New study names Budapest the 4th best city for a work-and-travel Christmas
To help remote workers find the best spots, Privacy Journal ranked the top destinations worldwide for working remotely over Christmas. They looked at factors like reliable internet, co-working spaces, affordability, and holiday atmosphere.
As the holiday season approaches, remote workers have a unique opportunity to blend work with festive travel. However, finding the perfect destination that offers both reliable connectivity and Christmas charm can be a challenge.
To help with this, Privacy Journal ranked the 48 best Christmas destinations that beautifully marry work and holiday spirit. Their criteria include essential factors such as connectivity and work environment—think broadband speeds, co-working spaces, free Wi-Fi, and available work desks in accommodations—alongside affordability (like Airbnb costs and public transport), vibrant nightlife, cosy coffee shops and eateries, shopping options, a festive atmosphere, and overall safety. With this guide, you can discover your ideal Christmas getaway that fits your work needs and holiday spirit.”
Key findings
- Dubrovnik, Croatia emerges as the surprise winner, offering a perfect balance of strong connectivity, reasonable costs, and a festive atmosphere.
- Eastern European cities dominate the top 10, with Prague, Krakow, and Budapest ranking highly due to their combination of affordability and holiday spirit.
- Budapest is the 4th best city for a work-and-travel Christmas, topping the charts in affordability at #1. It ranks 9th for festive atmosphere and shopping, with reliable connectivity and a good work environment placing it at 14th. While it stands at 17th for entertainment, it ranks 28th in safety, offering a mix of value and holiday spirit for remote workers.
- Despite high costs, traditional Christmas destinations like Edinburgh and Bruges still rank in the top 10 thanks to exceptional festive offerings.
- Asian cities Kyoto and Hong Kong make appearances in the top 1 1, showcasing strong connectivity (Hong Kong) and fun and unique Christmas experiences (both).
- Budget-friendly destinations tend to rank better, with seven of the top 10 cities offering below-average costs for accommodation and daily expenses.
Where can you stay connected while celebrating?
The highest-ranking holiday destinations for connectivity and work environment demonstrate that reliable internet and productive workspaces don’t have to come at the expense of the Christmas spirit. London leads this category with its modern infrastructure and high number of coworking spaces and free WiFi spots for digital nomads.
New York City is in second place, also with strong scores in the coworking spaces and free WiFi categories in addition to having some of the best internet speeds. Las Vegas follow closely with its impressive broadband internet speeds.
Notable mentions:
- Most coworking spaces (per capita): London, Frankfurt, Colmar
- Fastest internet speeds: Las Vegas, Hong Kong, New York City
- Most free WiFi spots: Athens, London, New York City
What are the most affordable Christmas getaways for remote workers?
Eastern European cities dominate the affordability rankings, offering excellent value for accommodation, transportation and daily expenses. Budapest dominates the affordability category overall, but among the top three, Warsaw stands out for its reasonable Airbnb pricing.
All three — Budapest, Bratislava and Warsaw — are hard to beat in terms of internet costs, beer prices and public transportation costs, though Shanghai is the cheapest for the latter and Athens takes the gold for the best-priced beer.
Cost highlights:
- Most affordable Airbnbs: Hong Kong, Tallinn, Warsaw
- Cheapest internet (60 mbps+): Krakow, Warsaw, Budapest
- Best public transport costs: Shanghai, Warsaw, Budapest, Bratislava
Where can you enjoy the most fun this Christmas?
The “Fun” category considers not just traditional Christmas activities but year-round entertainment that remote workers can enjoy after hours, contributing to a healthy work-life balance. Dubrovnik got the best score thanks to its high number of eateries, coffee shops and nightclubs per capita.
Other cities with relatively small populations and a seemingly endless choice of things to do — Reykjavik and Bruges — take second and third place respectively. Kyoto also scores particularly well here, with its intriguing blend of natural beauty, historical charm and modern entertainment options.
Entertainment highlights:
- Most nightlife venues (per capita): Dubrovnik, New Orleans, Bruges
- Most culinary options (per capita): Dubrovnik, Kyoto, Las Vegas
- Most coffee shops (per capita): Dubrovnik, Kyoto, Edinburgh
Which cities are the best for holiday gift shopping and festive experiences?
Traditional European Christmas destinations excel in this category, with their centuries-old Christmas markets and elaborate light displays. The top five contains several cities renowned for their dazzling Christmas markets and “winter wonderland” vibes, including London, Edinburgh, Vienna and Strasbourg.
Dubrovnik once again makes it into the top five with its abundance of shopping centers and gift shops per capita. This and the city’s affordability (it ranks at number six in the “cost” category) make it the ideal Christmas getaway for busy workers to catch up on last-minute shopping.
Shopping & festive highlights:
- Most Christmas markets Google searches: Edinburgh, Vienna, Strasbourg, Prague
- Most Christmas lights Google searches: London, New York City, Las Vegas
- Most gift shops (per capita): Dubrovnik, Bruges, Reykjavik
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