How To Use Your Phone Abroad
It's 2019 and that means one thing is certain, you are always on your phone! From texting, to web browsing, to going down the rabbit hole that is social media, we pretty much always have our phones on us. While some would argue we've become way too dependent on our phones, it doesn't change the fact that the majority of our days include our phones. But when you're traveling abroad and you don't have a global plan on your phone, what do you do?! Below are some tips and advice on how to stay connected, no matter where you're traveling. I mean, if you can't post on Instagram, how will anyone know where you are?
1. Airplane Mode
Step one in using your phone abroad is CRUCIAL if you do not want to be charged any crazy fees from your cell phone carrier. You all know how to switch your phone to "Airplane Mode" since you're required to do that on planes (even domestically). I admit, there's been a time or two I've totally forgotten and either realized mid-flight or when we've landed and I went to switch it off (oops!). But what is extremely important when traveling abroad is to LEAVE THE PHONE ON AIRPLANE MODE! Yes, I am sort of yelling with my all caps, but for good reason. Unless you plan on paying the International Day Pass your carrier offers (more on that below), it is crucial to leave your phone in Airplane Mode. The minute you turn it off, your phone will find the nearest service and connect, so before you've even had a minute to realize Airplane Mode is off, you've just incurred an international fee on your bill! If you leave your phone in Airplane Mode, you still have options for using your phone, mainly wifi.
Another issue you can run into with iPhones if you accidentally turn your Airplane Mode off, is that once you turn it back on your iMessage and FaceTime may not work. I've had this happen once and a friend of mine I traveled with had it happen to her as well. Basically you needed to be back on your regular carrier (Verizon, AT&T, etc.) in order for your phone to readjust. If you're in another country the iPhone can't seem to get back to normal. Instead you will just see "Waiting for activation..." for the remainder of your trip, no matter how many times you speak to an Apple rep, Verizon rep, search the internet for solutions, or troubleshoot (yes, I am still annoyed just thinking about it!). Good thing to note here is that Direct Messaging in Instagram and apps like WhatsApp will still work, so there are alternatives to contacting loved ones.
2. Wifi
Pretty much everywhere you travel these days will have wifi (except places like Cuba - new post coming soon!). Every airport (even the small ones off the beaten path) have some sort of free wifi you can connect to when you get off the plane. Even if you don't plan on using your phone while traveling, it is always nice to at least check in with family when you've landed to let them know you've arrived. It is also helpful to use free airport wifi to get an Uber (or similar car service) to your hotel or place of accommodation.
Almost all hotels will also offer wifi, but often times for a fee. If you are a member of the hotel chain's rewards program (which you should be of EVERY chain for perks like free wifi), you will enjoy complimentary wifi during your stay. If you happen to be at a hotel that isn't a chain or just doesn't offer free wifi in room, most always have free wifi in the lobby. Again, this is a great option for checking in with family, emails, your itinerary, etc.
Other most common places that offer free wifi are the well-known food establishments. McDonald's and Starbucks are everywhere in the world and always have wifi you can connect to while in the store. Often, just standing near the entrance will give you access to their wifi. I actually had issues with my international plan while in Prague and couldn't get the Uber app to work, so I found the closest Starbucks, stood outside, and connected to their wifi in order to get a car. You will also find that most establishments (even small family run places) will have some sort of wifi. Whether you have to be a paying customer or simply have to know the password (which is available if you ask), it is fairly easy to find and connect to wifi when traveling.
The biggest benefit to wifi when traveling is that you can still use almost all of your phone's features without using cellular data. So what that means is you can message people (WhatsApp is a great messaging app while traveling for ALL models of phones!), check emails, search the web, and post on social media. If you have an iPhone, you can even FaceTime those with Apple devices. Basically connecting to wifi while your phone is still in Airplane Mode gives you everything except regular calling.
3. Portable Wifi Devices
While finding wifi while traveling is quite easy, there are inevitably times when you aren't near a location that has wifi and you are in need of the use of data (e.g., my Prague Uber story minus the convenience of a close Starbucks). One great option to have when traveling is a portable wifi device. With these devices, you can connect up to 5 devices (phones, tablets, laptops, etc.) and access unlimited global internet. They are very easy to use, just turn on the hotspot, press "start" and connect your devices. You can rent the portable wifi device and pay per day (24 hour periods) to have full access the entire trip. This is a great option if making non-FaceTime calls is not a concern and you want to connect multiple devices. In the past I have used Skyroam and it worked great. You pay $9.95 per day for the length of your trip (with the option to add insurance). The best part is that everything you need is mailed to your house and includes a prepaid package to mail back when you return from your trip. Easy peasy! You can find out more about Skyroam devices here.
4. International Travel Passes with Cellular Carriers
If you will need the ability to make phone calls (whether to family or friends back home, or local calls while traveling), each cellular carrier offers international plans/passes you can activate while traveling. Depending on your cellular carrier, you just register your device before you leave with the country(ies) you're traveling to and then you'll be good to go when you arrive. Simply turn off Airplane Mode (yes, turn it off, you're safe now) and you will automatically connect to a local cell tower. From there, you can use your phone just like at home. Things to be mindful of are that you will be using your phone like normal, so if you have a certain data allotment per month, you'll be using your data. Always smart to connect to free wifi whenever you can just to limit your data use.
Depending on your carrier, you will be charged for 24-hour periods. If you're traveling for a week and don't need cellular service every day of the trip, simply turn your Airplane Mode back on for the days you don't need service. Most carriers charge between $5-$10 a day, depending on where you're traveling, so it may be wise to only pay for those 24 hours you need full service capabilities. You can check your carrier's international plans below by just clicking on your carrier (FYI - for this example I entered France as the country where I am traveling):
Verizon Wireless
AT&T
Sprint
T-Mobile
5. Virtual Private Networks
One last thing to keep in mind is that certain countries you travel to will have restrictions on what you can see/use on your phone. In countries like China, there are a lot of restrictions. For example, if you're traveling to China and are from the U.S., you will be prohibited from accessing Facebook from your phone. The easiest way around this is to connect to a Virtual Private Network (VPN). What a VPN does is create an encrypted connection (often referred to as a tunnel) between your device and a server controlled by the VPN company, and then passes all network activity through the protected tunnel. In layman's terms that means that while you may be in another country, your phone will be connecting to a server somewhere else and thus, you won't be restricted from anything. I used one in China and connected to VPNs in Chicago, LA, and Vancouver. There are a lot of different apps out there for VPNs, so it's always best to research ahead of time for which one is best for you. PCMag.com has a great article here on "The Best Free VPNs for 2019."
No matter how you choose to stay connected, you can rest assured that you won't miss anything while you're abroad. Unless you want to be off the grid, then by all means go dark and enjoy!
Bon voyage!
