3.3 KiB
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)
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.