Tech Tips for Travel
GOT A DATA PLAN?
Before you set-off on your trip, there are several tech perks, data plans, and usage factors you ought to consider! First and foremost, expect to use more data when traveling, reason being that you’re most likely connected to Wi-Fi at home and probably don’t stream as often, message on iMessage or WhatsApp, access GPS, and continuously take (and upload) many photos/videos. But when you’re traveling, it is a different ball game! You will NEED a data plan!
With so many technological advancements, 5G broadband networks, cell tower developments, and satellite-based navigational systems, most cell phone providers have expanded and established international roaming* agreements and data packages to facilitate travelers worldwide. Whether you are traveling solo, with your partner, in a group, or with your entire family, data plans can be costly, since fees vary by destination, data usage, and trip length.
*Data roaming services automatically activate when you travel outside of your primary wireless provider's network coverage area. And since you’ll be using an external network, keep in mind that you may need to enter a “1” before the area code when making a call to a US number.
If you are going away on a business trip or plan to work remotely while on vacay, take into account that there are daily data “limitations,” so your bandwidth will slow down or become heavily reduced after you exceed your high-speed data plan capacity—within a certain allotted time—if you are not connected to Wi-Fi! Hence, take note, as this can potentially impact your work-flow production!
Also, if you will be going on an international road-trip and will be relying on your cell service to navigate you throughout the entire excursion, or if you will be utilizing apps that require location access to provide content or services, like Facebook, Tinder, Uber…etc., you will certainly require a much bigger data plan!
Many years ago, before Verizon Wireless created the TravelPass, they offered a basic global plan for $85 (or so) that consisted of something like 250 texts (total) and 100 minutes of talk time; in conjunction, data overage fees were $25 per 25MB!! It was sooo EXPENSIVE!!! But now, aside from the TravelPass, you’re able add one-time bundle packages for Cruise ships or inflight services, select the Pay-as-You-Go option, or enroll in an international monthly plan. And, if you are traveling to Canada or Mexico, you can add a roaming plan with unlimited data for a small daily usage fee!
With so many international data/phone plan options available nowadays, I wanna break down a few resourceful options to choose from:
DATA PLANS
Option 1.
If you do NOT want to accrue exorbitant cell phone fees, keep your cell on airplane mode during the entire trip. This will eliminate high-data usage and the combining service fees; however, take into account that if you set your phone on airplane mode, you will be disabling your phone's ability to connect to all cell networks and Bluetooth features. In other words, you will not have access to calls, texts, nor will you be able to browse the internet, unless you are connected to Wi-Fi.
NOTE: Never ever use unsecured and open networks AND refrain from logging into your personal accounts. But if you MUST, ensure that you completely sign out to protect yourself from hackers, malware, and wary sites. Hide your IP address, change your VPN location, and only enter passwords on sites that use encrypted programs. If you’ll be accessing a shared TV or computer to play Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, Prime etc., I suggest that you connect by using your smartphone’s Chromecast built-in feature or your phone’s hotspot!
Option 2.
You can always purchase a local subscriber identity module (SIM) card, which can typically be purchased at the airport upon arriving at your destination. I am not too familiar with the SIM card swap process, but I am aware that you get free incoming calls; and since your card is pre-paid, you are technically only paying for the data, calls, and text messages that you actually use! To use the SIM card feature, your cell phone needs to be “unlocked” by your phone company, so give your wireless provider a call before you leave, to gather all the deets.
Option 3.
If you’re a workaholic (like me), must always be accessible, and are required to log on, daily, while on vacay, then you better enroll in an international data plan package. As previously mentioned, Verizon Wireless offers the TravelPass, which allows you to remain on your current data (as if you were back home), for a daily fee. Once you are enrolled, the TravelPass ONLY (and AUTOMATICALLY) activates when you are roaming abroad. Every major cell phone company offers similar and/or discounted roaming programs, so compare and ensure that you’re enrolled in the program that’s best suited for YOU!
Option 4.
If you simply cannot afford to pay or purchase an individual data package or SIM card, for every single member in your family that will be traveling with you, don’t panic!! I have a pretty cool recommendation for you: the Skyroam Solis Global Hotspot—it is my fave! It is awesome and can save you big bucks! It is a pocket-size, private, secure, and portable WiFi “router” that offers cell and data connection. You can pay per GB usage, purchase 24-hour day passes in advance, or enroll in one of the unlimited data subscriptions. The absolute BEST part about the Skyroam Solis is that it can be shared with up to 10 devices (e.g. laptops, cell phones, iPads, or tablets)! Cha-Ching!! If you are traveling with friends, you can even split the fees!! This means significant savings!!
**IMPORTANT TIP**
ENSURE THAT YOUR ROAMING DATA CAPABILITIES ARE ALWAYS TURNED ON AND FULLY ACTIVATED, EVEN IF YOU PLAN TO STAY ON AIRPLANE MODE OR WILL BE USING A WIRELESS ROUTER THROUGHOUT YOUR ENTIRE TRIP! SHOULD AN EMERGENCY OR CRISIS ARISE, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CALL FOR IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE, IF YOUR DATA ROAMING SETTINGS ARE OFF!!! YOUR SAFETY SHOULD NEVER BE COMPROMISED DUE TO LACK OF CONNECTION, READINESS, AND ACCESSIBILITY, SO CHECK YOUR PHONE’S SETTINGS TO REMOVE ANY AND ALL RESTRICTIONS!!
Once you’ve settled on a data travel package, you should still consider a few more items….
DOWNLOAD PERKS
Inflight Entertainment
Not all airlines and flight routes provide inflight entertainment, earphones, and power outlets (among other things), so be prepared and download your movies or shows before you depart, so you can watch them during your long-haul flights! If you are traveling with infants or young children, this can benefit you greatly! IJS!! I, personally, rarely watch movies on flights! But I also hardly every sleep on planes LOL; nonetheless, I got several movies saved!
Google Offline Maps
I recently traveled to Ecuador and there were several days in which I had no cell service or extremely limited reception, since I was deep in the Amazon jungles!! But being that I had downloaded a map of Ecuador before I left my home, I was able to navigate my entire trip without internet connection. I am grateful and love the fact that the GPS tracking features work eloquently on our smartphones without internet or reception!
Latest Software Upgrades
ALWAYS back up your pictures, update your applications, and never save personal information in your notes. Also, set up a secondary retrieval email address account (do not set up a secondary phone number because if that other phone is not with you, you will not be able to access your phone’s records); and ensure that you download the latest software version. And here’s why…
During a trip to Guatemala, as we were stepping onto a boat, a friend slipped & lost her balance; as a result, her purse flipped open, and her phone (and credit cards) fell directly into the lake! She lost EVERYTHING!! And since she had an older iPhone, had not backed up her files, and had never updated her software versions, most of our vacay images were gone! So, she was not able to log on to work, deactivate her cards, reach her wireless provider, or access any of her accounts! We had such difficulty contacting her family to notify them of the incident! But to make matters much worse, she did not have a retrieval account set up; so in the end, she was not able to recover most of her files and past images!! It was a hard and saddening lesson!!
So, as a summary:
Do NOT travel internationally without a data plan. Ever! More so, if you’re addicted to social media, want to go live, upload all your cool vacay pics, and/or are required to be logged on for work!! I have traveled with friends who’ve had to pay $400, $700, and even $1,100 for international usage, solely because they did not enroll in a data plan. While some data plans can be pricey, in my opinion, paying that little extra more, as opposed to going over your allotted data, may be cheaper in the end! Also, ensure that your phone is unlocked, and that your roaming capabilities are turned on ALWAYS AND FOREVER!
If you don’t want to purchase a data plan or incur any international fees while traveling abroad, then always keep your phone on airplane mode and only log on to secured WiFi networks. An alternative is to purchase the Skyroam Solis wireless router and save you some cash. Avoid streaming, disable unnecessary apps from running, and switch from push to manual email notifications. And don’t forget to download WhatsApp, so you can communicate with others for FREE.
Safe Travels…