Travel and Keep in Touch Using Technology
When traveling for business or pleasure, the task of keeping in touch with family, friends and coworkers is often at the forefront of the mind. Fortunately, as technology progresses at lightning speed, the ways in which we can keep in touch continue to grow, as well. The manner in which you stay in touch with those on the home front depends on manner factors…where you’re at, the modes of communication available, and personal preference. If you’re looking for more communication options, here are a few suggestions that might work for you.
Pay First, Call Later
Calling with your cellphone isn’t normally a problem during travel, but it can get expensive in some places. While traveling overseas, a great deal of money can be saved by using a prepaid phone card. Since a prepaid phone card is purchased before you start making phone calls, your phone calling budget is already established and you don’t have to worry about not being able to get in touch with people back home.
Computer-to-Computer Communication
If you travel with a laptop computer or smartphone, you can contact coworkers, family members and friends with programs that utilize the internet, instead of phone service. Programs such as Skype connect people around the world every day. Talking to people Skype-to-Skype is simple and reliable, as long as there’s an internet connection.
Phone Apps
Cellphones that come with apps provide several ways in which to connect with people back home. During your travels you can certainly use your cellphone to call your office or home, but there are also free apps that make basic contact simple. The popular iPhone app “What’s App” allows iPhone users to text back and forth, as well as send photos and videos.
Good, Old-Fashioned Postcards
Occasional or rare travel for the purpose of vacation and exploration can be enjoyed vicariously by those at home when they receive a postcard. Since the first postcards were printed in the mid-1800s, they’ve evolved many times over. Technological developments make it much easier to send a vacation photo over the computer or cellphone, but there’s nothing like receiving a postcard in the mail.
Have SIM Cards, Will Travel
Expecting to use your cellphone in another country can lead to stress and frustration. Once you arrive overseas, your phone might spend the entire time roaming, resulting in a very high cellphone bill for you. If you travel to specific countries on a regular basis, instead, try purchasing a SIM card for that country to use in your phone. Use of a local SIM card provides you with a local number and the ability to call, text and possibly access the internet at a local rate.
Connectivity at the Internet Cafe
Those who travel for pleasure and don’t need quick access to a phone or computer can combine enjoyment of the area they’re visiting with communicating back home by spending a few minutes at an internet cafe. Most cities overseas have internet cafes where you can enjoy a cup of whatever they’re serving, while connecting via email with friends and family at home.
There’s enough to think about when it comes to traveling. Staying in touch with people back home shouldn’t be one of them. Use one or more of the methods outlined here to communicate conveniently and easily so the rest of your time can be spent focused on the reason for which you’re traveling in the first place.
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