It is a shame to save money through the purchase of cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel rooms or cheap vacation packages to travel abroad only to see the cost of using cell phones and/or other digital devices that connect to the Internet explode while you travel.
One could argue that while you are outside of the U.S. you should not be spending a lot of time on your cell phone. However, smartphones and laptops can be extremely helpful to travelers for such things as downloading maps, finding directions, checking menus, and calling your travel companions when you are delayed.
The following are tips from Frommers how to stay connected to the outside world while traveling without breaking the bank:
Find apps that compress data so that you can reduce your data footprint. Opera Mini for Android or iPhone can reduce Web page data usage by up to 80 percent. You can reduce your data consumption even more by downloading Onavo for iPhone or Onavo Extend for Android. These apps will compress almost all of your Internet traffic.
Several phone carriers offer international roaming plans worth checking out. Make certain you turn off background data on your phone to prevent it from syncing apps without your knowledge. Try to hold off checking email until you can access a Wi-Fi network.
Local SIM cards slot into AT&T or T-Mobile phones, as well as inexpensive unlocked phones, to provide very low rates in individual countries. A company named Telestial sells single country SIMs for many countries with an English language support staff.
Roaming SIM cards connect calls and data for multi country trips at much lower rates than most carriers standard rates.
If you want unlimited Internet, and are concerned about the accessibility of free Wi-Fi hotspots, rent a hotspot. Hotspots from XCom Global are an excellent way to stay connected overseas.
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