Work in the morning, beach or hike in the afternoon: the workation is the art of combining a few days of work with a real holiday setting. It has become a reflex for many remote workers, freelancers and salaried staff on flexible schedules: you extend a trip, you go away with the family while keeping two or three hours of work a day, or you simply treat yourself to a change of scenery without taking leave. The only real trap is arriving on site with nothing planned and spending your first morning looking for a decent connection instead of working. We have put together the complete guide: how to choose your spot, the French destinations best suited to it this summer, and our tips for truly switching off the rest of the time.

What is a workation, in practice?

Contrary to what you might imagine, the idea is not to work eight hours facing the sea. Spoiler: it does not work, you end up frustrated and you have enjoyed nothing. A successful workation means concentrating your important hours into a short, calm slot, in a place that is genuinely made for working, then closing the laptop to enjoy the rest of the day.

In practice, that means finding a good cafe or a coworking space with a day pass for your video calls and tasks that need concentration, rather than scattering yourself between the wobbly table of the rental and the temperamental wifi of the campsite. You gain efficiency over your two or three hours of work, and you free your mind for what follows. It is this small change of setting that makes all the difference between a holiday ruined by work and a stay where everything coexists without stress.

Choosing your spot before you leave

Most workation headaches come from a lack of planning. Four criteria are enough to avoid a nasty surprise, and a quick look before booking saves you a huge amount of time once you are there:

  • The wifi is the key issue. In high season, packed terraces and shared networks quickly saturate, and a stuttering video call can cost you an entire meeting. Aim for a place whose connection has already been measured rather than the first cafe you come across on the harbour.
  • The outlets, which we always forget until the moment the battery dies. Spot places with accessible outlets at the seat, especially if you string calls together or your laptop does not last half a day.
  • The opening hours, often extended or shifted on holiday. Many cafes only open mid-morning in summer: if you work early to free up your afternoon, check the opening time before relying on it.
  • The calm, essential for calls and deep work. For that, a day-pass coworking space remains the safest bet: no subscription, you pay for your day or half-day, and you get a real chair, silence and a solid connection.

Our map and city guides give you all this information place by place, so you arrive already knowing where you will set up your laptop.

The best destinations for a workation in France

Not all cities are equal for mixing work and holidays. Here are the places in France where we have already spotted enough good spots for it to hold up, sorted by broad area.

Basque coast and Landes

This is probably the most popular surf-and-work combo in France, and for good reason: a density of quality cafes, a real specialty coffee culture, and serious coworking spaces on the connection side. We have a dedicated workation guide for Biarritz, Anglet, Hossegor, Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Bayonne: enough to schedule your work morning, spot by spot, before a beach session or an end of day in the cool.

Atlantic coast and Brittany

For a salty break that is a bit calmer, head to Saint-Malo, where the cafes inside the walls and the coworking spaces in the centre do the job between two walks on the ramparts. And if you are looking for a more urban base camp before heading out to the basin or the ocean, Bordeaux remains unbeatable: a big choice of places, a direct train to the coast, and everything you need to work comfortably.

Mountains and lake

Want fresh air rather than hot sand? Annecy ticks every box: the lake within cycling distance, a setting that makes you want to close the laptop early, and a nice selection of places designed for working a few hours before going for a dip. In summer, it is one of the most pleasant workation destinations in France.

South and Mediterranean

If you are aiming for guaranteed sun, the South offers a big network of cafes and coworking spaces, perfect for a studious morning followed by a lazy afternoon. We have dedicated workation guides for Nice, Cannes, Marseille, Montpellier, Aix-en-Provence and Perpignan, with welcome air-conditioned spots when the thermometer goes wild.

Working without burning up (literally)

In summer, the real issue is not so much noise as heat. A terrace in full sun at 3pm is a guarantee of an unreadable screen, an overheating laptop and shattered concentration. The right strategy comes in two steps: favour a shaded terrace for the morning coolness, when the air is still breathable and places are not full, then switch to a cool place during the hottest hours of the afternoon. Your video calls will thank you, your laptop too, and you keep a clear head for the tasks that matter.

Truly switching off the rest of the time

The secret of a successful workation is not the destination, it is the framework you set yourself. Block your work slots in advance, for example from 8am to 11am, and stick to them: it is easier to concentrate when you know the end is near. Let your team know your hours so nobody expects you in the afternoon, and above all, turn off notifications once the laptop is closed.

The classic trap is keeping an eye on your emails all day and never really switching off, which amounts to working continuously without doing it properly. The goal of a workation is not to work on holiday: it is to work a little, well, so you can enjoy a lot. Set your limits and stick to them, that is what makes the experience sustainable over several days.

Find your spot for this summer

Leaving soon? Spot your places in advance on the Deskover map and arrive with a clear mind, without losing your first morning looking for somewhere to settle in.

Frequently asked questions

What is a workation?

It is a blend of "work" and "vacation": you combine remote work and holidays by working a few hours a day from where you are staying, then enjoying the rest of the day. The idea is to change your setting without necessarily taking leave, keeping a light but efficient work rhythm.

Where can I work remotely on holiday without a subscription?

In a cafe with a good connection or, better for calls, in a coworking space with a day pass. You pay by the day or half-day, with no commitment or monthly subscription. Our city guides indicate, destination by destination, the suitable spots and their access conditions.

How do I get good wifi on holiday?

Choose a place whose connection has already been measured rather than a random cafe, avoid saturated terraces in high season, and settle in in the morning when networks are less loaded. Also keep a mobile hotspot as a backup for really important video calls: it is the safety net that avoids panic.

How many hours a day should I work during a workation?

Two to three hours in a short, calm slot is generally enough, rather than working all day facing the sea.

Which criteria should I check before choosing my spot?

The wifi, the outlets, the opening hours (often shifted in summer) and the calm for calls. A day-pass coworking space generally ticks all four.

_If the heat joins your workation, find an air-conditioned cafe to work in the cool in your host city._