Technology helps us share our travel experiences with friends and family back home—the instant they happen. But sometimes this can come at a price, like less pocket change for presents. (Which makes the old-fashioned postcard all the more charming.) With Explorica’s handy hints for staying connected to home on the cheap, maybe you can have the best of both worlds.
- Skype’s a bargain and a half if you’re traveling with a laptop or a smart phone. That’s because you can chat free from one wi-fi connected device to another or pay pennies to call them on their phone. And if you pay a small fee for a local number before you leave, your friends and family can ring you free from any phone, anytime. But remember, Skype only works if you can access wi-fi. And in some parts of the world, wi-fi isn‘t readily available or cheap. Help is at hand, however. A company called Boingo.com offers pay-as-you-go wi-fi plans in certain hotspots at home and abroad. (Top tip: Turn your data roaming and cellular data off when traveling to prevent your phone from push alerts and periodically downloading email which really cranks up the bucks.)
- These days, apps are where it’s at. And there are a variety of apps that’ll let you call and text for absolutely nothing. Such as pinger.com, textplus.com and apps from the Apple Store. Remember, you’ll need wi-fi access to put these into use as well.
- Along with postcards, why not go old school and purchase a phone card in your host country. Without the worry of misplacing your smart phone or even tempting sticky fingers, a phone card will give you peace of mind. Not only can Explorica hook you up with the most reliable calling cards around, we also offer cellular phones for under $30 that you can use anytime, anywhere, without the need for wi-fi!