My frequent international travel has made me the expert at many things – staying connected on the cheap is one of them (a lesson I learned the hard way, after racking up a $1000 phone bill in Europe. Whoops). Here are my tips for staying connected, inexpensively, while traveling abroad:
Skype. It’s a lifesaver, particularly when hours-long conference calls are the norm. $10 of prepaid time lasted my entire week in Germany (and then some). Â While I recommend activating the international plan for emergencies, relying on Skype for the majority of your communication is the best way to keep costs down.
If you’re (still) a BlackBerry user, this is one area you have everyone beat. Â The BlackBerry global plan is 1/3 cheaper than the iPhone and Android plans, and even with the substandard phone performance it still is beneficial. Â I still have my old BlackBerry, and pop my Indian SIM card in it for use when I’m in the motherland. Â It serves its purpose – e-mail, phone, and basic Twitter/FB updates.
While AT&T gouges you on the international iPhone plan, the international data plan on the iPad is surprisingly affordable. Â For $50, I got 250 MB of data for the month – more than sufficient for e-mail downloads and basic app upgrades. Â Check with your network provider to see if your tablet boasts an affordable international plan. Â It saved me and my tweeting/Facebooking/e-mailing/blogging ways.
Sometimes, being unavailable is a good thing – particularly if you’re on vacation. Â Leave the phone in the safe and have a great time!
How do you stay connected when you’re abroad?
