A Beginner’s Guide to Traveling as a Digital Nomad

After moving to Florence on a year-long student visa, I worked with a lawyer to convert my study permit to a permesso di soggiorno per lavoro autonomo—or a permit to stay for self-employment, so I could freelance in Italy long-term. While it would have been nice to bypass the bureaucracy, it also would’ve been illegal; American citizens need a visa to stay in Italy for longer than 90 days, and you can’t work full-time on a student visa. All countries are different, but generally speaking, if you want to stay somewhere for longer than a couple of months, there will be some paperwork (and potentially some lawyer’s fees) involved.

Whether you plan to choose one home base or bounce around to different destinations, research remote-work visas and requirements specifically for digital nomads. Many countries—from Thailand to Romania to Colombia—offer visas for remote workers, and these happen to be some of the best countries for digital nomads on a budget. Once you know where you can work legally, narrow down your choices by considering factors such as culture, natural scenery, weather, and lifestyle.

One of the most common questions in any remote-workers’ Facebook group is how to find accommodation as a digital nomad. Most hotels aren’t suitable for long-term stays, and apartment listings on platforms such as Airbnb can break the bank pretty quickly unless you’re working with a trust fund budget—not to mention they’re often not looked upon too favorably by local residents.

Whether you’re staying in Bangkok or Bulgaria, social media is a great tool for finding housing, since locals and long-term residents often post in Facebook groups about rooms or homes for rent. If you’re not on social media, use online platforms for house-sitting, house-swapping, or co-living, or find destination-specific housing websites. In Italy, I’ve personally used Immobiliare.it, and I’ve also gone the word-of-mouth route by asking baristas and shopowners about available apartments.

Besides a quiet workspace and steady internet connection, your home base as a digital nomad should also meet your needs as a slow traveler. So instead of looking for housing next to tourist attractions and trinket shops, you’ll want to find neighborhoods with easy access to everyday services, such as public transportation, supermarkets, laundromats, and bars and restaurants frequented by locals.

The hardest step in becoming a digital nomad is finding a job that allows you to work from anywhere. The next challenge is setting a budget and sticking to it. With your destination(s) in mind, figure out your fixed costs, from flights and housing to health-and-safety expenses, such as digital nomad travel insurance. Set aside a little more for food and an international phone plan, and you’ll be ready to budget for the fun stuff, from cooking classes in Vietnam to outdoor activities in Costa Rica.

Budgeting as a digital nomad is one thing, and doing your taxes is another, though. Whether you’re freelancing or working remotely for a US–based company, money matters can get complicated when you’re working from another country. To save yourself a headache, consider hiring a service that helps with managing finances and taxes as a digital nomad, and be sure to keep track of your work-related expenses and entry-and-exit dates from the US.

Think of your packing list for long-term remote work travel this way: If it’s not important enough to follow you to every destination, it shouldn’t go in your suitcase. Pack versatile clothes and shoes for different climates and cultures, and remember that you’ll spend several weeks in one place, so you can always buy toiletries upon arrival. Prioritize prescription medications, favorite ingredients, and universal adapters that you’ll need for an extended time abroad—and don’t forget remote-work essentials such as a laptop stand, noise-canceling headphones, and multi-device chargers.

However, the less you have to lug around with you, the better. Before your departure, sell or donate as many belongings as you can, and arrange to leave any essentials in storage or with a friend. While it might be tough to part with some comforts from home, you’ll find it much easier to carry one suitcase around the world than three. Plus, you’ll want plenty of space for souvenirs from your travels.

International travel is tiring, so allow yourself at least a couple of days to adjust to the time zone before you start working. When I first got to Florence, I took a week off to acclimate to my neighborhood and found the closest grocery stores, coffee shops, and gym to incorporate into my routine right away. Though taking time off might sound counter-productive, settling into my surroundings actually made my transition to life abroad feel much smoother.

Even so, staying productive while traveling full time can be a challenge, though it’s easier when you have a comfortable remote-work office and a consistent schedule. If you’re dialing in from Paris but have meetings on Pacific Time, for example, plan to work in the evenings so you can taste your way around Le Marais or soak up art history in Montmartre in the mornings. If you’re more flexible, set your work hours and stick to them, and bake in time for exercising, chores, and, of course, sightseeing.

I love freelancing in Florence because I have adjustable hours that have allowed me to hop on a morning Vespa ride through the Tuscan hills and visit perpetually busy attractions, such as the Uffizi Galleries, during quieter hours.

No matter where you’re traveling, social media is a helpful place to find coworking spaces and communities abroad. To this day, some of my best friends in Florence are people I met at events that I found in Facebook groups for foreigners, from run clubs to Italian-language practice sessions. I even started a supper club for locals and slow travelers, and I’ve heard about lots of similar communal dinners popping up in other cities.

You can also create community offline. Slowly but surely, I connected to locals and improved my Italian by getting my weekly kilo of tomatoes from the Sant’Ambrogio Market, and I’ve met all kinds of interesting people at coworking spaces and coffee shops frequented by digital nomads.

Guided tours are another approachable way to engage with your destination’s culture. Whether you join a salsa class in Cartagena or a hygge-focused walking tour in Copenhagen, local-led activities will introduce you to new people and give you a deeper sense of place—and that’s what traveling as a digital nomad is really all about.