The days of unfolding a map and asking a friendly local for directions while on vacation are long gone. Instead we all use our smartphones for everything from finding our way around to calling an Uber.
There’s just one problem with our data-dependent lives. It can get pretty expensive, especially when traveling abroad.
There are ways to save money if you just think ahead. The easiest is to just buy a package from your provider, but it’s not really all that effective. You’ll pay a premium for the convenience of getting a top-up.
Folks who have a locked phone still under contract are pretty much limited to that option.
For those with unlocked phones, there are a couple of ways to save money, although they do come with a little more work involved.
Most countries will have several large wireless providers. Getting a new sim card pre-loaded with a certain amount of data or text messages is as easy as going to a company branded store, mall kiosk, or even convenience store. You’ll be able to communicate with folks at home but it’ll come with a new number. This isn’t a big deal if you just stick to data.
There are also Canadian companies that will send a sim card to your door already pre-loaded. This may not be as cheap as buying minutes in a country when you get there, but it’s certainly far easier than trying to do business in a country where most people don’t speak English. And it’s nice to know it’s taken care of before you step on the plane.
Finally, the easy way to save on voice is to just not bother. There are a number of services that allow you to dial physical phone numbers using only your data connection.
