5 Best Places To Work Remotely in Paris
Guest Post by Heather Drudge
Meet Heather
Hi, I’m Heather. I’m a multi-passionate creative currently calling Canada’s tiniest province, Prince Edward Island, home! I was born and raised on a farm north of Toronto and feel equally at home in a rural landscape as I do in big cities like Paris. I first visited Paris in 2011 for an extended stay while studying fashion design with Parsons, The New School for Design.
I fell immediately in love with the city, as many do, and have had the opportunity to return many times since. On each visit, whether a long stay or a short visit, I discover something new and wonderful about the City of Light.
In 2022, after staying in one place for two long pandemic years, I decided to book a six week stay in Paris (one of the perks of being a digital nomad!). I reconnected with the city, made new friends, and ran my business remotely from overseas for the first time! It was an incredible experience that I highly recommend!! I learned a few things about how to work remotely in Paris - a city that is notoriously not a fan of laptops in cafes! - without being cooped up in your Airbnb or hotel room the whole time either.
On each visit, whether a long stay or a short visit, I discover something new and wonderful about the City of Light.
(Photos above are photographed by Heather Drudge)
working remotely in paris
Working remotely from Paris has been, by far, one of my favorite perks of being a self employed digital gal! When travel became easier again at the beginning of 2022 I booked an Airbnb in my all time favorite city, hopped on a plane and stayed for almost 2 months. Being based in Toronto, Canada and working with clients in that time zone I was initially a little nervous about the time difference. I let all of my clients and collaborators know that I’d be working in Europe for a while and made sure that I was on top of my workload based on this change.
Being 6 hours ahead of everyone I work with quickly became my favorite thing! On days that I was working, I would start my day with a workout in the living room of my Airbnb, get dressed and head out with my laptop to find somewhere lovely to work for a few hours.
If you’re used to cafe culture in North America where laptops are the norm, landing in Paris and looking for a place to grab some coffee, free wifi and get to work can be a confusing experience. ‘No laptops’ signs are the norm in Paris, not the exception. And the rule is a rule here, not a suggestion.
It makes for a much nicer cafe culture (imo) but it can be frustrating if you’re looking for somewhere to sit and send some emails while still enjoying the sights and sounds of this magical city.
The good news is that it isn’t too hard to find a spot to work, you just have to know where to look! During my last long-term stay in Paris in 2022, I was working full time the entire time I was there. My Airbnb was lovely and had great wifi but when you’re in a city like Paris you don’t want to stay cooped up in the same place all day, every day.
Here are my 5 favorite places to work remotely when staying in Paris:
IF YOU’RE WORKING FOR 1-2 HOURS
Noir | 63 Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île, 75004
Great if you love beautiful cafes and want to tuck away somewhere more secluded for a couple hours of inbox management. Order a coffee and head downstairs to find a place to sit (and plug in if you need to).
Maison Fleuret | 30 Rue de Saints-Pères, 75006
Laptops no longer accepted, however, you can work on any writing or paper items to your heart’s desires! This is one of my favorite cafés period! The book-lined walls are soothing and they have nice coffee and food too. The perfect spot to get some work done while taking a break from your screen.
IF YOU’RE WORKING FOR 2-4 HOURS
The Hoxton | 30-32 Rue du Sentier, 75002
This quickly became one of my favorite places to work for a few hours. The Hoxton is a hotel group that has properties in the coolest cities in the US and Europe. Their Paris location is in the 2nd arrondissement, easy to get to from Metro lines 3, 8 and 9. If you’re nervous about the language barrier, they have menus in both French and English available and most (if not all) their staff speak excellent English. I always recommend greeting people en français even if you need to order in English (it’s polite - you are in France afterall - and often an easy way to win over your server. Something you’ll want to do if you plan on spending a few hours!)
Rivié is their all-day brasserie (think: chill, informal vibes) on the ground floor of the property. They have great breakfast and lunch menus and plenty of space to find a spot to work for a while. If you prefer to sit in the lobby (I wouldn’t blame you, it’s beautiful), there is an all-day menu for that space as well.
Top tip: Go for a late breakfast, order something delicious to eat and if you’re planning to stay awhile, order a second latte an hour or so after you’ve finished eating. When you’re wrapping up, don’t forget to leave a generous tip.
IF YOU’RE WORKING FOR 4+ HOURS
Hubsy Coworking Cafes | Multiple locations
Hubsy’s coworking spaces were by far my favorite discovery when working remotely in Paris. They are open to anyone and you pay by the ½ hour (2.5€) or for a full day (5+ hours for 25€). If you’re in Paris for a longer stay and want the stability of working in the same space each day, you can also purchase 5 day and 30 day passes.
They’re open late, from 9am - 9pm, (not the case for most laptop friendly cafes) - so you can choose your work hours and if you pay for the day, you can stay as long as you like.
Everything is included in their fees including wifi, unlimited drinks (including coffee/lattes etc.), snacks, printing, phones and meeting rooms! This is the place you’ll want to be for your longer work days - it just makes it so easy!
I frequented the Arts & Métiers location (41 Rue Réaumur, 75003) and loved sitting in the window. I felt like I got the best of both worlds - enjoying Paris while still staying focused on my work tasks for a good stretch of time.
Bonus: Because you’re paying for an ‘office’, you can claim your fees as a business expense! *Check with your accountant / local tax expert to confirm if this is applicable to your circumstances and in the place your business is based.
Other HUBSY locations:
HUBSY Arts & Métiers | 41 Rue Réaumur, 75003
HUBSY République | 9B Rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010
HUBSY Saint-Lazare | 64 Rue d’Amsterdam, 75009
If you need complete silence (and love old libraries)
This was a tip from my friend Taylor (hi!). Bibliothèque Mazarine is an absolutely magical place to work for a while. It’s located inside the beautiful Palais de l’institut de France (that stunning building lit up in the background of Carrie Bradshaw’s dramatic Paris bridge scenes).
Per Wikipedia, the library has one of the richest collections of rare books and manuscripts in France and is the oldest public library in the country.
The Reading Room of the library has large tables and chairs - plenty of space to work on your laptop for a few hours in sweet silence.
It’s a bit tricky to get to (and honestly a little intimidating to figure out!) so here’s everything you need to know:
Enter through Palais de l’institut de France. You’ll check in at the security desk and let them know that you’re heading to Bibliothèque Mazarine.
From there, you’ll enter the inner courtyard (pause to take a photo or two - it’s a beautiful and otherwise hidden away space).
You’ll head to the left - be sure to use the washroom that’s off to the side of the entrance to the library right in the courtyard if you need to before heading up to the library.
Head into the library building and up the curved stone staircase (again, pause for all the photos - it is stunning).
When you get up to the library, there is a desk at the door. Let them know that you’d like a pass to work in the reading room. They offer free passes that are valid for 5 consecutive days. If once you try it you want to work here for longer, you can purchase an annual pass for only 15 eur.
They’ll get you sorted out with a pass and then direct you to a desk inside the library where you’ll check in and pick up a mat to put under your laptop.
You can find more information about the library to help you plan your visit right here.
Lastly
My biggest tip for working remotely in Paris, or anywhere for that matter, is to make sure you are embracing all that the city has to offer. Create balance between your work hours and all of the things you want to see and experience while you’re away. Don’t let the days slip by without taking advantage of the place you are in! My suggestion? Make a list of everything you want to see and do (including where you want to eat!) while you’re away and then break it down into weeks and days and put your activities on your calendar just as you would your work responsibilities.
Figure out if you prefer to work in the mornings or the afternoons when you’re away (this might be different from your preference when you’re working at home and will depend on if you’re taking meetings in different timezones too) and book your activities for the other half of the day. For example, I would often book a timed entry ticket to a museum or gallery for 2pm. This would force me to work in the morning (usually from 9 or 10 am - 1 pm) and then take the afternoon to enjoy ticking something off my bucket list!
Enjoy your time in Paris - it is a magical place to be!
Connect with Heather
Follow Heather on Instagram: @heather.drudge
Discover Heather’s website over on heatherdrudge.com
Get it touch with Heather at her email: hello@heatherdrudge.com
STICK AROUND FOR A WHILE
Need help planning the rest of your remote working trip to Paris?
Discover our favorite coffee shops in Paris, the most beautiful places to stay in Paris, and if you’re like Heather and plan to be in Paris for a longer stay, you can discover everything to do and see in the city in our Complete Guide to Paris.
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In this post, I’m sharing the best coffee shops in Paris, from a tiny Parisian coffee shop in the 3eme arrondissement to work-friendly coffee shops scattered throughout the city.