How to Work Remotely from Italy (Without Losing Your Mind over Internet Speeds)

Now that the Digital Nomad visa is active in Italy, more of us expats than ever are working remotely. But working from home doesn't always look like it does in the U.S., especially if you live in a more remote area as I do.

Still, along the way working as a freelancer, I've learned a few things that make working remotely from Italy a little bit easier.

1. Invest in Good Internet

I'm writing this article mid-August, when Calabria is filled with tourists and families returning to visit nonna and swim in the sea for a few weeks.

While that's all lovely, what it has meant is that our antenna internet service has all but ground to a halt. I've learned the hard way that this service gets its internet from a local cell tower. Throw in a few thousand extra souls obsessing over TikTok 24 hours a day, and there has become fierce competition to get access to the internet.

Normally, we would have signed up for fiber internet, but thanks to some drama with our neighbor, we had to opt for the antenna service.

I do not recommend it.

Nor do I recommend the services that involve inserting a SIM in the modem; it's the same thing. Rather than relying on internet delivered via a cable or fiber line, it connects to that cell phone tower that can't match the demand for wifi.

There are plenty of good internet options if you aren't fighting with your neighbor over the placement of a cable. We have TIM, but I don't like the customer service. There are also Vodafone, FastWeb, and others. I've heard good things about Starlink, which works via satellite.

2. Plan for the Unexpected

Even if you have good wifi, you'll likely have the occasional outage. We don't much have cafe culture where you'd find someone working on a laptop all day in a coffee shop. Maybe in larger cities.

Still, it's a good idea to decide what you'll do if your internet disappears. Using your phone's hotspot is one idea. (But, as I've learned, if the internet is slow, so is cell service, since it all pings that same damn tower!).

3. Modify Your Work Schedule

If you work with clients in the U.S. like I do, you may want to shift the hours you work if you need to have meetings or calls with them.

I'm productive in the morning, so I take care of things I can do without interacting with clients. I also run errands in the morning, since shops are closed from 1 to 4.

If I have client meetings, I try to be flexible, since they're often later in the day when I'm ready to shut down the computer and sip on a spritz with Fra on the balcony.

In the summer, work slows down, so I'll swim in the mornings, come back for lunch, take a nap, and then get to the core of my work. It's all about flexibility.

4. Get Adapters for Both Countries

I recently bought a new laptop and found out that computer companies don't even send chargers with them anymore. Fortunately, I had the correct charger from my old laptop. I also have an American charger, so if I take my laptop when I travel, I'm ready.

5. Make Sure You Have Air Conditioning

Americans take A/C for granted, but you won't find it in every house. I would die in the summer without it, so I'm happy to have an individual unit in my office. It's a nice little icebox when I'm working!

6. Educate Those Around You

In Italy, or at least in rural Calabria, working remotely is a foreign concept. My friends and family have no idea what I do. Sometimes it takes a bit of explaining...like that they can't show up at 10 a.m. expecting you to be available for a coffee. Even if they don't understand, they are in awe of the fact that I work with American clients! From my house! How glamorous (insert eye roll).

How I work remotely in Italy looks a little different than how I did it in America. Sometimes it's more frustrating. But living in a part of the country where jobs are hard to come by, I know how fortunate I am.