The British love affair with the Iberian peninsula and other sunny continental locations has given rise to a new term and phenomenon – the Eurocommuter.

While London-Paris may be a well-established commuting route thanks to the Eurostar, allowing bankers, lawyers and other high-flyers to spend the working week in one and the weekend in the other, cheap flights are claimed to be doing the same for Iberia.

Reports from the Times Online focused on examples of eurocommuting in Spain and Portugal, with the experiences of SkyTV weather reporter Jo Wheeler providing a blueprint of successful work and play between the UK and Spain – for those who can afford it.

Ms Wheeler, residing in the Algarve, told the Times that commuting to London for two long weekends of work a month was highly feasible, while allowing her to enjoy the calm and beauty of the region for the rest of the time.
Costs of transport and a lack of matching work-time flexibility may pour cold water on the dream for some, with Ms Wheeler claiming that the average airfare sets her back £175.

Other factors, however, could make the Eurocommuter phenomenon gain pace, with broadband internet connections and low cost web-wired phones allowing for instantaneous multimedia communications between employer and employee.

Working on the basis of the technology-fuelled homeworking boom, travel company Thomson’s Future Forum report has in fact claimed that by 2016 there will be as many as 1.5 million expat commuters into the UK.