KAYAK reveals the best countries for travel and remote working in 2022

As more people embrace flexible working environments and set their sights on their 2022 ‘workation’ (AKA, a vacation that blends leisure and remote working), KAYAK reveals the best countries in the world to work remotely from, with Portugal topping the list.

KAYAK’s first Work from Wherever Index is the ultimate source for those looking to set up a new office away from home temporarily or for a longer period of time. To develop the index, KAYAK closely analysed 111 countries and ranked each against 22 factors across six categories: travel costs and accessibility; local prices; health & safety; remote working capabilities; social life; and weather. Ultimately, revealing the best countries that are easiest to work from while having a lot of fun in your off-hours.

Without further ado, the top 10 best countries for combining productive working conditions and opportunities for travel adventures according to KAYAK are:

• Portugal
• Spain
• Romania
• Mauritius
• Japan
• Malta
• Costa Rica
• Panama
• Czech Republic
• Germany

Portugal was ranked the all-round best country to work remotely from worldwide, scoring high across the board in all categories, including great weather, high abundance of places for going out, low-crime rates, and relatively low cost of living. Portugal also offers a digital nomad visa, and many locals have a high English proficiency that attracts expats.

Spain came in second place, largely due to its high quantity of restaurants and cafes per capita, paired with fast internet speed, plenty of co-working spaces and remote visas for freelancers. It also has a buzzing nightlife and is very LGBTQ+ friendly. Romania rounds up the top third place, primarily because it offers very attractive prices when it comes to long-term apartment rentals and local food.

In addition to the Work from Wherever Index, KAYAK features a new time zone ranking to help users quickly and easily find out the time differences for their trip – ideal for those looking to swerve 2am conference calls whilst working abroad. The time zone-focused rankings take key factors and categories from the Work from Wherever Index into account but displays them according to your work country of origin – so the countries that have time zones closest to your own work time zone will be featured higher up on the list of country destinations. The tool also provides information on the latest travel restrictions and local vaccination rates per country.

“At KAYAK we’re embracing the opportunity for people to work from almost anywhere in the world, and we expect it to be a rising trend amongst travellers in 2022 and beyond. That’s why we wanted to create a tool that helps travellers easily find destinations that cater to this new hybrid way of working, identifying the countries that offer great working conditions while also boasting with amazing things to see and do in your down time,” comments Laure Bornet, GM, KAYAK EMEA.