Cell Phones Abroad
Time and again, friends ask me how to navigate their cell phone use while abroad. The uncomfortable truth is, there is very little on your cell phone that you actually need on an international vacation. Maps? Paper maps still exist, as do friendly locals willing to give directions! Texting and email? You’re on vacation! People forgive a lack of communication, trust me. Social media? We all know we don’t actually need it…
My point is, you could easily have an amazing vacation having forgotten your cell phone at home. It’s incredible to truly unplug. Leave your phone at the hotel all day and experience how nice it is to be released from your electronic tether—and just how often you reach for it or use it as a social crutch. Yes, you’ll have questions Google won’t be able to answer instantly, but perhaps the docent at the museum will. You’ll have ample opportunity to practice your Top 10 Phrases Every Traveler Should Know. And I promise you genuine and entertaining interactions with locals as you ask for directions.
I choose to operate without connecting to a network when I’m abroad. I turn my phone to airplane mode when I board my international flight, and it stays off-network until I touch down back in the USA. While in airplane mode, I have the option to connect to Wifi when available [which is pretty much everywhere], and can use apps, iMessage, Whatsapp, etc. I sometimes leave my phone at the hotel for the whole day [GASP] and just carry my camera and a paper map. It forces me to closely observe my surroundings and to tune in to the vibe of a new place. The lack of mobile distraction makes me super present and helps me feel like I’m getting the most out of my time away.
If navigating a new city with a paper map terrifies you, there is one tool that I find incredibly useful. The app maps.me houses a world of downloadable maps that function offline. Download the map for your destination while on Wifi, then use with or without an internet connection/data. You can bookmark sites (like where your Airbnb is located) and save them on the map permanently. The best part is, you can search the map while offline. So if you’re exploring the city and your barista tells you about his favorite hidden gem, you can pull out your app and search it, even though it wasn’t a previously searched location. In my experience, the app gives accurate walking or driving directions, and I love that it includes public transit options!
Taking the time to wander without GPS, Lisbon, Portugal.
If you’re not convinced, or for some reason you have to be able to check in to your life back home more often than abundant Wifi options allow, I would speak with your carrier prior to departure from home. Every carrier manages international use differently, and prices often differ per country. For example: Verizon users in Mexico pay $10/day to maintain their normal talk/text/data plan. You’ll be on the Mexican Verizon-affiliate service provider, and subject to all their outages/slow speeds/poor signals, so just be aware that it’s not always a slam dunk. You may want to check what the affiliate network is and research their availability at your specific destination. Most plans also offer the option to pay by the day. When you turn off airplane mode, the 24 hour timer starts. If you turn your phone back on airplane mode within that 24 hour window, you’ll only be charged for that day. So consider that option if you have, say, a logistical nightmare on day 3 of your trip, but the rest of the time you want to unplug and go with the flow.
It can be hard to imagine what life was like without a super computer in your pocket. I challenge you to think about your vacation time differently and truly disconnect while you’re abroad. Who knows, you just might strike up a conversation with a random gal in your hostel dorm room in rural Indonesia, only to realize you went to the same small college in Oregon. True story!
