Working while travelling can be such a good setup. You get to see new places in the world but you’re also funding it at the same time, so you don’t have to spend months saving for your trip. If you’re lucky enough to be able to work remotely in any kind of capacity then you can so use this to your advantage.
It’s important though to know what to expect, its not the same as taking a holiday but it doesn’t feel like normal remote work either. You’re still on a schedule, just in a different place, and getting through what needs doing takes a bit more thought than usual. It works best when you treat both parts properly.
Here’s how you can find the balance and make working while travelling a success for you.
Making Working While Travelling Possible
Where to visit.
Not every destination makes remote work easy, and the ones that do usually aren’t chosen for how they look in photos. The basics like stable WiFi, cafés or co working spaces, and being in a time zone that doesn’t ruin your working hours make far more difference than scenery. No one wants to be sitting through Zoom calls at two in the morning or watching their signal drop during a deadline.
Larger cities or places known for having remote workers tend to make things easier, especially early on. Cities like Lisbon, Berlin or Chiang Mai are always mentioned for a reason. You get reliable internet, plenty of laptop friendly spots, and you’re not the only one juggling client work with seeing a new place.
It’s also worth checking things like local SIM access, how far your accommodation really is from the city centre, and whether the internet speeds are actually usable and not just promised on the booking and if there are decent options for luggage storage. Obviously you still need to choose places that you’re genuinely interested in seeing and visiting, otherwise the travel side of things will be pointless.
Think about routine.
Having some kind of structure makes it easier to manage the mix of working and exploring. You don’t need to follow the same pattern every single day, but without any routine it quickly turns into chasing WiFi, jumping between cafés, and feeling like you're never fully switched on or off.
Setting hours aside just for work can give the rest of your day a bit more shape. Some people stick to standard working hours no matter where they are, others break things up and spread work across the week depending on what they’re doing.
Afternoons usually end up being the best time to get out and do things, and then evenings will feel like proper time off rather than hours spent trying to catch up on everything you didn’t get to earlier.
Changing locations too often makes this harder as you never really settle and your focus can starts slipping. A week or two in one place gives you time to settle, work properly, and still get to see the area without rushing.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of treating a new location as just a different office. But if all you remember is sitting behind a screen and stressing about deadlines, you may as well have stayed at home!
If you go about it right then working while travelling will bring you more balance, not just move the pressure somewhere sunnier. If you can take a short proper break, do it. A few days without checking emails or logging in resets your energy more than you’d think, and makes it easier to focus once you’re back.
Have the right equipment.
This will depend entirely on what you do, but most people working remotely will need a lightweight laptop, universal adapter, working headphones, and a mobile data plan as backup are the basics. If the WiFi cuts out or the café’s full of noise, at least it doesn’t ruin the day.
It can also help to carry things like a travel mouse or a foldable laptop stand, especially if you’re working long hours. Cloud storage, password managers, scheduling tools, and something to track time zones all save time and stress.
Tell people what they need to know.
As long as the work gets done and messages are answered, most clients or employers won’t care where you are. But it’s still helpful to let people know when your hours or setup is going to be different.
Something as small as saying you’ll be in Greece next week and working 9 to 3 UK time keeps expectations clear. Replying quickly to the things that matter and flagging delays before they happen makes remote working feel reliable to the people on the other end. You don’t want to be the person who always seems like they’ve disappeared.
Let the work fund the travel, not the other way around.
What makes this lifestyle work is when the travel fits around the job, not when the job becomes a way to support constant travel you can’t really afford. Working remotely lets travel become part of regular life instead of something you have to save up for and squeeze into a couple of weeks a year. If you’re a freelancer then having a few steady clients or monthly retainers helps massively.
For content creators, steady income through sponsored posts, affiliate links or platform monetisation takes pressure off. And for employees, keeping things consistent and professional no matter where you are helps make the flexibility last. You’re not trying to pass off a full time trip as casual work—you’re trying to create something that will benefit you and your plans in the long term.
