Work and nomads
Coworking, café or your accommodation: where you actually get work done
Each option fails somewhere different. Which to pick depending on the kind of day, and what to check before paying a month up front.
Claudia Ferrán 5 min Photo by Lothar Boris Piltz on Unsplash The short answer is that you need all three, depending on the day. The long one is understanding where each fails, so you do not find out on the day of the important meeting.
The three, compared
| Accommodation | Café | Coworking | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Already paid | Whatever you order | A membership |
| Video calls | Fine, if it is quiet | Bad | Fine, with booths |
| Stable connection | Variable | Variable | Usually good |
| Sockets | Whatever there is | Scarce | Plenty |
| Concentration | Down to you | Down to the place | High |
| People | None | None you know | The main reason to pay for it |
That last row is what decides it on long stays: working alone in a country where you know nobody wears you down more than people reckon, and a coworking is the quickest way to meet someone.
What to check before paying a monthly membership
- Ask for a trial day and work a full day there, not an hour.
- Check the connection at peak time, which is usually mid-morning.
- See whether there are booths or rooms for video calls and whether you have to book them.
- Ask the real opening hours, weekends included, if your time zone forces you to work at night.
- And check the noise: there are coworkings that are cafés with big tables.
The café rule
It works for anything that does not require talking: writing, reviewing, answering email. For a video call, no. And local custom is worth respecting: order something now and then, and do not take a table for four at lunchtime.
Frequently asked questions
Is a coworking worth it?
On long stays almost always: a stable connection, booths for video calls and, above all, people. For a few days it works out expensive.
Can you work from a café?
For writing or answering email yes; for video calls, no. And it is worth ordering something now and then and not taking big tables at peak time.
What do I check before paying the membership?
A full trial day, the connection at peak time, whether there are booths for calls, the real opening hours and the noise level.
And if the venue's connection fails?
With your own data you get up and carry on working elsewhere, which is exactly what a backup is for.
