5 Amazing Tips on How to Make the Most of Your Travels While Juggling Work

November 28, 2016

how-to-make-the-most-of-your-travels-while-juggling-workWe all love to travel, but in this day in age sometimes you can’t get away from work and need to take it with you. In my case, blogging requires working around the clock. While I’m away, I have to be connected to the computer or internet for some part of the day.  Prior to blogging, I took on roles that required business travel, and that often meant having to do work on the go.  I didn’t always have the best method when it came to juggling work and taking advantage of what each destination had to offer.

5-tips-on-how-to-make-the-most-of-your-travels-while-workinghow-to-make-the-most-of-your-travels-while-workingBusiness travel wasn’t much fun. I didn’t get any time in the city and I’d often be flying in and out within a day or two.  I used to find business travel so exhausting and sometimes stressful, because let’s be honest – travelling and thinking about work can feel like a major interruption into what you hope could turn out to provide some kind of relaxation during your time away.  I feel really blessed to be have been able to travel for work and be in the position where I blog while I’m on the move, so with time, have gotten much better at it.

Taking work along with you doesn’t feel like a chore when you find the right balance, and with more practice, I have found that it works well for me. Today I want to share some of these tips with you, so that when you have that opportunity to work remotely or to go away, you take full advantage of it.  Whether you are on a road trip, a short weekend getaway or indulging in an extended vacation somewhere exotic around the world, being able to travel and work is much to be grateful for. Here are my top 5 tips on how to make the most of your travels while having to work.

Top 5 Tips on Making the Most of Your Travels While Juggling Work

Take Advantage of Layovers and In-Flight Time

Who doesn’t want to make the most of seeing as much as possible when visiting a new destination.  The best way to get as much done as possible, is to complete tasks in transit.  If you do not have WiFi or do not want to purchase WiFi on flights, but need to have the content available from websites, my secret tip is to visit as many of the pages and sites that you need as resources prior to trip and save the pages as PDF on your computer, so they are fully accessible when you are in flight. This will prevent you from the excuse of not having WiFi.  That way when you’re on the ground, you can take care of e-mails and any social networking you require. Plus, you won’t need to waste ink, paper and add extra weight to your carry-on doing this.  When you’re in flight, you can draft your emails or read documents you saved.

Taking in the Best Views

When I have to do work, I love to select hotels with an upper floor cafe, bar or a restaurant with a beautiful view where I can enjoy a drink and do work before the night crowd rolls in.  If you’re not staying in one of these hotels, you can still choose to enjoy a drink there. When I was in Shanghai, I went into a hotel, had a great latte and one of the best tiramisu I’d eaten in a long time. Snap a photo, take your time eating, look up from work and take in the incredible view and occasionally work away. Often, hotels have WiFi, or you can purchase it for the day. Either way, enjoy that wine at one of the top 10 rooftop or skyline bars in the city, have an appetizer if you’re hungry and work away.  It’ll be the nicest office you’ll have for the day.

Discover the Best Cafes, Bars & Pastries the City Has to Offer

I will be the first to admit that I love hunting down really cute cafes while I’m visiting a city.  One of the perks of finding a great spot is often enjoying the great coffee, decor, music and atmosphere.  While I was in Italy, I’d find these great little piazzas where I could enjoy a cafe macciato, fresh pastry and work.  In between, I’d look up and people watch.  Sometimes this gives you inspiration, or even a really nice break from work. If you get tired, tuck your work back into your bag and enjoy the experience, and then find another cute spot later on to continue working.  If you really cannot afford to be disturbed because you have deadlines I highly recommend taking headphones along with you.  Even if you are not planning on listening to music, people are less inclined to have really long conversations with you if you have headphones on your head.  When you want to chat, take them off and enjoy the company of the locals.  When you have to work, put them back on.

Time, Divide and Conquer while Making Work Fit Naturally Into Your Trip

Not everyone likes to plan out an entire trip, but usually there’s a good understanding of what your day might look like. Do all your writing in flight, take calls when you’re a passenger in transit or when you’re catching an amazing view somewhere quiet, or read when you’re just wanting to lay down.  During my first year of University, I booked a trip to Cuba for Spring Break. I had one exam to complete after my trip, so I’d read while laying down in the sun from 3 to 6PM and write when I was avoiding sun during peek hours indoors with a margarita in hand.  Always put aside work for times where you plan on sitting and relaxing. Don’t cut your time too short during your breaks so you’re not stressed out on catching up with your work, but make it so that it feels like a natural part of the trip.

Have a Good Data Plan or Research Which Spots Have Wifi Before Departure

You’ll pretty much find WiFi in any city you go these days, but it will still depend on the destination. When I was in Sicily, I knew there wouldn’t be many cafes that offered WiFi or outlets. Even on a trip back to Cuba 4 years ago they’d charge $3 every 10 minutes at the computer. WiFi wasn’t included with most hotels. Before you depart, check with your network to see if it covers roaming in the destinations you plan to travel. The next option is usually local WiFi, but if you want flexibility to move and work, there are also also roaming hotspot devices you can rent. These charge a fee usually around $5-10 per day for the device, often ships anywhere. They catch the network within a certain distance allowing you to use these networks for work, so you don’t have to use your own roaming. I’ve used Boingo Hotspot and did not like the service. It just didn’t login or work for me when it was supposed to and luckily I had free roaming as back up.

If you prefer working in an office environment, Desk Pass is an option. Rates and locations are available on their site. 

These are how I make working while travelling work for me. I feel incredibly lucky and blessed to be able to travel even if I have deadlines to work through. Not everyone has that opportunity.  If you have travelled and worked, what are your own tips? I’d love to hear! Let me know if you enjoyed this article in the comments below.

For more inspiration on style and travel, follow me on Bloglovin♥, Twitter and Instagram.

Xo,

Miki

Photo credit to my one and only, Rise Again BJJ.

how-to-travel-juggle-work

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  • kanchan November 28, 2016 at 6:10 am

    Great post, that’s such a true saying it is important for us bloggers to remain in wifi zone and check emails whenever possible !!
    New post – http://www.sapphireziva.com/2016/11/festive-ready-with-rosegal.html

    hav a great week !

    xo, kanchan

  • Sharron November 28, 2016 at 7:25 am

    Great tips. Traveling gives me so much live and you are so blessed to be traveling for work. Thanks for sharing.

    http://deffinatlyshaz.co.zw/

  • Stella Asteria November 28, 2016 at 8:01 am

    Ah such great tips my dear miki! Life saving tips I’d say! ) I always struggle with work while traveling. Even when I have planned blog post and everything ahead, somehow my business email from work is on fire whenever I am travelling haha! I agree with you, a hotel with a great view from the top to work there while enjoying the view is the best option! Thank you so much for sharing, and wishing you a great start to the week!
    xoxo
    Stella
    http://www.stellaasteria.com

  • khan November 28, 2016 at 8:07 am

    Wow, you look wonderful!
    https://bdalltube365.blogspot.com/
    https://dailybdpeace.blogspot.com/

  • The Fashion Folks November 28, 2016 at 8:51 am

    So many great tips! I always struggle with finding a balance between work and leisure when I’m out traveling. Often, unfortuantely, it’s work that will suffer because I just hit lazy mode haha. But a great idea to plan in advance, check where there’ll be wifi and use the extra time to get things done. Have a lovely week! Xx

    http://www.thefashionfolks.com

  • Jessi Malay November 28, 2016 at 12:07 pm

    This is such a great post, especially with the holiday season coming up and people beginning to plan their Christmas breaks. These tips will really help me juggle my travels and my blog 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing hun!

    XO Jessi,
    http://www.mywhitet.com/8-faux-fur-jackets-under-200/

  • Julia Pepper November 28, 2016 at 1:12 pm

    Fantastic Tips my dear! We all need to organize and at the same time to enjoy our trip so thank for share your tips .

  • jasna November 29, 2016 at 1:53 am

    These are fantastic tips I really need in my life and what a gorgeous pic of you 🙂 xx

  • Selina November 29, 2016 at 4:22 am

    you write beautifully and your pictures are so great! You have such a talent! I love your blog a lot ♥
    xx
    Selina | Selinas Inspiration

  • Susanne - Bag at you November 29, 2016 at 6:40 am

    Thank you for sharing these great tips!! I also love working when I’m traveling and always pick a nice cafe with a nice view to get inspired as well as I don’t feel that I miss out on any beauty of the city! You look gorgeous as always! Xx Susanne – http://bagatyou.com

  • Itzy November 29, 2016 at 8:25 pm

    I definitely needed this! Thanks for the tips doll.

    xx,
    Itzy
    http://lebellagypsy.com/
    https://www.instagram.com/lebellagypsy/

  • Aleeha November 30, 2016 at 8:49 am

    Doing work on the plane must save so much time!
    Aleeha xXx
    http://www.halesaaw.com/

  • Dora November 30, 2016 at 5:02 pm

    These are amazing suggestions! Working on a patio on top of a hotel and watching the city must be the best office ever
    Dora
    http://www.adropofindigo.com/

  • Erin November 30, 2016 at 8:58 pm

    Thanks for sharing these tips! These are definitely something I need xx, Erin – http://www.stylebythepeople.com

  • sonia // daring coco December 1, 2016 at 12:56 am

    Unfortunately I’ve never had a job where I’ve been able to travel. I used to yearn for one though, sigh. Free travel! Hehehehe

    Sxx
    http://www.daringcoco.com
    COMME des GARCONS GIVEAWAY

  • Rai December 2, 2016 at 6:18 pm

    Thanks for the tips Miki! I will hopefully learn these for when I start my travels, I’m sure its also a learning process of what works well for us all individually but doing work over flights will probably be the top one for me! 🙂

    Rai | http://www.utterardour.com

  • Sharon Wu December 5, 2016 at 10:32 pm

    These tips are amazing girl! I need to keep them in mind since I’ll be going to Cabo early next year with my bf and it’s already sort of giving me some anxiety on how I’ll upkeep my blog while on my travels. Lol!!! I’ll also be briefly going back to the Bay Area to visit my parents for Christmas 🙂 Thanks for sharing these Miki! xo, sharon

    http://www.stylelullaby.com/personal/a-quarter-century/

  • Mariann Yip December 6, 2016 at 7:40 am

    These tips are super helpful! I think it’s all about preparation. It seems like you have a lot of experience with working and traveling and have nailed the balance!

  • Deddeh Howard December 6, 2016 at 8:26 am

    Wow love these images, you look so relax and beautiful. Great job beautiful ?

  • Kusum December 6, 2016 at 11:29 am

    Great tips love and that location is gorgeous!!! I am totally with you on finding a place with some amazing views the place has to offer and setting up shop across from it, that makes me feel less guilty about working while traveling.
    xx, Kusum | http://www.sveeteskapes.com

  • Helen Chik December 6, 2016 at 2:00 pm

    I’ve only just recently gone full time and travelling so much has really taken its toll on me whilst trying to stay on top of my emails and work! Love these tips girl!

    Helen xx
    https://ch1k.com/6ixty8ight-style-files

  • Stephanie December 6, 2016 at 4:10 pm

    How fitting is it that I happened to read this while on vacation?! As a blogger, I’m constantly doing my work on the go, and I definitely struggle with managing it. Thank you for sharing all your tips. I’ll definitely be taking them to heart!

    Stephanie // SheSawStyle.com

  • Samantha Mariko December 6, 2016 at 7:51 pm

    traveling for business sounds tiresome.. but I like how you shared these tips to get the most of each trip!
    http://www.samanthamariko.com

  • Josie December 6, 2016 at 8:14 pm

    Thanks for sharing these tips! I think the last one is such an important thing to do before leaving! Otherwise you can end up spending a fortune for Internet!

    Bisous, Josie
    http://www.petiteandbold.com

  • Jo December 7, 2016 at 10:45 am

    Thanks for this great list of traveling and finding ways of fitting work into your schedule if you absolutely have to! As a blogger too, scouting out those cute little cafes when you are on the go is definitely a must do!

    xo, Jo
    http://www.cutandchic.com

  • Camille December 7, 2016 at 12:40 pm

    These are fantastic tips! Definitely going to utilize them next time I go somewhere 🙂

  • gracie December 7, 2016 at 1:44 pm

    Great tips. It is overwhelming trying to fit it all in, love new ways to multitask 🙂 It takes a village yet often times we only have ourselves !
    xx, gracie
    snappedbygracie.com

  • rachel December 7, 2016 at 2:02 pm

    I travel so much and sometime working with travel is definitely really hard to do. So these are all such great tips.
    xoxo, Rachel
    
http://www.rachelvogttrends.com

  • Yasmin December 7, 2016 at 2:38 pm

    These are all such great tips! I usually leave things to the last minute. But I need to look into cute places to work from. I always like finding a great cafe or restaurant with a view or fun decor that I can enjoy while tapping away at my computer.

    xx Yasmin
    http://banglesandbungalows.com

  • Linh Dao December 7, 2016 at 9:06 pm

    Love these tips as I always struggle to balance when I am traveling! I can never find time to include work into traveling! So this was very helpful! Thanks for sharing!

    Linh
    http://www.xcapewithlinh.com

  • Leah - Devoted To Pink December 8, 2016 at 11:48 am

    I wish I could travel as much as you!! I always lust after your photos on Instagram. Unfortunately my job means I have to visit my clients regularly that are all in UK – I need some US clients!! haha

  • Jenn Hanft December 8, 2016 at 10:09 pm

    Aw girl thanks for making this post!! I actually haven’t had to travel on business trips before but I’ll definitely keep these tips handy for when I do! I know that during school breaks I’ve done some traveling so learning how to balance it all and fit in time to work on assignments was definitely something to consider but time managing and devoting time was the best way I found 🙂 plus a little sacrifice of sleep LOL.

    XO Jenn
    http://www.jennsemble.com

  • Atsuna Matsui December 9, 2016 at 10:18 pm

    These tips are just wonderful Miki. I hope to incorporate my work life and traveling together in the future so this information is all very useful since I like to keep myself productive and efficient as possible. I haven’t been on business trips yet, but I plan to do more planning while I blog so I’ll definitely take these tips into account.

    xoxo
    http://www.atsunamatsui.com

  • Marcy December 10, 2016 at 5:33 am

    Love reading this post babe! Totally agreed with you in all the tips you mentioned here.

    Xo
    Marcy

  • Bernice December 12, 2016 at 1:12 pm

    Thanks for these great tips! In the past year I’ve started making a lot of business trips and knowing to research wifi spots would’ve been essential a year ago haha my data was killed by hot spotting to my laptop seriously

    http://bunnybernice.com

  • Jordan December 13, 2016 at 8:48 pm

    These are great tips and that 4th is one that I live by! I have to get my work in where I can and it’s so hard sometimes!
    Jordan xx
    http://www.thehatlogic.com