Striking out on a worldly adventure but not quite willing to cut yourself off from the world? Don’t worry. There’s no reason to leave your contacts behind when you travel nowadays. Staying connected while you journey abroad is not only possible, it’s common and can even be done on the cheap. Gone are the days of your only hope being a pricey long distance phone call or an incredibly slow physical letter.
If you’re travelling today, you can take your cell phone and other devices with you and connect with your friends from all over the world. Here are some useful tips for keeping connected and saving money while you do it.
Steal the Wi-Fi when you can
Hooking up to the Internet can help you save your data for those times when you truly need it. Especially if you’re on a budget, free Wi-Fi is a lifesaver.
Wi-Fi can also save you some serious battery power and usually offers faster speeds (insanely crowded coffee shops excluded). So even if you have an unlimited data plan, Wi-Fi is still your friend.
You’ll get more use out of this tip in some countries than in others. For example, if your travels bring you to Estonia, you’re likely to be brushing free wifi off at every street corner. Even forests in Estonia have decent odds of connecting you to a Wi-Fi hotspot. On the other hand, in many Latin American countries like Paraguay or Venezuela, Wi-Fi is hard to come by and the download speeds are abysmal if you manage to find any hotspots at all.
Hit up the apps
When your phone’s minutes are scarce but you need to talk to your family back home, you can and should turn to phone apps. Services like Skype or WhatsApp offer communication services that are completely free if you can snitch some wifi. Another useful option is WeChat, which has no regional restrictions.
Invest in a global hotspot
If you’re unlikely to encounter a plethora of free wifi on your journey or if you’re going to need internet access for more devices than just your phone, then bringing your own portable hotspot loaded up with some international data is a handy solution.
A mobile hotspot can also offer you a secure alternative if you’re worried about the security of a free Wi-Fi connection. And since you don’t have to share your hotspot (unless you want to) there’s no one else using up your data or slowing your connection down.
The best global hotspots are able to support many devices easily and are unlocked, meaning any internet-compatible device can use them. These things are lightweight and will fit in your pocket. You might even forget you’re carrying one with you.
Pop a global SIM card into your phone
Roaming internationally on your current SIM card is never a good idea. Luckily for most cell phone users, the majority of mobile phones use SIM cards that can be taken out and replaced. Swapping your SIM for a global one allows you to purchase prepaid international data for your phone and use it anywhere while avoiding any roaming charges.
A global SIM card gives you an international phone number but allows you to use the phone you’re used to. And since the data on a global SIM is all prepaid (you can always buy more online if you run out) there’s no risk of using too much and facing extra charges as you would with your phone carrier back home.
Some people opt for local SIM cards (SIM’s purchased in the country you visit). But these tend to be more expensive overall and only work in one place. Not to mention you won’t know your new phone number until you get to your destination, which can make staying connected difficult.
The best global SIM cards can help you save a boatload of money no matter where you’re going and can also free you from overcharge worries. For example, a global SIM card from BNESIM gives you coverage in 170 countries and offers flat rates in 64. BNESIM also offers a sweet deal where everyone who uses their SIM cards gets free calling to one another. So if the whole family’s going along on your trip you can save some serious data.
The connected traveller
Spending time abroad is good for you. But you don’t have to weigh those benefits against the fear of being cut off from your contacts back home. With a little planning, you can ensure a smooth connection for your whole trip, every trip, whether you’re just popping into Europe for a little vacation or you’re spending the year studying at the University of Tokyo.
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