4 ms·

Well, obviously there has to be some kind of booking system, but it could work on a more ad-hoc basis. You can stay in your current location for as long as you

Well, obviously there has to be some kind of booking system, but it could work on a more ad-hoc basis. You can stay in your current location for as long as you like, or you can login and see which other locations have capacity, then let them know you'll be coming in day or so. Would this be less convenient in certain situations, where you had definite travel plans in advance? Sure. But it'd also encourage and enable the kind "nomadic" approach they claim to be delivering, and you could always use a regular hotel if you absolutely had to be in a particular city one a particular date. As it stands, "business hotel with guaranteed decent wifi" might be a useful market niche, but it's a far cry from the kind paradigm-shift this seems to be being spun as. And I think there would be something quite interesting in doing it for real.

a13n 9y ago
Flight fares and tourist visa applications don't really jive with the last minute "we'll come and go when we want" mentality. It's quite expensive to travel this way, and you usually need an exit flight booked before entering. Otherwise you're gonna have a heck of a time convincing the border guard you're actually planning on leaving. I'm all for a world with fewer borders and this flexible mentality you describe. I just think it'll take a while for governments / transportation to make it feasible.
- Mediterraneo10 9y ago
  > you usually need an exit flight booked before entering. Otherwise you're gonna have a heck of a time convincing the border guard you're actually planning on leaving. Digital nomad here. Only a small minority of countries across the world enforce any rule about having to prove that you will actually leave the country, and so often nomads don’t book their flight/bus/train out of a country until they have already entered it and spent some time there. Digital nomads know, for example, that UK officials are particularly strict and hard to please, and getting a Chinese visa might require faking some plane tickets. But for most of the rest of the world, the border officials will simply wave through anyone from a developed country who says they are there for tourism.
  - mseebach 9y ago
    > might require faking some plane tickets > who says they are there for tourism I'm not a nomad, I guess I enjoy nesting too much for that to be an effective lifestyle for me. But I'd be very cautious about choosing a professional lifestyle that's predicated on routinely misrepresenting myself to the authorities.
  - collyw 9y ago
    "Only a small minority of countries across the world enforce any rule about having to prove that you will actually leave the country". My guess is that it will depend a lot on the passport you arrive with.
  - notahacker 9y ago
    A lot of the time it's not the border guards enforcing the rule, it's the airline (which is on the hook for a return flight and a fine in the unlikely event of you being turned away at the border). This can catch you out even in countries like Thailand with visa free policies and an extremely relaxed approach to border runs. Refundable tickets are a much smarter move than fake ones.
fyfy18 9y ago
I’ve found Airbnb to be the best way to deal with this. Book for few weeks, then talk to the owner about staying longer. If there is good supply in the area, then you have a good chance of being able to stay longer as it won’t be booked. Alternatively they may have other properties you can stay in. Having guaranteed WiFi and a desk would be good though. Even in hotels designed for business use it’s often hit and miss.
- dazc 9y ago
  'I’ve found Airbnb to be the best way to deal with this.' You've had better luck than me then. I've got places with good internet but lots of noise; the one place that was quiet had no internet. Quite frustrating really.

a13n 9y ago

Flight fares and tourist visa applications don't really jive with the last minute "we'll come and go when we want" mentality. It's quite expensive to travel this way, and you usually need an exit flight booked before entering. Otherwise you're gonna have a heck of a time convincing the border guard you're actually planning on leaving. I'm all for a world with fewer borders and this flexible mentality you describe. I just think it'll take a while for governments / transportation to make it feasible.

Mediterraneo10 9y ago
> you usually need an exit flight booked before entering. Otherwise you're gonna have a heck of a time convincing the border guard you're actually planning on leaving. Digital nomad here. Only a small minority of countries across the world enforce any rule about having to prove that you will actually leave the country, and so often nomads don’t book their flight/bus/train out of a country until they have already entered it and spent some time there. Digital nomads know, for example, that UK officials are particularly strict and hard to please, and getting a Chinese visa might require faking some plane tickets. But for most of the rest of the world, the border officials will simply wave through anyone from a developed country who says they are there for tourism.
- mseebach 9y ago
  > might require faking some plane tickets > who says they are there for tourism I'm not a nomad, I guess I enjoy nesting too much for that to be an effective lifestyle for me. But I'd be very cautious about choosing a professional lifestyle that's predicated on routinely misrepresenting myself to the authorities.
- collyw 9y ago
  "Only a small minority of countries across the world enforce any rule about having to prove that you will actually leave the country". My guess is that it will depend a lot on the passport you arrive with.
- notahacker 9y ago
  A lot of the time it's not the border guards enforcing the rule, it's the airline (which is on the hook for a return flight and a fine in the unlikely event of you being turned away at the border). This can catch you out even in countries like Thailand with visa free policies and an extremely relaxed approach to border runs. Refundable tickets are a much smarter move than fake ones.

fyfy18 9y ago

I’ve found Airbnb to be the best way to deal with this. Book for few weeks, then talk to the owner about staying longer. If there is good supply in the area, then you have a good chance of being able to stay longer as it won’t be booked. Alternatively they may have other properties you can stay in. Having guaranteed WiFi and a desk would be good though. Even in hotels designed for business use it’s often hit and miss.

dazc 9y ago
'I’ve found Airbnb to be the best way to deal with this.' You've had better luck than me then. I've got places with good internet but lots of noise; the one place that was quiet had no internet. Quite frustrating really.