How to work remotely and travel long term

The term ‘digital nomad’ has been bandied around a lot in recent years, and the pandemic has only accelerated this. The idea of working remotely while travelling sounds pretty dreamy, doesn’t it? We all have visions of sitting in an artisan coffee shop in one of Europe’s metropolitan cities, logging on to the Wi-Fi for a few hours to send some emails and do enough work to make ends meet for the next few days of life on the road. Instead of the routine of a daily commute and 9 to 5 in an office, a city can be your home for a week or a month at a time before you adventure on to somewhere new. Amazing, right? 

But, what is digital nomad life really all about? The Oxford Dictionary defines a digital nomad simply as, “a person who earns a living working online in various locations of their choosing (rather than a fixed business location).” In reality, so many different jobs and professions can now fall under that title. As offices around the world are reopening, more and more companies are allowing employees to work remotely, whether that’s full-time, for a few days a week, or few weeks a year. 

My life as a digital nomad

I’m a freelance travel writer and have been based in Florence for the last year and a half. I work remotely – ‘smart working’ as it’s more commonly called in Italy – and the kind of articles I write allow me to be fairly footloose.

I’ll admit, Florence isn’t the easiest city to be a digital nomad. I’ve earmarked a few friendly cafes where I can siphon off Wi-Fi and air-con, but a lot of café owners in Florence are understandably hesitant to give up valuable table space to students and tourists who want to linger for hours while buying very little. What’s more, it’s not really in the culture for traditional Italian bars, where an espresso will normally be knocked back in a couple of sips before you’re on your way.

You can imagine my delight therefore at stumbling upon The Social Hub’s coworking space. This autumn they’ve launched a new package deal for remote workers from all over the world to enjoy longer stays at the hotel. This gives them access to the Instagram-friendly rooftop swimming pool, bike rental, the gym, and the co-working space. There are also restaurants and bars within the hotel, and a strong community spirit among the businesses and people who live here long-term. Living in Florence full-time, I can safely say this is the first place I’ve come across of its kind, and it’s quite a refreshing change.

To be completely honest, there are pros and cons to a remote working way of life. Sure, the nomadic existence is appealing, but there are certain ground rules you need to set to make it work for you. Knowing how to work remotely and travel can be different for everyone, but having a semi-permanent base is up there as one of the fundamental ways of making life easier (hence the appeal of a coworking space), along with time management, finding a community of fellow co-workers and learning to properly switch off. Here are some tips I’ve found most helpful for staying present and making the most of the perks of being in such a beautiful city.

1. Manage your time effectively

I’m still not the best at doing this but I think having a fairly strict routine is conducive to being productive while working remotely. If you’re in Florence for a week and staying at The Social Hub, for example, you might want to block out 6-8 hours a day of strict work time. By having a physical office to go to, and telling yourself to arrive by 9.00 am like you would with a ‘regular’ job, it’s actually a lot easier to stay motivated.

Outside of those hours, try to take some time away from emails and social media to really soak up your surroundings and get the benefits of being abroad somewhere like Florence, Berlin, or Amsterdam. Otherwise, you might as well just be in your home city!

2. Don’t forget to be a tourist...

I might be a little biased, but Florence is undeniably one of the best cities in Europe to be a tourist. Aside from all the art and culture – the Duomo, the countless Renaissance treasures in the Uffizi, Michelangelo’s David – what I really love most is just roaming around the narrow little streets in the city centre, gazing up at things. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day bustle - I’m always on my bike rushing from A to B, or on the phone while walking - and I need to make a more conscious effort to look at things through the eyes of a tourist.

From The Social Hub it’s a pretty short cycle (they have awesome e-bikes you can use) along one straight road to Piazza Santissima Annunziata, which just so happens to be my favourite sun trap to come and sit for a quick bite of lunch. It’s steeped in so much history and has a great vibe in the early evening.

3. ...But set yourself up as a local as well 

That said, while it’s fun to play tourist in the city you’re living and working in, it’s of course not sustainable to go out for bistecca and red wine EVERY night. It’s worth finding your local amenities, grocery stores, how to navigate the buses, and so on – and even if you’re only planning to be here for a short while, it makes a world of difference to learn some basic Italian. It’s very rewarding to start feeling like a ‘local’, even in small ways.

4. Be mindful of your environment

Even though you’ve got work to crack on with, I think it’s important to keep one eye on where you are and to try and fit in with the Florentine way of life where you can. For example, whipping out your laptop in modern internet cafés while surrounded by international students and remote workers should be preferred to setting up your workstation in small traditional bars that rely on a quick turnover. Indeed, I see a lot of students hogging tables while nursing a 1 Euro cappuccino and it just doesn’t seem very fair on the café owner. I worked from home and from internet cafes for the first year or so of living here, but I’m really relieved to have the option of coming to the Collab space for the next couple of months, so I can really focus on work without the stricter time constraints of working from a café.

5. Find your community

Surrounding myself with other people with overlapping interests and routines – even if their work is wildly different from my own – has been one of the most important ways I’ve felt settled as a digital nomad in Florence. The good thing about The Social Hub is that those who are opting to use the co-working space are often working on quite interesting things. There are lots of start-up professionals, as well as a few students, and the atmosphere is quite energising. Outside of this, I’ve found a few independent coffee shops where I’ve met interesting people and made friends. There are also local Facebook Groups you can join to meet new people.

6. Keep on top of life admin

This is where, for me at least, having access to the Coworking space and all the facilities at The Social Hub is a real-life-saver. I’ve got somewhere to do my laundry, I have access to a printer, and somewhere to cook a simple supper if I’m tired of eating out. It’s also great to just have the space to breathe a bit and sort out all those boring bits of life admin that can build up when you’re constantly on the go.

7. Set boundaries 

This final point comes back to things like working hours and deadlines. It can be tempting for employers, friends, and people on the outside to see freelancers’ time as free. If your best working hours are a regular 9-5, stick to this as you would with any other job, and don’t let your time be invaded. If you’re a night owl, there’s no shame in turning down dinner invitations or fun evening activities for work. I’ve found that it’s very important to set limits, however flexible my work hours are.

Are you ready to embrace the digital nomad life? Join Phoebe in Florence or post up in any of our other European cities like Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris or Vienna. Come and visit The Social Hub Madrid, one of the last to open! Explore all of our digital nomad friendly cities and start planning your stay with us today!