If, like me, you’ve “bought into” using a smartphone while on holiday, travelling outside of your home country can bring an immediate challenge – how to stay connected to the Internet.
Now, it isn’t the end of the world to disconnect from the Internet occasionally. Indeed, it is one of the reasons why we love cruises so much.
However, a number of apps do need Internet access, at least initially, and getting Internet access can be tricky sometimes.
Wi-Fi
This is probably the most straightforward solution to getting connected to the Internet – find a Wi-Fi network that you are able to connect to. For example, Starbucks, McDonalds or your hotel.
Of course, you can’t take that Wi-Fi network with you when you are out and about. If you want to use certain apps without Internet connectivity, e.g. Google Maps, see if there is any support for “offline” working. Google Maps, for example, allows you to download a section of map but it can have some limitations like maybe not offering walking routes.
Mobile Data
If you cannot find a Wi-Fi network to use, the next option is to check if you can use your mobile service. Some mobile providers offer “roaming” packages for a set amount of money per day or per week. If this is of interest to you, you will need to check the website for your provider or contact them directly to see what they offer.
For example, O2 in the UK has this page that explains what is possible within Europe and elsewhere.
If your mobile provider doesn’t provide roaming capabilities within your budget, another option to look into is whether any mobile providers in the country you are visiting offer visitor SIMs or maybe cheap SIMs.
For example. in Bangkok, you can buy visitor SIMs.
When I’m in the USA, I have a pre-paid T-Mobile SIM that I use. This costs $3 per month and gets me 30 minutes of voice calling, 30 text messages or any combination. If I want Internet access, I can add that for $5 per day or $10 for a week.