If you work and travel, or just need a spot with decent wifi and cool people from time to time, coworking spaces are a lifesaver.
They can be pretty hit or miss, though, depending on price structure, culture, and availability. Many will offer a free trial day or week for you to feel things out, so there’s no need to shell out any big bucks until you know you’ve found your spot. Or, if you’re like me and you move from city to city a lot, there’s no need to pay at all. 🙂
50 Best Coworking Spaces in Europe
There are a few main things to check for:
- What amenities are there? A cafe? Bar? Printer/scanner?
- Are there any great events or activities they host like yoga or teach yourself to code?
- What’s the pricing structure? Hourly, daily, weekly, monthly?
Coworking spaces at their heart aren’t just an office, they’re a community. Community events like yoga and weekly happy hour or breakfasts can do a lot to connect people who use the space, but not all coworking spots offer them.
These events can be really useful networking opportunities, because odds are if someone else is working there, they’re probably also doing something cool. 🙂
What you need from a workspace is, of course, dependent on the demands of your work. But here’s my personal checklist when I’m reviewing a coworking space and weighing whether it’s worth my time and/or money:
- what’s included in membership? (free snacks, attendance to events, printing, etc)
- availability or proximity to real food (nothing breaks up a productive work day like spending 30 min searching for lunch)
- phone booths
- photo studios
- community events that aren’t super expensive
- free trial day/week (duh)
- a little character/focus
The last one is actually kind of interesting. There are now so many coworking spaces that generally each one will have something unique to stand out. One in Paris offers unlimited beverages and snacks with your daily pass or membership. Others are all about sustainability, or this one in Berlin is specifically for women.
At the very least, I like places that have a decor that’s a little funky or different. Because let’s face it, if I wanted to work in a sterile just tables-computers-desks atmosphere, I’d still be in a government office. We’re in an age when work can involve play, and our workspaces should reflect that appreciation for creativity.