Reader Michael asks the following question in the comments section of a recent post:
On a somewhat related note: have you ever explained what you do when you are out of the country (such as a trip to Brasil or Europe) with your iPhone? Do you buy a sim card, just use the phone when you are in Wi-Fi, etc? Would love to know your strategy.
My technology setup is actually pretty embarrassing for someone that works online. When traveling abroad I stay connected exclusively through Wi-Fi. Ultimately when I’m outside of the US I’m either sightseeing or in the hotel, and I don’t mind having the two be completely separate. That’s to say I can be outside uninterrupted while being fully connected in the hotel.
On the Wi-Fi front I primarily use Google Voice (and sometimes Skype) to make phone calls. One great development over the past few years for me on the technology front has to be iMessage. It allows you to text anyone else with an iPhone just by being connected to Wi-Fi, and that’s incredibly valuable to me.
Other than that, it’s all email and instant message for me.
Am I missing out? You guys tell me. If there were a simple data plan for international travel that a non-tech person like me could understand I’d probably go for it. But I don’t want to constantly have to call to change my service, monitor data, check how the costs vary by each country, etc. So maybe I’m just best off the way things are…
Would be curious to hear how you guys handle staying connected while abroad.
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