Posted 27 December 2023

Cheapest hotels in Europe for working remotely?

My boss is allowing me work remotely for the whole month of February. I was just wondering if anyone could recommend a destination that has cheap and secure accommodation ideally in Europe?

At the moment I'm leaning towards Gran Canaria
Community Updates
New Comment

32 Comments

sorted by
's avatar
  1. FrugalFergal's avatar
    Author
    Im very pleased for you James. I spent a year travelling many years ago and had the time of my life but if you're working and exploring then more power to you.

    Gran Canaria is nice. Its one of the few times I travelled in Europe and I had a good time. My boss is happy for me to work from there. I hear Tenerife is also quite nice so I plan to go there too.

    If you've got a Google phone, even a cheap one, it can do live translate and even translate signs and menus in real time which you might find handy if you travel around a lot.
  2. bozo007's avatar
    Just wondering how does this work from a legal standpoint, given that British citizens now require a work permit from where they plan to work remotely in the EU and are also liable for local taxes if meeting the threshold. Obviously, doesn't apply if one is a citizen of that country.

    I was discussing this with a friend in one of the Big 4 firms and he said that in reality, no one is really checking & enforcing it but that doesn't mean it is legal in many EU countries.
    aLV426's avatar
    Why do you care? Does it affect you?
    (edited)
  3. t3r4's avatar
    For that length I'd look at Airbnb, apartments or aparthotels with washing/cooking facilities so you don't have to eat out every day. Check reviews for internet quality, and consider backups (roaming - note limits, or cheap local SIM) in case the provided internet is unworkable.

    Also do not get blinded by a cheap flight - the cost is going to come from accomodation. There are good resorts and places to stay in places like Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Italy etc that could be cheaper.
  4. Momo25's avatar
    [deleted]
    FrugalFergal's avatar
    Author
    £30-£50 a night? Ill be staying solo. No hostels or shared rooms. Im too old for that. Its the hotel cost that will be heaviest so I don't mind pricey flights if up to 30 days in a hotel is where I make the savings. The best Ive seen in €40/night in gran Canaria in a decent hotel with cheap Ryanair flights there and back.
  5. TheEssexFamily's avatar
    Just hope you don’t get called in
    FrugalFergal's avatar
    Author
    Called in for where? My boss is totally OK with me working remotely. I already did 2 weeks in Gran Canaria last month and that was fab. My work contract ends in February so they will have no problem with me working for a while out there at that time too
  6. aLV426's avatar
    I always consider hotels in Prague to be cheap - can be had for around £20~£25PP/night. It also has some of the cheapest places to eat . I keep threatening to have our team meetings there - cheaper to fly to Prague as a day return for meetings than to visit most places in the UK!
    FrugalFergal's avatar
    Author
    I met two Scottish ladies waiting for our airport shuttle and they had originally planned a weekend trip to York but it was cheaper to fly to and stay in Spain for that period. Its one of the reasons why although Id like to explore more of the UK, the trains and hotel costs just done make it seem worth it when its almost always cheaper and easier to fly to a sunny part of Europe.

    Prague is definitely interesting! I'll look into that as an option. Ive always heard great things about it.
  7. TristanDeCoonha's avatar
    I assume that because you would like a cheap place that the company isn't paying. Would it not be cheaper to rent an apartment for the time? Then you have all the facilities to yourself, without having to meet people, give tips, share an internet connection, etc.
    FrugalFergal's avatar
    Author
    Yes, Im paying for myself although my accountant said the cost of the trip was tax deductible against corporation tax (in my ltd company). For the numbers to stack up for 2-4 wks I have to keep the accomodation cost low and stick to shopping at super markets. Im pretty sure for the €40 a night I paid for a secure hotel room I could have rented an apartment for the same price a little further out. There are some quite large nice places away from the tourist areas near the desert which looked quite appealing. As long as the internet works OK and its not too far from the local bus stop it would be a contender.
  8. Helpful567's avatar
    The big question is - what about food and drink?
    Are you planning to eat out every day or are you looking for somewhere where you can cook.

    airbnb??

    vrbo??
    FrugalFergal's avatar
    Author
    The last time I went for a fortnight, I had a fridge in my room and access to the hotel kitchen's microwave so I just loaded up on supermarket food. I must have eaten out just twice in that time. It was just like working from home but with better weather and a sea view. Next time around I might just book an entire apartment as they have dedicated kitchens and cost around the same per night in the busy areas. If you go way out into the desert they're even cheaper although you're further away from the supermarkets.
  9. chrb's avatar
    Sounds great. I can't recommend anywhere but have a great time!
  10. DaveAndPauline's avatar
    Well having lived in Benalmadena in the Costa del sol for a couple of years when younger I thought back to how cheap it was to rent privately....I done a quick search on AirBnB for that area....and depending on what you really want there are perfectly acceptable rooms with wifi for circa £550 for the whole month of feb. One of those was including breakfast for about £550 per month lol. So there are defiantly cheapish options there. I can say that being on the southern part of spain it gets warmer quicker than the rest....expect temps of around 18 degrees. Rain comes in torrents and then dry for hours again.
    Having lived in the area this is exactly where I would be going.....Lucky bugger lol
  11. harrythefish's avatar
    Working a bit out of Tenerife atm. The Mrs booked AirBnbs which are impossibly expensive as a long term bet. So this is a suck it and see trial. Once we started exploring locally we found owners or their local agents doing longer term, eg minimum 2 weeks for a fraction of the AirBnb pricing. Confusingly one such had a link to VBRO which didn't have their property anywhere obvious but with higher prices. The trick is to get in touch personally I think, and/or use their local ex-pat Facebook group. But then they'll probably want a bank transfer...

    So it's all a bit of a minefield. Someone even stuck a poster on the wall in this complex I'm in, saying "Do not send money to a certain Mr. X for a rental as it won't be honoured".

    The good news is that 85% of Spain is fibre to the home (weep, Britons!) and I've been seeing speeds around 600 Mbps. All except here in my current apartment that is, where the fibre got knocked out by a storm and still isn't fixed. I'd prepared a backup for just this situation and that's working nicely though. I'll DM you something but as I've implied, buyer beware!
    FrugalFergal's avatar
    Author
    Ah nice! I had a lot of people suggesting Tenerife as a nice hotspot I think I might just do 2 weeks in the Canaries. The Ryanair flights are only £25 each way... Even cheaper than one side of London to another at peak rates. I was in Gran Canaria last month for 2 weeks working from my hotel and had a fantastic time. I'm looking to go back unless I'm missing a trick elsewhere
  12. TristanDeCoonha's avatar
    Don't forget to get your new SIMs from Lebara if mobile data is an issue for you
  13. James_SmithsAX's avatar
    It's already February, how's your search going? I am also working remotely. I recently had an amazing time in Madrid, Spain. It's got a vibrant culture, delicious food, and plenty of affordable accommodation options. I enjoy traveling while working, though. I don't know how to speak Spanish, but thanks to this guide, gowithguide.com/spa…rid who gave me local insight and accompanied me throughout my travel while working era . Hope you find the perfect spot for your remote work adventure 🍻
    FrugalFergal's avatar
    Author
    How long have you been working remotely from abroad? I did two weeks in Gran Canaria and loved it. It was work so busy during the week and got to relax more on the weekend. The accomodation was good and cheap although it was off season. I think prices start to rise a little especially in the popular areas. I did see some much cheaper places to stay away from the tourist area. I stuck to supermarkets for food on the whole. There is a huge digital nomad community here and I think its encouraged. On the down side there is a lot of resentment from locals who are getting priced out of rentals. You can see anti DN graffiti in some parts.

    I was only there for two weeks from London. Everyday we had blue skies and although it rained on the odd day it was generally lovely. London currently has the greyest skies you can imagine,

    The one thing that I was annoyed about was my lack of Spanish. Hola, Gracias, por favor, si - that was about it. Also not needing a bag when shopping. It restricted a lot of what I wanted to do. My hotel staff all spoke English and the touristy areas I could get around easy enough.

    I came back in December and from January Ive been taking 10 minute Spanish lessons online each day. Im loving it. Its very basic but its a start. Im going to ramp these up to 30 minutes a day in February and March. I can already 'hear' Spanish and understand native phrases. Im heading back to GC at the end of March for a week. Im not sure how good my Spanish will be by then by my New Years resolution is to be fluent by the end of this year!

    I'm keen to hear about your experience! Ive only ever been to Gran Canaria but once my Spanish improves I will be heading to other parts of Spain.
  14. James_SmithsAX's avatar
    I've been working remotely abroad for about a year now, hopping around different countries. It's been a blast exploring new places while keeping up with work. I totally get what you mean about the language barrier – it can be a bit frustrating at first, but awesome that you're taking Spanish lessons! It really does make a difference. Gran Canaria is on my list now after hearing your story. Maybe our paths will cross there someday, or in another part of Spain. Keep enjoying those adventures! 🍻
  15. James_SmithsAX's avatar
    Thanks a bunch! Yeah, traveling is such an adventure, isn't it? Wow, Tenerife is definitely on my list too.  Thanks for the tip about the Google phone - that live translate feature sounds super useful! 
's avatar