Updated January 2024
If you are a remote professional who can be found working at the beach just as often as a café or shared workspace, consider travel and work programs that could give you the opportunity to work virtually while traveling to different corners of the world.
You may have heard of professionals who take early retirements to travel the world well before their senior years. If you’re envious of the freedom of traveling but want to continue working, there are options for you.
Travel and work programs facilitate employment while allowing professionals to travel as a portion of their remote work responsibilities. Each program has specific requirements including citizenship, fees, age, and skills.
Although the option to work from anywhere may sound appealing at first glance, there are a variety of factors to consider before you apply. Take a look at the specifics of a handful of popular travel programs to find out if this adventurous work style is a good fit for you.
Multi-City Travel Programs
The following travel programs give you an opportunity to travel to several places throughout your journey. Depending on the length of your stay, you may experience two, four or eight locations. These programs are perfect for people who want to relocate frequently and benefit from the inspiration that comes from a varied work experience.
Remote Year
The Program
Remote Year facilitates travel and networking opportunities for professionals currently working remotely or those who want to transition into a remote working arrangement.
The company brands itself as a way for virtual workers to make authentic connections abroad. They offer packages that include a one-month, four-month, or one-year experience.
Remote Year has a variety of pre-determined itineraries including residencies in Portugal, South Africa, Serbia, and Argentina. Remote workers travel and live as a cohort.
The total cost of the one-month experience ranges from $1,700-$3,300, depending on location. The four-month experience ranges from $12,000-$13,600. And the 12-month experience is $33,200 and includes 12 countries. This includes access to a coworking space, transportation, living quarters that are shared by you and your cohort of travelers, and on-site support provided by Remote Year. They also coordinate events in each city you travel to help you get the most out of their time abroad.
Requirements
You must be currently employed to apply for Remote Year. Additionally, you do not need to be fluent in English. However, some English conversation skills are needed to do well in the program. You can apply from any country and do not need to be a U.S. citizen, however, you will need to obtain a passport and be able to travel outside of the U.S. or your country of origin.
Hacker Paradise
The Program
Hacker Paradise encourages professionals from a diverse array of countries to travel together while working remotely. The organization has a particular focus on technology professionals such as computer programmers, developers, and designers. But they have lots of members who work in other industries, too!
The program provides group living and coworking spaces. Hacker Paradise does not arrange visas or flights, however, once you arrive you can benefit from the support you need to get work done while you experience new cultures in places like Berlin, Tokyo, Palermo, and Lima.
The typical size of your travel group will be 20-30 people who range from their 20s to 40s. Although this age range is the norm, Hacker Paradise also encourages older professionals to join the travel and work experience.
The total price of a work and travel package through Hacker Paradise depends on the length of your stay. One benefit of Hacker Paradise is that their packages are customizable based on your budget. Your trip can be as short as three months or as long as one year. The price per month starts at $2,490. Plus, the longer you stay, the cheaper your monthly rate is!
Requirements
Hacker Paradise requires that you book your own flights and be able to travel to the countries included in your itinerary. You do not need to speak the local language, although language classes may be available if you choose to learn.
The program has an application and interview process that will help you and the organization decide if their experience will work well for you.
Noma Collective
The Program
Noma Collective is as a vibrant hub for digital nomads, blending the worlds of travel and work in spectacular global locations like Guatemala, Belize, Argentina, Barcelona, Costa Rica, and Kenya. Members of Noma Collective are privy to top-notch accommodations, designed to inspire productivity and comfort. But it’s not all work; the collective ensures an engaging social scene through a variety of events that foster connections and collaborations among like-minded professionals.
Noma Collective goes beyond providing a workspace; it’s an invitation to an adventurous and wellness-oriented lifestyle. Members can indulge in a diverse array of cultural and recreational activities, each curated to enrich the remote working experience. Whether it’s exploring local cultures, participating in wellness retreats, or embarking on thrilling adventures, the collective ensures that the journey of every digital nomad is as rewarding and immersive as their work.
The price of a travel and work package depends on the length of your stay, which ranges from 15-29 nights. The price per month starts at $500 and goes up to $5,500 depending on the location and length of stay, with most packages falling in the range of $2,000-$2,500.
Requirements
Noma Collective requires that you have a part time or full time remote job to join. The program begins with an interview call to determine if their program is a good fit for you.
Unsettled
The Program
Unsettled’s travel adventures cater to the spirited individuals who yearn to swap their daily routines for thrilling escapades, and are relentless in their quest for personal growth, deeper meaning, and a purposeful life. Each journey they offer is community-focused and uniquely tailored to disrupt your everyday life, aiming to ignite fresh viewpoints and insights that resonate even after you return home.
Embrace a week of living Unsettled with a schedule brimming with one-of-a-kind activities, thoughtfully curated by our local experts. Your days could be filled with engaging peer-led workshops, insightful themed discussions, and expertly facilitated sessions. Enjoy communal meals, where the joy of family-style dining blends with lively happy hours. Amidst these gatherings, there’s ample freedom for you to work, learn, or embark on your own explorations. Evenings often see participants taking turns to host and prepare group dinners, or venturing out to savor the local culinary scene. This rotation ensures everyone has a chance to both craft and share unique experiences through the universal languages of food and conversation.
Unsettled’s journeys attract a diverse group, primarily aged 30 to 50, who seek a blend of adventure and comfort, deeper self-discovery, and meaningful global connections. Their trips, ranging from remote treks to enriching conversations under the stars, and aquatic adventures from the Amazon to Baja, offer opportunities to expand horizons and challenge existing viewpoints. Catering to professionals like entrepreneurs, creatives, freelancers, and artists, Unsettled fosters a community of intellectually curious individuals. Current travel and work packages range from 1 week to 1 month and prices range from $2,695 to $3,095 depending on the location and length of stay.
WiFi Tribe
The Program
WiFi Tribe unites through a mutual trust in living unconventionally, fostering an environment where members can be authentic and open to new experiences. This ethos cultivates quick yet profound friendships and deep connections, making our community uniquely cohesive. Their interview process ensures they bring together professionals who share core values, maintaining their commitment to a sense of belonging anywhere in the world. When the fit is right, the feeling of finding ‘my people’ is immediate and profound.
When our community embarks on a journey together, we see it as much more than a mere ‘trip’. It’s not just about visiting a new destination and then returning home. That’s why we prefer to call these experiences ‘Chapters’. These moments we share are not just stops along the way; they become essential parts of our individual and collective narratives. This collaborative, unconventional approach to travel shapes experiences that are distinct and unexpected.
WiFi Tribe’s members encompass professionals like entrepreneurs, designers, musicians, and even neuroscientists. Most are aged 25-35, and chapters are capped between 12 and 25 people to maintain intimacy. The flexibility of the program allows members to choose from 4, 6, or 8-week Chapters, offering the freedom to mix accommodations to suit budget and comfort. Current chapter offerings are 1-month long. Prices range from $1,200-$2,800 depending on the location and private vs. shared accommodations. There is also a an annual membership fee of $500.
Requirements
Every member of WiFi Tribe must be engaged in a professional capacity, whether it’s through running their own business as a freelancer or contractor, being employed or employing others in a working relationship, or overseeing their own company. In addition, WiFi Tribe has an application process which involves written responses, a video interview, and a personality test to understand the authentic you. While applying demands time and effort, it’s crucial for applicants to reflect and ensure that our community-centric, cooperative style of remote work and travel aligns with their aspirations.
Singular-Destination Travel Programs
The programs outlined below are perfect for professionals who want to focus on working and traveling in one location and immerse themselves more fully in a new culture. The programs are usually more exclusive, accepting less than 20 participants at a time.
Project Getaway
The Program
This program offers meals, a working space, activities, and more. The program is open to teams or entrepreneurs and can range between $2,975 and $3,950 per month. This rate will depend on your chosen level of luxury.
A non-profit that offers a single destination journey to Bali, Project Getaway is geared towards professionals who want an all-inclusive experience.
Requirements
Project Getaway does not require that you currently have a remote position. The program is geared toward teams or entrepreneurs and is open to established business owners and new business professionals who want to network and brainstorm serious business ideas.
Quick Tips to Find Success While Exploring Work and Travel Programs
No matter what kind of work and travel arrangement you choose, these tips will help you make the best of your time working and traveling to new and places.
Communicate
When entering a new environment, jet lag, as well as the excitement and culture shock of your new living space, can be a bit overwhelming. It is important to communicate with your employer about your itinerary ahead of time.
Let your employer know you may need at least one day to settle into your new surroundings. This may involve using a vacation day to make sure you are fulfilling your work responsibilities.
Once you are settled, you should try to stick to a regular work schedule as much as possible. While adventure may want to take priority in your life, ensure you keep up with assignments, deadlines, and projects. This is the first step to exploring stress-free while working abroad.
Keep a Journal
Pictures are an amazing way to remember your journey, but writing is also a great way to process everything you learn.
Experiencing a new culture can have amazing benefits both professionally and personally. Keep a journal to jot down your feelings, thoughts, and the major adventures you seek.
This record will help you long into the future as you incorporate the lessons you learned while traveling into your knowledge as a citizen of the world. It could even inspire a blogging adventure, which you could monetize or use as the jumping off point for a new telecommuting adventure in travel writing.
Make Lasting Connections
Although you are working while you travel, don’t miss out on the opportunity to connect with local professionals, experience tourist attractions, and learn about the culture around you.
You will gain valuable insights just by listening to and eating with new friends who can show you around and accompany you to local events. It may be a bit intimidating at first, but part of traveling abroad is taking safe and calculated risks to expand your horizons.
Don’t let the next travel and work adventure start without you!
Which of these travel and work programs caught your attention? Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube to share your thoughts and tips. We’d love to hear from you!
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