Travelers who want to stay in touch with loved ones at home will have a much easier time than people did a few decades ago. Back then, the most common method was to use a landline phone and pay ridiculous fees for long distance calls. It seemed like every second was a drop of gold. These days, everyone has access to mobile devices that are capable of direct communications with anyone at any place. Below are some of the best options for budget-conscious globe-trotters:
VoIP Apps
People can always use their smartphones to contact their family back home. If they have access to the Internet, then it should not be hard to leave messages on chat apps or social media. This would allow them to send text, pictures, videos, and audio clips. It is cheap and easy to do. If your hotel has free Wi-Fi, then that is all you need. Some of these apps will even allow users to make voice and video calls through voice over IP. Call people in real-time just like you would normally and talk to them about your day. Thanks to advances in technology, this can become more reliable and sound clarity has improved as well.
Local SIM
Another strategy is to just buy a local SIM and use that while you are in your current host country. It should simplify 4G Internet access and allow you to go online while on-the-go. This should be feasible if your phone is unlocked and capable of using dual SIMs. That way, you can keep your old SIM and insert the local one in the blank side of the tray. If it is locked, then you might want to have it unlocked before leaving. You could also purchase a travel phone at a low price for this purpose.
International SIM
Some US carriers offer great plans for frequent travelers including T-Mobile. Subscribers will be able to use data and send free texts in more than 100 countries with their plan. Others might not offer such a good deal. People may check out different international travel SIM options instead. Be sure to compare their base charges, data rates, and other fees. Theinternational travel SIM itself is generally affordable but the data plans can be expensive. Some charge per MB while other have a flat rate. If you know just how much you use on a regular basis, then you should be able to narrow down your choices fast. Check out their perks and other features that put them above the rest in this category.
Leave a Reply