Guest post by Dakota Murphey
With many of us planning our holidays and hoping to extend them into working trips away, Europe has some attractive and convenient cities for a ‘workation’.
If you’re fortunate enough to have a flexible, freelance or remote job that doesn’t require your presence in an office 24/7, the allure of warmer weather and cultural attractions makes it easy to weigh up the merits of working away. One major benefit is having the freedom to explore the wider area whatever month you travel.
This article explores some of the best European cities for remote working g, with tips on finding secure coworking spaces once you’ve arrived and where to stay while you’re there.
While remote working brings incredible flexibility, the issue of cyber security has become important for businesses and professionals. So, be cautious about using open, unsecured networks in public places, including in cafes, parks and airports or other public spaces, and use a VPN to encrypt your internet connection whenever possible. Mobile hotspots are a great alternative to public WiFi and look into coworking spaces before your visit. Likewise, if you’re looking for places to stay, you’ll want somewhere with a great internet connection.
While your physical safety is paramount, it’s wise to keep digital security in mind and have support from incident response services if you do come unstuck. Although a free charging point might seem innocuous, it could be a front for data theft, while poor WiFi connections can provide gateways for malware to spread to your devices across unfamiliar networks. With your digital safety in check, however, here are some fantastic cities to travel to and work from.
What’s more, at Oliver’s Travels we have an ever-growing portfolio of fantastic city apartments and villas by the beach that will provide the dream ‘office’ for your remote working setup.
Saint Pierre Penthouse
Paris has an exciting blend of history, culture and modern amenities that make it an excellent option for remote workers. With its widespread high-speed internet, numerous coworking spaces and vibrant café culture, Paris provides an ideal environment for digital nomads.
Beyond its unparalleled architectural heritage and world-class museums, the city boasts efficient public transportation, a thriving startup ecosystem, and a diverse international community. Despite a higher cost of living, Paris’s timeless charm, culinary delights, and endless opportunities for exploration make it a rewarding base for remote professionals or for those working with family in tow and, if you’re keen to escape, the hustle and bustle for a well-deserved break, head south for the summer.
Stay here: Apartment Lilou | Art Space | Residence Berlioz | Saint Pierre Penthouse
Apartment d’Angelot
Nice, the stunning seaside city on the French Riviera, presents an enticing combination of the Mediterranean lifestyle and modern amenities for your workation.
With its mild climate, picturesque old town, and pebbled beaches along the azure waters, Nice offers an idyllic setting to balance work and leisure. Excellent digital infrastructure, including popular internet cafes and coworking spaces, caters to the needs of digital nomads. The city’s vibrant cafe culture, affordable living costs compared to larger French cities, and proximity to other Riviera hotspots make it an appealing base for remote professionals.
Then, when you get a little downtime and get to close the laptop, explore the city with ease using SmartGuide, the app for self-guided city exploring with audio information. It’s like a private guide in your pocket filled with current, high-quality, and locally sourced content.
Stay here: Apartment Litchi | Apartment d’Angelot | Apartment Pasteque | Villa Furet
Regency Suite Lisbon I
Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, is rapidly emerging as a hotspot for digital nomads and remote workers. It is also one of the most affordable cities to relocate to. With its mild Mediterranean climate, warm summers and mild winters, when your work is done, this charming city has pretty outdoor spaces, great beaches, lovely parks and good cafes for business or leisure. It is also blessed with reliable and fast WiFi, plenty of coworking spaces, a thriving tech scene and a lower cost of living compared to many other major European cities.
Lisbon has excellent 4G/5G mobile data coverage and widespread WiFi in cafes, bars, and restaurants. There are many great coworking spaces, such as Village Underground and Second Home that have incredibly fast internet and are designed as inspiring places to work. The city also has a palpable energy, thanks to its young population, lively nightlife and beautiful parks and plazas. If you have a spare weekend, it’s also within touching distance of Portugal’s beautiful Algarve.
Stay here: Regency Suite Lisbon I | Apartment Hortensia | Apartment Beatriz | Apartment Inez
Apartment Celso
Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city, has become increasingly popular for digital nomads. Like the rest of the country, the cost of living is significantly more affordable than many other major European cities, making it ideal if you’re after reasonable rent prices, less expensive food, transport, and dining, allowing your income to stretch further.
Porto has embraced the coworking trend and, as such, there is a great scene with numerous shared office spaces in attractive local districts catering to remote workers and freelancers. In addition, its array of cafes, restaurants and public spaces offer free WiFi, making it easy to stay connected. Porto is also conveniently located for stunning trips when you have time off to explore. From the iconic Ribeira UNESCO World Heritage maze along the Douro River to the stunning architecture of the city centre and some stunning places to stay.
Stay here: Apartment Celso | Apartment Abilio | Apartment Davi | Apartment Adao
Casa Pujades
Blessed with mild weather, stunning architecture and world-class beaches, Barcelona combines work opportunities with an unparalleled quality of life. This Catalonian capital has plenty on offer wherever you stay, but for remote workers, it is at the cutting edge of smart innovation and has a thriving tech/startup ecosystem to support remote workers. 5G is widely available, helping digital nomads stay connected in trendy cafes and venues, while they split their days between coworking spaces, cafes and the city’s endless parks.
Barcelona is also regarded as one of Europe’s most beautiful cities because of the calibre of culture, history, art, and lifestyle it provides. From the Gothic Quarter to trendy El Born, there are picture-perfect neighbourhoods to explore once you’ve wrapped up work for the day.
Stay here: Casa Cartella | Apartment Lapislazuli | Apartment Cuarzo | Casa Pujades
Apartment Marco
Madrid, Spain’s vibrant capital, is an excellent choice for remote workers seeking a dynamic yet affordable European city. Recent reports argue that it is considered one of the best, thanks to low taxes, generous visas and attractive places to see and stay locally, and on getaways to popular coastal pockets of Spain.
With its superb digital infrastructure, free public WiFi venues and relatively low living costs, Madrid provides an ideal base for combining work and travel. Beyond its coworking scene, the city draws visitors with its world-class art museums, excellent public transit and sunny climate. Combined with a fantastic cosmopolitan atmosphere, Madrid welcomes remote professionals to enjoy a fantastic work-life balance with a cultural scene that punches above its weight.
Stay here: Apartment Marco | Apartment Raul | Apartment Hugo | Deluvina House
Conveniently nestled between Belgium, France and Germany, Luxembourg frequently tops the list as a winning city to work from remotely. This small yet prosperous city has a modern infrastructure with lightning-fast internet, numerous coworking spaces and a multilingual, cosmopolitan vibe.
Luxembourg, like many of its European counterparts, has introduced initiatives to embrace remote working by adopting measures and reshaping its central business districts. As well as being affordable and attractive, Luxembourg benefits from being cleaner and greener with an attractive old quarter. It also has an efficient public transport network and great access to scenic countryside.
Apartment Gabrijela
Dubrovnik, a picturesque walled Croatian city on the Adriatic coast, offers an enticing mix of historic charm, modern amenities and stunning natural beauty that makes it an appealing destination for remote workers.
Its Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site with remarkable mediaeval architecture, provides an inspiring backdrop to get work done from cosy cafes or coworking spaces with good internet. The city’s affordable cost of living, mild Mediterranean climate, and proximity to scenic beaches and islands are ideal for a perfect work-life balance. With efficient public transport and a thriving digital nomad community, Dubrovnik is a cool choice to work and has a diverse culture and outdoor adventures galore.
Stay here: Apartment Gabrijela | Apartment Ivan | Apartment Lana | Apartment Adrijana
Once you’ve arrived and plugged in your laptop, you can find vibrant communities of like-minded people who have turned to remote working in a number of great cities in Europe. With reliable digital connectivity, a great local community and exciting cultural sights to enjoy on your doorstep, it’s easy to start planning your visit.
If you’re looking for the perfect place to stay during a workation, give our friendly concierge team a shout. They are more than happy to help make your remote-working dreams a reality!
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