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Eagle-eyed readers will notice our primary business is about finding cheap flights. But that doesn’t mean we’ve closed the door on other forms of travel...
In fact, with the recent announcement of a new high-speed network of swanky sleeper trains in mainland Europe, we’re positively pumped at the prospect of some old-school/new-school overland adventure.
The Austrian federal railway’s excellently named ‘Nightjet’ service is scheduled to launch its new set of trains and increased service in 2022, connecting with Switzerland’s SBB (Swiss federal railways) to complete a network across the continent.
The lightweight, super-quiet (a quality many night rides like the Caledonian Sleeper and night train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok appear to have neglected) trains will be longer than the current models and will link Austria and Switzerland with Germany, Holland, Italy, Croatia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Spain, Belgium and tonnes of other European destinations.
If you’ve always wanted to fulfil your Grand Tour dreams, but haven’t fancied packing yourself into endless cramped carriages, this could be a solution. And if you plan your trip right, you can use night trains to skip over the boring bits without decent scenery. You can also book your tickets using trainline.com, which isn’t revolutionary, but you've probably used it to get home at Christmas and it's definitely easier than navigating your way through multiple European ticket vendors.
It’s been 200 years since the ‘Father of Railways’ himself, George Stephenson, convinced Edward Pease to swap horses for steam power on an 8-mile track from Stockton to Darlington, effectively kick-starting mass transit. So we’re excited to hit the rails again and enjoy a bit of affordable overnight glamour.
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On February 21st, American Airlines Flight 2292 contacted the Federal Aviation Administration traffic controllers, while flying over New Mexico no less, to ask, “do you have any targets up here? We just had something go right over the top of us. I hate to say this, but it looked like a long, cylindrical object that almost looked like a cruise missile type of thing moving really fast right over the top of us.”
So far so intriguing.
A spokesperson for American Airlines confirmed the recording is legitimate, and told the Albuquerque Journal that any other questions should be directed to the FBI, which is an excuse we’ll also be using from now on.
Both commercial and military pilots regularly spot freaky stuff when they’re out and about. And even the famously tight-lipped crew at the Pentagon have ‘fessed up to keeping an eye on things.
In 2017, the five-sided behemoth confirmed the existence of the $22-million ‘Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program’, which investigates reports of ‘unexplained aerial phenomena’, although they also said they shut it down in 2012, so...🤔
But that’s not the end of the story, UFO fans could be in for a treat this year after it was reported in February that a provision has been tucked away in the US government’s December Covid relief bill, that requires U.S. intelligence agencies to tell Congress what they know about UFOs by mid-2021.
No idea how that’s connected to Covid relief, but it’s definitely spicy.
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The nerve-jangling thrill of a swift go through security, having time to get a half-decent sandwich for the flight, winning the nearby departure gate lottery...
It’s weird what we’re missing about travel at the moment, and this fun new safety video from Air France, which went live on March 1st has reminded us of all the weird little bits that go into making a good trip.
It’s not the funniest safety video we’ve seen – That’s a toss-up between BA’s star-studded spot from a couple of years ago, and Air New Zealand’s Lord of the Rings themed classic – but it’s a banger nonetheless. Can’t wait to view it in glorious 30cm HD soon.
One of, if not the first in-flight movie – something called ‘Howdy Chicago’ – was shown to passengers on an Aeromarine Airways flight back in 1921. But it wasn’t until the 80s that pre-recorded safety videos became commonplace, roughly in line with the development of in-flight screens.
So what’s the future of the safety video? Hollywood stars, Tik Tok dancing cabin crew, or will footage of airline accidents be beamed directly into our synapses, sending us into a terrified fugue state for the duration of the flight? WHO KNOWS.
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Okay, what’s a workcation?
Pretty much exactly what it sounds like: you go somewhere nice and do your work from there.
Oh, simple. Not going to work for everyone though is it?
It’s definitely dependent on the type of work you do. But if all you need for your 9 to 5 is a laptop and an internet connection, it’s a pretty exciting prospect.
So how is it different to being a digital nomad?
Workcations are usually for a shorter, fixed length of time – think weeks and months, rather than a year plus – and people on a workcation usually stay in one location, rather than moving around.
Why are people talking about this now?
Well, for obvious reasons, people are thinking a lot about the future of their working lives and what they might look like. And while it’s not a universal truth, a huge majority of people who previously worked in offices are unlikely to return to five days a week. One recent survey found that 82% of companies plan to offer remote work at least part time after the pandemic.
Nice. So do you just book and go? Or is it more organised?
That’s up to you. If your work allows for it, you can go anywhere under your own steam. But there’s also more structured options for whether you’re on your own or in a group.
At the lux end of the spectrum, giant hotel group Hyatt are offering ‘Work from Hyatt’ across North American and the Caribbean. For a fixed price, you get a room, daily food vouchers, and a private work space, which might be another room, or (and this has to come at extra cost) a poolside cabana. Sounds nice, but could be a bit weird and soulless. Then there’s companies like Workation which set you up in a new city and organise everything from accommodation to a gym membership… for a price.
Our favourite option is KantoorKaravaan, which hires out cute converted caravans in the Dutch countryside
What about something a little less… corporate?
Ah, a free spirit. Well as stated above, if you can work from a laptop, you can work from anywhere. Every major European city will have shared co-working spaces, with many brands like WeWork offering international memberships. But it’s worth seeking out the independents, because the big ones can lack a bit of heart and colour. Volumes, in the heart of Paris, for example, is packed with entrepreneurs and start-ups, and even has its own food lab, which sounds fun.
There are co-working spaces popping up in more remote locations, too. Check out this Arctic Coworking Lodge in the Lofoten, Norway, for example. But perhaps our favourite option is KantoorKaravaan, which hires out cute converted caravans in the Dutch countryside. Each one has been specially refurbed for remote work, with decent Wi-Fi, toilets, kitchen and a coffee machine. And the best part? If you’re on a budget, you can volunteer your time with KantoorKaravaan or the causes they support for a discount on your stay.
Planning tips
How do you plan for a workation?
Like, psychologically? Well, just like normal work, it’s important to set boundaries. Depending on the demands of your job and what you’ve agreed with your employer, you need to plan your time so you don’t waste your trip or accidentally get fired. And if you’re going down the route of renting a room or apartment, do your due diligence on things like internet speeds and phone reception.
Similarly, if you’re in a location for an extended period of time, a desk consisting of some planks balanced on beer kegs (we’ve seen it) is not going to work long term, so ask for details and up to date pictures if they’re not provided, and check reviews to see how other workationers (ugh) found the location.
What time is it?
You also need to think about time zones. How responsive does your work require you to be? Where are the rest of the team? If you’re employed, probably check this and choose your location based on the answer from the boss. And if you’re freelance, just be mindful, especially if you like to keep quite rigid working/sleeping hours.
But if it all goes well, it’s getting easier and easier for you to make that fantasy you’ve had for a while become a reality.
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