Julius Neu | Professional Nomad

When I’m travelling for fun or leisure, going backpacking or exploring I often try to leave my comfort zone: It’s nice to try out new things and learning about myself through these experiences

However, while travelling as a professional nomad, I have much less tolerance for such risks: I need to show up to work on time and look presentable for (online) customer meetings. Slow internet, noisy work environments and distractions are a horror for productivity.

1) Limiting my risk exposure

Staying at chain hotels is a great way to limit some of the risks that travelling professionally carries.

The reason is that each stay with a local hotel providers carries different risks and you don’t know in advance if you will have a great or a horrible stay.

Service standards at independent hotels are often lower and it’s unlikely to get a refund in case of problems.

Furthermore as professional nomad I am usually not the target customer of most hotels. Stable WiFi in each room, a desk you can work from and low noise environment are high on my priority list; but this is often not the case for many hotels. Most hotels target casual or leisure travelers more. This means there is a higher likelihood of things I care about going wrong or not being available.

2) Getting more predictability and service guarantess

I’ve experienced not only false descriptions of property facilities, unpredictable (slow) internet speeds but also run-down rooms with bad maintenance. For chain hotels there is more standardization and maintenance in this regard.

Since I tend to work from home instead of from co-working spaces, accommodation quality it is critical for me to be productive at work.

Chain hotels are similar to franchise restaurants like McDonalds or Starbucks. You get a certain degree of consistency in quality. Even though it might not be the absolute best, you know what you get and can expect.

The value lies in the predictability of service and product quality:

• Something doesn’t work in your room? No problem. In a chain hotel they likely have another room to offer or qualified maintenance staff on site to handle the issue.

• Internet is too slow to work? In a chain hotel you have someone to complain to (worst case the hotel brand) and you can always cancel or move out easily.

• You long-haul flight arrives at 6 AM and you want to check-in early or drop your luggage? In a chain hotel this is likely to be less of a problem than elsewhere.

3) Great benefits from loyalty programs

One more incentive to stay at chain hotels are loyalty programs. I’ve consistently received room upgrades, free breakfast, early check-in and even free stays from them.

Not all hotel loyalty programs will be a fit for your traveller profile and needs. I started with the Hilton Honors program, but am now also a member of Marriott and Accor.

Each program has a slightly different profile; I think overall I got most value from free breakfast through Hilton Honors Gold Status. However there is not always a suitable hilton property in each city.

For me Accor plays its strengths especially in Europe and Asia through budget stays at Ibis hotels.

There are hundreds of different credit cards offered by banks in UAE. It’s great to have the luxury of choice and a good offering but this makes finding the right card difficult.

Most UAE credit cards have decent benefits like cashback, rebates for shopping or free tickets to attractions.

Yet, these cards are not ideal for (frequent) travellers: There are high fees charged for any transactions in a foreign currencies or even for AED transactions if they take place abroad.

The fees you will be charged for your purchase are up to 3% of the transaction value. This fee is often hidden in the fine print of the credit card terms and not directly visible on your statement.

To save you time of (1) finding the terms and conditions of cards and (2) looking for the applicable fee, here is an overview of fees charged by popular UAE banks on international card transactions:

Bank	ADCB	SC	Mashreq	CBD	FAB	HSBC	ENBD
Fee	2.99%	2.99%	2.79%	2.75%*	2.49%	2.10%	1.99%
Travel Card?	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Source	Link	Link	Link	Link	Link	Link	Link

These fees are charged by the bank and are on top of the Mastercard / Visa scheme fee for international transactions. The card scheme for international transactions is variable: Emirates NBD estimates it at 1.15% for Visa cards; while HSBC states it at up to 1.21% (inclusive of VAT).

Let’s add up the fees to get an impression on how much we are paying for international transactions on standard UAE credit cards:

If you make a purchase of US$100 abroad, Visa will add their cut first US$100*1.012=US$101.21 and after this HSBC US$101.21*1.021=US$103.33541. So your total fee on the US$100 transaction will be USD$3.34 (rounded).

For this reason most of the credit cards offered by these banks are not very suitable for (frequent) travelers or people who plan to spend a lot abroad.

However, some of these banks have special cards for travellers that offer reduced or no foreign transaction fees. This is what you will want to go for if you travel abroad at least a few times a year.

Comparison of Cards for Travellers

I’ve tried to find all cards suitable for travelers and compare them. Since I was unable to find a comparison guide or article online, here is my take on travel credit cards in the UAE.

Please note that I have simplified below table: You might be able to get the credit card fee waived or be applicable for different conditions if you’re a preferred customer.

Comparison Table

Bank	ADCB	FAB	Citi	Emirates NBD
Card	Traveller Card	Travel Card	Cashback Card	GlobalCash Card
Fee	1050AED	1000AED	300AED	180AED*
Type	Credit	Credit	Credit	Prepaid
Rates	MC	Visa	MC	Bank / MC
FX Fee	0%	0%	0%*	0%/1.84%/?
Minimum Salary	20000AED*	5000AED	8000AED	None
Lounge Access	Yes	Yes	No	No
Travel Benefits	Yes	Yes	No	No

** The FX fee for Citi is 3%, but you get 3% cashback on any transactions abroad. Emirates NBD charges you a monthly inactivity fee of 15 AED if you do not use the card for at least 5 months. Minimum Salary for ADCB found on Google. I’m not sure if it is accurate.

Which card to choose?

ADCB vs. FAB – True Travel Credit Cards

There are 2 true travel credit cards in my comparison. ADCB and FAB have both great offerings that differ in the details.

Both cards offer a similar annual fee, 0% FX mark-up, lounge access and further travel benefits.

The additional benefits from FAB that stand out to me are a AED1000 Travel Voucher for sign-up as well as an offer for free hotel nights. I’m not sure if the Travel Voucher is a one time benefit or a yearly offering.

As additional benefits ADCB offers 20% off flight bookings through cleartrip.ae and 20% off hotel bookings on booking.com. The 20% off flight bookings look really attractive, while I am less sure about the value of 20% off on hotels.com.

Since both cards are quite close, I would go with the bank you already have an account with or plan to open an account with.

Citi – Combined Travel and Cashback Card

Citi will be a suitable card if you plan to spend in UAE as well as abroad. The card offers great cashback rates on purchase in the UAE; while at the same time being useful as a travel card.

While Citi charges a 3% mark-up on international transactions, they also provide a 3% cashback rate on the same transactions.

Emirates NBD – GlobalCash Prepaid Card

This is a Prepaid Card that you can top-up with cash before your trip. This will be a suitable card if you plan a long-trip to just one destination and know ahead how much you will spend.

To use the card you need to first top-up money, convert it to the currency of your destination country and are then able to spend in this specific currency without conversion mark-up fees.

The card has a 30 AED fee to be issued and a 15 AED fee if you want to close it. Should you keep the card open but don’t use it for 5 months, you will be charged 15 AED/month fee for the card.

Since you convert the money when loading the card, Emirates NBD takes care of the conversion for you. As opposed to the other cards in this article they will use their internal bank conversion rate instead of the rates offered by Mastercard or Visa.

I did not choose this card since it is prepaid only and the fee structure as well as conversion rates are complex. The number of supported currencies is limited to 15 and I was unable to find the rates for currencies such as EUR on the bank website.

Applying for the cards

For any of the credit cards mentioned in this article you will likely need to open at least a savings account with the bank and transfer your salary. If you’re unable to transfer your salary to the bank, do not make the minimum salary or are otherwise unable to provide proof of employment you might qualify for a secured credit card.

This means you will make a deposit to the savings account with the bank. This deposit (or a large percentage of it) will be your credit limit. However a restriction applies. For each of the card types there will likely be a minimum deposit amount set out by the bank. So far I’ve heard amounts between 10k to 60k AED depending on the bank and card you choose.

Here are some tools and resources that I consider Must-Haves while being on the go as Digital Nomad. This list is loosely sorted in order of importance and subjective value-gained from a specific tool.

While these tools and resources are useful don’t be held up getting started traveling without these. Iterate on the go and don’t buy things you will never use (see my list of things I did not use much below).

1. Carry-On Luggage – A 40l Travel Pack

Whenever possible I fly with carry-on luggage only, it saves my time, money and potentially nerves. First, you can check-in online and are able to come to the airport with less time to spare. There are no luggage fees for carry-on for many airlines so your ticket is more affordable as well.

Second, you can use travel hacks that are only possible with carry-on luggage such as combining multiple short-haul flights of different airlines (you can search for these on Kiwi.com).

Third, you never need to wait for your luggage at arrival. It can not be delayed or lost. Get out of the flights, enter through customs and you are ready to explore. It simply travels better with lighter baggage.

A good backpack is at the top of my list because it is that important. Do not rely on cheap discount mountain hiking backpacks. There are worlds of comfort between front- and top-load backpacks. If you plan to zip through airports and not mountain ranges your gear requirements differ from people going out in the wild.

I am using Osprey Farpoint 40 Backpack, which I purchased for 80 EUR in 2021. This is a quality backpack that is used by many travelers and digital nomads due to its excellent price-value ratio.

Any 40l backpack fits the carry-on requirements of most airlines. Even where it technically exceeded these requirements I did not have issues or had to pay extra fees.

2. A Day Pack that rolls up into your travel backpack

Once you’ve arrived at your destination you won’t want to carry your travel pack around. For daily needs you need a Day Pack.

I have found my ideal choice in the Decathlon Backpack NH Escape 100 17L. This is a Decathlon pack that does not scream hiking or look like a Decathlon bag. It is thin and light; and can be rolled or folded to fit into your travel backpack if required.

It qualifies as “personal item” on airlines (if they have a carry-on + personal item policy) and you can throw it in the washing machine with your clothes.

2. Packing Cubes to organize belongings

Packing Cubes are a must to keep your luggage organized. Keep clothing apart from other things floating around your luggage. If you do not have packing cubes you can start out with simple plastic or zip-lock bags first.

I am using Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Cubes (1x Size S, 5 Liter ; 1x Size M 10.5 Liter). So far they have held up well and are in great shape. I don’t think that there is much of a difference between brands for packing cubes, pick packing cubes that are easily available.

3. A single USB-C Charger to charge Macbook Air and Phone

For chargers my goal is to be able to charge all of my devices through USB-C, this way I can carry a single charger to charge all devices.

I am using an Anker Powerport III Travel Charger with 2x USB-C Ports. Since it has up to 60W power delivery I can use it to charge my MacBook Air M1 (it only needs 35W) as well as phone or other devices.

A Great Digital Nomad Tool – This Anker Charger comes with a set of travel adapters; so far it worked in all places I went

The only downside is the bright blue light at the front, it illuminates an otherwise dark room at night, but it is nothing a piece of tape can’t fix in case it is too bright for you.

4. Apple Airpods Pro

I am using these daily and can highly recommend them due to active noise cancelling. It is incredibly helpful to block out environmental noise. Be it while working in a cafe, commuting or in a busy departure hall. Your ears will be grateful since you won’t need to turn up the volume as much.

Additionally, Airpods Pro take up much less space than traditional overhead earphones. This makes them an ideal travel companion.

5. Local and Online Cloud Backups for your Files

Keep a backup of your trip photos or files. Both On- and Offline Backups will be helpful. An offline backup will save you if your laptop breaks down, but not if your bag including hard drive gets stolen. For Offline Backups I am using a Sandisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD with 1TB space. For Online Back-Up, you can use any cloud storage; I am very satisfied with the Microsoft OneDrive storage that comes free with a Microsoft 365 Subscription (+ 60 Phone Minutes per month through Skype).

6. Laptop Stand, Keyboard and Mouse

A laptop stand, keyboard and mouse are must-haves for ergonomic working.

My laptop stand of choice is the Nexstand K2. This stand is incredible versatile and light. It folds up and does not take much space.

For keyboard and mouse there are many choices: I started out with a second hand Apple Magic Keyboard (20 EUR), this worked perfectly except that it was powered on batteries. I have since switched over to a newer version that charges through a lightning cable.

As a mouse I am using a no-name Bluetooth mouse I’ve bought on Amazon, it has been working without issues for years.

7. Uniqlo Ultra Light Down + a Rain Jacket

If you will be traveling in colder climates a thin down jacket can help to keep you warm. This jacket will easily fit in your pack and compresses down to very little space. Since it is not made to withstand rain, you need an additional light rain jacket or umbrella in rainy places.

8. Decathlon Outdoor Cutlery Set

A plastic cutlery set originally made for outdoor camping; I use it for take-out meals in hotel rooms to save wasting single use plastic. Prevents you from having to ask for cutlery when ordering food or having to eat with hands in case your food comes without cutlery.

Since it is made from plastic, there are no issues of carrying these with you at the airport.

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List of Things I Thought I Need But do Not Use (much)

There are some things that I’ve previously taken on trips that I ended up not using much or not deriving much value from.

• Travel towel – Think about it: Most hotels or hostels offer towels unless you go with ultra-low budget options in Southeast Asia.
• 100ml refillable soap / shampoo travel bottles – I did not use these much since I did not carry a big bottle with me to refill them on the go.
• DSLR Camera – While I love the feeling of having a camera with me to take fantastic shots; I did not use it much compared to the amount of space it takes up.

Since I’ve moved to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates I have signed up for local post services. This is a necessity if you would like to receive letters locally or from abroad. Any letters that do not contain a P.O. box code or phone number will be returned to sender.

The post system in the United Arab Emirates is special in a way that there are no postal codes. Letters are delivered only to post boxes.

To receive letters you either need a personal post box, use your employers post box or rent a post box through another service. 

Local Post Services and Virtual Mailbox – United Arab Emirates

In Dubai I am using 2 solutions for receiving post. I highly recommend the AnyTime Mailbox for a more personalised full service offering.

1. AnyTime Mailbox

AnyTime Mailbox is a global post service operator with worldwide locations. Fortunately they do offer 2 locations in Dubai. I’ve been using the Dubai World Trade Center Location. This location is operated by Office Operator The Executive Centre at One Central. The subscription fee is 99 AED per month or 1099.99AED if you subscribe for a whole year.

The service of you can expect here is top notch and meets Dubai service standards. In case you have any inquiries the reception will take care of it within minutes. You will also get a personal call-back in case your request could not be solved directly. 

Use the button below to sign up through my friend recommendation link: You receive a $10 Amazon Voucher to give you a discount on your subscription first month.

2. Emirates Post PO Box

After using your employers post box, renting a personal post box with Emirates Post is the cheapest option to receive post.

There is one disadvantage to the Emirates Post PO Box. You need to physically head over to your post box and pick up letters there. Emirates Post offers a service to deliver your post box letters to your house; however this is a local service only and does not provide international forwarding.

As far as I know there is also no notification about incoming letters, so you need to check the post box on a regular basis.

The process to rent a personal post box is as follows:

1. Go to emiratepost.ae and sign-up for a post box online OR go to a post office to sign-up there. 
2. Pick Up your post box key from the post office. 
3. Check regularly if any mail has arrived
4. Go to your post box to pick-up letters (or subscribe to local delivery through Emirates Post)

You are going abroad or starting a global lifestyle? Letters or mail will continue being sent to you. Virtual mailboxes and post scanning solutions are a handy tool to have while going places:

This is irrespective of you starting long-term travel, being an expat on a company assignment, digital nomad or simply an exchange student.

This article gives an introduction to virtual mail and post box providers. Furthermore I’m sharing my experiences with a Dutch provider I have used myself.

Let’s get to it!

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Who even sends letters these days?

While I try to keep my life as digital as possible, occasionally I do receive letters.  The letters I receive are very limited in count but most are quite important. The letters I’ve received during my time abroad come from these types of organizations:

• Banks / Financial Institutions / Credit Card Issuers
• Insurances
• Governmental organizations such as Tax Office
• Student Finance / Student Loan
• German Trains ( Deutsche Bahn)

Most of the letters are more informative; but there are some that are time critical and important. Not good to have them going nowhere and being discarded.

During my Bachelor study exchange I missed a letter from the Dutch Student Finance since I sub-rented my apartment. No one informed me about the letter. Not responding to it almost cost me a thousands of euros and would have required me to pay back part of the loan immediately. The only reason I found out about it was that a friend received the same letter and I started to wonder if I faced the same problem.

In which country should you get a postal service provider?

If you are only moving temporarily, it makes sense to get a postal service provider in your home country. If you are moving to a new country long-term you might want to get an additional service provider in the new country.

That’s why after moving out of The Netherlands I ended up with postal solutions both there and in my new country the United Arab Emirates.

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Postal Service Providers: The Netherlands

When I left the Netherlands in December 2020, I made sure to have a local address there to receive any important letters during my move.

I made use of PriPost and can highly recommend them. PriPost will provide you with a personal address, scan letters for you and also forward them for you if requested.

There are addresses in multiple cities – Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Leidschendam you can use any location you prefer. The monthly rental price for the address is 5.50 EUR, for each letter you receive there are scanning or forwarding fees. You can also have letters destroyed directly in case they are not important. 

You will receive a personal post number (e.g. P365) that you mention on your address:

(Your Name)
Keurenplein 41 (P365)
1069CD Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Please note: You can not use this address for parcels. If someone send you a parcel to your post address it will likely be returned to sender. In case you need to receive parcels PriPost has a specific address that your parcels need to be send to.

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Conclusion

While there are a few global virtual mail providers, choosing the perfect postal solution is highly local. Depending on your situation and duration of going abroad the best choice for you might be different.

If you are unsure about the reliability a postal provider try sending yourself a letter (locally / from abroad?) to test if the letter arrives and you get informed on time.

In this article I have shared my experiences with PriPost in the Netherlands. If you are interested in further resources for a global lifestyle see my resources page!

A revolutionary email service

I signed up to Gmail back in 2005: There was a “beta” tag next to the logo. Joining was only possible with an invitation from someone who was already using it.

As I did not know anyone using Gmail I had to find a random person online who could send me an invitation. Giving my email address to some stranger felt a bit dodgy, but it worked out to get my signed up.

In 2005 Gmail was better than any other email provier: It gave you 1GB of space for free, so you could store any email you would ever receive without having to delete.

The only caveat was: Agreeing to have Google read through your emails.

In 2005 I was fine with ads next to my emails. In fact I checked out some of the ads. To my disappointment, they were not actually matching well with the email content.

Yet a lot of things changed over the years. I’m not fine with Google analyzing my emails anymore.

Structured data down to every little detail

Google knows and understands all my online purchases, hotel reservations, app downloads and flight destinations. All of this data is stored in a structured manner so Google can target the right ads to me.

When I log into myaccount.google.com,I can see all flights and hotel reservations I’ve made going back to 2013:

Google structures data down to the level of flight reservation numbers. Overall that feels quite scary. For online orders, data includes the shop where you ordered, all line items, prices and delivery time.

How much should Google know?

Add up the information from Google Search History, Android Location History and YouTube viewing history. Google knows basically everything you are doing online. And as a final touch link all of this with all purchases from your personal debit or credit card.

As a result you get that Google pretty much knows what you are doing in every second of your life. It analyzes, structures and links any information it stores. All of this for the purpose of better understanding you and displaying more suitable advertisements.

Yes, you can turn some of this tracking of and delete data when you want to. However, for me it is more a question of principles.

Making a principle-based decision for change

When making the decision I asked myself three questions

• Do I want to be customer of a company that profits from knowing what I do in every second of my life?
• Do I want my personal profile to be sold to other companies?
• Do I want to take the risk of storing a large amount of personal information with one company?

The answer for all three questions was no. (I would be curious if anyone would consciously answer yes ). Therefore I decided to quit Gmail and changing to an independent email provider. The cost of paying with personal data feels higher to me than paying a few euros for an email service that values privacy.

To conclude: Google was right in 2005 when they told me “Gmail is different”. I just did not understand the full story how.