Most of the so-called "developed" countries are quite alarmed by international remote work, because it means that a lot of companies can outsource tasks to cheaper countries and avoid all sorts of rules and regulations, social contributions, retirement funds, etc. Right now things are a bit up in the air because of covid, but you can expect that they will come down hard on clandestine remote foreign workers as soon as possible.

I admit to being challenged in tech logistics... Just how would a country know that you're working remotely as opposed to spending a month somewhere as a tourist? Obviously, if asked on arrival, "What will you be doing while you're here for a month?" the answer is not "working remotely" but rather "I wanted to have lots of time to see the sights here. Do you have any recommendations on things I should see?"

I too would have more concerns over changing Covid restrictions than being "caught."

You'd be surprised how many people volunteer information.

Lets be honest. Nobody is going to be searching for this. But all it takes is one badly worded answer at immigration to get somebody's attention. Or more likely an accident or medical emergency ends up leading to questions being asked.

But for a month? Likely pretty low risk. It's not legal. Nobody kid themselves. But it's low risk.

The OP has been rather coy about the nature of this “work” — cleaning up emails? Dialing into the occasional conference call? No big deal, business people do that all the time, even while on vacation abroad.

But if it’s serious work...submitting tenders, putting together marketing campaigns, drumming up new clients, then...hmmmm.

Definitely not legal, but if you did not know that and made some casual remark to immigration about working remotely for a month when asked about your reasons for traveling, a very common question, you might be entering into all types of unknown complications at the border.

The good people here might have helped you avoid a delicate situation at immigration.

I also wouldn't trust Air France to stand up for you if you're found out.

You might even inquire of them as to how this "offer" is legal under EU rules. And whether, maybe, somehow, this "offer" only applies to Paris which is how it's worded.

Wow, aren't you guys overreacting much?
I'm a freelance designer. Who says I can't use Photoshop while abroad? What if I'm taking some time from vacation to work on a personal project?
What about travel writers who blog and take pictures for a living? Do they put their cameras away while traveling so that they don't break the law?
Or writers? Do they refuse to jot down their ideas if inspiration strikes, so that it doesn't counts as working? LOL.

The law says you can't take up a temporary job on a tourist visa. It doesn't say you can't design a logo or write a book while on vacation.

Besides, to avoid misunderstanding, the immigration officer doesn't need to know what I'm doing on my laptop. It's as simple as that.
I'm curious, do you guys provide a copy of your browser history to the immigration officer? :lol:

You can interpret the law anyway you like, but it's not your interpretation that counts.

Have a great trip wherever you go... and good luck.

"Besides, to avoid misunderstanding, the immigration officer doesn't need to know what I'm doing on my laptop. It's as simple as that.
I'm curious, do you guys provide a copy of your browser history to the immigration officer?"

Granted it likely won't happen . . . However IF a border agent were to request your browser history, yes you would have to provide it. Refusal and they'd put you on the next flight home.

It may be against the letter of the law, but I think it's unlikely to be an issue. People worked on holiday before covid, answering mails and taking online meetings.

Bilbao, in the Basque Country

Regardless of the legality of working whilst on a tourist visa, Covid is something you have to figure into your calculations for the foreseeable future. Local restrictions, national and international restrictions can be applied at a moments notice. Health care insurance, or indeed any travel insurance may not cover you if the country/city you are in becomes a Covid hotpsot. You may even have difficulty returning home which in turn could give problems with any tourist visa you are using. You most definitely will need health insurance at the very least.

You need to be able to prove you are fully vaccinated, and increasingly need an app to gain admission to even just a restaurant. France and Greece have just announced restrictions and you may not be able to use a US app or get your US vaccines on a local app. It still isn't even clear if other EU countries apps will be accepted.

I wouldn't even think about going to France, the hotbed of anti-vaxxers in Europe.

Based on where you have been, what others say, and the time frame you have, I have the following observations:

1. One month is not a hugely long time. Assuming (a) it is only one month (not bookended with weeks of other travel), and (b) you are not a nomad and do have a 'home base', then you only have 2 maybe 3 weekends for any additional travel - so having nice sights to visit - nearby - is nice.
2. Immigration and work visa implications can be real. I have attend school in two European countries and worked in another two. An expired visa landed this (formerly) long-haired Ferienarbeiter in the can for a couple hours until they figured out they were delaying me from catching my plane to leave! Another time, the English taxing authorities somehow caught on to this American consultant working for a Bermuda firm while in London - which was more of a bureaucratic hassle than monetary. Anyway, you should ask AirFrance for an opinion that it's OK - they have teams of lawyers and HR people who you can blame if things go sideways.
3. Given you have experienced France, Germany, Spain, Italy, etc. I agree with RialtoGirl that Split is a great place - the Croatian border is alive, growing, and younger (while the Italian and Spanish Med is old and indebted!). You are also within easy travel range of great world class cities like Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest, and Athens.
4. Finally, check into Covid travel restrictions and quarantine issues.

D.

it depends on the country. Some will also accept a negative test or proof one has had Covid. I believe Greece is one of these countries, unless something has changed. I think Spain is not requiring anything! Which countries require proof of vaccination and do not accept tests?

I am sure the OP can figure out which countries are more open than others.

Yeah world is changing drastically. :)

My personal favorite for workcation are below. I remember the days

• Conrad Punta de Mita, Mexico
• The Westin Palace, Spain
• Moon Palace Resort, Jamaica
• Alyeska Hotel and Resort, Alaska

Berlin. Liveliest German city with access to interesting weekend trips.

when? crucial!

I think Bertlin is a good idea as you can visit other German cities, and some in Poland easily for short trips (like Gdansk and Poznan). I think Prague is too far from Berlin, but you've been there anyway. Probably Frankfurt would be more central for trips but that all depends where you want to go (from Germany). Actually, Munich wouldn't be bad, either, for travel possibilities. I haven't been there so can't comment on all this idea of working from a cafe, which I don't think is usually proper in any place, to just take up real estate all day in a business as if it is your own office. i could never do the work I do in some cafe, anyway, I would think most people would need a lot of stuff around, not just a laptop. I guess it depends what you do. And maybe there are some cafes somewhere that don't mind someone just taking up space, I don't know, probably depends how busy they are.

I could see doing that in Poland, though, which I like. Maybe Warsaw as it has a lot of high speed train connections, but you can't really go anywhere but Poland easily from there, I guess. It is cheaper than than in some place like Switzerland, of course.