The 15 Best Websites and Publications for Freelance Travel Writer Jobs

Would you like to get paid while traveling?

Travel writing jobs have become popular and in demand as more people look for well-written travel itineraries, local guides, personal travel stories, and new destinations.

If you’re a freelance writer who’s also a serial traveler or a natural explorer, why not try writing feature articles on your travel experiences or encounters?

Feel free to specialize in your preferred niche or accept general travel writing assignments for variety.

To help you find a suitable role, we’ve listed some of the best websites and publications to apply for freelance travel writer jobs.

How to Become a Freelance Travel Writer

Fortunately, you don’t need a bachelor’s degree to become a travel writer as long as you have excellent writing skills.

However, if you want to make travel writing a career, you should have extensive knowledge in the industry.

Also, here are some quick tips for finding freelance travel writer jobs.

• Know the specific travel niche you want and look for clients that publish them.
• Read the guidelines carefully to ensure you send a suitable and correctly-formatted pitch.
• Learn and improve your photography skills since great content should also come with well-taken photos.
• Start a travel blog to demonstrate your skills and let new clients and companies find you. Also, becoming a travel blogger allows you to monetize your content via ads and affiliates.

The Best Travel Websites for Freelance Travel Writers

Check out our list of companies, travel publications, and platforms that hire freelance writers and secure your ideal travel writing jobs.

1. Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet is one of the most popular and credible websites for travel guides, blogs, tips, and information.

The wealth of content on their platform is thanks to their countless global contributors.

They’re accepting pitches for digital and print, specifically feature articles on in-depth narratives, the latest travel trends, and first-person travel guides, among many others.

The rates and word counts depend on the type of travel content you’ll submit.

If you’re a freelance writer who wants to pitch for Lonely Planet, check their full guidelines for more details.

As of writing, they don’t accept submissions, so make sure to check their website occasionally to know when you can pitch.

2. GoNOMAD

GoNOMAD is a travel website featuring informative, intriguing, and well-written travel articles.

Specifically, they pride themselves in providing honest and well-researched features that cater to seasoned travelers.

If your writing style fits their standard, you can write about your firsthand account of a unique trip, a detailed guide on a specific destination, or an alternative travel opportunity to engage with local culture, among others.

Before submitting, read their writer guidelines carefully and check their previous content to avoid covering previously published topics.

The stories range from 1,700 to 2,200 words, and the company pays per article with good photos and captions.

GoNOMAD accepts travel writers all year round, so don’t hesitate to send them your pitch anytime.

Note that they don’t receive guest posts.

3. Wanderlust

Wanderlust is an award-winning travel website and magazine for readers passionate about traveling.

They primarily commission articles for their travel publication rather than their website.

However, they consider publishing inspirational round-ups on the site.

Note that having your article featured in the magazine is cutthroat, as they only produce six issues per year.

If you want a freelance travel writing job for Wanderlust, you can send your proposed topic via email.

They usually look for unusual angles from unknown destinations and insights into local cultures.

If that’s your kind of feature article, read more about their guidelines to know their required formats.

Regarding rates, they pay per 1,000 words or page, depending on your content type.

As of writing, they’re currently not accepting submissions, but you can always check back to the site to see when they’re commissioning.

4. Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure is one of the top travel media brands, covering many travel niches, from road trips and cruises to secret food shops and fine dining experiences.

If you’re looking for travel writing jobs that allow you to travel, this publication prefers their freelance writers to travel on assignment when necessary.

You can pitch for their print or digital platform.

We like that they also accept social media pitches consisting of vlogs, photos, and destination round-ups on Instagram and TikTok.

As for their rate and word count, it depends on the type and topic of your articles.

We recommend reading through their detailed guideline to know what they like.

5. Condé Nast Traveler

If you prefer a travel writing job that celebrates minority groups, Condé Nast Traveler publishes travel articles that cover disabled communities, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC communities.

They also write about family travel, responsible traveling, and other travel niches, but we think their stories about identity make Condé Nast Traveler a unique publication.

So, if you’re a freelance travel writer who cares more for people and culture rather than the destination, try pitching for the people-centered sections in their guidelines.

Regarding pay, they offer a reasonable rate per 500 to 600 words.

6. Listverse

Freelance writers who prefer writing short listicles rather than longer articles will suit Listverse’s article format.

Listverse features listicles with a minimum of 10 items about various topics, from popular culture to science.

The platform also includes a massive travel writing section covering famous destinations, hidden gems, travel tips, and unusual travels, among many others.

Regarding the rate, they offer a lower pay per article than others on this list.

However, if you can regularly write good listicles about the travel industry and have them published consistently, it can be a stable source of income.

See their guidelines for more details.

7. Verge Magazine

Verge is a travel magazine focused on traveling via volunteering, studying, and working overseas.

Their readers include active, independent, or seasoned travelers who want to explore the world more meaningfully.

They’re seeking freelance writers who can produce unique profiles or travel experiences with anecdotes, quotations, and relevance.

This opportunity also suits students or adults with full-time work who want to write about their travel experiences.

If you prefer travel writing jobs that inspire and inform, check out how to contribute to Verge.

They’ll only discuss payment details with you if you’re up for publication.

Also, note that they don’t have a print publication and are entirely digital.

8. The Travel Magazine

The Travel Magazine is a portal for various travel articles, reviews, festivals, events, and news.

Given its wide range of topics, it’s one of the travel writing jobs that’ll allow you to explore the niche.

As a freelance travel writer, you can submit a list of unique destinations, review hotels, report the latest travel news, and produce first-person articles.

Specifically, the magazine looks for compelling content that fits their categories, doesn’t promote or criticize companies and websites, and has yet to be published elsewhere.

Unfortunately, their budget for freelancers isn’t available online.

However, if you’re willing to join their team, you may contact their managing editor via their website.

We recommend reading through their author’s guide to learn about what they publish in more specific terms.

9. Backpacker

Backpacker delivers content focused on the best backpacking locations, gear reviews, and outdoor skills for avid campers and backpackers.

Despite having a full-time staff and regular writers, it’s one of the travel writing platforms that encourage freelance writers to submit pitches for features, departments, and the web.

Some of the articles they publish include firsthand outdoor experiences, survival tips, short life list essays, and advice for food preparation and nutrition outdoors.

However, note that they only cover North American destinations.

If you want to apply, read their contributor guidelines carefully and send your submissions via email.

If they like your pitch, you’ll sign a contract to join the team.

The rates depend on your travel writing experience and the article’s complexity.

Nonetheless, if you’re into camping or traveling by foot, this is one of the travel writing jobs you should try.

10. National Geographic

National Geographic is known for its wildlife coverage, but its travel section has the largest digital reach among media brands.

They publish content focused on sustainable travel, UNESCO World Heritage sites, national parks, and culturally-relevant places.

Specifically, they prefer pitches that are insightful, timely, and relevant.

We recommend reading their guidelines and checking their current categories and past publications to know what topics they cover.

If you have a passion for journalism and travel, this opportunity is one of the best travel writing jobs you can find.

However, given National Geographic’s reputation and standards, we can only recommend this opportunity to seasoned freelance writers.

11. AFAR

AFAR publishes via print and digital, and each medium caters to different articles and topics.

The bi-monthly AFAR magazine prints stories of local places and people via essays, editorials, and other forms.

Meanwhile, the website, AFAR.com, features stories and articles about air travel, cruises, hotels, food and drink, outdoor adventure, and sustainability.

Feature stories for their magazine range from 400 to 2,500 words, depending on your topic.

Conversely, digital features run from 2,500 to 3,000 words.

Here are their complete pitch guidelines.

Regarding the rate, they’re one of the travel writing jobs that offer a decent rate per word.

However, note that they send payments within 30-45 days of an invoice, which may be long for some.

Nonetheless, we highly recommended AFAR for travel writers looking for a diverse range of topics to cover and a good-paying client.

12. International Living

International Living provides readers with reliable information on the best places to travel, live, and retire across the world.

Most of their stories come from expats who share advice, travel tips, local trips, how-to’s, and more.

They’re looking for original, timely, and relevant articles based on an expat’s account.

So, we recommend this gig for freelance writers living in a foreign country.

It’s one of the travel writing jobs that pay based on word count, and their rates are pretty decent.

If you want to join their team of contributors, read their guidelines and send your pitch via email.

We suggest checking their website, writing style, and past works to see if this opportunity suits you.

13. ROVA

If you’re into road trips or the RV lifestyle, ROVA, which stands for road vacations and recreational vehicles, publishes stories about life on the road in North America.

It’s released bi-monthly in a print and digital magazine.

Given its niche, they only accept articles and photo essays about exciting trends or experiences to vanlifers and RVers.

If you’re submitting a photo essay, you may need good photography skills to illustrate your story.

Regarding the rate, they offer a flat rate per article if it gets accepted for publication.

Overall, it’s one of the travel writing jobs we recommend for writers who are always on the road and know their way around North America.

Read their guidelines and submit your articles here.

14. AAA Washington

Among the travel companies on this list, AAA Washington is the only one that offers travel services, insurance, safety, and more.

They publish a members-only publication and post travel articles, tips, and experiences on their website.

According to their guidelines, AAA Washington looks for objective experiences that anyone can have.

So, they strictly forbid contributors from getting special treatment, comped food, lodging, or anything else that can’t apply to its readers.

If you want to be a travel writer for their team, read their guidelines carefully, and send your pitches via the indicated email.

Note that they ask new writers to submit samples and write on spec.

15. Culture Trip

Culture Trip is a travel booking site that also produces written and video content.

They cover travel guides, food and drink spots, insider tips, and other lifestyle articles.

They offer full-time and freelance travel writer positions for their website.

According to their data, they currently work with over 600 creators worldwide.

Aside from writers, they also accept photographers, editors, and filmmakers.

Unfortunately, there’s no information about their rates, and they’re currently not accepting pitches.

However, if you want to explore this opportunity, you may check their content to learn more about their topics and writing style.

Meanwhile, you can check their latest freelance opportunities here.

Get Paid to Write and Travel

Travel writing is a promising and stable career for freelance writers who are also digital nomads.

It can be rough initially, but continue improving your skills and pitching until you find your dream travel writing job.

So we hope this helped you find opportunities to kickstart your travel writing career!