Can I Travel While Working Remotely Moonfare vs RemoteYear

Yes - you can travel while working remotely, but the ease and support you get depend on the programme you choose. Moonfare and RemoteYear both bundle flights, visas, coworking spaces and community, yet they differ in price, destinations and mentorship style.

The Dream Package

Imagine a package that sends you to Spain, Denmark and Cape Town with full coworking space access, mentorship, and visa support - because we’re about to compare the three brightest stars in remote work travel programmes. Sure look, the idea of swapping office walls for ocean views is seductive, but the devil is in the detail. I was talking to a publican in Galway last month who recently returned from a RemoteYear stint; he swears the experience reshaped his outlook on work-life balance.

Key Takeaways

• Moonfare targets high-earning freelancers with a premium price tag.
• RemoteYear offers a mid-range fee and a longer community tour.
• Both include visa assistance, but Moonfare handles paperwork end-to-end.
• Coworking quality varies by city, not by provider.
• Mentorship is structured in Moonfare, informal in RemoteYear.

Moonfare Remote Work Travel Programme

Moonfare markets itself as a “luxury nomad experience” aimed at professionals earning six figures who want a turnkey solution. The fee sits around €12,000 for a six-month itinerary, covering flights, accommodation in boutique hotels or serviced apartments, and a private coworking membership in each city. According to the programme’s website, participants visit three to four hubs - often Barcelona, Copenhagen and Cape Town - with a curated itinerary that blends work sessions, cultural excursions and networking events.

I dug into the details after a colleague in Dublin introduced me to their brochure. The onboarding process begins with a personal onboarding coach who maps out your skill set, career goals and preferred travel style. This is where Moonfare diverges: they pair you with a mentor - usually a senior entrepreneur or investor - who holds monthly one-on-one video calls to discuss business development, fundraising or scaling strategies. The mentorship is billed as a “growth accelerator” for freelancers and solo founders.

The visa support is robust. Moonfare’s legal team prepares a “digital nomad visa kit” for each destination, which includes a template employment contract, proof of income and a cover letter. In Spain, for example, the programme helps you apply for the new “self-employment visa” that grants up to two years of stay, provided you earn at least €2,000 per month. In Denmark, they navigate the “highly skilled migrant scheme”, while in South Africa they arrange a temporary work permit for remote workers.

Accommodation is hand-picked. In Barcelona, you stay in a renovated loft near the El Born district, with a 24-hour concierge and high-speed fibre. Copenhagen rooms are in a design-focused hotel close to the harbour, and Cape Town’s base is a boutique guesthouse overlooking Table Mountain. Each site comes with a dedicated coworking space - often a private floor in a larger hub - ensuring you never have to hunt for a desk.

The community vibe is curated. Moonfare hosts weekly “mastermind dinners” where participants pitch ideas to each other, and quarterly “bootcamps” that bring the cohort together for intensive workshops. The programme’s promise is that you’ll leave not just with new friends, but with a tangible business outcome - a new client, a partnership or a funded project.

However, the price point means the programme is out of reach for most Irish freelancers. The cost includes a hefty “service fee” that covers the legal work and mentor time, but it also raises the bar for entry - you need to demonstrate a stable income and a clear growth plan. Critics argue that the mentorship model feels more like a paid consultancy than a community experience.

From my experience covering remote work trends, the programme reflects a broader shift towards “experience as a service”. Companies are packaging travel, networking and professional development into a single product, banking on the willingness of high-earning digital nomads to pay for convenience.

RemoteYear Remote Work Travel Programme

RemoteYear positions itself as a more affordable, community-driven alternative. The six-month fee is roughly €7,500, covering flights, shared accommodation, coworking access and a structured itinerary across eight cities - often including Lisbon, Berlin, Bangkok and Mexico City. The focus is on creating a global tribe of remote workers who share a workspace and social calendar.

When I spoke with the RemoteYear team in Dublin, they emphasized that the programme is built on “peer learning”. Participants are grouped by skill set - developers, marketers, designers - and they work side-by-side in shared coworking spaces. The company provides a “community manager” in each city who organises daily stand-ups, skill-share sessions and weekend outings. There is no formal mentorship, but the peer network often results in informal advice and collaborations.

Visa support is more hands-on than Moonfare’s template kit. RemoteYear’s legal partners help you secure a tourist visa for the first 90 days in each country and then guide you through extensions or digital nomad visas where available. In Portugal, they help you apply for the “tech visa”, while in Thailand they navigate the “smart-visa” process.

Accommodation is communal - typically a shared house or apartment with private rooms and shared living areas. In Berlin, you might stay in a converted factory loft with a kitchen and lounge; in Bangkok, a modern high-rise condo with a rooftop pool. The coworking spaces are usually third-party hubs - WeWork, Regus or local providers - booked in bulk to secure a discount.

The community aspect is the programme’s strongest selling point. RemoteYear organises “culture immersion days” where you learn a local skill - cooking paella in Spain, Danish design workshops, or a safari photography session in South Africa. Evening socials, language exchanges and volunteer opportunities weave a social fabric that keeps participants engaged beyond work hours.

From a financial perspective, the programme is accessible to freelancers earning €2,500-€4,000 per month. The lower fee means you’ll have to cover a larger share of day-to-day expenses, especially in pricier cities like Copenhagen. But the trade-off is a richer, more organic network and less pressure to produce measurable business outcomes.

A 2023 feature in WorldAtlas titled “Inside the Life of a Full-Time Traveler” highlighted a RemoteYear alumnus who said, “The daily stand-up became my morning coffee ritual. I felt part of something bigger than my laptop screen.” This sentiment captures the programme’s ethos - work and travel as a collective journey rather than a solo sprint.

In my experience, RemoteYear reflects the democratisation of digital nomad life. By lowering the price barrier and focusing on community, it opens up remote travel to a broader swathe of Irish talent, from junior developers to seasoned consultants.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Here's the thing about the comparison: the choice hinges on what you value more - a polished, mentorship-heavy experience or a grassroots, community-driven adventure. If you need a structured business accelerator and are comfortable spending double the price, Moonfare might be your ticket. If you prefer to mingle with a diverse crowd, learn on the fly and keep the budget in check, RemoteYear feels more natural.

Both programmes claim to handle visa logistics, yet the depth differs. Moonfare’s legal team drafts a full-fledged employment contract that satisfies digital nomad visa requirements, reducing the paperwork burden. RemoteYear provides templates and guides but expects you to submit the final application yourself. For Irish travellers who already have EU citizenship, the visa hurdle is lower in Europe, but for destinations like South Africa or Thailand, Moonfare’s hands-on approach can save weeks of waiting.

From a lifestyle perspective, accommodation style matters. Moonfare’s boutique hotels give you privacy and a predictable standard, but you miss out on the camaraderie that arises when sharing a kitchen with fellow nomads. RemoteYear’s shared houses foster spontaneous brainstorming over breakfast - something I witnessed when a Dublin designer sparked a partnership with a Berlin marketer over a shared Wi-Fi outage.

Ultimately, the decision is personal. My own stint with a remote-work retreat in Galway taught me that the social glue of a community can be as valuable as a mentor’s advice. Whether you pick Moonfare’s premium package or RemoteYear’s community-centric route, the key is to align the programme with your professional goals and budget.

Which One Fits Your Lifestyle?

When I ask Irish freelancers whether they’d choose a high-touch, mentor-led programme or a peer-driven adventure, the answers split along income lines and career stage. Junior talent - fresh graduates, early-stage consultants - often gravitate to RemoteYear because the cost is manageable and the learning comes from the crowd. They appreciate the daily stand-ups that keep them accountable, and the cultural immersion that enriches their creative thinking.

Seasoned entrepreneurs, especially those looking to raise capital or scale a SaaS product, tend to favour Moonfare. The mentor’s network can open doors to investors in Dublin or London, and the private coworking spaces provide a quieter environment for deep work. The concierge-style accommodation also appeals to those who value stability after a long flight.

Location preferences also sway decisions. If you’re eyeing the European market, Moonfare’s focus on Spain and Denmark aligns with EU business expansion. RemoteYear’s broader itinerary - spanning Europe, Asia and the Americas - offers a more global perspective, which can be useful for consultants serving multinational clients.

Financially, you must weigh the programme fee against your expected earnings. A remote developer earning €4,000 a month can comfortably absorb RemoteYear’s €7,500 fee, especially if the experience leads to a new client that adds €1,000 a month. For a freelance writer pulling in €2,500, Moonfare’s €12,000 price tag may only make sense if the mentorship translates into a high-value contract.

Finally, think about post-programme support. Moonfare offers a six-month alumni network with continued mentorship, while RemoteYear maintains a global alumni Slack that keeps the community alive. If you value long-term networking, both have merits, but Moonfare’s structured alumni events are more formal.

In my own reporting, I’ve seen both models work. A tech startup founder I covered in Cork used Moonfare’s mentor to secure a €200,000 seed round, while a Dublin graphic designer leveraged RemoteYear’s peer network to land a contract with a Berlin agency. Both journeys began with the same question - can I travel while working remotely? - and both found a programme that matched their needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need a special visa to join Moonfare or RemoteYear?

A: Both programmes help with visa paperwork, but the level of assistance differs. Moonfare provides an end-to-end legal kit, while RemoteYear offers templates and guidance. Irish citizens generally need fewer visas for EU destinations, but for South Africa or Thailand you’ll rely on the programme’s support.

Q: Which programme is cheaper for a solo freelancer?

A: RemoteYear’s six-month fee is around €7,500, compared with Moonfare’s €12,000. The lower cost means you’ll pay more for daily expenses, but the community-driven model can offset that through shared resources and networking.

Q: Is mentorship included in RemoteYear?

A: RemoteYear does not assign a formal mentor. Learning happens through peer-to-peer sessions, daily stand-ups and informal advice from fellow participants. If you need one-on-one coaching, Moonfare’s mentor model is the better fit.

Q: Can I extend my stay beyond the programme’s six months?

A: Both providers can help you apply for extensions or longer-term visas. Moonfare’s legal team will handle the paperwork for a new visa, while RemoteYear will provide guidance but you’ll need to submit the application yourself.

Q: What if I lose my job while on the programme?

A: Both programmes assume you have a stable remote income. If you lose a contract, you’ll need to secure new work independently. Moonfare’s mentor may assist with introductions, while RemoteYear’s community can offer leads and support.