After a year and a half of staying safe (and staying put), international travel is finally within reach. If you’re anything like us, you’ll be craving those long weekend adventures to new cities, switching up scenes and escaping home for just a little while.
Remote work has been a major talking point since the start of the pandemic, and as more and more companies adopt flexible working arrangements permanently, the world has been introduced to the rise of the digital nomad . Airbnb believes that working remotely is the future of travel , expecting those who can to book more ‘workcations’ than ever before, and we think they’re really onto something. As employers have weaned their teams off face-to-face meetings and embraced essential office routines, everyone has learned that so long as the work gets done, the setting is secondary.
The freedom of having no ties to one set desk essentially means your office can be anywhere, so for employees, freelancers and the self-employed, treating yourself to a change of scenery can actually benefit productivity. For some, this means taking yourself off on a working city break without dipping into your holiday allowance (which they can save for fully switching off). There are cities in Europe where you can spend evenings, weekends and even lunch breaks enjoying a new cultural experience, so you head back home with a rush of fresh motivation. Bliss! But where’s best to go?
We’ve taken Europe’s most popular cities from the TripAdvisor 2021 Traveller’s Choice article and incorporated relevant data to create our Remote Working Index. In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about the best cities for remote work in Europe, from Wifi costs and broadband speed to the cost of a coffee and hours of daylight.
Read on to discover the best European cities to work from, with incredible travel experiences on your doorstep ready to lure you in when the clock strikes 5pm.
The criteria
Before we get into it, let us tell you how we scored our list of the best cities.
We rated Europe’s cities using a set list of criteria, collected from verifiable data sources including European Commission , Numbeo , Trip Advisor , Sun Curves and Google Ads to develop a total score for each. The criteria were given different weightings according to importance to the remote working experience.
Take a look at the table below to see what criteria we used to rate the cities and why.
The best European cities
So, here they are… 28 of the best European cities to visit and work from:
The Top 10
Dublin, Ireland
You’ll have a grand old time in Dublin working from the pubs and cafés until it hits Guinness o’clock, after which you’ll be singing Molly Malone with the locals. Scoring particularly well when it comes to broadband speed, there will be no issues connecting to your boss on a Monday morning, unsurprising for one of the new continental tech capitals. The city has great scores across the board including quality of life and cultural vibrancy, so it really is the ultimate choice of city to work from over a long weekend. Tick off unmissable sights like Trinity College and the city museums, but you really can’t leave the original home of the ‘pog’ (pint of Guinness) without a visit to the Guinness Storehouse, or a night out at the world famous Temple Bar.
Rome, Italy
Wind your way through the elegant streets of Rome on a working trip abroad, exploring its iconic sights and rich history for an added burst of inspiration. Is that the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and Vatican Gardens behind you, or just a Zoom background? No one knows for sure! Make the local café your office for the day - fuelled by the cheapest coffee on this list - and enjoy an evening of Italian culture to round off the working week before experiencing Rome’s unique attractions over the weekend.
Prague, Czech Republic
Prague is one of Europe’s most affordable cities to visit, where the coffee is cheap but the beer is even cheaper, possibly explaining why its quality of life score is particularly high. The Czech capital is full of exciting , from marvelling at its Gothic architecture to people-watching on Charles Bridge, one of the oldest bridges in Europe. When the Wifi is cheap and the is nearly as historic as the sights, you know you’re in the perfect place to clock off for a weekend.
Paris, France
Paris lends itself well to a remote-working city break, with a great score when it comes to Wifi cost, as well as eight bucket list sights on your doorstep to feast your eyes on over lunch. You could be sitting in a charming Parisian café with your laptop in the morning, drinking a glass of wine in a French bistro at lunch (hey, it’s the culture) and watching sunset with from the Sacré Coeur to round off a perfect working day. From the iconic sights to the , the city will have you hooked.
We have two hostels in Paris, and , both in ideal locations for a Paris city break.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Pack your laptop and set up camp in the corner of a cosy Scottish pub while you finish off your working week. Edinburgh is unique in that you could easily spend the weekend simply soaking up the local atmosphere, aimlessly meandering through the medieval Old Town and stumbling across its like Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile. For someone working remotely in Edinburgh, it doesn’t matter whether you already know the place well or not, this city will feel like home.
is right in the heart of the Old Town, offering a mix of comfortable dorm rooms and private rooms.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Where better to mix work and travel than from one of the happiest cities in the world? Boasting everything from a varied culture to magnificent architecture and mouthwateringly tasty cuisine, there is so much that will make you want to stay forever. There’ll be no need to hunt down the good Wifi, as Copenhagen’s broadband speed score is high above the rest. Cycle between neighbourhoods to discover all different sides of the city from the quirky to the elegant, soaking up as much hygge (the Danish version of ‘cosy’) as you can from the countless snug .
Budapest, Hungary
The Hungarian capital is a must-visit bucket list destination, famous for its beautiful cityscapes, thermal baths and cheap beer. The laid-back culture, affordable prices and many co-working spaces contribute to Budapest being such a popular destination for remote workers across the world. While your lunch breaks might be focussed more on getting to know the charming local spots immediately around you, your weekend will be packed full of historical sights, stunning views and some of the best bars in Europe across both sides of the river.
London, England
London is such an incredibly varied city, and whether you’d prefer to work where the creatives are in Shoreditch, among the suited corporates of Canary Wharf or next door to bucket list sights in the city centre, finding friendly cafés with good Wifi is easy. Choose your base for a day with your laptop, and use your lunch break to explore the best attractions come or . Then dedicate your weekends to meandering around museums and booking quintessentially London activities like a good old , or a if that’s more your thing.
Check out , our flagship hostel in London Bridge, for beds in the city centre, or head to our page for more locations across the city.
Vienna, Austria
Surround yourself in the grand beauty of Vienna’s imperial palaces and Baroque architecture. Coffee lovers will be in caffeinated heaven as the Austrian capital is famous for its coffee culture, featuring serious service from baristas in waistcoats to more casual cafés that are ideal to work from. Vienna has one of the highest scores for quality of life on the list, thanks to the fantastic local culture, picturesque urban setting and friendly people. Visit Vienna for a picture-perfect, relaxing and cultural city break with plenty of opportunities to be inspired and get lost in your work.
Berlin, Germany
With super-fast broadband speed, a large expat community and plenty of places that will welcome you and your laptop for a day of work, it’s no surprise that the German capital is already a popular remote working destination. Berlin is one of those cities almost anyone can picture themselves extending their stay in, so a weekend workcation here might even inspire the digital nomad in you. Use your weekends to delve deep into the city’s tumultuous history, ticking off the bucket list museums and galleries, then enjoy a like the locals do - visiting and jumping into lakes on the outskirts of the city.
Our are located in Mitte and Alexanderplatz, both ideal for exploring the best of the city
Krakow, Poland
Krakow is a unique, magical city and a real gem of a place to get to know on a working trip. Not only is it perfect for a remote worker, with incredibly cheap Wifi, coffee and beer, but it’s fast become a bucket list destination for it’s fairytale-esque Old Town, delicious local food and the mind-blowingly beautiful buildings, inside and out. Krakow is also an extremely important historical location in Europe, lending the opportunity for people across the world to visit surreal destinations such as Auschwitz. With a huge café culture, you won’t be stuck for places to sit down and finish your working week before beers with the locals to see in a weekend exploring all that Krakow has to offer.
In summary
Europe is a remote workers’ paradise. However, while getting there is almost always easy (in normal times), there are a bunch of factors to bear in mind when you choose where to go with your laptop. By breaking down the essential criteria from Wifi costs to cultural vibrancy, we’ve come up with the ultimate list for working city breaks in Europe that are guaranteed to give you an ideal mix of work and play.
Whether you’re a seasoned digital nomad or looking for a way to make the most of your new post-pandemic remote working arrangement, use this as your guide for where to venture next.
Looking for somewhere to stay on your trips? Check out these St Christopher’s Inns locations featured on the list…
, all located in the heart of Amsterdam
, our hostel in Bruges with a popular local beer bar on-site
right next door to Las Ramblas