After a recent trip a friend of mine recently asked me an all important question. “Do you roam when you’re off out of the country?” My response, ‘No? “Well, how are you always on Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat when traveling.” Ahhhhh! The secret!
Major key alert!
I live by the major commandment, ‘Thou shall always be connected.” To those of you looking at me from through the computer screen sideways, it’s not to gloat about my worldly travels but its a matter of safety and security. You never know what or who you will encounter on your travels, and ensuring you are able to reach out to someone in an emergency is always key.
So, how do I manage to stay connected. It’s simple! Before any trip I take, I research. Does my hotel have wifi, is it free, is the country communication friendly? Some countries like Singapore have free public Wi-Fi service across the country with hotspots available at malls, museums, public libraries, airports and metro stations. Many cafes charge nominal fees for access to their networks. The first and most important question I ask when I walk into a restaurant, bar or cafe is, ‘Do you have wifi?”
While wifi is important, you may run the risk of visiting a country that is still very far behind the times, or staying at a hotel where wi-fi is $16.95 a night. For a traveler on a budget, that’s not going to fly! In these instances, a sim card is king. I always purchase a sim card for whatever country that I’m visiting. This may not apply to many of you who own locked devices, but for individuals like myself who owns an unlocked device, this is truly an inexpensive way to remain connected! While I’m not well versed on phone company policies, I do believe many phone companies like T-Mobile will unlock your phone once you alert them that you are traveling out of the country. I usually purchase a data only sim card which has never costed more than $30.00. I am able to stay in connect with my family and friends as well as keep my blog updated. Also, please remember to always walk with your passport if you are going to purchase a sim card or else you won’t be issued one.
Update: While, all of the above worked well for me, I recently found the holy grail of wifi! While researching ways to streamline my travels, I came across a mobile hotspot device called Skyroam, which is now my go-to for connectivity. It’s a simple device that you purchase or rent and load up with day-passes for $8 a day. You are able to connect up to 5 devices at once, so it’s a great option if you are travelling with family. To read more about Skyroam, head to my review, ‘Always Wander With The Skyroam Wifi’.
If you’re interested in purchasing, you can head over to Skyroam and purchase via my affiliate link! It will cost you nothing extra, but will help me keep this blog running!
