Part Time Work

If you are going to be in Europe be sure and familiarize with the Schengen Zone regulations before you make too many plans.

Virtually all jobs in European Union countries require that employer verify that the worker is an EU citizen or has a (difficult to obtain) work visa. If you take a job which compensates with free accomodation/meals or the like, you would likely be ok-- we aren't sure.

If you are seeking paid work, then you definitely need to get work permits/visas, especially if you expect to stay over 3 months every year. As a U.S. Citizen, it's not easy at all to get a work permit unless, as Michael mentioned in his post, you are a skilled worker. Your EU employer must prove why he/she needs to offer you a job over an EU citizen, therefore, you need very specialized skills. Getting a job at a resort (such as Disney in France) is not considered "skilled work". You have a better shot at getting a work permit/visa if you have experience in healthcare (ie, nursing) or technology. Also, most EU employers aren't going to want to bother with all the red tape if you are only interested in working part time and for 3-6 months a year. Volunteer work probably remains your best option. The Peace Corps does accept applicants of all ages; however, they also expect a full-time commitment of 27 months during which time visits back to the U.S. will be extremely rare. I would suggest volunteering with either Habitat for Humanity's International division, or WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms - www.wwoof.org) which has short term, part time volunteer positions available many of which offer free room & board in the host's home in exchange for a few hours of work on the farm each day.

If you belong to a large church (i.e. United Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, etc.), I might recommend checking with their missions team to learn of short-term assignments overseas. You probably won't be paid, but it might end up being a once in a lifetime sort of experience. If you're just interested in Europe, these churches are very active all over Eastern Europe. What about Peace Corps? They take volunteers of any age, and you're still young. Just a couple of ideas that might give you a bit more than the typical part-time job can offer. For regular work, you'll need to think through work permits, visas, etc., and you'll need to have an essential skill. What about a resort? Lots of retired folks work at Disney World...perhaps Disneyland Paris is an option?