We all love to travel. It brings out our hidden wanderer and explorer and enlightens those adventurous streaks that have been left covered for years. Traveling far and wide opens new horizons, but at the same time comes with its own challenges. The topmost concern being-how to stay connected. Some decades ago, travel postcards were the only media through which you could tell your friends and family about your travel adventures. Now, the internet allows you to stay connected to everyone-even if you’re constantly on the go.
Staying connected is important as it gives you all the information you are looking for at all times. It is like your forever friend, ready for action at even the slightest gesture for help. When you are able to stay connected, you can quickly search for directions, load up a map, check online reviews, and even make reservations and bookings. Also, at the end of an adventurous day of travel, you can share your experience with your near and dear ones through pictures, calls or videos. Your level of connectivity will depend upon your place, intent, and duration of travel.
How to Stay Connected When You’re Travelling
Let us check out how to stay connected when you’re traveling so that you can get the best travel experience.
1. Get a good phone plan
This is important as you would be traveling away from home and need to stay connected. Make sure you have a good data plan to give you seamless connectivity while in travel. If you are traveling abroad, you can pick up local sim cards if that’s possible or you can also check out mobile recharge companies to get the best rates for international calls. The choice of your phone plan will depend upon your needs, whether you would love to talk more or you would be using it for internet connectivity. It is one of the best ways about how to stay connected when you’re traveling.
Also Read: 7 Simple Tips To Reduce Plastic Waste For Sustainable Travel
2. Get a portable Wi-Fi device
Travelling may not be for tourism alone-work and professional tours may also be involved. Now this comes handy when you will be gone for a couple of days and when you travel with gadgets more than your phone, like laptops, tablets, etc. Some portable Wi-Fi devices or routers are available online on Amazon that you can conveniently purchase and set up your own private internet connection, on at least 10 devices simultaneously, including phones, laptops, tablets and iPads, gaming consoles and cameras, etc., anywhere where you go. These hotspots or dongles are available from Airtel, Jio, Huawei, and DLink. Hard to choose the best one? Visit GearHungry.com for the latest travel gadgets reviews.
3. Look for Spots with Local Wi-Fi
One of the best ways how to stay connected when you’re traveling. While traveling abroad or in your own country, always look for Wi-Fi connectivity rather than mobile data for the internet. It is cost-effective and hassle-free. Nowadays, most tourist places and their major sight-seeing attractions have free Wi-Fi available in that area. Once you have your travel itinerary ready, try to locate the mobile Wi-Fi free availability spots when you visit these places. You can connect to local Wi-Fi connections during your trip, to save money on mobile data.
4. Use Skype to make free phone calls
Skype is a Voice over Internet Protocol app that allows you to make phone calls on your phone or laptop. You can download the app, and buy some credit if you need it. You can frequently make international phone calls, saving on your costs considerably. It is free if the person you’re calling has Skype. Just make sure you are connected to the internet and have access to a good internet connection. Similarly, you can use Google Voice or FB messenger for calling as well, if your called person also has the same apps installed on their phone.
5. Use messenger apps extensively
While traveling, make the most use out of your messenger apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Hangouts, iMessenger, Skype and others, that have now developed into broad platforms enabling status updates, pictures, and video posting hubs, and even payments and conversational commerce. The growing number of digital offers and travel comparison sites raise the competition and will help you in securing the best deals on bookings, restaurants, and orders. You can also have quick, approachable conversations on the go, and make free calls over these apps.
Also Read: 10 Important Safety Tips for Solo Female Travelers
6. Keep a backup off-phone network handy
This generally applies to those cases, where you may not get a phone network or internet connectivity. Also, you may come across some unfortunate incidents like losing or breaking your phone while on travel or damaging it. Whatever be the case, always stay prepared with an emergency list of numbers that you can jot down in a notepad or keep in your backpack. You can scribble numbers of your close friends or relatives who can help you in times of need, along with numbers of your doctor, insurance company and travel service, if applicable.
Also Read: The Top Ice Climbing Spots Around the World
7. Travel Postcards are not passe
We live in a world of technology with continuous access to the latest gadgets and the most modern apps on the internet. Posting your travel pics on Instagram, or Facebook seems fun. However, if you are in such an area where you are not able to secure good connectivity, you will be stalled if you don’t have alternative means of connectivity. Be prepared for everything-that should be the new travel mantra. You can even think of picking up local travel picture postcards and sending in a heartfelt written note to your loved ones. Exploring post boxes and postal offices in remote locations will also be fun and an achievement in itself.
Also Read: How To Plan Your Trip In 9 Step Guide
Travel and connectivity go hand in hand. You may travel solo or in groups, but you need to stay connected will remain the same. It is a fundamental aspect of human nature that we want to share our experiences, good or bad. You can choose any means from those listed above, to secure your connections. So, stay connected. Use whichever means you like and which is easily available in the area that you visit. But keep your options open and keep backups handy always. Explore and design your own path -that’s what travel is all about.
