The Best Destinations for A ‘ Workation ‘ – Where to Work Remote This Year

Have you guys heard?! Workations are all the rage this year. With more and more jobs going fully remote due to COVID-19, it’s a great time to get out of your house and work from anywhere. You can try out a new place you’ve always dreamed about living, or strike a work-life balance in an exotic vacation destination. But where should you go? And what things do you need to consider when choosing a workcation destination?

Workation: (noun) – a working vacation. 

What you need to consider when going on a working vacation:

The time zone!

Depending on what your job is, you won’t want to take a work-cation somewhere where it’s going to be tough to work on your normal time zone. Most people will want to stick within their time zone, but some will love to go west to somewhere like Hawaii, where it’s easy to wake up early and get all you work done by noon, and have the afternoon at the beach. 

The amount of time spent

Unlike a vacation where you can easily bounce from one place to another every 2-3 days, a workation requires a little stability to stay productive. If you’re traveling someplace new every few days, you’ll be drained from the travel, won’t have time to settle and work, and lastly can’t explore the place you’re staying well enough. I would say anywhere from two to six weeks is ideal for workationing.

The keys to a good workation destination:

A great speed internet connection

A comfy desk and chair you can sit and work at (check out all my favorite home office essentials on Amazon here)

A supermarket, coffee shop, and such nearby so that you don’t have to travel far for basics.

A good kitchen if you like to cook (or good restaurants nearby to Postmates from!)

Okay, so where should you go on your working vacation?

Here are 10 dreamy workation destinations, and where to stay for your remote working getaway!

Santa Barbara, California

With its laid-back lifestyle, farm-to-table restaurants, luxury beachside resorts, local wineries, and, of course, the Funk Zone, Santa Barbara is hard to beat for a workation destination in California. For a sunny, beachy working getaway, where you don’t feel too remote while working remote, this beach town 100 miles up the coast of Los Angeles is a great choice.

Palm Springs, California

If you love golf, pools, and year-round sunshine, look no further than a Palm Springs workation. The best part about working remote from Palm Springs is you can get an awesome house for pretty cheap, with great wifi, access to golf, shopping, a pool, and nearby restaurants. It’s an ideal place to work for a month remote this year.

San Diego, California

From endless water activities to keep you busy like surfing, sailing, and paddle-boarding, to a thriving restaurant scene, San Diego has something for everyone if you like sun, surf, sand and the sea. Spend your days working and your evenings heading out to the beach for a sunset walk. On weekends, go explore La Jolla, or maybe even go south of the border into Valle De Guadalupe wine country! San Diego is such a fun remote work base in the USA, and I highly recommend it. 

Maui, Hawaii

Hole up in a resort or condo in Maui and have a fabulous working vacation while you spend your afternoons drinking mai tais on the beach. Hawaii is always one of my favorite places to work remote from because you naturally will wake up early (it’s a 3 hour time difference from the west coast), meaning by the time you get up you have a ton of work to do, but you’ll finish by the time it’s 5pm on the west coast, which is 2pm Hawaii time. And since my ideal work day ends at 2pm, this is my pick for where to workation this year, for sure. Plus, it’s warm year round, and feels like a vacation, even if you’re working.
Read more: The best Maui, Hawaii travel guide

 

Scottsdale, Arizona

If you’re looking for a winter workation, chances are you’re looking to escape the hold and head to some warm weather. No place is better for this than sunny Scottsdale, where you can find an epic airbnb for a super affordable price, and make this Arizona gem of a town your home. On the weekend, hit up some of the award-winning spas, or take a hike in the gorgeous desert landscapes. 

 

Austin, Texas

Ever dreamt about picking up and moving to Austin, Texas? Well now’s your chance!!! Texas’s culture hub of Austin is a PERFECT workation getaway. With a to-die-for food scene, mild winter weather, and great places to stay, this is definitely a top contender for best place to work remote from in the USA. 

Read more: The best Austin Texas travel guide

Charleston, South Carolina

From the sweeter-than-sweet-tea South Carolina locals, to the stately and historical old Southern colonial homes, Charleston is the absolute charm of the South. The only shame in visiting the city is that so much of its magic comes in its pace and way of life – something that’s hard to grasp in a short trip. But that’s something you can change by going on a working vacation to Charleston, and truly embracing the Southern way of life. Check out my foodie guide to Charleston here for all the best restaurant recs.

 

Read more: The best neighborhoods to live in Charleston, South Carolina

The Ultimate Charleston Guide

Sonoma, California

Sonoma County, Napa‘s laid-back little sister, is one of my absolute favorite places to travel in California, and is a great spot to stay for a few weeks. With a gorgeous coastline (that makes some of the best pinot noirs in the world!), redwood forests, hillsides of rolling vineyards, a small, farmtown vibe, Sonoma is a great workation destination. In the Summer and Fall, you’ll catch harvest season, one of the most exciting and popular times to visit wine country in California, but in the Spring, you’ll have some of the most beautiful weather of the whole year, and in the winter, you’ll enjoy cozy fireplaces, romantic rainstorms, and amazing red wine.

 

 

Miami, Florida

When it comes to fun USA destinations for travel this year, Miami is always a great idea. With a ton of open-air activities, spacious resorts and beaches, outdoor dining, and a retro-chic, art-deco, colorful, uniquely-Miami vibe everywhere you look, a few weeks in Miami will be just what the doctor ordered to get out of the house and onto the beach this winter.

Also, wow, when I was finding these places, I’m stunned at the quality of place with oceanviews you can find for SO cheap for the month in Miami. BRB moving here.

 

Or, head north to Palm Beach for a quieter beach escape, (but still with enough going on)

The ultimate Palm Beach travel guide

 

Check out these other posts:

The best weekend destinations in California

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The best trips to take in your twenties

The best girls trip destinations

The 10 best luxury resorts in the US

What to pack for a beach vacation

The best high-quality matching couples swimsuits

The best travel reward credit cards

The best villas with pools to stay in in Bali

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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WRITTEN BY:

Christina is a leading luxury lifestyle and travel blogger with over 2 million readers. Follow her on instagram @jetsetchristina.

  • Brittany Pieper
    REPLY

    Have taken two workcations to Santa Barbara since quarantine and was looking to switch things up next time around – this post is SO helpful! Thanks for all of the reco’s!

    October 11, 2020
  • Lauren
    REPLY

    Great list! San Diego and Santa Barbara are favorites of mine!

    February 9, 2022

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