8 Tips for Digital Nomads Using Coworking & Coliving Spaces

As a digital nomad traveling around the world, you meet many great people and create many amazing memories. There are though some ways in which you can maximize and improve the experience when using coworking and coliving spaces as you travel. You might find these 8 tips very useful.

1. Consider the Size of the Coliving Space

One thing you will certainly find when traveling and staying in different coliving spaces and using coworking spots, is that how much fun it is, can greatly depend on who is there at any given time.

You cannot control other people, of course, but you can make better decisions and this includes when it comes to the size of the coliving space.

I have made the mistake twice now (both in Tenerife and on mainland Spain) of staying in a coliving house that was only four rooms.

Many coliving spaces are larger, i.e. 6, 8, 10, or more rooms.

If one of your aims as a digital nomad is to easily meet other people, then choosing one of the larger coliving houses can be a great idea, rather than staying in a 4-bedroom coliving space.

In a 4-bedroom house, you only need one room to be empty and for one room to have someone unsocial in it (usually one person will not embrace the coliving concept) and you are left with too few people to meet and have fun with.

The exception to this is when there is an excellent coworking hub nearby that acts as a great social and center point to meet (such as in Bansko, Bulgaria).In that case, you are in a place whereby the location itself is a digital nomad hotspot.

Bali can also fit into this category whereby whatever accommodation you choose to stay in, the local digital nomads community is so good that you can easily meet people anyway.

2. Have a WiFi Backup (Data for a Personal Hotspot)

Whilst a speedy internet connection is central to the foundation of what a coworking or coliving space is, we have nonetheless experienced Internet downtime at some point in the majority of coliving spaces we have stayed in, even if it was only temporary downtime.

For this reason, I highly recommend having a backup WiFi option such as:

• a smartphone with data allowance on it (to create your own personal hotspot when needed)
• or a gadget such as a Glocalme (see the gadgets page)

As digital nomads, many of us need to be involved in online meetings or to get vital work done, and having a way to ensure seamless WiFi is essential.

A WiFi backup option can make being a digital nomad much more relaxing.

3. Have a Skill/Hobby You Can Share

At the core of coliving and coworking, is the sense of community.

With this in mind, one of the greatest ways to quickly embed yourself into the community is to give a workshop or talk about something you are knowledgeable or passionate about.

Note: These skill and hobby share events can be run quite casually in that you do not need to worry about being a professional teacher or anything. Everyone tends to be very grateful for the chance to learn about something new.

You might have seen in the Bansko coliving video, for example, that events can include ideas such as:

• Teaching language basics, i.e. Spanish, German or the language of the country you are in
• Backgammon lessons
• Technical workshops, i.e. on how to use an iPhone for photography or Mastering PowerPoint
• Yoga or pilates
• How to dance, i.e. belly dancing, salsa, or tango
• Give a presentation on a destination you have visited for coliving or coworking
• Any business skills workshop you can give, i.e. on time management skills or negotiation skills
• How to draw or paint

4. Choose a Coliving or Coworking Space Where Events are Central to the Service Provided

Certain coliving and coworking spaces market themselves as providing daily events and if you are looking to socialize, these can be great locations to stay in and to use.

Immediately to mind come three examples that Valeria and I have experienced recently.

i) Sun & Co, Javea

You might very well have heard of Sun&Co as they often win coworking awards and are well-known on the digital nomad circuit as one of the best spots to stay (I am writing this post from Sun&CO in Javea in fact 🙂

Helping people who stay to socialize and easily meet others, is central to how this space is managed.

During our time at Sun&Co, events that were held included:

• Skillshare workshops
• BBQs
• Hiking
• Movie nights
• Board name night
• Cooking and dining events

ii) Palma Coliving

Likewise, as you might have read in my recent post on Palma coliving, if you are willing to pay accordingly, then Palma Coliving is worth considering because they focus heavily on group social events.

You will often pay more to stay in a coliving space with well-organized events, given that it incurs extra costs for the coliving in terms of personnel.

Palma coliving is quite expensive but they do provide daily events and these include:

• Weekly ping pong tournament (table tennis)
• Joint dining experience
• Mastermind meetup
• Yoga and other fitness
• Monday morning motivation meetup
• Various other events

iii) Bansko Coworking

Bansko coworking is different from the last two places in that the focus is on the coworking space (and they have 4 different coworking buildings/hubs you can choose from)

There is a big social network here and, as soon as you arrive (and join the private Facebook Group), you can enjoy regular events that include:

• Board game night (Mondays)
• Poker night (Tuesdays)
• Hot springs (Thursdays)
• Tonnes of other events that happen year-round

Given how inexpensive Bansko is, it’s a great option to socialize.

5. Consider the Time Zones and Working Hours

Think carefully about time zones, where you will be working, and what time your clients will expect you to be online.

If you are from the U.S. or Canada, can you work from Europe given that there might be a 5, 6, 7, or 8-hour time difference?

Is your job flexible and will the time difference work if you need to do a meeting? Very often it will but do consider the time zones.

6. Understand the Different Locations and Coliving Spaces

Choose your location carefully as not all places are equally well-suited for digital nomads.

Consider factors like internet speed and reliability, cost of living, and whether the local culture is conducive to productive work.

Likewise, coliving locations can vary greatly, i.e. it can be near a busy beach area or can be in a very rural area.

• Being stuck in a rural area with nowhere to go will not likely suit you if you like a very sociable location with plenty going on.
• On the other hand, if you love coliving spaces that are in isolated places in the countryside and where it can be fairly peaceful and where you are in the wilderness, then this rural location might suit you.

We have found such diversity between the coliving spaces, with each offering something so very different from the one before.

So be aware of:

• How isolated or central the coliving is
• In terms of size and number of residents (and hence the social opportunities)
• The general vibe
• Price range

Rural and Countryside Coliving Examples

• Chateau Coliving
• Novovento in the Azores

Small Town Vibe

• Bansko, Bulgaria
• Porto coliving with Anyplace

7. Spend Time in the Kitchen

One thing Valeria and I have found as we have traveled around the world and stayed in coliving spaces (and in youth hostels & backpacker locations), is that the kitchen can often be one of the easiest places to start a conversation.

In Bolita in the rainforest, for example, we met tonnes of people in the kitchen area and it was very much a focal point to meet others.

Bolita, I should point out, is not really a destination suitable for coworking as the Internet and WiFi connections were very poor – given you are staying in the rainforest.

Bolita Hostel, though, is an incredible place to visit if you want to visit somewhere unique and see amazing wildlife in the rainforest!

You might have experienced a coliving space where you have a room on the other side of the building and where you struggle to meet others so easily. In this case, the kitchen can be the answer!

8. Understand How to Connect in a New Destination

Whatever coliving city or location we have been in, there has always been a Whatsapp, Slack, or other types of group that you need to join on your smartphone in order to connect to the local nomad community.

There is also normally a WhatsApp group for the specific coliving house (or group of houses) you are staying in.

Then there tends to be a digital nomad group in the local area too.

Quite often too, you have to be in the place in order to find out about the groups you need to join once there.

In Las Palmas coliving, for example, there was a:

• Slack group (Live it Up Las Palmas)
• RePeople house Whatsapp group
• RePeople Community group (for present and past visitors to their coliving houses)

It is through smartphone apps that you will tend to find the digital nomad activities in your area, so do get connected asap when you arrive.

Do though also check sites such as Meetup.com for digital nomad events and meetups.

Travel Resources

I have been traveling for many years and have come to use a lot of travel sites and resources for booking my trips. They represent the companies that I often use and have served me well and they are the first ones I use when booking new trips.

• Booking.com – they tend to provide very competitive prices and the reviews are easy to view, and they normally have something available wherever in the world I am going to. They also now provide airport transfers, local attractions, and flights.
• Safety Wing Travel Insurance – Safety Wing has become one of the leaders in travel insurance, especially for remote workers and digital nomads as they provide cover that includes for long-term stays.
• Get Your Guide – is the site on which I normally book tours (I love to visit the local sports stadia, aquarium, royal palace, and some cultural attractions). With get Your Guide they have excellent customer support and have a wide range of tours.

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