Thanks Brian. It would be good to include in this type of article where some app is offering to consolidate your maps and itineraries, what information they will have access about you and your trip that they in turn will sell monetize in some way. Otherwise it kind of reads like an ad itself.
Or you could just go on vacation, instead of checking Facebook. Just go, get out of your head, get off of your phone.
NYT - please don't encourage this addiction.
12
I don't even own a smart phone. (It's good to 'have' 69 years.) I've travelled overseas, with my wife, more times than I can count (including trips to Hungary, and to Croatia and Bos-Herz [as "Yugoslavia] -- before the 'conflicts' of the 90's-- when all were still 'behind' the 'iron curtain.')
All that's needed is a brain, a good sense for getting place-to-place -- whether driving, walking or taking public transportation -- and the ability … nay, the desire ... to let your curiosity and regard of each place at which you arrive 'guide' decisions to stay in place or move on.
Glad to never have had a smartphone -- and I'd kill myself before I undertook the 'stupid-and-onerous-phone-tricks' here suggested.
8
P.S. Assuming you don't plan a trip to, e.g., Siberia ... Don't take a summer vacation abroad. Indeed, if summer is your only vacation 'window' ... stay home (or go to Siberia).
1
I know this may sound crazy but vacations, in my view, are about doing something different, something refreshing, something relaxing. When I go on vacation I don't take my phone, computer, iPad, or Kindle with me.
In our modern world this is radical; I see where I'm going, I meet new people, I stare at the clouds in the sky with wonder, and I talk to my partner for hours on end.
Most importantly, I return from vacation completely refreshed with a new appreciation for the world in which I live. Give it a try you will be amazed!
10
I carry a six foot extension cord with three outlets. Not every hotel has a conveniently located power outlet, and the three outlets at the end allow me to plug in multiple devices. I've been very grateful to have it on multiple occasions.
1
Most of this discussion is about SIM cards, etc., not hardware, but one of the most useful items to take if you will be driving on your vacation is a USB car-charger, esp. if you will be using Google Maps or some other smartphone based GPS.
3
The Bose noise-cancelling headphones have made me enjoy flying so much more. They're light, the sound is quite good if you're listening to music, and the fold flat in a case that doesn't take up much room. Don't expect total silence--some frequencies in the cabin will get through--like the wail of a baby.
2
I concur completely on the Bose noise-cancelling headphones, particularly now that they are wireless. I've tried several models, but really only recommend the "over the ear" versions because they block more ambient noise than the "on the ear" versions.
I've not found anything other than distance that blocks the wail of a small child. If someone came up with a pair of headphones that accomplished this, I would pay several thousand dollars for a pair.
4
To block something like a child's screams, then noise isolating (blocking) rather than cancelling would work better. See e.g.
https://headphonesaddict.com/best-noise-isolating-earbuds/
If you travel frequently, look into Google's Project Fi as a cell service alternative. The service automatically connects to European and other cell data systems without the traveler doing anything special. The cost is $10.Gb just like in the US. Calls are $.20 / minute. But you can call over WhatApp or other data connections much more cheaply. It worked perfectly during a recent trip to Russia. France, no problem. No difference in data connectivity between abroad and her in the US. Of course you should connect to wi-fi where possible. The downside is that you need to use one of the Google phones, Nexus, Pixel, etc No Apple. But the cost has hassle is almost zero.
4
It's all about which costs you find acceptable. ...
Note that the $10 'day pass' rates are for each phone. You've got a family of three people with phones? That's $30/day. Over a two week trip, well, that's just too much.
We instead bring an extra old phone and buy a local sim card for it in foreign countries. Then we turn on it's 'personal-hotspot' and use our phones in airplane mode with wifi on, getting everyone data access thru this one data card. Wifi calling with Verizon is free back to the US, as are text messages on wifi.
However, a new twist occurred when we tried to upgrade our 'wifi-generator phone' to a Samsung Galaxy 5 last year: Turns out Verizon has locked the phone's personal hotspot capability to actually having a Verizon SIM-card in the phone! Apparently personal hotspots are a feature not covered by our telecommunications laws. AT&T is just as evil!
We solved this locked-phone problem with an added app, but it's annoying to discover that you are tied to the original carrier in ways you never even dream of!
9
I gave up on Verizon because it was so expensive. T-Mobile is a much better deal, both here and abroad.
2
Or you could unplug, leave it at home, and enjoy the place where you are.
39
Last year I spend a month in Paris. When I arrived at the Paris Airport, I bough a local SIM card good for a month with excellent data and usage allowances. The sales clerk even installed it and checked to make sure my phone was working. It turned out that I never used the phone. Because of the 9 hour time difference, I never called my family or friends. Still the 30 Euro charge was a good buy.
3
My husband and I will be in Paris for a month in the Fall. We have children here (including one still in college) and absolutely will want to be accessible to them.
1
Makes one wonder how folks survived pre cell phones. We actually did. I'm still here and so are my family and friends.
Time to unleash ourselves. It is really a ball and chain.
3
Remember to plan ahead for where to safely stash your regular SIM card if you're popping it out to use another card while travelling! It is an easy thing to lose or misplace. Or, consider a dual-SIM device. I frequently am abroad for extended periods of time, and it's an elegant solution: One device, two SIM cards. I am on my second dual-SIM Android, and now can't imagine choosing otherwise. (In my experience, OnePlus is leader of the dual-SIM Android pack.)
9
A meta-comment. A curated comment section like this helps restore some faith in the internet. I will be buying my first smart phone specifically for travel to Europe. There are so many good suggestions here; thanks to all who posted!
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Make sure the phone you buy is not only unlocked but will operate on the cell phone system where you are going since, at least in Europe, it is different than the American system. Some cheep phone only work on the American system.
I held onto my flip phone for years until a European trip was planned...bought the cell phone and LOVE it. No going back. I’ve had great success buying the foreign SIM card from a local dealer which allowed me to go back and ask questions/renew a plan .
I’d also suggest the free app Citymapper for major urban areas. Literally transformed trips to London, Paris, NYC because the app simplified the public transportation systems, including walking times. The icon showing your progress is better highlighted than Google maps, therefore easier to use.
3
Pocket WiFi works great. We just used it in Japan. Had WiFi everywhere and used WhatsApp to communicate withvfriends by text or voice.
3
For international travel involving more than a single country, travelers should also consider an International Roaming SIM card. These SIMs offer outstanding rates worldwide and are easy to purchase on-line before you leave the US. Using OneSimCard www.onesimcard.com 5GB of data in some countries (including Israel, China and Russia) only costs $30.
3
For European travel (now and in the future), buy a SIM when you land in your first country. Last year the EU mandated roaming among all EU countries for no extra cost. My example: last year I bought a Vodafone SIM in Amsterdam for €10 that gives me 1GB of data for 30 days, as well as unlimited EU calls and texting. I brought the same SIM to the UK and Ireland this year with €10 loaded online before I left, and it worked like a dream.
A great resource for the confusing world of SIMs worldwide is http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Prepaid_SIM_with_data
8
Note, however, that you may not get to use your full data allowance while roaming in the EU. I recently purchased a Danish SIM with a 100 GB monthly data allowance. Were I to use that SIM in another EU country, the mobile phone company (in this case, Lycamobile) would have limited me to 4 GB. I understand that it's the same with other companies. Read the fine print for the SIM you purchase--and shop around for the best pay-as-you-go package.
4
Most people cannot afford $350 headphones, so perhaps the article could have included recommendations of more affordable ones, since this item is described as a “must”. Too many articles in general assume the readers have high incomes, in my opinion.
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I travel with carpenter's rubber ear plugs, which work if you remember where you put them. Do they work well?
I don't know, I don't travel very much. But they are sure better than nothing.
4
Two things:
1) Know your audience: the vast majority of NYT readers can easily afford a $350 pair of headphones...as can anyone who is traveling internationally
2) You can spend upwards of $2,000 on studio-quality headphones. The Bose headphones mentioned are actually very reasonable.
2
Re ear plugs: looks for silicone moldable discs. I shape them into little pyramids and insert. I can get an air lock—It’s that tight a seal. I’ve talked to other people who don’t tolerate them because of the ear pressure. See what works for you.
It's a shame that people doing articles do not do the research prior to posting.
AT&T like Verizon have what is know as Day Pass. For $10.00 per 24 hour period you have all of your normal services Calling, Unlimited Text, and your normal Data. Do not know about Verizon, but AT&T you only have to add it to your number once. The only time you are charged for the 24 hour period if you use your phone outside of the U.S. (maybe your home country if not the U.S..
If you are an individual that travels abroad a lot, or not, it is good to have it on your number just in case.
9
Verizon Travel Pass at $10 per day is fine if you are on a brief trip, certainly not a month long trip abroad. And even if your plan is for 2-4 GIGs of data, after the first GIG at 4G, Verizon dumbs down your data speed to 2G or 3G, which quickly eats up your monthly allowance.
I have a MOBAL flip phone that works anywhere in the world except the US. I pay by the minute only for minutes used and I only use it for emergencies. Otherwise I get a local SIM card for my iPhone or just use hotel/restaurant WiFi.
2
Sprint's international service is pretty good and pretty inexpensive. To most countries, there are unlimited texts, and calls are 20 cents a minute. There are usually 2 options for data, both inexpensive. As I recall, unlimited 4G data can be purchased for $25/week.
If you are taking your phone abroad, you may have to change some settings; these are hard to do, but best to do some homework, by checking on your carrier's web site before you leave. Learn where the settings are on your phone, and call your carrier for help before you leave.
As you say, downloading the relevant "offline maps" for Google Maps for the cities you'll be visiting, before you leave, is a great idea. If you forget, you can download them via wifi using your hotel's service.
A big problem which you sort of mention: the security authentications. All the "protect your privacy" features become a real pain while aborad. Gmail is a particular problem on many cell phones. And good luck if you use Microsoft's OneDrive. while abroad.
2
A timely and useful article, but some of the advice may not serve many readers well:
Most important omission: WiFi calling!!!
The recommended plug adapter kit, with a myriad of adapters that will work in practically every situation, is overkill and bulky. If you're planning to travel to just one region (say, Western Europe), you can get away with two small adapters: one for the continent and one for the British Isles. But bring several of each unless you plan to charge only one device at a time. Or pack a normal US multi-socket adapter that will allow three devices to share a single plug adapter (T-shaped ones work well).
Re foreign SIMs, while ordering in advance may sound less stressful, there's no way to test it or ask questions. When you buy at the arrival airport (or if you can wait a bit, at one of the carriers' stores), you can get the right package, plug in the SIM, and test it right there with the help of a salesperson. Admittedly you might run into a language barrier, but the odds of success are still better, in our experience.
Finally, the advice to take along a streaming stick sounds appealing, but the majority of services won't play well or at all outside the US due to copyright restrictions. You could use a VPN service that makes it appear that you're in the US, but many streaming services have figured out how to detect and block that, too. We've been able to fool Netflix, Pandora, and HBO Go, but not Amazon. So bring it and try it, but don't count on it.
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The above is the most helpful comment in this thread.
3
All of the Netflix original content is available globally, there are no content distribution limitations to contend with on Netflix originals.
You also have the option of downloading (to a phone or tablet) a significant portion of the Netflix library. The downloads are good for 30 days. You can then watch the shows abroad with your device in airplane mode.
This also applies to flights. The downloaded Netflix content offers far more options than any airline entertainment system.
3
Having a local SIM card means that local people can (and will) call you. Whether it’s a new friend or a restaurant calling back to confirm your reservation, you’re that much closer to the local culture. Or... when I travel for business a local number means that my in-country business contacts can reach me by text or phone. Imagine if a business partner came to visit you in the US and in order to reach them at a US conference you had to call a number in Vietnam.
You’ll still get your email and social apps, make calls back home with Skype for pennies or FaceTime for free and have your contacts and calendar at hand.
And... SIM extractor = unfolded paper clip.
26
Your smartphone can be searched by immigration authorities at ports of entries in some countries (including Canada). For most people who have nothing to hide, who do not intend to enter the country to work illegally, this poses no problem, since authorities will not search a phone unless there is something suspicious. However, if you just don't like the idea of someone reading your emails when they have no basis for doing so, delete the account from your phone.
Another reason to not have everything on your phone or laptop is that it forces you to maintain a current backup or store everything on a remote server or even on paper, so that in case of theft or loss of the device, no data are lost.
16
Another recommendation: Forget bringing US chargers with adapters and buy a cheap phone charger in Europe.
On our trip to France 4 years ago we packed our U.S. 2-USB slot iPhone charger. The European E-plug adapter we used with it inadvertently got left in the wall outlet when we checked out of our hotel. So instead of buying a new adapter, we found a 3-USB port charger at Monoprix for €6,50 and didn’t have to deal with an adapter. (Monoprix is a French chain like a mini-Target but way better quality)
We brought the charger back on our trip this past month and used it in France, Spain & Morocco. This trip we saw 2-USB port chargers for €3,50 in the European equivalent of Dollar Tree stores. Much cheaper and convenient than the author’s Anker PowerPort 4 which is $26 and still needs a separate adapter.
12
Some of those cheap plugs will fry your phone or are a fire hazard. Many lack any safety certification and who knows what else. Penny wise pound foolish. If can afford a smartphone I can certainly afford properly certified accessories for it.
9
Good advice. I travel abroad often and I agree these are good ideas.
I’d add one of my own. Before leaving home, while ,you have good WiFi, install the maps.me app and then download its map files for all the places you’ll visit. Then, once you’re there, use those files WHICH DO NOT NEED ANY WIFI OR CELL SIGNSL AT ALL. They aren’t exactly like google but I’ve always been able to use them for whatever getting around I wanted to do, by air or on land. I can even follow along from the air if there’s no clouds and try to figure out exactly which lake or river or town that is 35,000’ below.
28
Isn't that essentially the same as installing the offline versions of Google maps?
2
Not all EU airports have SIM card providers or reliable ones. Athens is on that list. Plus phone stores have hours that may not work out for your transit times tho kiosks have SIM cards. However, the car service I arranged in advance offers SIM card delivery with the pick up and pre arranged fees for both transit and a SIM card plus an English speaking driver who can assist with the verbal local language directions to activate.
5
Why would it be stressful to purchase and insert a SIM card into a phone...?
8
Language barrier, for example. Also, you may have to fiddle with your phone's Access Point Names settings to put in the information to allow you to use data. Inserting the new SIM usually, but not always, serts the parameters automatically. You might have to change settings manually.
I use foreign SIM cards that I purchase abroad because I like having a local number. For Italy last year TIM offered 4 gigs plus lots of minutes and messages for 30 days for 10 euros. The number lasts for a year, so I renew every year. It is helpful to turn off cellular data for all apps except the ones you really need. If you are not using one of your smart phones, turn off cellular data for all apps in case the main cellular data button accidentally gets turned on.
8
Didn't know you could renew an EU number annually so thanks for that. Not sure that is true for every country but will check with one of the multi country providers like Vodafone.
1
You usually have to make a phone call or top up to keep your minutes, etc.
Or, you can leave your USA phone in the hotel safe, and rent a local phone. No hassle, and you get relief from all those unimportant calls you would get while on VACATION! That's what I do in Italy. You can even email the Italian number to whoever you think HAS to have you on a string.
6
If you have Verizon as your cell phone carier, they have an awesome service for $10.00 per day.
You phone works juts like at home, calls come in, you can call out, unlimited text and plenty of data.
Bonus, each day you get a text telling you that a new day will start in an hour, and you can choose to shut off cellular and skip the day and $10.00 charge.
I've used the sim card method, and this is much better.
23
I had a bad experience with Verizon. See my comment below.
4
AT&T offers a similar service. The International Day Pass costs $10.00 per day, only charged for days that you use. Available for 100+ countries. Allows you to take your home plan abroad.
3
I get the same capabilities with T-Mobile for no extra charge except for phone calls, which I rarely use.
4
We just got back from a 6-week trip to France and Spain. We brought our iPhones and used them for everything but phones and instead used our lo-tech flip phones that we bought in France 4 years ago, and as Gary suggests, went to orange and movistar for service. The flip phones worked fine and we used our iPhones for GPS, email and web searched with a WiFi connection, and taking photos.
I recommend dealing with your home carrier before you leave. Before we left, we went to our local Verizon store to ask about using our iPhones in Europe and the tech guy told us about a service called TravelPass that would cost $20 each day we use it so we decided against it. What the tech guy neglected to tell us is that we would have to go online and opt-out of the service because it kicks in automatically and we ended being charged $20 a day for the unsolicited sales calls we always get for duct cleaning and car insurance. Everyday we got a text message from Verizon letting us know that the next 24-hour period had started and provided a link if we needed help; i used the link to complain that we did not want this service and wanted to stop it but they never responded and the link never worked again after that (!?). It looks like our extra charges may total over $600 which we will certainly challenge. If you are going overseas, don’t trust Verizon.
36
I just used Verizon Travel Pass for a 10 day trip to Iceland and it was seamless. I would never trust advice or information from a Verizon store - instead call Customer Service directly.
I didn't plan on using the phone service much but wanted the security of knowing it was available if I needed it. Most hotels/restaurants/attractions have WiFi so I made sure to turn off the cellular service when I didn't need it.
I used the phone service once and was charged $10. It was well worth it for the security and convenience of not having to shop/search/install a SIM card or buy a disposable phone. I would have gladly paid $10 per day if I needed it - on a multi-day foreign trip, it was well worth it, just be sure to do your research ahead of time.
5
Once on a business trip to London I was charged $118 by AT&T for roaming charges even though my phone was always in airplane mode and I used WiFi to get email. I fought that charge and eventually got a refund. After that I always buy a local SIM card at heathrow as soon as I clear customs and immigration.
7
"I would never trust advice or information from a Verizon store "-
This. They know nothing re international travel plans.
3
I’ve found it easiest in Europe at least, to go to a phone store, e. g. Orange, or Vodaphone, and have them do the work. They consider your itinerary, typical use, then recommend a data plan, install the sim, set it up. Costs have ranged from around $15 to $45, depending on the country, for plans from 2-4 Gb.
20
Best way is to leave them at home!
14
Re: ordering SIM cards ahead of your trip: If your travel plans make it possible, be sure to check to see which cell service is best for the area(s) you're visiting. Recently went to Peru and thought of ordering either Movistar or Claro SIM card in advance, but in the area we were staying, best signal was by Bitel. If I'd ordered in advance it would have been wasted.
3
Back up your phone and photos, which you should do regularly, that are stored on your phone. If the phone gets lost or stolen you will at least have the back up from before you left on vacation.
After two summers traveling here in the USA doing national parks, I've gone back to keep paper maps and I print out all my travel info and planning ahead of time. WIFI / cell coverage is still quite spotty in areas here in the USA (mountains, woods, etc.).
Make sure to bring a car charger.
30
This! Full backup at home; incremental backups to cloud storage as much as practical over WiFi while you travel.
When I was overseas earlier this year, disaster struck as my phone froze badly - only a hard reset would get it to turn on again. If I had not been regularly connecting and backing up photos to OneDrive, all my vacation photos would have been lost.
1