Though it’s normal to see places like Paris and London featured in Hollywood films, there is so much more to see on this fascinating continent.
If you want to travel while staying on a budget, consider doing a work exchange in Europe. Not only do you get to save on accommodation, but you get to be immersed in a culture beyond typical tourist attractions.
Best Places To Work Exchange In Europe
Though many of these destinations are already known, they could be new to you. There are a lot of incredible places to work exchange in Europe besides just the main Western cities.
Here are some cool and unusual places to consider for getting a Europe work exchange!
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Moldova
Moldova is a small, landlocked country located between Romania and Ukraine. It’s known for its wine production, with over 120 wineries and vineyards to explore.
Moldova is also home to the world’s largest wine cellar, Mileștii Mici, which stretches over 120 miles. There’s a lot more than just wine though, Moldova has a lot of history to dive into, plus you can see castles, monasteries, traditional villages, etc!
Faroe Islands
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The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory of Denmark located between Scotland and Iceland. It’s a remote and sparsely populated archipelago with rugged terrain, waterfalls, and dramatic cliffs.
The Faroe Islands are also home to a unique cuisine, including traditional dishes made from puffin, whale, and fermented lamb.
There’s so much to do outdoors with some of the popular being hiking and kayaking. It’s an incredible place to connect with nature, so boat tours and bird watching are good options.
Andalusia, Spain
Andalusia is a region in southern Spain known for its vibrant culture, beautiful architecture, and stunning natural landscapes.
It’s home to the cities of Seville, Granada, and Cordoba, which are known for their historic monuments, flamenco dancing, and great food.
Outside the cities, there are many natural wonders to explore, such as the Sierra Nevada mountain range and the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park.
Georgia
Georgia is a country located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia, known for its stunning mountain scenery, ancient wine making, interesting language script, and a lot more.
The capital city, Tbilisi, is a great place to start exploring, by trying some amazing Georgian food and learning more of this old country’s history.
Georgia is also home to awesome monasteries, churches, and ancient cave dwellings. For some incredible nature, you can check out the Svaneti region and the Tusheti National Park.
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country located in Central Europe, known for its beautiful architecture, rich history, and vibrant culture.
The capital city, Budapest, is famous for its thermal baths, historic landmarks, and beautiful river views. Outside the cities, Hungary has many natural wonders to explore, such as Lake Balaton and the Danube Bend.
Check out my experience volunteering in Budapest – you can’t miss it. I ended up catching food poisoning that turned out to be pretty life-threatening.
Being sick in a foreign country with an unfamiliar medical system is a situation I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
Traveling leaves you open to risks, especially as a remote worker like myself. I highly recommend covering yourself with insurance, even to just give you peace of mind.
SafetyWing is the best because it works as an ongoing subscription so you don’t have to worry about forgetting to pay (you can cancel at any time too). It’s really affordable, which is perfect for budget travelers! Get a SafetyWing quote for your trip here.
Malta
Malta is made up of a few small islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Many travelers see it as a typical holiday destination but this tiny country has a lot of history from many invasions, plus some incredible ancient ruins.
The capital city, Valletta, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that you can spend days wandering around. Malta is known for the Blue Lagoon and Golden Bay, but there are plenty of other wonderful beaches and cliffs to see besides the super popular ones.
I really enjoyed my short visit to Malta and would love to go back and do a longer work exchange there. If more time is spent, you can take the ferry to Gozo and experience an even more relaxed Maltese vibe.
Cyprus
Cyprus is another small Mediterranean island located south of Turkey. Similar to Malta, most people think of this as purely a vacation spot, but there is more to Cyprus than just beaches.
There is a lot of ancient history like Paphos city – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You should do also do a wine tasting and enjoy the nightlife in Limassol.
Montenegro
Montenegro is a small country located in southeastern Europe, known for its stunning beaches, rugged mountains, and picturesque old towns.
This Balkan country is well known for the Bay of Kotor – a truly incredible UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has fjord-like landscape and a castle that you can hike up to for great views of the whole bay.
I spent one month doing a work exchange near Lake Skadar, the Balkan’s largest lake. It’s beautiful, I’d highly recommend Montenegro for a Europe work exchange.
North Macedonia
North Macedonia is a landlocked country located in the Balkans, known for being quite the mixing pot of ethnicities and languages.
The capital city, Skopje, is known for being a tad quirky with lots of statues everywhere. Lake Ohrid can’t be missed – it’s the deepest lake in the Balkans and the surrounding area is beautiful. Doing a work exchange there will be great for nature lovers.
Albania
Albania is a small Balkan country, known for the Albanian Riviera coastline, dramatic mountains, ancient ruins and the best cuisine in the region (I’m biased on that).
The northern mountains are nicknamed the Albanian Alps – one of the most popular destinations in the country. There are plenty of awesome hostels in Tirana to choose from while you experience the capital’s vibrant nightlife and visit the interesting museums.
Just south of the capital is the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city of Berat – known for being the city of a thousand windows.
Since I have been living in Albania for quite a while, I can say that it’s a great place to do a work exchange and experience some Albanian hospitality.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country located in southeastern Europe, known for its stunning natural beauty, intense history, and vibrant culture.
The city of Sarajevo has both Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian architecture and makes for an excellent place to base yourself for exploring the rest of the country.
Besides trying all the traditional foods, you should also check out Kravice Waterfalls and the Una National Park.
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Kosovo
Kosovo is a small, landlocked country located in the Balkans. It’s well known for the beautiful mountains but mostly for being a very new country with a lot of recent conflicts.
The city of Pristina is small but interesting, you can see some traditional houses but also some new and ‘ugly’ architecture. The country is also home to many natural wonders, such as the Rugova Canyon and the Mirusha Waterfalls.
Slovenia
Slovenia is a small country in Central Europe. For a long time, it was overlooked but many travelers are visiting for the beautiful landscapes and great food. Ljubljana is the capital city and it’s famous bridges and architecture.
The Julian Alps offer a great alternative to visiting the Alps in places like France and Switzerland. Slovenia also has some cool natural wonders like the Postojna Cave and Lake Bled.
Estonia
Estonia is in Northern Europe, known for its well-preserved medieval architecture and natural landscapes.
You can visit the old town and historic landmarks of the capital city of Tallinn – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For nature, you can go to Lahemaa National Park and the Soomaa National Park.
Europe Work Exchange Final Thoughts
I hope this has helped you and inspired your search for a work exchange in Europe.
I might be a little biased since I live here, but I love all the Balkan countries, especially Albania. Make sure to check out Shkoder, and all my specifically curated guides for northern Albania!
Don’t forget to get $10 off your Worldpackers subscription for work exchange or take a slightly different route to check Trustedhousesitters for all of the best house-sitting gigs.
