It’s often the bane of the international traveler’s existence, the thorn in his/her side, the unscratchable itch. It’s the dreaded international data charge! These days, humanity is more connected than ever, with smart phones and tablets being more of an appendage than an accessory. The long storied problem with staying connected on international travel is quite simply, the exorbitant cost.
Data roaming charges can easily leave you facing a four-figured cell phone bill upon returning from your travels. And, while times are changing in the mobile industry, you can still very easily “buttonhook” yourself if you don’t go in prepared.
In this entry, I’m going to discuss some of the ways that we’ve had the best success with staying connected during travel, and how we’ve managed to keep the costs at an affordable level.
First, let’s talk about why you would need to be connected abroad. Some of you may be thinking, shouldn’t vacation be a time when you unplug, exhale, and recharge? In a word, ABSOLUTELY! But, there are reasons that still having some access to the worldwide web can make your travels much more streamlined. I’m going to quickly delve into a few reasons why having mobile access abroad is a GOOD THING. Those reasons are:
While we’re definitely advocates of leaving social media, email, and work behind for your adventure, we certainly see some benefits to having a usable phone that won’t cost you an arm and a leg to utilize. That said, let’s discuss a few of the ways that you can stay connected and avoid those unbearable international roaming charges.
First, the key to being able to connect overseas at all is having a global capable phone that is unlocked by your U.S. mobile provider. To confirm that you have a global phone that is in an unlocked state, contact your mobile provider.
I often see social media posts and online advice to simply put your phone in airplane mode when you leave the states. While that is an option, there are definitely some better options out there to stay connected while you wander. Choose carefully, as there’s not a one size fits all option. Just be prepared, and you can have the peace of mind of staying plugged in abroad.