15 Tips to Work Remotely on Transit: Buses, Trains, and Planes
For two years, I lived without a lease and without a car. I traveled to over a dozen countries and two dozen cities, working virtually.
I’ve put in full workdays on long Amtrak rides (or much worse, Greyhound buses.) I’ve worked on early-morning flights. I’ve had times when things went wrong, whether that’s getting booted off of calls with bad service or running out of steam due to travel-induced sleep deprivation.
This article contains all the tips I would give you to work remotely on transit. Whether a train, bus, or plane, most of these tips apply to all modes of transportation.
What to Bring: The Remote Work on Transit Setup
First, let’s talk about what to bring. If you don’t have the right gear, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Travel Pillow
Most buses don’t have tray tables, and economy flights have tray tables that are so small you can’t use them for a computer. I always have my travel pillow with me to use as a makeshift lap desk.
This way, my thighs don’t burn and I can have the laptop at a more comfortable angle.
I strap it to my backpack. Plus, if I want to nap, I have a pillow.
Portable Charger
This sounds obvious. I always have one for my phone. Depending on how good your computer battery is, you might want a more powerful one.
Make Sure Your Phone Plan Has Ample Hotspot Data
Even if buses or trains have wifi, it often sucks and your hotspot will be better. Plan on using your hotspot, and switch to it at the first sign of shaky wifi.
Bring Caffeine and Snacks
This is another thing people will forget. I don’t know about you, but I feel sluggish when I’m trying to work on transit unless I’m extra alert, and likely, caffeinated. Usually for me this means getting a coffee beforehand.
It’s also important to have healthy snacks. A protein bar, some nuts, and fruit are ideal options.
If you run out of fuel, you’ll run out of steam.
Headphones
Sounds obvious, but don’t forget this. You may need them to block out distractions or to take a call.
A Book
Sometimes when I plan on working on transit, I sit down, and I just know that it’s not going to flow. My mind is elsewhere, there are too many distractions, or I just can’t bring myself to do it. I don’t force it. So I always bring a book.
Do Transit-Suitable Work
A bus or train is not the time to load up on video calls or do stuff where you’ll need to do a hundred Google searches.
Don’t Do Anything At the Last Minute
I’ve been on buses and stressed about needing to get something done while going through a cell service dead zone.
Don’t do that. Keep in mind what needs to get done beforehand.
This is good productivity advice anyway, right? Didn’t we all learn in high school that doing things at the last minute is a bad idea?
Don’t Plan Important Calls
You may think you’ll be able to do that important call on Amtrak, but I’m telling you, don’t plan it. You never know when you’re going to be going through a dead zone, when there will be distractions around you. Amtrak’s wifi is tied to Verizon, so it won’t be good in remote areas.
If I take calls, I tell people I’m in transit, and I don’t use video and I take the call on my phone, not my laptop. I also do my best to avoid the call if it’s an important one.
Plan Work That Doesn’t Require Lots of Internet
For me, that means I’ll plan on doing work that I’ve already done the research for. Using Notion to write isn’t a problem with shaky service, nor is Google Docs if you have it set up for offline work.
Maybe I’ll do some heavier academic reading that I’ve been putting off, and load the PDF beforehand.
Think About What You’d Like To Do on Transit
I don’t mind editing, and I don’t mind drafting if I have all my ideas ready. But I don’t want to research, and I don’t want to do a “final edit,” because I usually read aloud my final edits.
Especially on trains, I love looking at the window and using the travel as a chance to brainstorm. It’s a nice reset and a way to separate from the day-to-day work.
What to Do Beforehand
Charge Your Devices
I don’t care if the bus or train is supposed to have outlets. You never know when the outlets won’t work.
Make sure everything is charged.
Load What You Need Offline
Next, have as much as you can already loaded and ready to use offline.
Have Your Tabs Opened Up and Ready
You don’t want to risk not being to do your work just because one page won’t load. Make sure it’s loaded and ready.
This Includes an AI Bot, If You’ll Need That
As of writing, ChatGPT doesn’t work if you’re offline. And even if you’re online, but your service sucks, it’s useless.
I won’t even try to give a recommendation because it’ll be outdated in a month, but if you know you’ll need an LLM like ChatGPT, look up offline options before you’re traveling.
In general, though, if I’m on transit and don’t have great service, I’ll focus on doing work that doesn’t lean on AI.
Other Tips to Get Work Done on Transit
Don’t Buy Airplane Wifi
Buying airplane wifi sounds like a good idea. But I feel like half the time it hardly works, even when you pay for it. If you’re flying, plan on being offline.
Get up and Stretch Every 30-60 Minutes: Take the Aisle Seat
People may look at you and think you have a urinary condition. But I don’t care. I know I’m more alert, comfortable, and productive with regular breaks and regular movements.
2-3 Hours of Work is a Big Win
Whether in transit or not, I know that if I have 2-3 productive, focused hours, I can get done my most important and creative work.
This especially holds up when in transit. Get a few things done and then, unless you’re in the zone, chill out. Grab a book, talk with whoever you’re traveling, or watch a movie. Clocking in a full workday on a bus is just unrealistic.
Trains and Buses > Planes
If it’s possible, I’ll avoid flying. Part of this is for environmental reasons, part of this is because when I fly it’s harder to get stuff down, especially on short flights.
You have less reliable service, first of all. Second, you can only use your laptop while you’re in the air. For flights that are less than two hours, it’s already impractical. If possible, choose the train or the bus.
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I write about transportation and traveling a lot.
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