Friends who only work for six months of the year share their top travel tips – and how they keep costs low wherever they are
- Rachel Davey and Martina Sebova work for Topdeck tours and travel together
- For the past decade they have worked a full summer season in Europe
- The time they spend working allows them to take off other six months of the year
- They spoke to FEMAIL about how they travel as a woman and budget all at once
Rachel Davey and Martina Sebova have been travelling the world together for over a decade, taking six months out of every year to tick countries off their bucket list.
They typically work a full summer season for Topdeck in Europe which runs from April to October and then jet off to countries like Mexico and Iran seeking adventure and freedom.
‘After the season finished, we’d have six months off to decide what we’d like to do. We could have found other employment opportunities, however we preferred to travel the world instead,’ Rachel, from Australia, and Martina, from Slovakia, told FEMAIL.
Rachel Davey (right) and Martina Sebova (left) have been travelling the world together for over a decade, taking six months out of every year to tick countries off their bucket list
‘We’d obviously set a budget for ourselves to stick to during this time, but our earnings from the summer season in Europe would just get us through. Then it would again be time to return for another season of work, it was the perfect balance.
‘Currently we’re on a big adventure to visit every country in the world. We have a travel website called Very Hungry Nomads where we blog about the places we go and have set up a fund on there for people who are inspired by what we’re doing to make a small donation.
‘But other than that it’s entirely self-funded.’
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‘We’d obviously set a budget for ourselves to stick to during this time, but our earnings from the summer season in Europe would just get us through,’ they said
They typically work a full summer season for Topdeck in Europe which runs from April to October and then jet off to countries like Mexico and Iran seeking adventure and freedom
Rachel started working for Topdeck in her early twenties as a solo female traveller who’d never been to Europe before.
‘I had so much fun on the trip and I instantly fell in love with the European way of life and the incredible food. I could imagine myself doing that job too,’ she said.
‘The following year, I got a working holiday visa for the UK, which was part of the requirement to apply for the job. I flew to London and applied for an on road chef position with them.
‘I had so much fun on the trip and I instantly fell in love with the European way of life and the incredible food. I could imagine myself doing that job too,’ Rachel said
The pair are aiming to visit every country in the world before settling down
‘After my interview, I was then invited to do the training trip and I scored the job!
‘The rest is history. It’s the best job I’ve ever had and I’ve made some incredible friends for life during that time.’
For Martina, who has lived in Germany, USA and the UK, she got her taste of the travel bug after going on a Topdeck tour as a passenger.
For Martina, who has lived in Germany, USA and the UK, she got her taste of the travel bug after going on a Topdeck tour as a passenger
‘I thought being a tour guide was the perfect job. I was always very social and loved history and European culture, plus I was keen to practice my five languages,’ she explained
‘I thought being a tour guide was the perfect job. I was always very social and loved history and European culture, plus I was keen to practice my five languages,’ she explained.
‘To this day I still believe applying for the job was the best decision I ever made. I have completed seven full seasons and then worked part time for another four years. I’ve met amazing people and made such great memories across Europe.’
In terms of how they keep costs low while travelling, the women are adamant sleeping, living and eating as the locals do is the ticket to success.
‘Take local transport, buses, metros and trains to get around whenever possible,’ they said
They also recommended having a budget and recording a daily spend to stay on top of your finances
Tips for travelling as a solo female abroad
- Always listen to your intuition.
- Before you go exploring a new city, especially in the evening, always source the safest way to get back to your accommodation before you go out.
- Say hello and make friends with other travellers from your hostel or guesthouse. It’s nice to discover a new city, share a meal or have someone to take some travel photos of you.
- Keep your handbag where you can see it -Wear your handbag or backpack on the front of your body when in busy areas and on public transport to avoid being targeted by thieves.
- Research the exchange rate before your arrival into a new country. Find out the approximate cost of a taxi or public transport in the local currency before you arrive to avoid getting ripped off. Once you do exchange currency, take a moment to learn the bills (which can be very confusing in high denominations)
- Learn some of the local language, it’s always helpful to know in any situation.
‘Take local transport, buses, metros and trains to get around whenever possible,’ they said.
‘Find street foods and markets and daily lunch specials wherever possible. Ask your taxi driver or host of your accommodation where they like to eat, it’s generally a good option.’
They also recommended having a budget and recording a daily spend to stay on top of your finances.
‘Buy a refillable water bottle and drink tap water if possible. This will be much kinder to the environment and easier on your wallet,’ they continued.
‘Oh, and always have healthy snacks such as muesli bars, nuts and dried fruit in your backpack to get you through long bus journeys and travel days.’
They have spent three months eating their way through Mexico and also count their time in Central Asia and Iran as deeply memorable.
‘We had an unforgettable experience with some local women in the Wakhan Valley in Tajikistan,’ they said.
‘We were wandering along the edges of the small wheat fields taking photos of the stunning mountain vistas and scenery when a small group of local women who were cutting wheat in the fields stopped for lunch and waved us over to join them.
They have spent three months eating their way through Mexico and also count their time in Central Asia and Iran as deeply memorable
‘We had an unforgettable experience with some local women in the Wakhan Valley in Tajikistan,’ they said
‘They served us a plate of the most delicious food we’ve ever eaten. There were pots of rice with tender lamb, currants and vegetables, potato soup, lots of bread and baskets of tiny sweet apples being passed around.
‘Although we obviously couldn’t speak Tajik and the women couldn’t speak English, we communicated through broken Russian and German language and lots of smiling and hand gestures.
‘We shared some photos of our families with them on our iPhone and they insisted that we take some photos with them before we departed. To this day, it is probably one of our most memorable travel experiences ever.’
‘We shared some photos of our families with them on our iPhone and they insisted that we take some photos with them before we departed,’ they said
While they have no plans to hang up their hiking boots yet, they insist the day will eventually come when they settle – and it’ll likely be in Australia
While they have no plans to hang up their hiking boots yet, they insist the day will eventually come when they settle – and it’ll likely be in Australia.
‘For the near future however, one of our favourite countries in the world is Thailand and we can certainly imagine living there for a while.
‘We’re also madly in love with many European countries and we’d also consider living in Europe for a few years before we eventually settle in one place.’
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