# Workation Guide — Remote Work on the Road

> 3 colleagues working remotely across UK, Isle of Man, Ireland, and France. Aug 4 – Sep 2, 2026.

## Connectivity Setup

### Recommended Approach
One colleague buys a **Three UK SIM** on arrival at Harwich (available at Tesco, supermarkets, and convenience stores near the port). Three UK's Go Roam plan includes unlimited data roaming in Ireland at no extra cost — this single SIM covers England, Ireland, and France for the entire trip.

Use it as a **shared mobile hotspot** for all 3 colleagues. For light work (async Slack, email, occasional video calls), one hotspot is sufficient. If all 3 need simultaneous video calls regularly, consider a second SIM.

### Isle of Man Exception
The Isle of Man is a Crown Dependency with its own mobile networks (Manx Telecom, Sure). Most UK and Irish roaming plans exclude it or charge international rates. **Check your specific carrier's IoM policy before departure.** If not covered, options are:
- Buy a local SIM in Douglas (Manx Telecom shop on Strand Street)
- Use a global eSIM such as Airalo for the 2–4 days on the island

### France Return Leg
Three UK Go Roam covers France. No additional SIM or setup needed for the Sep 1–2 return.

### Apps to Install Before Departure
- Slack / Teams in offline mode
- VPN if required by your employer
- Cloud sync fully up to date (Google Drive / OneDrive / Dropbox offline files enabled)
- Download offline maps for Ireland and France (Maps.me or Google Maps offline areas)

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## Per-Stop Workation Ratings

| Stop | Connectivity | Best Workspace | Rating |
|------|-------------|----------------|--------|
| Harwich | Good | Hotel lobby | ⚡ Pass-through |
| Cambridge | Excellent | Cafés near Market Square; CB1 Coffee | ★★★★ |
| York | Good | Cafés near the Shambles; Brew & Brownie | ★★★ |
| Liverpool | Excellent | Baltic Triangle coworking spaces; hotel | ★★★★ |
| Isle of Man (Douglas) | Good | Hotels; cafés on Strand Street | ★★★ |
| Belfast | Excellent | Commercial Court area cafés; Wework-style coworking in city centre | ★★★★ |
| Donegal | Poor–Fair | Donegal Town cafés only; expect 4G outdoors, spotty in rural west | ★★ |
| Sligo | Good | Sligo town cafés; Johnston Court area | ★★★ |
| Westport (Mayo) | Good | Cafés on Bridge Street; hotels have reliable wifi | ★★★ |
| Clifden (Connemara) | Fair | Clifden town centre cafés; signal drops sharply outside town | ★★ |
| **Galway** | **Excellent** | **Coffeewerk + Press (Kirwan's Lane) — best café on the WAW; multiple coworking spaces** | **★★★★★** |
| Clare (Ennis) | Fair–Good | Ennis town for serious work days; Doolin itself is too rural | ★★★ |
| Kerry (Killarney) | Good | Killarney town cafés; Dingle has 2–3 decent options | ★★★ |
| **Dublin** | **Excellent** | **3fe (Grand Canal), Clement & Pekoe, Indie coworking spaces on Dawson St** | **★★★★★** |

### Notes
- **Best full work days:** Galway and Dublin. Plan your heaviest meetings / deadlines for these stops.
- **Avoid scheduling calls from:** Donegal coast, Clifden outskirts, Connemara bog roads, Doolin.
- **Isle of Man:** Douglas town is fine; connectivity drops outside the capital.
- **Ireland rural rule:** If you need 4G, stay within 5km of a town. The west coast is beautiful but the signal follows the roads.