Traveler’s Checklist. U.S. Passports & International Travel. 10 Things You Must Do Before You Leave the Country. Traveling Abroad: 13 Tips To Roaming Freely And Safely. These days, it’s almost impossible to imagine leaving the house, not to mention traveling to a foreign country, without a smartphone. How would you avoid getting lost without your built-in GPS? Or know which neighborhoods to visit (and which to avoid) without a handy phone travel guide? And don’t forget everyone needs social media apps to share experiences with friends.
While your smartphone can help you keep in touch and stay street smart while traveling abroad, the costs of international roaming, data and messaging can make staying connected very expensive (just ask this guy). That’s why our friends at T-Mobile added global data coverage in over 100 countries at no extra cost to their Simple Choice plan. So, now that it won’t break the bank to stay safe and make sure everyone knows your trip is going a-OK, we teamed up with T-Mobile to put together some other crucial, but very often-overlooked, traveling tips to protect you from worst-case scenarios. Getty Images. 6 Ways to Avoid Crazy Data Charges Abroad. Push notifications, automatic updates and roaming charges can create costly data overages that break the bank. But you can devise ways to minimize the cost. Since summer tends to bring out the explorer in all of us, we've compiled a list of ways to eliminate roaming charges and minimize your data usage while traveling abroad. 1.
Turn Off Data Roaming The European Commission recently voted to end roaming charges by 2014, but until then it's important to turn off data roaming on your phone when traveling outside your network. Roaming occurs when you use your cellphone on a network that does not belong to your provider. Data usage means you're using services like Internet (without Wi-Fi) or email. If you want to access the Internet on your smartphone when traveling abroad, consider enabling Airplane Mode on your phone. If you have an iPhone, open Settings and turn Airplane Mode "On. " 2. Does your phone alert you instantly when you have new mail? 3. Android is a little trickier. 4. 5. 6. XE Currency Converter - Live Rates. Travel Tips | Rick Steves' Europe. Lonely Planet.
Tours, sightseeing tours, activities & things to do | Viator.com. National and Local Weather Forecast, Hurricane, Radar and Report. 7 Outstanding Language-Learning Apps and Websites | Fodor's. Speaking the local language—or at least knowing some basic phrases—is one of the best ways for travelers to tap into foreign cultures. In countries where English isn’t widely spoken, it’s essential to learn some key words and phrases, but even in places with an abundance of English speakers, you’ll find that locals tend to respond better when spoken to in their native tongue. If you’re looking for a handy phrasebook that will teach you the basics, check out the Fodor’s Travel Phrases app (works on iPhone and iPad), which features everyday phrases (with recorded pronunciations) in 22 global languages.
But if you want to know more than “Where is the nearest bank?” And “thank you,” you’ll need to do some studying. The next time you’re planning an international trip, consider practicing the local language with these 7 indispensable language-learning apps and websites. LIVEMOCHA If you want to interact with native speakers, try Livemocha, which provides lessons in more than 35 languages.