Is Your Phone Ready to Travel Abroad?

​by Marcia Simon, APR, CTA
 
Heading overseas for your next vacation or business trip?

If you plan to use your phone – at all – for any reason – these tips and helpful apps will assure that your phone remains a valued and reliable companion when traveling internationally:

1. Clean out the trash and load up on useful apps (listed below.) Check your phone’s memory; de-clutter. There’s nothing more annoying than a popup message alerting you you’re out of memory as you’re about to take that next great video. Delete bad photos as well as images you’ve already downloaded or transferred. Clear videos and old voicemails you no longer want, and delete the cache (accumulated garbage) from your apps. Your carrier’s tech support can walk you through this. To make room, transfer files from your phone to an external memory card (if your phone supports this.)Ask your wireless carrier about international plans that meet your travel needs. A temporary monthly fee can save you hundreds of dollars if you need to use your phone for data (navigation) or voice calls. Review, and change if necessary, your network and roaming settings because it’s not always possible to make these changes from outside your “home network area.” Your carrier’s tech support can guide you through this.
2. Save battery and data during your trip by using your phone in a Wi-Fi area as much as possible. Choose hotels that offer free Wi-Fi access. Download directions for daily navigation before you leave your hotel. Turn Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Location settings off when not using them. (Phones use battery power by automatically searching for Wi-Fi networks.)
3. Bring a charger that has a USB connector as well as an international adapter. Airports, planes and hotels increasing use USB connectivity, which is more universal.
4. Don’t forget your headset. With low-cost airlines charging for just about everything, including headsets, it’s a lot easier to bring your own. Depending on how much you’re willing to invest, the quality will likely be better, too.
5. Load useful apps.

  Try these Travel Apps to save time and sanity:

1. WhatsApp, Facetime, Skype or Zoom – for phone calls and video chats over Wi-Fi. Make sure your family, or whomever you’ll be communicating with back home, has also downloaded the app and established an account. Then your calls will be free from any Wi-Fi zone.
2. Your airline’s app – Whether it be Delta, United, Norwegian, EasyJet or any other airline, you’ll get real-time updates, including gate information, delays and other changes. You’ll have easy access to your boarding pass and rewards program. Some airlines offer entertainment and Wi-Fi on your device accessible only through the airline’s app.
3. Your bank’s app – so you can check your balance, or transfer money to get cash from the ATM. (Rule of thumb – use debit card at ATM to get local currency; use credit card for purchases. Why? Cash withdrawal using a credit card is usually considered a cash advance with high interest rates; and while most merchants overseas accept American credit cards, many will not accept a debit card.)
4. Currency converter – to quickly check the price equivalent before you buy something
5. Google Translate or other language app – to help you find the words, or to scan something in a local language (e.g. a menu, brochure or sign) for translation into English. It’s also a good idea to download the dictionary of the language spoken at your destination before your trip, so you can still access translation when you’re offline.
6. Duolingo – to help you learn the language, or at least understand pronunciation. It’s a nice gesture.
7. Your hotel’s app – This is helpful if you stay at the same hotel or chain for more than a couple of nights. You can request early check-in, late check-out, and expedite the process.
8. Uber – usually lower priced than a taxi; many airports do not allow Uber drivers to pick up at arrival terminals near the Taxi Line, but some do, so you’ll need to check. Once out of the airport, Uber is a good choice if you need a ride from your hotel or downtown area. Lyft is talking about building out their international service, but for now, Uber is the established option.
9. Mobile Passport – makes getting through Customs upon your return a faster process. Remember to load your flight and passport information before you reach Customs. This app works at 26 airports in the U.S. for US citizens and Canadian visitors only.

 
Marcia Simon, APR, CTA is a travel advisor and principal at friendlygrouptravel.com and MSE Public Relations. She writes about health, wellness and travel.
​Connect: [email protected],  facebook.com/friendlygrouptravel, 
@friendsgotravel on Twitter and friendgrouptravel on Instagram.

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