Work for your lodging

Whether getting a farmhand gig through WWOOF, a short-term job through Helpx, or just swapping handyman skills for a B&B room, there are plenty of ways to work off a stay in Italy

If an agriturismo farm stay sounds too tame for you and you really want to get your hands dirty, you might want to sign up with one of two organizations—Helpx or WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms)—that provide longer-term free housing (and sometimes meals) in exchange for you pitching in a few hours of work each day.

Then there's Barattobb.it, an Italy-only network of B&Bs swapping rooms for handyman work, professional help—web design, photos, etc.—and other odd jobs. » more

(Another, slightly more radical work-for-your-lodging option: Crewing a boat. » more)

The major differences between Helpx, WWOOF, and Barrato B&B

Which is best? That depends on whom you ask—but many who have used both WWOOF and Helpx (including both workers and hosts) seem to prefer the upstart Helpx.

Barrato B&B is a bit different, in that it's more for ad-hoc, short stays—but it's still working for your room (and, sometiems, board). Here are some key differences:

Helpx (www.helpx.net)

Helpx was founded in New Zealand in 2001 by an Englishman who worked his way across Australia and New Zealand. The idea is to offer to work for an average of four hours per day in exchange for free accommodation (and, sometimes, meals).

You can sign up for free, but if you pay for Premier membership (€20 for two years), you are able to contact all hosts and read all host reviews. Being "Premier" also allows hosts to read your own profile, where you can list special skills, and they might reach out to you to offer a gig.

Some hosts only ask for two hours of work a day, but requrie you to provide and cook yoru own food. Other might ask for a full six hours, but cook for you and feed you.

WWOOF (www.wwoof.org)

WWOOF is a collection of volunteer organizations in 97 countries around the world, from Australia to Korea, Ghana to the U.S., Italy to Nepal (plus "independent" members—countries with only a handful of opportunities).

Each chapter is devoted to supporting and helping teach about organic and environmentally sound farming techniques—though many joek that the funny acronym WWOOF doesn't actually stand for "World Wide Opportunites on Organic Farms," but rather for "Willing Workers On Organic Farms," since you do end up doing a lot of farmhand chores.

To become a Wwoofer, You join the WOOF chapter in the country where you'd like to work (for roughly $25), it sends you a list of farms that would appreciate a helping hand in exchange for room and board.

You must be willing to put in six hours of work six days a week to see how the farming half lives in a variety of nations.

Barter B&B (www.barattobb.it)

Again, Barattobb.it is an Italy-only network of B&Bs that, on an ad hoc basis, are willing to swap a free stay for handyman work, professional help—web design, photos, etc.—and other odd jobs. » more

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