Travel for Free: Journalist Journeys 25,000 Miles with no Money

Journalist Michael Wigge demonstrates how the good travels in life can be free, as he chronicles his journey from Berlin to Antarctica without a penny to his name. By bartering, hitchhiking and working odd jobs, Wigge fueled his 25,000-mile journey from Europe to Canada to the U.S., Latin America and Antarctica.

Throughout his travels, Wigge kept a video diary on his handheld Canon camera, which PBS used to create the series "How to Travel the World for Free," set to air in May and June on some PBS stations. Wigge's inspiring trip includes working on cruise ships, pushing tourists up hills and even doing a stint as a "human sofa" for tired tourists to sit on in Las Vegas. He also participated in $1 pillow fights in Vegas and carried tourists' luggage through the Andes in Peru.

The resourceful traveler - who speaks German, English and Spanish -- eventually collected enough tips from his tourist pushing in San Francisco and his Vegas "performances" to buy a plane ticket to Costa Rica. From Costa Rice, he hitchhiked to Panama, where he landed a gig as a butler for a German ambassador. Later Wigge found a job on a luxury cruise ship doing odds and ends like polishing tourists' shoes in exchange for a trip from Argentina to Antarctica.

For food, Wigge bartered or offered to work at grocery stores or restaurants in exchange for meals. For shelter, he simply asked people and many opened their doors to him, some inspired by his story, others with no questions asked. He also worked for shelter, living on ships and helping with painting, fueling and other necessary tasks.

Wigge set out from Berlin in June 2010 and embarked on his journey of a lifetime through 11 countries in 150 days, ending in Antarctica in November 2010. His purpose was to prove he - and anyone - can travel without money, with the help of a little creativity, hard work and kind strangers.

Wigge penned a book, "How to Travel the World for Free," based on his extraordinary experiences. The traveling enthusiast says he would like to inspire other travelers and prove that you can, indeed, travel on a shoestring or no-string budget if you are willing to think outside the box.