Digital nomad resources: how to work while traveling full time

Traveling full-time is a dream for most travelers and backpackers, and the best way to do it is of course working when you are on the road. That’s what digital nomads do basically.

Nowadays, working while traveling is a possibility. Lots of jobs can be done online, you don’t need to be physically in a specific place to complete work, you don’t even need to work 9 to 5. You can choose your location and your time, as long as you have an Internet connection and you complete the job you have to do.

But it’s not always easy, we have to be honest. Working while traveling can be a dream but also something quite hard to do if you don’t know the best resource you can use. Anyway, you don’t have to be desperate, because today you can find a lot of great digital nomad resources that can make your life and work on the road super easy.

The best digital nomad resources

If you want to travel full-time and work at the same time, you need to know and use the right resources. This will make your life easier when you want to find a place to live, the right tools to use, and how to meet other digital nomads like you to do some networking. It is always a good thing to meet other full-time travelers to have a chat and share advice and stories.

So, keep reading to find out all the best digital nomad resources for all aspects of your life on the road.

Housing and accommodation

One of the most important things that you will need while on the road is a place to live. It could be quite expensive to live in hotel rooms all the time. You need a cozy place and a good Internet connection if you want to work while traveling. If you don’t know where to start, it could be challenging to find it.

But it’s not a very hard thing, actually. One of the easiest ways to find a place to live is through social media. You just have to look on Facebook groups about the place you want to live in and look for groups regarding renting or flatmates wanted. You can find a lot of good offers in these groups and you can also meet other fellow travelers.

You can also use other useful websites to find a room, like Flatmates or Roomies. They both work very well in different parts of the world. You will usually share the house with other people, having your private room, but as long as you have the comforts you need and WiFi, it’s not that bad to share communal areas. In this way, you make new friends!

Another good way to find a place to stay is to go around and ask when you are already there. Sometimes the best things can be found just by asking around. You can go to the hostels nearby and ask if they allow long-term accommodation and maybe make some discounts on it, or just ask around if anyone is renting their room. Sometimes it really works.

Last but not least, let me introduce you to Worldpackers. Worldpackers is a website on which you can look for volunteering positions all around the world. When you volunteer, in exchange for your help you get free accommodation, and this is a very good deal. 

You don’t have to worry about your work because volunteering only takes some hours a day and you have plenty of time to do your online job and enjoy the place. Lots of digital nomads use Worldpackers during their travels. It is also a good way to meet other travelers like you.

Books, blogs, and podcasts

One of the best digital nomad resources is reading books and blogs, and listening to podcasts. Blogs are usually written by full-time travelers who work while traveling, so who better than them can explain to you how to do the same?

Many digital nomads who write as a job most likely also wrote some books about their life, with advice on how to work and travel the world, and some of them also registered some podcasts about it, if reading isn’t your thing. You can have a look at the best travel YouTubers to find some advice and inspiration.

Worldpackers website has its own blog. All the articles are written by travelers and digital nomads, who work and travel the world full-time and are quite experienced in this topic.

Coworking spaces

When you work online, sometimes you could need a coworking space. Coworking spaces are places where you can work, they have a very good Internet connection and they are used by lots of digital nomads, so they are perfect to do some networking with other travelers like you. 

Working in your room can be a bit boring and can open the door to many distractions, that’s why it could be good to work in a coworking space.

Some hostels have their own coworking space, especially if they are famous among digital nomads. An example is Selina. Selina is a famous brand of hostels all around the world, and lots of digital nomads choose to stay there because Selina hostels are very nice and they always have a coworking space.

If you want to find the best coworking spaces, you can look for hostels for digital nomads, and they could have coworking spaces. You can also have a look at digital nomads Facebook groups, and ask where they usually work, searching by location.

Another super easy way is typing “coworking X place” to find coworking spaces in that place. 

Finances (banks, cards, apps)

That's the topic that every digital nomad doesn’t like. Nobody ever wants to talk about finances, the most boring topic, but we have to because working online also means being careful about finances.

If you want to work while traveling, you will need the right bank, the right card, and the right apps to help you with your finances. 

An Internet bank is the best option because you need a bank that has not a physical address where you are forced to go in case of problems, or a number which you are forced to call. It can be annoying and impossible while you are traveling. If you choose an Internet bank, you can always contact it via the Internet, and it’s easy in case you need help.

N26 and Revolut are the best. They also have their cards, which are excellent cards for travelers. What are the best features of a travel card? No commissions when you withdraw money, and no commissions when you make payments in other currencies. N26 and Revolut always have the best currency rate and have 0 or minimum commissions on payments and withdrawals at ATMs.

There are also some apps you can use to keep your expenses under control and always be aware of how much money you are spending while on the road. The easiest to use and the most famous are Mint and Goodbudget.

Courses

If you are a beginner digital nomad, you may want to improve your skills in order to find more online jobs. But also if you are an experienced digital nomad, learning new skills and improving is always a good idea.

There are many websites with courses available for digital nomads. They are completely remote, you can attend lessons, study and take the exam remotely from anywhere. Some very good examples are Udemy and Coursera.

Even the Worldpackers website has an entire section about courses. It’s the Worldpackers Academy, and it has a lot of courses for digital nomads and full-time travelers. 

Travel apps

Nowadays you can basically do everything just using an app. Apps are very useful and can help you with everything.

There are apps for finding transports, like trains, planes, and buses, which is very useful while you are on the road. There are apps for currency, apps for translations, apps for maps, even offline, like Maps.me. Even Worldpackers has its own app!

You can have a look at the best travel apps here.

Gear/gadgets

If you are working and traveling, you need a good laptop, good electronic devices, and also a good backpack, because you will need to carry all your devices with you around.

A good idea is to have waterproof gear with you, in case you are traveling and it’s raining a lot, it will save your devices. It is also a good idea to pack extra batteries if you run out of battery and can’t charge it.

Always remember to pack an adaptor, because plugs are different all around the world, and with that, you can always charge your devices.

Make sure you don't forget to pack what you need.

Communities and forums

If you want to keep in touch with other digital nomads and travelers, you need to have a look at forums and communities. You can find them on Facebook and on Tripadvisor for example. 

Worldpackers also has a community of travelers, and you can always contact other travelers by private message if you have some questions or need some help. This is a very good way of doing network and getting good advice.

Health

Never underestimate the importance of having a good travel insurance when you are working and traveling. Health is very important, and even if you don’t want to talk about bad things like feeling sick while traveling, it can happen. You have to be covered if it happens, otherwise, you risk spending tons of money.

You may also want to have your gear covered in case it got broken or stolen or whatever. Safety Wings is one of the best insurances for digital nomads, together with World Nomads.

Remote work and productivity

Working online seems easy but sometimes it’s also easy to get a bit lost and distracted. You want to keep your productivity as high as possible, don’t you? The best way to do so is to act like you are working in a real workplace, even if it’s your home.

You have to set times and boundaries, like setting alarms and whatever else you may need. Don’t work in your pajamas with the television on, just dress up and get rid of any distractions you could have while working.

You can use some apps like Trello to organize your work, which is very useful, and OffTime to turn off your phone when you just have to work, in order not to be distracted.

Find all the helpful information about being productive while working remotely here.

Now that you know all the best digital nomad resources, you are ready to start your life and work on the road. And if you are already a digital nomad, you know everything you need to organize your life and your work in the best possible way. 

If you didn’t know Worldpackers, now you have no excuse, and you can start using it to volunteer around the world and to keep in touch with a big community of travelers. Just subscribe to one of our plans and start enjoying Worldpackers!

Maybe you could be interested in more articles from Worldpackers community:

12 cheapest places for digital nomads

The Worldpacker's digital nomad packing list

How digital transformation is revolutionizing travel as we know it