Travel is a big part of your experience — every ILP volunteer has Saturday and Sunday off from teaching, plus scheduled vacation days. While you’ll need to budget some money for things like museum tickets and ice cream, travel is where volunteers spend the bulk of their spending budget.

How much you spend on vacation will vary. Flying is going to be more expensive than taking trains or buses, certain countries are going to be more expensive than others, etc. Volunteers who have managed their money well on other things (like eating out and buying souvenirs) were able to attend all trips during vacation time with a $1,500ish budget, particularly in countries like Mexico, Thailand, and the Caribbean.

How much you spend abroad is completely up to you; we have had volunteers get by on less, and have had volunteers who have spent double that recommended  amount. You and your ILP group will decide your travel plans including things like where you’ll go, how you’ll get there, where you’ll stay, and which excursions you do throughout the vacation … which means you have a lot of control on how much you spend.

If you cannot afford to travel, you are welcome to stay in your city during vacation times. Certain ILP countries do require that you leave the country at some point to abide by visa rules, so if you’re planning to not travel, please let your representative know so that you can be placed in the right country for you.