Yes: as a volunteer in the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), you can travel wherever you want on days off; if the destination country requires a visa, you arrange it yourself. In one Volunteering Teams project, the volunteers had free days on weekends and Wednesdays to travel and explore the beautiful surroundings. Our guide on a day in the life of a volunteer shows how a normal week looks.
Last updated: November 2026.
How much free time do ESC volunteers have?
ESC volunteers work at least 30 and not more than 38 hours a week; the rest of the time is their own. You have two free days in a row per week, unless you and the organisation agree differently and the volunteering agreement says so, and two days of holiday per month. ESC volunteers can combine these days of leave; for example, a 10-month project gives 20 days of leave in total. Public holidays in the host country are days off for volunteers; the organisation may still plan an event on those days, and this is agreed between the organisation and the volunteer. Our guide on the volunteering agreement explains where your days off are written.
Can you travel on weekends and days off?
Yes: you can travel wherever you want on days off. You have to agree your vacation periods and weekly rest days with your host organisation. The volunteering agreement covers tasks, working days and hours and days off.
On one Volunteering Teams project, two volunteers describe the free days and the activities outside of work:
🚣 Free days in Volunteering Teams: on weekends and Wednesdays, one volunteer wrote, "we had free days to travel and explore the beautiful surroundings".
🎵 New cities and concerts: another volunteer went climbing, explored new cities, went to concerts and planned outings together outside of work, which helped build stronger friendships.
Our guide on Volunteering Teams explains that project type.
Who pays for your own trips?
ESC volunteers spend their own money mainly on daily personal expenses (not food) and on personal travel. Pocket money is for personal needs only, because accommodation, food and insurance are already covered: small shopping, personal trips around the city, cafés, social events, books, sport and cultural activities, personal care products, phone line or mobile data top-ups, snacks and other small pleasures. There is no travel support for going home and coming back during the project. The ESC Youth Card is a digital card that gives you access to 30 000+ discounts and opportunities available in 35+ countries in the European Youth Card network, with categories such as travel and accommodation. Our guide on ESC pocket money explains what you receive, and our guide on hidden costs covers the costs you pay yourself.
Do you need a visa to travel during your days off?
If the destination country requires a visa, you arrange it yourself. Our guide on visas for ESC and Erasmus+ explains the visa process for the project itself.
Are you insured on a trip to another country?
Yes, but only for emergency treatment in other countries: your insurance plan covers you 24 hours a day, worldwide during both private and project-related activities. In your home country and your hosting country, you are covered for all medical treatment based on the plan specifications, planned or unplanned; in other countries, you are covered only for unplanned treatment, which means emergency treatment after an "Accident" or "Unexpected illness". You need to know what your Henner insurance plan covers. Our guide on ESC insurance explains how the insurance works.
Frequently asked questions
Can I combine my leave days?
Yes: ESC volunteers have 2 days of leave per month, which they can combine; for example, a 10-month project gives 20 days of leave in total.
Does pocket money stop on days off?
No: pocket money cannot be cut on days off; under the rules it is paid for every day of the activity. You will receive pocket money throughout the duration of the activity, including travel days and vacations.
Can I go home for a weekend?
You can go, but there is no travel support for going home and coming back during the project. Our guide on booking flights for ESC explains the tickets that are reimbursed.
What should you do next?
Our guide on useful apps and tools for volunteers lists transport and map apps for your trips.
Youth Works Hub has a Match page that finds projects suited to you: it asks 8 questions and shows the results as a swipeable deck of cards, and using Match requires creating an account on the site.
Related pages: the volunteering agreement · ESC pocket money · visas for ESC and Erasmus+ · ESC insurance · useful apps and tools for volunteers
👉 ESC projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=esc-projects
