Successfully Combine Work and Travel: Since the pandemic, remote working has massively increased in popularity. Whereas once upon a time, most people worked in an office, now, they are much more likely to work from home. The bonus of not being expected to show up at the office is that you can work from anywhere.
Traveling and working at the same time is easier than you think. If you’d like to explore the world while continuing to earn hold down a job, there are plenty of ways to make this lifestyle easier. Read on for a few useful tips.
Short or Long Trip?
There’s no point in spoiling a nice vacation with work, but if you plan on traveling for a bit longer, it is easy to carry on working while enjoying the local attractions.
First, choose your accommodations wisely. Hotels are okay for shorter stays, but an apartment or villa is better for a longer trip. You’ll have more room to play with and won’t need to work in your bedroom. In addition, there will be a table or desk where you can set up your computer.
Make sure there is free Wi-fi available. Having to pay for internet connectivity on top of the cost of accommodation will get old really quickly – not to mention expensive.
In a hot country, check whether the accommodations have air conditioning. Trying to work in 100-degree heat and 100% humidity will be grim. Plus, your computer will fry.
Choose the Right Country for a Long Stay
There are now 44 countries that offer a digital nomad visa, where remote workers and freelancers can stay for an extended time. Sometimes it is easier to rock up on a tourist visa and live under the radar for a few months, but if a country does have a digital nomad visa, check the T&Cs to see if it is worth applying for. Most require that you have health insurance in place.
Thailand is very popular with digital nomads but other countries worth considering include Costa Rica, Croatia, and Mexico. Other countries, such as France, offer a talent passport which is a type of residence permit designed for self-employed individuals who need to come to the country for different work purposes.
Take the Tech You Need
Having the right tech available is important. Otherwise, you will end up blowing your vacation budget on items you already own at home. A lot of people work on PCs in a home office, such as deep learning workstation PCs at Lenovo. These are great and very practical, but not so much for travel. Invest in a decent laptop with the right specifications for your job. A laptop is much more portable and can be pulled out on a flight, train, or bus.
Consider buying a portable printer too, if you regularly print off documents.
Make Time for Relaxation
It is tempting to work more when you are traveling, to offset the guilt of being in an amazing place while everyone else is stuck in the office back home. Don’t make that mistake. Have set working hours and stick to them. Once you finish, you can relax and enjoy the sights.
Combing travel with work is a lot easier than you think, so why not give it a go?