In the past few years, we have seen a huge shift towards remote work in positions across every industry. What once seemed like a privileged position only enjoyed by those who got lucky enough to muster up a livable income online, remote work, and work from home positions are becoming increasingly more popular. Now, more than ever, online jobs and online incomes have not only become easy to obtain, but also to build. As a result, many people are starting to recognize that the opportunity to live the digital nomad life may not be quite as far out of their reach as they once thought.
Companies moving positions online, virtual freelance work becoming high demand, and even starting your own online business with no capital needed opens up a lot of new doors – especially to work from wherever you want. Now, don’t get us wrong. Taking the leap from what seems like a secure desk job to a remote work position can look glamorous on the blog posts, but it can be scary and take a lot of careful planning.
That is why we have partnered with the top 14 digital nomad bloggers who dedicate their content to teaching people how to quit their jobs, set up remote office, take hold of their own schedules, and ultimately pursue the life they have always dreamed of. We asked them a handful of questions on how they stay connected while traveling to work remotely, what they do for work that allows them to do this, and their favorite place they have ever set up to work for the day.
So, if you are needing a little inspiration to take the leap yourself, we highly recommend connecting with these 14 digital nomads, following them for more tips and tricks, and learning from the experts themselves.
1) Project Untethered
If you are totally new to the remote work world or are looking to try and jump in, we highly recommend starting out at Project Untethered. Run by Blogger, Youtuber, and Freelance Writer, Mitch, Project Untethered is dedicated to the beginner nomads who don’t have a large budget but are dreaming of a reality in which they can work and play wherever they want. Mitch helps his audience find practical ways to earn a livable income, travel the world on a budget, and includes guides, courses, and tons more resources on how to do this.
After traveling to so many amazing places, we had to know how Mitch stayed connected during his travels. WIFI can be spotty, and you can’t always rely on where you might be staying to have a reliable internet connection. Mitch said, “I always have a Plan B. Trusting 100% in your accommodation’s WIFI is a disaster waiting to happen, especially if you have important meetings or tight deadlines. There are several tools you can add to your digital nomad setup as a Plan B, but I simply buy a local data SIM in every country. That way if the WIFI sucks, I can tether to my phone. When we were traveling around the U.S. in a van, our WeBoost cell booster was also a lifesaver”.
With years of expert wandering experience, we had to ask Mitch where his favorite spot he’s ever set up to work for the day has been. Of course, with so many stamps in his passport, it can be hard to choose a favorite location, but Mitch was able to narrow it down for us – “That’s a toughy! I’d say my number one spot was when my wife and I got trapped on the tiny island of Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia during the pandemic. Most tourists left the island before everything shut down, so we essentially had this entire pristine beach all to ourselves for three months. The WIFI wasn’t the greatest, but we made it work. A close second favorite would be our go-to “finca” in Colombia (like a cottage up in the mountains). We’ve made videos about both these places on the Project Untethered YouTube channel – check ’em out!”
2) Savored Journeys
Full-time travel and food blogger, Laura, gives the remote work life a new flavor – quite literally. Laura is dedicated to teaching her audience how to wine, dine, and travel the world, enjoying Savored Journeys, and working from wherever you want while you do it. Not only does she teach you how to indulge in affordable luxury, but she also walks her audience through how to plan the perfect vacation, set up a fail proof itinerary, and ultimately get the most out of your vacation time.
When it comes to work and play, we would all rather choose to spend our time playing and exploring, and Laura is no exception. That is why she let us in on her strategic plan for when she is out traveling that helps her maximize her downtime while on vacation, “Whenever we’re going to be traveling for an extended period of time, we arrange our schedules in advance so that we don’t need to be tethered to the internet or stuck at the desk working the whole time. My best tip is to schedule out your content months in advance, so there’s never anything that has to get done right that minute. We also make sure there is sufficient wifi where we’ll be staying and plan our schedule around any holes in service. It’s not always possible to be ‘on’ when you’re traveling, so having a good team or at least one other person who can put out fires if you’re not available is priceless. We will also work a few hours before bed or get up early to clear the daily work so we can enjoy our travels.”
For some of us, working from a coffee shop or any sort of loud space with lots of foot traffic isn’t always the best option even in a pinch. If you are one that needs a quieter workspace that still offers that luxurious edge, Laura has a great suggestion, “I’m not the type who can work around a lot of noise and activity, so I never work from busy coffee shops or communal spaces. We did get in the habit of renting a house with a pool so we could set up our laptops poolside. It feels like a real luxury and makes me proud to be doing what I’m doing.”
3) Career Gappers
Alex and Lisa, the geniuses behind Career Gappers, dare their audience to do just that – take a career gap to travel the world. Sounds scary, right? Actually, Alex and Lisa make the transition into a career gap quite easy, manageable, and attainable. Not to mention the inspiration you will be flooded with when you hear of the impact a career gap can really have on your life (and even long-term career goals).
Taking a career gap requires a little planning and direction, but Alex and Lisa include career break resources and the best destinations to hit while you’re out exploring the world. They have also compiled a series of workation guides to help you take short remote working getaways. In fact, Alex let us know that Barcelona is an incredible spot for remote workers, “Barcelona is an amazing city for remote working. It’s got a bit of everything. History, culture, sunshine, beaches, are great infrastructure for remote working and an established coworking community.”
But we needed to know one more thing, how exactly are you staying connected when traveling the world? Alex responded, “There are two things I look for in a destination to ensure I stay connected when traveling and working remotely. First, I check that there are some good coworking spaces that have short-term flexibility such as day rates and weekly rates. Secondly, I usually do some research into the local café scene, to see if there are coffee shops with good wifi where I will be able to hang out and work for a few hours if I need to.” Always remember that you can fall back on public coffee shops, libraries, bookstores, and sometimes restaurants for free wifi if you are ever in a pinch.
4) Making Money & Traveling
Full-time blogger and freelance writer, Carrie, has been living the beautiful remote work life since 2017. Her blog, Making Money & Traveling, inspires her readers to do just that – live the life they want within the budget that they have. Not only does Carrie give her audience a wide array of ideas to try for how to make money on the road, but she teaches them everything from start to finish how to quit their jobs, work remotely, and start traveling. She even includes free resources such as an ebook, guides, tips, tricks, and so much more.
Carrie has been primarily working and traveling out of either an RV or Campervan in the United States, which makes internet connection somewhat easy, but not always. She said, “All of my travel has been done in the US in an RV and campervan. Most of the time, I work off of my cell phone hotspot. I use a Verizon data plan and it’s served me pretty well, although sometimes I wish I had more data. To stay connected when I’m on the road, I use a variety of tools and techniques. First, I research the area I plan to camp in and look for cell signal reports using various reviewer-generated websites. I also use the app ‘Coverage?‘ because it shows map overlays of cell signal by carrier. Also, I use a WeBoost Drive X RV Cell Signal Booster to boost a weak signal into a usable one. Finally, I always have at least one backup plan, if not two. The cell signal booster doesn’t always work, and sometimes I run out of data. In these instances, I head to a local coffee shop or library to get my day’s work done. I’ve even sat in my car in a McDonald’s parking lot to use their wifi and finish the day’s work”
After traveling around the US in either a Campervan or RV, we had no doubts the beautiful scenery Carrie has seen throughout her travels. But what location stands out the most? She responded with, “My favorite private spot to work has been the high desert on BLM land outside of Sedona, Arizona. It’s so pretty out there, and the cell signal is pretty decent in some spots. Otherwise, I really love working from libraries around the US. I love books and I love public libraries, and each town’s library is so unique. They’re quiet, have plenty of places to sit, and most of the time they have really good wifi. Plus, libraries are a great way to learn about the local area while you’re in town. I highly recommend them.”
5) Remoters
If you are unfamiliar with Remoters, we highly recommend starting here as you take your first steps towards your remote work journey. Remoters is essentially the one stop shop for everything a remote worker could need. From job boards to remote work guides, top co-living spaces, and every tip and trick you need to work remote, Remoters makes the jump from desk to nomad easy, seamless, and attainable.
Elisa, marketing online consultant and co-founder of remoters.net, has helped to create quite the network of online working professionals that are dedicated to building each other up and helping others pursue this lifestyle as well. We asked Elisa what she thinks you need to stay connected during her travels. She responded with this bit of expertise, “You need to choose a place to work from with good internet. Always, have a local sim card full of data in case you lost the WiFi connection, you could use your own smartphone to work and have short meetings. And it is more expensive but recommended as well to get some portable WiFi Hotspot. You can see some here.”
Now, running a remote workers’ online paradise doesn’t come without your own expertise. We asked Elise where her favorite place has ever been to set up and work has been and she let us know that some of the best places to work remote are Sri Lanka and Buenos Aires. Definitely two locations to add to the bucket list if you haven’t already.
6) Stop Having a Boring Life
“I started a travel blog in 2009 called Stop Having a Boring Life and it turned into so much more. The longer you spend time with digital nomads on the road, the more income opportunities you become exposed to. If you have a pinch of ambition and a whole lot of drive – the world is your oyster.” – Rob, Stop Having a Boring Life
Rob, a full-time blogger over at Stop Having a Boring Life, is dedicated to helping his readers not only start and expand their own businesses but also to inspire them to hit the open road and start exploring. Whether you want to take on a new business venture, find a travel job, or are looking to plan out your next adventure, Rob covers everything you need to know and motivates you to make the jump into the life you’ve always dreamed about.
As a successful full-time online business owner, staying connected and being able to log online when you need to is extremely important. However, this isn’t always the easiest task, especially when you are in very remote areas. When we asked Rob how he plans ahead to stay connected while traveling he responded, “Always make wifi a priority – sure a place might cost more but if you can earn/build for the future while there – it’s worth it. Always research connectivity before you go. Slow connections lead to frustration and loss of productivity. I KNOW as I lived 8 years on Little Corn Island, Haha.”
Now, with all the amazing places Rob has traveled to and blogged about, we had to know his favorite location that he has ever set up work for the day. Rob let us know, “It has to be Canggu, Bali. I’ve been here 3 years now and have no intention of leaving. It has everything a remote worker could want and more… I mean whatever your interests are – 99% sure they are here in some form. I like fitness, sun, blazing internet, and motivated and intelligent people. All that is here in abundance – I haven’t found anywhere that even comes a close second.”
7) Global Castaways
If you are in need of a little travel inspiration or want to put your big plans into action, we highly recommend following full-time travel blogger, Slavi, over at Global Castaways. You may recognize Slavi from his 2009 reality TV show appearance on Survivor – an opportunity that changed his future forever. It was because of the opportunity on this show that Slavi found a piece of himself – a piece that needed to get out there are see the world.
Now, years later, Slavi runs a very successful travel blog and teaches others how to accomplish this too. From travel guides, impossible destinations, and all the travel inspiration you could need, Slavi is committed to teaching his readers how to get out there and live the life they’ve always dreamed up, seeing everything on their bucket and more.
But how exactly is one like Slavi staying connected during these ambitious adventures? Slavi responded, “Staying connected on your travels is an essential thing for us content creators. So first, I check reviews for hotels/Airbnb’s that mention the property’s wi-fi. Then I scout nearby co-working places and Starbucks coffee shops or their local equivalents (great for work). Last but not least, I always get a local sim card for my phone with enough data to cover the entire duration of my journey. This preparation has been tested more than once and has never left me without connection, no matter where I’ve been (except for the rainforests of Borneo, but it’s pretty much impossible to get one there).”
Of all the impossible adventures Slavi has checked off his bucket list, there had to be one place that stood out amongst the rest as his favorite remote work location. Slavi told us, “My laptop has been to plenty of tropical destinations, but probably my favorite was the balcony I had in a Cairo hotel room. Really, a balcony? Yes, a balcony… situated 100 meters away from the Great Sphinx of Giza. Having this monument in front of you was a bit distracting, but the experience remains one of my most memorable ones.” Now THAT is a remote work setup!
8) Location Rebel
Many of us are tired of working 60 hours a week, not being able to travel when we want to, not being able to work for ourselves, just wanting something more for our lives. That is exactly why full-time blogger, Sean, started his blog Location Rebels. Location Rebels is a site dedicated to helping people build up their small businesses to a point where they have a livable income to be able to travel and live the digital nomad lifestyle. He even has a built-out online course called Location Rebels Academy that takes you through everything you need from start to finish to become a successful lifestyle entrepreneur – we highly recommend checking out this resource if you are wanting to start a business, even if you are still working full time.
What stands out the most about Location Rebels is the passion behind Sean’s content. He is very driven to deliver top quality information and even his own personal experience to his readers so they too can pursue the lives they want, and ultimately chase after their dreams of starting a business.
With now three successful blogs that Sean runs full time, one of which is Location Rebels, it’s important for him to stay connected while traveling so he still has access to work remotely. When we asked Sean how he accomplishes this, he gave us two great points, “1. Always have multiple options. This is true especially if you’re traveling abroad. If you solely rely on your hotel WIFI or the cafe down the street, you may find yourself out of luck if the internet is bad. So I always try and have at least 3 good options for working no matter where I am. 2. Have a phone plan that allows you to tether. In a pinch, being able to use my own WiFi hotspot, even if it’s on the slow side of things, is great for answering emails or writing content.”
Of all the places you have ever set up work for the day, we had to know what Sean’s absolute favorite was. Although it’s hard to choose just one after so much exploring, Sean responded, “There have been some pretty good ones over the years. But the Shard in London, a villa in the Maldives, and dangling on top of Koosah Falls in Oregon were each pretty cool. See photos of all here”
9) Digital Nomad Wannabe
If you’re not familiar with full-time professional blogger, Sharon, over at Digital Nomad Wannabe, then we highly recommend you get acquainted with her site and community. Like many of us, Sharon was tired of living for the weekend and decided it was time to take ahold of her own schedule. In 2013 enough was enough and she took the leap into the digital nomad life – a move that would change her path forever. With a successful online business under her belt, Sharon now has the life and the free time she had dreamed of, but that’s not all. She had to teach other people how to do it too.
From running online trainings, hosting her own podcast, writing books, and providing every resource you could possibly need, Sharon, teaches her readers how to make the transition from a full-time job to a digital nomad with ease and certainty. In fact, she even documented her own journey from start to finish and gives others practical steps and goals in order to do this themselves.
With so much to juggle, it’s important for Sharon to be connected online everywhere she goes. When we asked her what the best way to stay connected was, she responded, “I always book accommodation that has reviews stating good internet PLUS have a local sim. Then most of the time something works.”
Leaving the 9-5 life means one thing, a much more flexible work schedule. And with a flexible work schedule, many take the opportunity to see the world, including Sharon. Of all the places she has traveled and set up to work remotely for a day, we had to know what her favorite was and she responded, “Penang. We had a home base here for a year while traveling more of Asia and Europe and it was so fantastic. Penang is modern with a great lifestyle for a great price and has the best food. It was one of my best years ever.”
10) A Way Abroad
A Way Abroad is a brilliant website for anyone who is itching to travel or work abroad. There are many ways to accomplish this lifestyle, and of course, many fun places around the world to be working. Full-time blogger and Digital Marketing Manager, Kat, teaches her readers the best way to do this that works for them.
While Kat’s content is open to all looking to make a positive change in their life by working abroad, her content is geared towards women looking to work and travel. Making the jump to working abroad can be exciting but can also pose challenges for women in terms of traveling alone and safety. Kat not only provides excellent safety tips and information for any solo female travelers, but she also partners with other female bloggers and travelers all around the world who are also working abroad. You can read their stories on A Way Abroad and even follow their socials to keep in touch with their journeys.
Kat gives her readers practical information and insight into working abroad, recommends programs and countries to go through, and has created quite an impressive online community of like-minded people who want to live in their favorite places and make money while they do it. However, regardless of where you work or what you are doing, it’s always important to have a reliable connection while you travel. We asked Kat just how she does this and she responded, “These tips really depend on what projects I’m currently working on. While focusing only on my own business, I’m able to come and go out of connectivity, so long as I don’t have any scheduled meetings. I use Google docs primarily for writing and make sure I can access them offline if needed. I love traveling to remote places that don’t always have the best signal when I can swing it for work.
For those other times that I need to be connected, like now that I’m an employee, I make sure I have a local SIM card. Most places we stay have WiFi but sometimes the connection crashes or isn’t as strong as I may have hoped. By having a local SIM card for the country I’m in, with plenty of data on it, I can connect to a hotspot when needed.
Another big tip is to always let who you’re working with know what time zone you’re in. This ensures you’re connected when you need to be and are off enjoying your work and travel lifestyle when you don’t need to be. Make sure you’re in agreement before you travel and have a plan in place if your working hours don’t coincide too much. Trust me, this is not a deal breaker for many, but great communication is key to success.”
With such a passion for working abroad, we had to know if Kat had any remote work locations that stood out to her the most and she said, “Oh wow, that’s a really tough question! I’ve been lucky enough to travel (and work from) some pretty incredible places. I most recently lived in Vietnam and loved the country so much I stayed for 3 years. Working from the coastal city of Da Nang has truly been a highlight.”
11) Always the Adventure
Run by full-time Writer, Editor, and Web Manager, Amber, Always the Adventure is a blog dedicated to helping others live the full-time digital nomad life out on the open road. Amber and her partner Chris are an adventurous pair that live full time in their Dodge Ram Promaster cargo van exploring the world and making breathtaking views their living room. Not only do the wanderlust couple document their journeys, van builds, best destinations, and tons of resources, but they are also committed to helping others do so sustainably. In fact, they have tons of valuable content dedicated to the best eco-friendly tools, gear, and even snacks for when you’re on the go.
As full-time digital nomads, internet connection while traveling is extremely important for Amber and Chris. We asked Amber how they stay connected during their travels and she responded, “I’m very fortunate to work for a website where I don’t have to be constantly connected (my bosses live in Australia so due to the time difference, we rarely ever actually talk in person!). As long as I can check emails every few days, I’m set. However, I will say that offline documents are everything. Pretty much all the work I do is over Google docs for its easy shareability and being able to plan ahead and download all the work I’ll need to get done offline before I head off-grid for a few days is crucial. For things like occasional email checks in extended off-grid time, we use a data booster and can usually get just enough cell signal to load some emails.”
Of all the places you’ve traveled to and had to set up to work for the day, we asked Amber what her favorite office has been and she responded, “I’m primarily a rock climber, so the places I gravitate toward are climbing destinations. One of my favorites is Bishop, California and I have very special memories of a weeklong campsite we held there where I stacked out bouldering pads into a makeshift desk outside with a full view of the snowy Sierra Nevada Mountains right in front of us. It’s the best outdoor office I’ve ever had.”
12) Out and Beyond
If you ever thought it would be impossible to love Mondays, then Aisha over at Out and Beyond may be able to change your mind. After full-time blogger and digital nomad, Aisha, left her stable desk job to pursue a remote work life, she never looked back. Now, she gets to travel the world, work from wherever she wants, and, as she puts it, ‘live life on her terms’. However, Out and Beyond isn’t just a site of inspiration, but practical tips on how to make the transition from your full-time job to a digital nomad seamless and easy.
While making the leap can be intimidating to many, Aisha’s guides, resources, and money making tips make it easy to find a livable income and lifestyle that works for you. After all, we all deserve the chance to ‘live life on our terms’ and Aisha guides all her readers on exactly how to do this.
One thing we had to know was how exactly full-time Out and Beyond blogger was staying connected for remote work while wandering the world. She responded and let us know that “When I arrive in the airport I always buy a local SIM as a backup for personal hotspot WIFI and I contact the AIRBNB owners to check their wifi speed beforehand before booking”. Local SIM cards are usually fairly cheap and are a great internet backup plan if all else fails.
When we asked Aisha where her favorite place to set up and work for the day was, she responded, “I worked in ski huts in New Zealand after a morning ski and also climbing up Everest base camp. Waking up to see Everest peeping out, then drinking a hot mug of tea while responding to a few emails from my team was quite special :)”
13) To the Mountains and Back
Ceri, Will, and their dog Piglet are the adventurous trio who have been traveling full time in their self-converted Sprinter camper van since 2019. The three took to the road and never looked back, fully embracing the digital nomad van life and teaching their readers how to accomplish this as well. From van builds to brilliant compact items, maximizing your space, and guides on how to make a livable income online, Ceri, Will, and Piglet help to inspire others to take on the van life themselves and not be afraid to jump into the remote work life.
Having visited 22 countries and covered over 40,000 miles, these expert wanderers have quite literally traveled to the mountains and back. With so much ground covered, and of course not always the most reliable internet connection. We had the opportunity to speak with Ceri who not only helps run To the Mountains and Back but is also currently an Online Marketing and UI/UX Designer, just how she stays connected on the open road. Ceri let us know, “We travel in our self-built camper which has an antenna on the roof leading to an internal router. We have multiple SIM cards to offer as much data as possible whilst traveling.”
Of all the places you have traveled and set up your workspace for the day, we asked Ceri where their favorite remote work office has been and she said, “It’s so hard to pick just one! Working in the Arctic Circle in winter was pretty amazing, we’d ski in the morning or watch reindeer/moose wandering around, work in the afternoon and then watch the Northern Lights at nighttime! We love being in the mountains so often work surrounded by the peaks of the Alps or Dolomites, but then again in the summer you can’t beat a golden beach for an office!”.
14) Digital Nomad Soul
If you have not already stumbled across Digital Nomad Soul in your search, this website is an incredible resource for everything you could need from start to finish to either help you become a digital nomad or support you in your remote work. From podcasts to online trainings, helpful guides, increasing your productivity, and so much more, Digital Nomad Soul is everything you could need to help you get started on your journey towards your new life. Run by online business owner, Denise, this blog is dedicated to helping people leave their 9-5 jobs and pursue the digital nomad and online business owner lifestyle.
Those of you with the travel bug itch can tend to feel somewhat confined in your corporate desk job. Well, so did Denise. She knew she had to do what she loved most and travel the world, but to do that she had to finance her adventures. She started out doing simple freelance work and online jobs, but over the years that has developed into a successful six-figure online business. Now, Denise shares her knowledge on how you too can create a livable income for yourself while also budgeting for all your travels.
With such a successful business, there are bound to be days where you need to be online. We asked Denise just how she stays connected while traveling in spotty areas and she responded, “It’s crucial to always have a backup solution in case the internet suddenly stops working and you have an important online meeting. For instance, you could bring a global hotspot with you that gives you WIFI wherever you are. Or, as soon as you arrive in a new place, check for cafés near you that offer reliable WIFI. If you have a coworking space nearby, that’s, of course, your best option. Another idea would be to get a second local SIM card for your phone from a different provider. So in case one provider has technical issues, you could simply switch cards. Besides that, I always make sure that my accommodation has good WIFI – Either by checking out online reviews that specifically talk about WIFI quality or by asking the landlord if I could quickly log in to see if the internet is strong enough.“
With so much traveling under your belt, we asked Denise where her favorite place to set up and work for the day has been. She told us, “When I was staying in Australia, my apartment was right on the beach and my desk in the lounge was facing the ocean. As if that view wasn’t amazing enough, there were whales close to the beach during whale season. So while sitting on my laptop I could actually watch whales floating by. Unreal. That was true paradise and by far the best place I’ve ever worked from.”
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