to travel, you have a job that will allow you to do that, now you just need to decide where to go.

There are plenty of things to consider before you hop on a plane. These include but are definitely not limited to:

• Visas
• Language barriers
• Wages
• Distance
• Cost of Living
• Job availability

Visas

This should be the first thing you research before you decide to travel. If you want to work and make money in a country make sure you have the right visa to do so. Otherwise, you’ll be looking at a hefty fine or possibly worse. The most common way to work and travel is on a Working Holiday Visa. This is how I have travelled and worked in both Canada and Australia and my partner is going to do one for the UK next year. We’ll talk more about these later.

Language Barriers

As I said earlier, moving can be stressful, you don’t want to add added barriers and language is a big one. Especially as working as a bartender is customer facing and you need to be able to communicate with patrons effectively.

If you speak a second language or have been practicing one and you really want to immerse yourself then absolutely go for it (you’re braver than me), but don’t move to Paris and work in a restaurant if you speak absolutely no French – I’m pretty sure there was an Emily in Paris episode about that and yeah, it didn’t end well.

For English speakers I highly recommend starting out with Australia or Canada as their language and culture is very similar and easy to assimilate to for your first time traveling.

Wages

Wages should be a huge influence in where you go as you want to make sure you can afford your travels and save while you do it. Going to poorer countries may not be the best idea until you have some funds saved up as, even though the cost of living is cheap, the wages will also be very low.

Also be careful with working in the US as a bartender. Although tips are great, they are not a consistent form of income and a few bad weeks on a very low wage could be financially stressful. I recommend either Canada or Australia again as a first destination. Australia has relatively high wages compared with many popular backpacking destinations, and I am currently on $33 AUD an hour for an easy hotel job.

Canada is great too because it has the tipping culture of the US with the wages or Europe. I was making about $15 CAD an hour back in 2023 alongside an average of $1000 CAD a week just in tips. Bartending in Canada felt like a life hack.

Distance

It’s a big wide world and you may not want to be more than one plane ride from home. I feel as though many people come all the way out to Australia or Japan and then feel very homesick. Not necessarily because they miss home, but because it is difficult and expensive to get back quickly.

It can be a daunting feeling being away from friends and family. Don’t be afraid to start small and go somewhere closer to home first before taking a big leap.

Cost of Living

You may be making a good wage but if you want to be living in the city and partying twice a week then are you making enough? Australia offers a high and inviting wage but in reality, rent, food and phone plans are all more expensive than back in the UK. In order to save money, you need to head into the more remote areas. If you want to live in the city are you willing to live within your means.

Do plenty of research on how much it’s going to cost to live in a new country before you go to save yourself a nasty surprise. The only way i have been able to save so much is by living remote and taking advantage of staff accommodation and meals. Right now, my weekly outgoings come to a grand total of $75 AUD!!!!!

Job Availability

Before you set you heart on a county you want to be in, make sure there is a market for bartending. Not every country drinks alcohol and not everywhere relies heavily on tourism.

Working Holiday Visas

For many young travellers, a Working Holiday or youth mobility visa is one of the simplest ways to legally combine travel and work. Your visa gives you permission to work under specific conditions, but those conditions vary by country and programme. Always check the official immigration website before accepting work. Working holiday visas are usually reserved for people between the ages of 18-30 or 18-35 depending on where you are from and where you want to go.

How you go about getting a working holiday visa is also very dependent on where you are from and where you are going, and each country has different rules and regulations that need to be met. These include but are not limited to:

• Police checks
• Biometrics
• Visa processing fees
• Your personal savings

When I got my WHV for Canada it was a lengthy process and I even had to visit the Canadian embassy in London to have my biometrics taken and put on file. Canada’s IEC Working Holiday process uses pools and rounds of invitations, and Working Holiday candidates may be randomly selected from the pool. Making planning your trip for an exact time difficult. Whereas when I got my WHV for Australia it was simple as filling out my details and paying the visa fees.

Qualifications

Bartending is a job that is open to everyone, no matter your background. Mostly due to the fact you don’t need any qualifications or special skill sets. This is what makes bartending an option for anyone who wants to earn while they travel.

While there are no official qualifications you can still take courses to help you in your bartending career like WSET or Bar School. These may be only necessary though if you decide you want to invest in a hospitality career long term.

Every country has different rules for serving alcohol, and these can even vary between states or provinces. In England and Wales, ordinary bar staff don’t generally need their own personal licence, while in Australia you’ll typically need the appropriate responsible service training for the state or territory you’re working in. Canada also has province-specific requirements, such as ProServe in Alberta. Always check the rules for the exact location where you plan to work before you arrive.

You may also need an RSG to work in many establishments in Australia. This is similar to the RSA but for responsible gambling instead.

These courses arn’t designed to be easy and having the correct license is strictly enforced so make sure you check the rules of the country before you go so you can start earning money straight away!

If you plan on going to Australia, then check out my post on how to get your RSA so you can start working immediately.

Staff Accommodation

For a travelling bartender, staff accommodation can be one of the most financially attractive options available.

You’ll most commonly find it attached to hotels, resorts, remote venues and other employers where getting staff to and from work can be difficult. Your employer may charge you rent, offer it for free, or include other benefits such as meals or utilities.

This can dramatically reduce your living costs.

For example, I’m currently living in Outback Australia and paying around $75 AUD a week, including utilities, meals, Wi-Fi and even free coffee. Previous to that I lived on Lord Howe Island for 10 months in a huge house for Free!!

That’s a completely different financial situation from renting privately in a city.

The downside is that you usually have less control over where and how you live. You may have roommates, live with coworkers or have fewer options when it comes to location and privacy, but I have found that the upsides always outweigh the downsides.

So before accepting a job with staff accommodation, always ask exactly what is included, how much you’ll pay and what the living arrangements are.

Hostels

Hostels are probably the most obvious choice for backpackers, especially when you first arrive somewhere and haven’t found a job or permanent accommodation yet.

They’re flexible, relatively easy to book and a great way to meet people, but they aren’t necessarily the cheapest option if you’re staying for months at a time. A few nights in a hostel while you look for work can be a great investment. Paying for a dorm bed every night for an entire working holiday, however, can quickly eat into your wages.

For that reason, I see hostels as more of a short-term solution than a long-term financial strategy.

They’re particularly useful when you first arrive, between jobs or while travelling between destinations. Some hostels offer work-for-accommodation arrangements, but always check whether the arrangement counts as work under your visa. So, if you find yourself in a sticky situation consider asking if the hostel is looking for housekeepers or receptionists while you are waiting for work. I even have a guide for surviving hostels here!

House Shares

Once you’ve found a job and know where you’re going to be staying for a while, sharing a house or apartment can be a really good middle ground.

You’ll generally pay more than you would for staff accommodation, but considerably less than renting your own place.

You also get more independence than you would in a hostel, while still having the opportunity to live with other people.

For backpackers and working holiday travellers, house shares can be particularly useful because you don’t necessarily need to commit to a long-term lease in the same way you might at home.

The downside is that availability and prices can vary dramatically between cities and regions, and you’ll usually need to pay a bond or deposit upfront.

Private Rentals

Having your own apartment or house is obviously going to give you the most privacy and control, but it is also usually the most expensive option.

For a short-term traveller, private renting can be particularly costly because you may need to pay a bond, furnish the property and commit to a lease that doesn’t match your travel plans.

It can make sense if you’re planning to stay in one place for a longer period and have a stable income, but for someone constantly moving between destinations, the extra expense may not be worth it.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is looking only at the weekly rent.

You also need to consider utilities, internet, furniture, transport and the amount of money you’ll have tied up in a deposit.

Short-Term Hotels and Other Temporary Accommodation

Sometimes you simply need somewhere to sleep while you get your bearings.

A hotel, Airbnb or private room can be useful for a few nights, but these options can become very expensive if you rely on them for weeks or months.

I would generally treat them as a bridge between arriving and finding something more permanent, rather than part of your long-term accommodation plan.

So Which Accommodation Is Best?

There isn’t one answer for everyone.

Is your main goal is to save as much money as possible? Staff accommodation is difficult to beat, especially when meals and utilities are included.

If you want flexibility and a built-in social life, hostels can be a great option, particularly when you first arrive.

If you’re staying somewhere for a few months and want a little more independence, a house share is often the sweet spot.

And if privacy and comfort are more important to you than maximising your savings, a private rental might be worth the extra expense.

The important thing is to look at accommodation as part of your overall financial picture, rather than judging a job by its hourly wage alone.

For example, a job paying $30 an hour with cheap staff accommodation could potentially leave you with more money at the end of the week than a job paying $35 an hour in an expensive city.

How much money you need

One of the biggest questions I get asked about travelling for work is, “How much money do I actually need before I go?”

Unfortunately, there isn’t one magic number that works for everyone. The amount you’ll need depends on where you’re going, what visa you’re travelling on, how expensive your destination is and, most importantly, how quickly you expect to find work.

My biggest piece of advice is don’t leave home with exactly the minimum amount required to get into your chosen country. The minimum is there to satisfy your visa conditions; it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be comfortable.

Before you leave, I would think about your savings as four separate pots.

1. Money to meet your visa requirements

Some working holiday and youth mobility visas require you to show that you have enough money to support yourself when you arrive.

When I travelled to Australia and Canada, I had to demonstrate that I had enough money to support myself at the beginning of the trip. For example, Australia’s current Working Holiday guidance says applicants should generally have around AUD $5,000 for their initial stay, plus enough for onward travel. You can find current and up to date requirements for WHV here: Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)(Australia) Work and Travel in Canada with International Experience Canada – Canada.ca (Canada)

2. Money for your first few weeks

Even when you have a job lined up, your first paycheque isn’t going to magically appear the moment you land.

You’ll probably need money for:

• A hostel or other temporary accommodation
• Food
• Public transport or other travel
• A local SIM or phone plan
• Getting around while you’re looking for work
• Any licences or certificates you need before starting

I personally recommend having enough available to support yourself for at least the first couple of weeks while you get settled and start looking for work.

This is particularly important if you’re planning to find a job after you arrive rather than organising one in advance.

3. An emergency fund

This is money I would keep completely separate from your normal travel budget.

Your emergency fund is there for the things you really hope never happen: losing your job, needing unexpected accommodation, having to replace something important or, worst case scenario, needing to get home.

Pretend it doesn’t exist unless you genuinely need it.

4. Money to actually enjoy yourself

You’re travelling. You should be able to enjoy it!

Budget for the occasional tour, night out, trip, restaurant meal or completely unnecessary purchase that you’ll remember for the next ten years.

There is no point moving across the world just to spend the entire time working and refusing to do anything because you’re terrified of spending money.

The trick is knowing the difference between spending money and wasting money.

The Hidden Costs of Working Abroad

One thing I wish more people considered before travelling is that the cost of moving to another country doesn’t stop at the flight.

There are lots of smaller expenses that can add up quickly:

• Visa fees
• Flights
• Initial accommodation
• Transport
• Work licences or certificates
• Security deposits or rental bonds
• Travel insurance
• Phone plans
• Bank fees
• Work clothes or uniforms
• Food while you’re getting settled

None of these costs are particularly exciting, but they are much easier to deal with when you’ve planned for them rather than discovering them one expense at a time after you arrive.

How Much Can a Travelling Bartender Earn?

Now for the fun part.

How much money can you actually make?

The honest answer is: it depends.

Your income can vary hugely depending on the country you’re working in, the type of venue, your experience, how many hours you’re working, whether tipping is common and whether your employer provides things like accommodation and meals.

This is why I don’t think you should compare jobs based on hourly wage alone.

A bartender earning a higher wage in an expensive city could potentially save less money than someone earning a slightly lower wage in a remote hotel with cheap staff accommodation and meals included.

That is something I’ve experienced first-hand.

When I was working in Canada in 2023, I was earning around $15 CAD an hour, but I was also averaging around $1,000 CAD a week in tips. Considering I was only paying $84 CAD a week for rent and three meals a day, it was a pretty sweet deal.

Bartending in Canada felt like a life hack.

My current experience in Australia looks completely different. I’m currently earning around $33 AUD an hour in a relatively easy hotel job, but the bigger financial advantage isn’t just the hourly wage…

Don’t Ask How Much You’ll Earn. Ask How Much You’ll Keep.

This is probably the biggest financial lesson I’ve learnt from travelling for work.

Your wage is only one part of the equation. What really matters is:

Income – tax – accommodation – food – transport – everyday spending = money you actually get to keep.

This is why I pay so much attention to staff accommodation.

At the moment I’m living in Outback Australia and paying around $75 AUD a week for accommodation, including utilities, meals, Wi-Fi and even free coffee!!

That’s a completely different financial situation from earning a similar wage in a major city and spending a large chunk of it on rent, groceries and transport.

So when you’re comparing destinations, don’t just ask:

“How much do bartenders earn here?”

Ask:

“How much could I realistically save here?”

That question will give you a much better idea of whether a destination is actually going to work for you.

If you want to know what to expect money wise living in Canada, Australia or the UK check out my article here where I expose my bartending income.

Staff Accommodation Can Change Everything

If you’re serious about saving money while travelling, I strongly recommend looking for hospitality jobs that provide staff accommodation. As I mentioned earlier, you’ll generally find these opportunities in more remote or seasonal locations where employers need to attract workers and make sure their staff can actually get to work. In my experience, staff accommodation has been one of the biggest money-saving advantages of working remotely.

Seasonal work

If your main reason for travelling is to actually travel, rather than simply move to another country and live there, seasonal work could be one of the best options available to you. I’ve seen plenty of people move to Sydney and end up staying there for years. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but if your goal is to see more of the country, seasonal work can be a great way to keep moving.

Seasonal hospitality jobs are exactly what they sound like: jobs that exist because a particular destination gets much busier at certain times of the year.

A ski resort needs hundreds of staff during winter. A tropical island might need extra workers during its busy tourist season. A remote hotel can need a huge increase in staff when visitor numbers rise. And then, when the season ends, you have a natural opportunity to move on.

This is one of the reasons I absolutely love seasonal work.

Why seasonal work is so good for travelling bartenders

1. You get to live somewhere tourists only visit

One of the biggest advantages of seasonal work is that you don’t just visit a destination for a few days. You actually live there.

You might spend a winter working in a ski resort, a summer on an island, or several months in a remote hotel that you’d probably never have had a reason to visit otherwise.

Also, you get to experience the place when tourists aren’t just passing through, and because you’re working alongside locals and other hospitality staff, you often see a completely different side of it.

At the time of writing this, I’ve just left Lord Howe Island after working there for a 10-month season. Only around 350 people live on the island full-time, so this was a very special opporunity.

It was one of those experiences I never could have planned properly on a normal holiday. Working there gave me the opportunity to actually become part of the community for a while, rather than simply arrive, take some photos and leave.

2. You meet people very quickly

Seasonal destinations attract seasonal workers.

That means you’re likely to find yourself surrounded by people who are in exactly the same situation as you: travelling, working, meeting new people and trying to make the most of their time abroad.

This can make settling into a new country much easier.

When you arrive somewhere completely unfamiliar, having a workplace full of other travellers gives you an instant social circle.

And because everyone knows that the season has an end date, people tend to make the most of their time together.

Some of the friends you make during a season may only be in your life for a few months, but that doesn’t make those friendships any less meaningful.

3. Your job already has an end date

I actually think this is one of the biggest advantages of seasonal work.

When you take a normal job, there can be an expectation that you’re going to stay indefinitely.

When you take a seasonal role, everyone already knows it has a finishing date.

That makes it much easier to say:

“I’m going to spend the next six months here, then I’m going somewhere else.”

You don’t have to feel like you’re abandoning a career every time you want to move.

You can simply finish the season, collect your final paycheque, pack your bag and head to the next destination.

For a travelling bartender, that’s pretty ideal.

4. It gives your travels some structure

One of the strange things about long-term travel is that having complete freedom can sometimes become overwhelming.

Where do you go next?

How long do you stay?

When should you move?

Seasonal work solves some of that for you.

You can build your travels around the seasons.

For example, you might spend winter working in a cold-weather destination, then move somewhere warmer for the summer.

Instead of constantly planning your next destination, your next job can help determine it.

5. You can still save money

Seasonal work isn’t automatically cheap, but many seasonal hospitality jobs are located in places where employers struggle to recruit enough staff. Just remember that not every seasonal job is a money-making machine and some pay more than others.

Always look at the complete package:

A high hourly wage doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll save more.

And don’t limit yourself to jobs with “bartender” in the title.

Hospitality employers often need people who can move between roles, particularly during busy seasons.

Being willing to work across a bar, restaurant, café, events or other guest-facing roles can make you much more employable. I highly recommend working in hotels during your travels. I have a full list of the benefits here: Working Holiday Visa Jobs: Why Hotels Are the Best Choice

When should you apply?

One of the biggest mistakes you can make with seasonal work is waiting until the season has already started.

Seasonal employers usually know months in advance when they expect to need extra staff, so it’s worth researching destinations and recruitment periods before you arrive.

The exact timing depends on the country and type of season, but as a general rule, start researching well before you actually want to start work.

That gives you time to:

• Research the destination
• Check visa requirements
• Find out when recruitment opens
• Apply for jobs
• Arrange accommodation
• Organise any licences or certificates you need

It also means you can choose your destination based on the jobs available, rather than arriving somewhere and hoping something turns up.

The downside of seasonal work

Of course, seasonal work isn’t perfect.

You may have to live somewhere remote, work very long hours during the busiest periods, share accommodation or make friends knowing that everyone will eventually leave. You also have to be comfortable with constantly starting over.

• New workplace.
• New accommodation.
• New coworkers.
• New customers.
• New destination.

For some people that’s exciting.

For others, it becomes exhausting.

Personally, I think that’s part of the appeal.

You’re not meant to spend your entire working holiday building a perfectly stable life. You’re there to experience things you wouldn’t normally get the chance to experience.

Why I think seasonal work is perfect for backpackers

Seasonal work, in my opinion, is one of the best ways to spend a working holiday.

It gives you a reason to move, a way to make money while you’re there, and a built-in community of people doing the same thing. Most importantly, it keeps the travelling part of travelling. If you move from one city to another and spend every evening in the same type of bar, your working holiday can eventually start to feel surprisingly similar to life back home.

Seasonal work breaks that pattern.

You might spend one season serving cocktails on an island, another working in a ski resort, and another pulling pints in a tiny outback town. Those are the experiences you’ll remember.

And for me, that’s what travelling as a bartender is all about.

Packing

When it comes to packing reserve a little bit of space for a black shirt, smart black comfortable shoes, a nice pair of black pants. Only some jobs provide a uniform so unless told otherwise, having a smart black fit is a safe option for most jobs. Black socks and a thin thermal layer you can wear underneath are also a good idea!

I also always carry around my own waiter’s friend, a bar blade and a pocket sized notebook where I can write down important stuff and recipes. Also bring a few pens for just in case.

The rest of your space is yours to pack freely, however you choose. If you need help you can see all my tips and tricks on packing for a long trip here.

The reality of the Travelling Bartender lifestyle

The Reality of Life as a Travelling Bartender

Let’s be honest: travelling as a bartender is not one long holiday. (As mush as I wish it were)

You’re still going to work.

You’ll have early starts, late finishes, busy weekends, difficult customers, cleaning, stocking, sore feet and all the other glamorous parts of hospitality that come with the job. The difference is that when your shift finishes, you’re not necessarily going home to the same life you’ve always known. You could be finishing a shift on a tropical island, walking home through the Australian outback or heading back to staff accommodation with a group of people you met a few weeks ago.

And for me, that trade-off has been completely worth it.

The freedom is hard to beat

One of my favourite things about travelling as a bartender is the flexibility. I’m not tied to a traditional 9-to-5 career path, and I don’t have to stay in one place forever. I can work hard for several months, save money, finish a season and then decide where I want to go next. That freedom has taken me to places I probably never would have visited otherwise.

I’ve worked in different kinds of venues, lived in remote locations and met people from all over the world.

I’ve also become much more financially independent than I ever expected to be.

But you don’t get to travel during your shift

This sounds obvious, but it’s something people can forget when they imagine working abroad. You’re there to work. My manager in Canada used to say, “Why accept a job if you’re not here to work!” If you’re a bartender, your busiest shifts are often going to be when everyone else is off having fun.

Friday night?

You’re working.

Saturday night?

Probably working.

Public holiday?

There’s a good chance you’re working that too.

You’ll also have to get used to late nights, long periods on your feet, split shifts and the occasional week where you feel like you’ve done nothing except work and sleep.

If you’ve never worked in hospitality before, this can be a bigger adjustment than you expect.

Your social life can be brilliant and slightly chaotic

One of the best things about working abroad is how quickly you can meet people.

Hospitality attracts a lot of travellers, especially in places with seasonal work, so it’s very easy to end up with a ready-made group of friends. You might arrive somewhere knowing nobody and have a group of people to go exploring with by the end of your first week. The downside is that people are constantly coming and going.

Your best friend might finish their season next month.

Your housemate might decide to move to another country.

You might be the person who leaves next.

You get very good at saying hello to people and, unfortunately, very good at saying goodbye too.

Homesickness is real

I think this is one of the less glamorous parts of travelling that people don’t talk about enough.

You can have an incredible day in a beautiful place and still wish you were at home.

You will miss birthdays.

You’ll miss Christmases.

You’ll miss friends getting engaged, family events and random nights out that you didn’t realise you’d care about until you weren’t there. I’ve also had moments where I’ve been travelling between places and felt like I didn’t really have a home anywhere.

That can be a strange feeling.

But for me, those difficult moments don’t outweigh the experiences I’ve had.

You have to be comfortable with uncertainty

Travelling as a bartender means getting used to not knowing exactly what comes next.

Your job might end.

Your visa might be running out. Mine runs out for Australia in 6 months! It’s actually really sad. Your accommodation might change. You might decide you hate a place, or you might discover somewhere amazing that you suddenly want to move to. You have to be willing to adapt.

I actually think this is one of the biggest skills travelling has taught me. Things don’t always go to plan, and eventually you stop panicking every time they don’t.

The lifestyle isn’t for everyone

I wouldn’t recommend this lifestyle to someone who needs everything to be predictable.

If you want the same home, the same routine, the same friends and a clear five-year career plan, constantly moving between countries might become exhausting. But if you enjoy meeting people, trying new things, adapting quickly and having the freedom to change direction, it can be incredible.

For me, the pros massively outweigh the cons.

I’ve gained financial independence, friendships all over the world, experiences I never could have planned and a life that feels much bigger than the one I imagined for myself before I started travelling. I don’t love every job. I don’t love every destination. And I definitely don’t love every 3am finish.

But I would still choose this life again.

Because one day, when I finally settle down, I don’t think I’m going to regret the nights I spent working behind a bar in another country.

I’m going to regret the places I didn’t go.

How to get started

So, are you actually going to do it?

Hopefully, by now you have a much better idea of what becoming a travelling bartender involves. You don’t need to have everything figured out before you leave, and you certainly don’t need to be an expert bartender with ten years of experience.

You just need to start.

Get some experience behind a bar if you can. Work on your hospitality skills. Save some money. Research the countries you could realistically work in. Check the visa requirements. Get any licences or certificates you’ll need. Update your CV. Then pick a destination and make a plan.

Don’t wait until you feel completely ready, because honestly, you probably never will.

Four years ago, I had no idea where bartending would take me. Since then, I’ve worked in the UK, Canada and Australia, lived in places I never expected to see, made friends all over the world and built a life that I genuinely wouldn’t have believed was possible when I started.

I’ve also made mistakes. Plenty of them.

But that’s the thing about travelling: you don’t have to get everything right. You just have to be willing to take the first step. If you are still not completely convinced check out why I think bartending makes for a great career choice here!

Ready to start?

That’s exactly why I created Taste & Trot.

I’ve spent the last four years figuring out the hard stuff through trial and error so that, hopefully, you don’t have to.

Whether you’re trying to land your first hospitality job, choose your first working holiday destination, save enough money to leave home or figure out how the hell you’re going to pack your entire life into two bags, I’ve got guides to help you along the way.

Start here: How to Use Taste & Trot

Start with one step, then take the next.

You might be surprised where bartending can take you.