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Top digital nomad tips for a smooth experience
Do you explore the world while working remotely? With these ten tips for digital nomads your day-to-day life will be much easier.
Have you achieved your dream of living while travelling and working, only to realise it’s not all as perfect as it seems? You aren’t alone, it’s quite common. Being able to discover new places constantly without giving up our profession is great, but it’s a lifestyle full of challenges. Loneliness, finding a suitable workspace, and making time to relax and enjoy the destination are just some of the challenges we face when hitting the road with our laptops. To help you cope, today we bring you some ideas that you could apply. Digital nomad tips from other digital nomads. Join us to discover how to fully enjoy your adventures.
1. Organise your trip well
Living an itinerant life is not the same as going away for a weekend in a nearby town. It requires organisation and tying everything together. How will you get to your next destination? Where are you going to live? Are your incomes enough to support you in your chosen country? Will you spend a certain amount of time or until you get tired? Where will you go next? How often will you change places?
These may seem like a lot of questions, but you will have to ask yourself many more. Until you have it all figured out, then you can go. It’s not that you can’t take off earlier, but your journey could end up in chaos. Without proper organization, your life as a digital nomad can end before it even begins.
It isn’t enough to choose an attractive destination and have a remote job. You’ll have to manage to be productive enough to fulfil your work obligations and set aside time to enjoy yourself. Also, be responsible with local regulations, check if you need a residence permit, ensure constant internet access, keep your finances in order, and plan ahead for unexpected situations.
One way to achieve this is to make a plan. You can start with:
- Already have a remote job? In which time zones are you allowed to work?
- Choose a destination based on your preferences, but also one with good infrastructure for working online and where you can obtain residence or a permit for your stay.
- Buy tickets.
- Find a co-living or rented flat that is suitable for work and that you can afford.
It’s just a start, but having a structured plan will allow you to maintain your nomadic lifestyle.
2. Sign up for an international data plan
If organising your trip is important, thinking about how you’re going to keep your job is even more important. Having access to the internet anytime, anywhere is essential for any digital nomad. It’s best, if possible, to avoid relying on public Wi-Fi networks. They aren’t secure, and even if you had a good VPN, you’d constantly need to find places with reliable connections to work.
Not that working in Wi-Fi cafés or other spaces from time to time is a bad idea. But signing up for an international data plan will give you much more freedom and peace of mind. Do you want to take advantage of the bus ride while commuting from one city to another to get ahead on work? You need to connect to a video call with your computer, but you’re on a train and when you change countries your local card is no longer useful? Is the Wi-Fi in your rented flat slow? By signing up for a plan you won’t even have to consider not having internet at the wrong time.
If you look at the Holafly Connect plans you’ll see that there are options for all types of digital nomads. Although it’s best to sign up for an unlimited data plan so you don’t have to worry about how much you spend, you can also choose a 10 GB or 25 GB plan. You can use them even if you change country (they offer coverage in more than 170 countries). In the case of the unlimited data plan and the 25 GB plan, you can use your mobile as a hotspot to use your data on any device you need.
Important: If you are a frequent traveler and want to stay connected without worrying about expensive roaming or looking for a new SIM at every destination, Holafly’s subscription plans are for you. With a single eSIM, enjoy internet in more than 170 countries for a fixed price and no surprises on your bill. travel without limits and connect easily and securely! 🚀🌍
3. Choose locations with good digital infrastructure
By exploring forums or specialized nomadism websites, you’ll quickly see that some destinations are better than others for remote work. And not only because of the size or quality of the network. Some destinations are especially digital nomad-friendly due to high-quality co-working spaces, diverse co-living options, easy access to essential services, and a strong nomad community.
You’ll find that places like Chiang Mai, Bali or Lisbon are at the top of the list for many remote workers. This is because they offer a good combination of quality of life, price and social events.
While many cities are popular among digital nomads, naming the absolute best ones is challenging. Each person lives differently and has different tastes, so the best city or destination for them is very relative. How to choose a place? Explore nomad lifestyle websites to read reviews from others who have been there. Check the cost of living, housing availability, and community events. These are three of the things that will most influence your experience.
4. Optimise your team
Having a good working team is essential. We told you about the best computers for digital nomads in another post, but that’s not all we talked about. It’s also wise to have good accessories, like an ergonomic mouse, noise-canceling headphones, and a portable stand to improve posture. You’ll need to make sure that you work just as well while you are on the road as you do in the office.
As well as good equipment, you’ll need to consider battery life and how you’ll charge your devices in case you are caught on the road. Choose equipment with long battery life and get a good high-capacity power bank.
Another thing you can do to optimise your mobile office is to get good remote working tools. Applications such as Google Drive, Notion and Slack allow you to manage projects and communicate with your team no matter where you are.
5. Drawing a clear line between work and personal life
In other words, routines. It’s very easy to be tempted to open your laptop and start working in your spare time. Or answering emails in the wee hours of the morning. Especially if you’re in a new destination where you don’t have much of a social life yet. Don’t do it, you’ll burn yourself out and risk wanting to give up this lifestyle. You need fixed schedules and stick to them as much as possible.
One trick to doing this is to have a fixed space in which to work. Have you rented a flat in your new destination? Pick a dedicated spot and set up your office there. Or commit to working only in co-working spaces. You can also choose to live in co-living spaces and take advantage of the spaces available for remote working.
Beyond schedules, you must learn to disconnect. When you’re at home it’s important, but in this lifestyle where it’s sometimes easy to fall into messy routines, even more so. You have the opportunity to explore the world! Make the most of it.
6. Digital nomad tips: Embrace slow travel
You’ve made your dream of travelling the world come true. It’s normal that you’re suddenly tempted to visit as many destinations as possible in a short period of time. Wait, don’t jump in. Moving from one place to another every so often can be very tiring and affect both your productivity and your well-being.
Remember, getting work done isn’t the same as sightseeing all day. You’ll have much less time to explore the cities in depth. Slow travel or the philosophy of unhurried travel is a much better way to travel if you’re a digital nomad. You’ll be able to enjoy much more of what each destination has to offer.
You’ll also reduce costs. Renting an apartment or a co-living space for a month is much cheaper than paying for hotels by the night or week. Transport costs are also lower.
On the other hand,your quality of life will be much higher if you take your time in every place you go. It allows you to maintain your routines, meet locals and expats, and avoid the fatigue that comes with moving from place to place.
7. Go to events and meetups to connect with fellow digital nomads
If you decide to embark on your journey as an unaccompanied digital nomad, there will be times when you will feel lonely. Even if you’re very independent. Even if you’re very sociable and talk to other residents in the accommodation you stay in. With no officemates and a change of posting every few months, isolation can become a problem.
The best thing you can do to combat loneliness is to integrate into the community of your chosen destination. According to ThinkRemote, there are more than 35 million digital nomads worldwide. Most digital nomads want to meet like-minded people, so it’s rare to find a city without remote work events. Find your tribe and socialise.
How to do it? There are many ways. You can go to work in co-workings that organise networking events. Stay in co-livings where you’ll be surrounded by people who are also passing through. Or you can find meetups on platforms like Meetup, Nomad List, Internations, or Facebook groups.
8. Take out good travel insurance
Don’t go on an adventure without travel insurance. If a problem arises while you’re away from home, you’ll want to have a good policy to cover your back. As a digital nomad you are only exposed to illness or accidents. They could also steal your work tools.
There are several companies that offer travel insurance for digital nomads. Unlike conventional insurance, these are flexible plans that can be renewed monthly, covering medical assistance, cancellations, and issues with devices or luggage. Choose the one that best suits your needs and requirements and travel with complete peace of mind.
9. Digital nomad tips: Control your finances
Managing finances can be a challenge when you’re on the road. Especially if you frequently change countries, use different currencies, or face significant price differences. Bank fees can also cause you to spend more than you think. It’s therefore important to maintain effective financial control.
There are quite a few tools that can help you with this. Applications such as Revolut, Wise and N26 allow you to open and manage bank accounts from anywhere in the world. With these neobanks, you can also use multiple currencies and avoid hidden fees.
You can also use excel or platforms such as YNAB or Mint to record income and expenses. You’ll have a clear picture of your financial situation.
10. Enjoy the destinations you choose
Finally, enjoy! Organise your travel, your finances and your work, yes. But also remember that you have the freedom to travel anywhere and live a lifestyle that many would envy. As we recommended above, don’t fall into the trap of prioritising work or moving too fast. One of the best digital nomad tips that can be given is: Take the time to revel in the destinations you choose and to make the most of them. To try the local cuisine, connect with locals, and experience the places from a more personal perspective than on a typical tourist trip.
Don’t forget why you decided to start your adventure as a digital nomad.
