Spending two months traveling across Europe and the UK while keeping up with my full-time remote workload was an incredible experience—but it wasn't without its challenges.
When you are working on the move, your routine changes daily. However, I actually discovered a surprising paradox: working made my travels more peaceful. If I hadn't been working, I probably would have packed my itinerary from sunrise to sunset, burning myself out to "maximize" the trip. Having a job to do forced me to start and end my days at home, slowing down my pace. While it was a bit more mentally taxing, it was much less physically exhausting, allowing me to truly absorb the places I visited.
If you are planning to take your work on the road, here is the essential, hard-earned advice I gathered from my two months in motion.
1. The Ultimate Digital Nomad Gear & Connectivity Checklist
When your office fits in a backpack, every ounce matters. Staying organized, ergonomic, and reliably connected is the key to preventing burnout (and back pain).
A Lightweight Laptop: Your back will thank you after walking blocks to find your accommodation or running to catch a connection.
The Power Strip Hack: Instead of buying five different international plug adapters, pack one universal adapter and one power strip from your home country. This allows you to plug the adapter into the wall and instantly have multiple familiar outlets ready for your laptop, phone, and headphones.
An Ergonomic Laptop Stand: Look for the ultra-lightweight, collapsible variety. Lifting your screen just a few inches saves your neck from hours of strain at awkward Airbnb kitchen tables.
A High-Output Power Bank: Ensure it has enough wattage to juice up your laptop, even if it's just a partial charge.
Story time: I was once waiting for a train at the Madrid-Atocha station during a major renovation. There wasn't a single working wall outlet in sight. Luckily, I had my 10,000 mAh power bank. It boosted my laptop by 25%—just enough to keep me working until I boarded the train and plugged into my seat.
A Tech Organizer Bag: Keep all your cables, bricks, and dongles in one dedicated pouch. Digging through a messy backpack for a charging cable during a sudden client call is a stress you don't need.
A Travel Backpack with a Dedicated Laptop Pocket: In almost every airport security checkpoint, you will be asked to remove your laptop before passing your bags through the scanner. Having a dedicated, easily accessible laptop compartment allows you to whip it out in seconds without having to open your entire backpack and make a mess of your other belongings. Plus, these specialized pockets usually feature extra padding to protect your screen from the bumps of travel.
Story time (The "Extra Screen" Dilemma): Back home, I love working with a dual-screen setup and often use a portable monitor to boost my productivity. Before leaving, I was highly tempted to pack it, but ultimately decided to leave it behind to save weight—and it was one of the best choices I made. Throughout the trip, I frequently found myself working in tight spaces, tiny café tables, or cramped train seats where a second monitor would have been physically impossible to set up. Packing too many gadgets will only weigh you down. Stick to the absolute essentials; your shoulders will thank you, and you won’t miss the extra clutter.
An AirTag for Your Luggage: While most of your primary tech devices can already be tracked through apps like Find My, slipping an extra Bluetooth tracker like an AirTag into your main suitcase or backpack is a game-changer.
🌐 The Reality of Mobile Internet: Local SIMs vs. eSIMs
While popular travel eSIMs like Airalo or Holafly are convenient, buying a local SIM (or eSIM) card or a local plan is often significantly cheaper and offers much more data. I bought a local plan online (and I'm not a EU resident, you can buy it with your passport) directly in Spain that included generous roaming data, which covered me seamlessly across all the countries I visited.
2. Planes, Trains, and Buses: Transit Strategy
Not all transit is created equal. Navigating European transit taught me exactly where to book my working hours—and where to close my laptop.
The Gold Standard (Trains): Taking trains between cities was by far the most effective way to utilize travel time. I highly recommend booking seats with a table and access to power outlets. Almost all major European lines offer Wi-Fi, making it incredibly comfortable to stay productive while watching the countryside roll by.
The No-Work Zone (Long-Distance Buses like Flixbus): If a bus is your only option, do not plan to work. In my experience, the onboard Wi-Fi rarely works, the power outlets are frequently broken, and the tray tables are far too tiny to fit a laptop. Use this time to rest.
The Middle Ground (Airplanes): Airplanes can be physically comfortable enough to type, but remember that in-flight Wi-Fi almost always requires an extra fee, and seat power outlets can be unpredictable. Download everything beforehand and ensure your device is 100% charged.
💡 Booking Hack: Use the Omio app to compare routes and travel times. It explicitly shows whether a specific train or bus has Wi-Fi, outlets, and tables. However, don't book directly through the app, as they charge a service fee. Once you find the ideal itinerary on Omio, go directly to the airline or train company's official website to book it cheaper.
3. Finding Your Workspace: Beyond the Airbnb
I conducted almost all of my important meetings from my Airbnbs, which usually had reliable Wi-Fi. However, as a remote worker, you always need a backup plan.
Look for Public Study Halls and Libraries
You don't always have to pay for a coworking space or camp out in a noisy café. Many European cities have fantastic, free public spaces designed for focus. For example, in Madrid, I discovered municipal study rooms (salas de estudio) funded by the city council. They offered excellent Wi-Fi, decent chairs, and ample desk space with no time limits. Best of all? You don't need to be a resident or even show ID to use them.
Managing Meetings and Time Zones
Because my job is outcome-oriented rather than tied to strict, fixed hours, adapting to local time zones was highly manageable. For scheduled client meetings, I just aligned my calendar in advance. If a meeting popped up while I was out exploring, I would simply bring my laptop along and join from a comfortable, laptop-friendly café with good Wi-Fi.
4. The "Unlimited Data" Trap & Working Offline
During my trip, I spent a few days in a small, remote village in Catalonia, near Girona. I knew ahead of time that the accommodation didn't have Wi-Fi, but since it overlapped with a couple of workdays, I proactively bought an extra mobile data package. That is when I learned two crucial lessons about mobile hot-spotting:
Hotspot Limits: Even if a mobile plan claims to give you massive amounts of data, the carrier often sets a much lower, hidden limit specifically for sharing internet to your laptop.
The "Unlimited" Myth: In Europe, "unlimited" usually doesn’t mean infinite. It often means you have a high daily cap, after which your speed drops drastically.
My saving grace? Working offline. Because I couldn't rely 100% on my cellular data, I spent those days working entirely offline in Figma. Once I finished my design tasks, I connected briefly to sync the files. If your software allows offline mode, leverage it to save your data and your sanity.
5. Mastering the "Block Schedule" and Rest Days
Trying to work a standard 9-to-5 while exploring a bucket-list city is a recipe for misery. A new city cannot be properly enjoyed if you are utterly exhausted from an unbroken 8-hour shift.
If you must work full days, the best strategy is to simply extend your stay in that city so you can explore it at a much slower pace. But if you have flexibility, working in blocks is the ultimate game-changer:
Morning Block: Work for a few focused hours.
Midday Break: Head out, grab lunch, and spend the afternoon exploring the city or visiting museums.
Evening Block: Return home to wrap up pending tasks for a couple of hours.
Crucial tip: Never leave your heaviest brain-power tasks or critical client meetings for that final evening block. You will be tired from walking around, and your brain won't be at its best.
The Golden Rule: Schedule "Do Nothing" Days
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking every single day needs to be an adventure. But traveling while working is a heavy load for both body and mind. If you don't build in rest days, you will want to pack your bags and head home after just two days.
Incorporate "buffer days" into your itinerary. Plan days where you only do one small thing—or absolutely nothing at all. Go to a local square, read a book, do your laundry, and give your mind a chance to rest. Remote work gives us the freedom to see the world, but only if we allow ourselves the grace to slow down and actually live in it.
🌸 Pro-Tip: Timing Your Trip (The Spring Advantage): If you have the flexibility, try to book your travels during the spring. You will enjoy significantly more hours of daylight without the overwhelming summer crowds. Having longer days makes it much easier to balance your work blocks with sightseeing while it is still light out. However, keep in mind that many museums and attractions in Europe close surprisingly early. Always check the opening hours in advance so you can structure your work blocks accordingly and avoid showing up to a closed door.
Final Thoughts: Accept That You Can't Do It All
To wrap up, the most important mindset shift you can make is accepting that you will not be able to do absolutely everything a city has to offer. Trying to check every single tourist box while maintaining a job is completely unrealistic and a fast track to burnout. Be intentional, prioritize the experiences you genuinely care about the most, and let go of the rest. Remote travel isn't about rushing through a checklist; it’s about context shifting and experiencing a new culture at your own sustainable pace.
