mood photoConnection · Airalo
eSIM for the first week
For you if you want to work from the first morning.
Trade-off buy a local SIM in week two if you stay a month; eSIM is for not losing day one.
Guide · for nomad travellers
Your first week as a digital nomad
Seven things to sort in seven days. Do them in this order and by day eight you are working, not setting up.
the whole list0 of 9 packed
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The first week abroad is the one where people quit. Not because the place is wrong, but because wifi, money and a sore back arrive together. This list is in the order that stops that: connection first, then protection, then money, then a desk, then a routine.
Each item is a decision with a trade-off, not a purchase. Where a product helps, it is linked.
Day 1 and 2: connection
start here ↓mood photoSee it at Airalo →
mood photoHabit · Habit
A wifi speed test at every place you consider working
For you if your work has video calls.
Trade-off landlords and cafes say 'fast wifi' as a reflex; the test takes 30 seconds and saves a month.
Day 3: protection
then this ↓
mood photoInsurance · SafetyWing
Nomad medical insurance
For you if your home insurance stops at the border, which it usually does after 30 to 90 days.
Trade-off it covers medical emergencies, not every trip problem; read the exclusions for the sport you plan to do.
mood photoSecurity · NordVPN
VPN
For you if you log into banking and client systems from shared wifi.
Trade-off slows weak connections and some banking apps refuse VPN traffic, so you will toggle it.
Day 4: money
the fun part ↓
mood photoMoney · Wise
Multi-currency account and card
For you if you get paid in one currency and spend in another.
Trade-off it is not a bank with a credit line; keep a credit card for car hire and emergencies.
mood photoHabit · Habit
One local ATM with no fee, found and noted
For you if you will need cash for markets and scooters.
Trade-off airport ATMs charge the most; the right one is usually a bank branch in town.
Day 5 and 6: desk
do not skip ↓
mood photoDesk · Roost or Nexstand
Folding laptop stand
For you if your neck already hurts from the kitchen table.
Trade-off useless without a mouse; the pair is the minimum. Full kit in the cafe desk guide.
mood photoHabit · Local coworking
Coworking day pass before a monthly plan
For you if you need a reliable desk and other humans.
Trade-off monthly plans are cheaper per day but you do not yet know if you like the place or the neighbourhood.
Day 7: routine
start here ↓mood photoHabit · Habit
A fixed start time in your client's time zone
For you if you work with people far away.
Trade-off early mornings or late nights are the cost of a cheap time zone; pick one and keep it, do not float.
What to leave at home
lighter alreadyskip:A new laptop before you leave
The one you have works. Buy abroad only if it breaks.
skip:A year-long apartment
Book two weeks, then a month. Neighbourhoods look different at night and on Mondays.
Save this guide for the next trip
two pins, pick oneLists change as we swap out items that stop earning their place. The pin always points to the current version of this page.
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