[AD] Travelling often presents an opportunity to stay connected while exploring new places, blending the joy of discovery with the comfort of staying in touch with home. It’s about finding a balance where you can stay connected when travelling, yet still immerse yourself in the culture and atmosphere of your destinations.
This unique combination lets you escape your routine while keeping in touch with the responsibilities and people back home, even if just briefly, while you continue to explore the world.
Even if the idea of going completely off the grid and living life without the modern technologies that keep everyone in the loop may sound enticing, you might want to maintain a certain degree of connectivity while you’re wandering the world.
Staying connected is all the more important if travelling has become a way of life for you and you always find yourself on the road, in search of the next destination to explore.
Simple ways to stay connected when travelling
So, if we’ve managed to convince you that connectivity while travelling is not inherently bad and can in fact be quite useful, let’s see what you can do to stay in touch with the outside world.
Use a local SIM card
Your smartphone can be one of your most useful travel companions. You can use it to keep in touch with friends and family, find your way around, access bookings, make travel arrangements, document your trip and even stay on top of work if you need to.
Before travelling, check exactly what roaming data your usual mobile network includes. If your allowance is limited, an eSIM can give you another way to stay connected without relying entirely on your normal plan.
We have now tried this ourselves. Liv and I used separate Holafly eSIMs during a recent trip to France alongside our usual giffgaff SIMs. Setup was straightforward and having extra data was really useful, although the connection became less reliable when we travelled into particularly rural areas. You can read our full Holafly eSIM review and experience using it in France to see how easy it was to set up, how we used it and what you should know before buying.
Being able to keep your normal SIM and phone number while using a separate eSIM for travel data is particularly handy when you still need access to messages, verification codes and apps while you are away.
This becomes even more important for Americans moving to England, because setting up a UK SIM, banking apps and verification texts quickly turns into your new full-time hobby.
Keep your smart devices safe
As helpful as it might be, an eSIM card will not be of much use if you forget your phone in your hotel room, or worse, if your phone gets stolen. As a tourist, you have to be aware that you can become a target for thieves if you’re not careful.
Don’t let the enthusiasm and excitement of traveling distract you from the dangers that might lurk around. Research your destination before you arrive and pay attention to your surroundings, especially when you’re in crowded places.
Keep your phone and other smart devices in a cross body bag and pull it in front of you so you can keep your eyes on it at all times. Traveling in a group also lowers your chances of getting mugged.
Before you travel, it is also worth checking your chargers, power banks, offline maps and device cover. My family travel tech checklist includes the phone and travel essentials worth sorting before a family trip abroad.
Search for local Wi-Fi
If you run out of mobile data and can’t connect to the internet, public Wi-Fi can provide an easy way to stay connected. These days, almost every coffee shop, bar or restaurant provides Wi-Fi connectivity, so all you have to do is grab a cup of coffee and enjoy free internet.
However, keep in mind that public Wi-Fi networks have little to no security, so you shouldn’t use them if you want to conduct bank transactions or perform any actions that involve disclosing sensitive information.
Take advantage of social media apps
It would be a shame to spend your time abroad scrolling through social media. However, if you want to stay in touch with the rest of the world and make calls or send messages without spending a chunk of money, social media apps provide the perfect solution.
You can take a few minutes every day to share pictures from your ventures on your account and inform your loved ones of your itinerary. Just make sure you don’t fall down the rabbit hole and spend more time online than you’ve planned.
Reasons why you should stay connect when travelling
You may wonder why would anyone want to stay connected when you have the opportunity to live in the moment and unplug. Well, the number one reason is safety.
Travelling is fun and can be a truly transformative experience, but there are also plenty of things that can go wrong when you’re in an unfamiliar place, without the possibility to ask for help.
Even as an experienced traveler, you should not undermine the risks and hazards you could encounter, especially if you’re traveling to a high-risk country.
Imagine you or any of your travel companions gets injured but you have no way to contact the local authorities or get to a hospital because you’ve decided not to take any devices on your trip or tell anyone where you’re going.
You can put yourself and others in real danger by choosing to completely disconnect from the world.
Another less dramatic reason why you might want to stay connected is to keep in touch with your family and friends. You might not feel their absence when you’re away as your mind is busy with all the new things and places you’re discovering, but they most certainly miss you and would like to know you’re safe.
Besides, you might also want to share all the wonderful things you’re experiencing abroad with the people at home and give them a glimpse into your adventures.
In the end, staying connected is a great thing as long as you don’t spend the entirety of your trip in front of a screen or snapping pictures all the time instead of taking the time to enjoy the sights and places.
Wrapping up ways to stay connected when travelling
Connectivity can be a great thing, at home and abroad, and with all the tech solutions we’ve got at our disposal today, it’s easier than ever to achieve it.
So, if you want to stay safe, gain peace of mind and keep your loved ones close while you’re roaming the world, these tips can help you stay connected wherever you go.
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