How to Become a Freelance Travel Writer

Are you curious about how to become a freelance travel writer?

Travel writing is often viewed as a dream job, one that seems almost too good to be true. I certainly felt that way—until I became one myself.

While my journey to becoming a freelance travel writer wasn’t the most conventional, I want to share my story so you can see how I got to this point. Along the way, I’ll also offer tips to help you start your own path.

There are many routes to take in this field, but I’ll be focusing on what worked for me and what I believe is the best advice.

How Much Do Freelance Travel Writers Make?

The amount you can make as a freelance travel writer really varies.

For me, I earn over $3,500 a month from travel writing, and it is something I do part-time. I spend about 16-18 hours a week on freelance writing, which gives me an average hourly rate of over $50 an hour. Not too bad!

Of course, some freelance travel writers earn less than this.

And some freelance travel writers earn a lot more! There are plenty of full-time travel writers who are making more than six figures per year.

It all depends on how much writing you’re doing, and how much you charge.  

How I Became a Freelance Travel Writer

Now that we’ve covered the basics of freelance travel writing, let me share my personal journey into this career—and how you can get started too.

I began as a blogger before transitioning into freelance writing. Over the years, I started and sold several successful blogs, including some in the travel niche. One of these travel blogs, which I later sold, served as a portfolio showcasing my writing skills and ability to create content that attracts traffic and generates income.

After selling the blog, I missed writing about travel. One day, a travel blogger I followed posted that she was hiring a freelance writer for her blog. I reached out and landed the job. This led to two more gigs—one with another travel blogger and another with a travel news website. In both cases, I already followed these individuals, which made it easy to connect, and I had my blog portfolio to back me up.

I also secured a client through a Facebook group for bloggers when a travel blogger posted she was looking for a writer. Another client came from a referral by an existing client.

I’ve been working with some of these clients for over two years now. In addition to paid writing work for travel blogs and news articles, I’ve had the privilege of going on several all-expenses-paid press trips.

Today, I make over $3,500 a month as a part-time freelance travel writer, while running my own blogs full-time.

So, how can you get started as a freelance travel writer?

Start a Travel Blog

The best way to get started as a freelance travel writer is to launch your own travel blog.

I firmly believe that having my own travel blog was the key to landing clients, more so than a basic writing portfolio website. I even wrote a detailed guide on how to start a travel blog.

A travel blog looks far more professional than a free website builder portfolio, and it’s surprisingly affordable. Web hosting through Bluehost costs just $2.95 per month and includes a free .com domain name.

Not only can your travel blog serve as a showcase of your writing skills, but it can also generate extra income. For more advice, check out my top travel photograper blogging tips to learn how to turn your blog into a profitable venture.

Build a Writing Portfolio

To secure freelance travel writing jobs, you’ll need a portfolio that highlights your writing abilities. A travel blog is an excellent way to achieve this.

If you’re not sure what to write about, explore my list of travel blog post ideas for inspiration.

Another way to build your portfolio is by writing guest posts for other travel blogs and websites. Although guest posts are often unpaid, they provide valuable benefits:

• SEO Boost: Writing guest posts for established blogs or websites can drive traffic to your own blog, as they often include a backlink to your site.
• Credibility: Having published work on well-known sites adds professionalism to your portfolio, showing clients you’ve written for reputable platforms.

I recommend limiting guest posts to just a few select sites—around three—since they can be time-consuming and unpaid. Once your guest posts are published, include links to them on your portfolio page to show potential clients examples of your work.

Look Out for Writing Opportunities

In my journey, most of my freelance travel writing clients came from people I already followed, with a few others through networking.

Following your favorite travel bloggers or publications and applying directly when they’re hiring is a great strategy. You can also find freelance travel writing gigs by joining Facebook groups for bloggers and freelance writers.

Freelance writing job boards are another good resource. Here are some sites to explore:

• ProBlogger
• Upwork
• Freelance Writing
• Mediabistro
• Flexjobs
• BloggingPro

You can personally land a writing gig through any of the platfoms above, so it’s worth checking out for travel writing opportunities.

Pitch to Travel Publications

Another way to land freelance travel writing jobs is by pitching to travel publications, such as magazines or travel blogs.

Personally, I haven’t focused much on pitching to publications, as I already work with several clients consistently. I prefer the stability of recurring clients, where I know what to expect each month. Many major travel publications hire freelancers for one-off projects, which can be less predictable.

However, these one-off projects can be highly lucrative. Traditional travel publications, such as magazines, often pay well, with freelance writers earning around $1,000 for a 1,000-word article.

The downside is that pitching can be time-consuming, so you’ll need to weigh the potential payout against the effort involved.

If you’re interested in learning more about successful pitching strategies, I recommend taking an advanced freelance writing course like Write to 1K.

More Freelance Writing Tips

This guide has walked you through the basics of becoming a freelance travel writer. If you’re looking for more help in starting a freelance blogging career, consider enrolling in an online course.

Write to 1K is an excellent course for beginners. Created by Elna Cain, a professional blogger and freelance writer, it offers a step-by-step guide on how to land your first freelance writing job in just a few weeks.

The investment in this course can easily pay for itself after securing a few freelance writing gigs.