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Working From Rome is the new Working From Home, as more than half of over 55s want to take their home office overseas
- Over half (55%) of over 55s currently working said that if they were able to, they would live and work somewhere overseas or abroad for more than one month
- Remote working has become common practice, meaning that many are able to take a “working holiday” and set up their home office abroad for a few months
- Audley Villages has analysed data to identify the best locations to work away from home
Almost a quarter (23%) of Brits have taken an extended holiday (a period away from home for a month or longer), and more than half (55%) of working adults over 55 said that if they were able to, they would live and work somewhere overseas or abroad for more than one month.
Due to the pandemic, remote working has gone from being a rarity to common practice for many businesses. This has enabled the possibility of taking a ‘working holiday,’ in which someone can carry out their job role remotely whilst being abroad. For over 55s wanting to work remotely abroad, 57% stated that reliable Wi-Fi is their most important factor, followed closely by affordable accommodation(50%). Nearly half (49%) are motivated to work abroad to be in beautiful surroundings with long walks, and more than a quarter (27%) favoured locations with good restaurants.
Audley Villages has analysed data to look at some of the most suitable locations for a working holiday. The criteria is that they must be within two hours of the same time zone as the UK, have Wi-Fi that is as fast, or faster as the UK, is lower on the cost-of-living index, and has the most hours of annual sunshine, the most restaurants in the Michelin Guide, plus the most UNESCO world heritage sites.
| Country | Internet download speed (according to Speedtest.net) | Cost Of Living Index | Annual hours of sunshine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 137 Mbps | 53.88 | 2524 |
| Italy | 54 Mbps | 66.47 | 1900 |
| Germany | 75 Mbps | 65.58 | 1625 |
| Malta | 92 Mbps | 67.84 | 2957 |
| Portugal | 111 Mbps | 47.94 | 2799 |
| Brazil (Fernando de Noronha) | 91 Mbps | 33.24 | 2363 |
| Moldova | 93 Mbps | 30.35 | 2060 |
| Hungary | 100 Mbps | 40.66 | 1928 |
| Poland | 91 Mbps | 38.95 | 1800 |
| Latvia | 68 Mbps | 48.45 | 1790 |
Top of the list for a remote working holiday is good Wi-Fi
Over half (57%) would need to have a location that facilitated fast and reliable Wi-Fi, 50% mentioned cheap accommodation would be needed, 49% said they would like beautiful surroundings for long walks and 27% said excellent restaurants would be needed if they were to stay there that long.
Based on Wi-Fi speeds and cost of living, with factors such as sunshine hours, Michelin Guide restaurants and UNESCO heritage sites taken into account, Spain, with its popular coastlines, historic cities and over 200 Michelin-starred restaurants, takes top spot as the ultimate destination for a working holiday. Other popular European destinations such as Germany, Portugal and Malta also feature in the top 10.
For those seeking somewhere more exotic that still falls within reasonable working time zones, Brazil’s spectacular island archipelagos such as Fernando de Noronha feature as the furthest location, as well as perhaps being the most interesting and different to the UK. Known for its, unspoilt scenery, pristine beaches, and incredible scuba diving, the islands are perfect for people looking for a truly unique escape. With faster internet speeds and a cost-of-living index more than half that of the UK – while still only 2 hours behind - a working holiday in Brazil could be the ultimate destination for those chasing adventure.
For those after something a bit different, the legendary Milestii Mici wine cellar, featuring over 75 miles of wine roads and 2 million bottles near the historic city of Chisinau, makes Moldova an attractive proposition for Brits wanting to try somewhere that they may not have previously considered. Moldova also boasts 500 hours of sunshine per year more than the UK, hence the ideal wine production.
Research was conducted with Opinium between 11th and 17th March 2022. 2,005 UK consumers (972 aged 18-54, 1,033 (55+) were surveyed.
Internet speeds are taken from the latest data from Speedtest.net, based on fixed broadband.
Cost of living index figures can be found on numbeo.com.
