The point that you need internet access the most, can often be the moment when you lose your connectivity.
Whether it's the fault of absurdly high roaming charges that send your data usage rates through the roof, or your hotel deciding to charge you £20 an hour for the privilege of checking Facebook, the act of find and using the Internet abroad is one of life's delightful challenges.
A good way to hop over the surprising barriers that spring up the second you touch down in another country, is to plan ahead.
The extraordinary cost of simply sending a text message abroad means that travellers have always been marvellously inventive about ways to cut costs, while remaining in touch with the outside world.
Travellers are now equally as keen to use the power of the web to keep them connected, even when they're not sitting cosily at home, enjoying a strong Wi-Fi signal.
Here are eight ways to remain connected to the internet, your friends and loved ones, and your next flight home, when you're on the road.
How To Stay Connected When You Travel
Dongle(01 of08)
Open Image ModalThe first option for many travellers looking to stay connected when moving from home to train to work, is buying a dongle. These portable modems (sometimes called USB modems) can be plugged into your laptop to give you instant access to the internet. You can either opt to buy a pre-paid dongle, or include the charges in your mobile phone contract. Either way, this often the simplest way to enjoy mobile broadband while on the move. (credit:Getty)
Personal Hotspot(02 of08)
Open Image ModalOnce you’ve bought your smartphone and signed up to contract, then chances are you can share these resources with others.On an iPhone for example, the ‘personal hotspot’ option under Settings allows you to connect your computers and devices to the Internet using the cellular data connection on your device.This process is also known as ‘tethering’ and can be enormously useful if you’re visiting friends in another country, who have local phone contracts with large data allowancesJust one word of warning: the more devices using the Personal Hotspot the more data you’ll use up, so make sure you ask nicely! (credit:RF)
Virtual Private Network(03 of08)
Open Image ModalWhen travelling to more remote parts of the world, there’s a chance that your web browsing activity could be limited by state control.In China, for example, visitors frequently use proxy servers to access mainstream sites, which are banned from public consumption (such as Facebook).VPN technology allows you to connect to proxy servers based in countries that allow unrestricted web access. (credit:Getty)
Find My Friend(04 of08)
Open Image ModalThe Find My Friends app has one very simple purpose: to help you locate your friends. A hugely valuable resource if you're travelling with a group (or even just your partner!).As long as you store your contacts in the iCloud, then you can use this Apple app to find family and friends, as long as you are using a device that's running iOS 5 or later. To add a friends, you just need to send them a request. Then their location will be determined using GPS in the iOS device when Location Services are switched on. (credit:Find My Friend)
Tripit(05 of08)
Open Image ModalWhen it comes to going on holiday, those final agonising hours of printing out every single confirmation email can make the option of a staycation tremendously appealing. However, the TripIt app aims to help you through this ordeal by acting as your own personal PA. As soon as you have a confirmed booking at a hotel, on a plane or for a restaurant, simply email the team your details, and the information will magically appear in your itinerary. Not only that, but you can share this information with others, so your movements are easy to trackAnd if you travel regularly with a group of friends, it might be worth investing in TripIt for Teams, which allows multiple travellers to edit a group itinerary, instead of becoming embroiled in overly long, and often confusing, email exchanges. (credit:Tripit)
Kayak(06 of08)
Open Image ModalSmartphone travellers will have many apps on their phones designed to access hotel options, flight times and ‘things to do’ in foreign cities. And sometimes the quantity has no relationship with quality. A clever app that is widely endorsed by seasoned travellers is Kayak.This app aggregates information across all areas, including hotels, flights and car rental. (credit:Kayak)
Wi Fi Finder(07 of08)
Open Image ModalWhile this app isn’t perfect, the Wi-Fi Finder is a useful app to have up sleeve if you desperately need to spend time online.Admittedly, you’ll need an internet connection to access the app, but there are often ways to do that for a limited period.The app lists over 500,000 locations worldwide, so next time you’re off on your travels, give it a whirl. (credit:Wi-Fi Finder)
Skype(08 of08)
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