By Arnab Dey
When traveling becomes more affordable, people begin to look for ways to save on something else. How much will you have to spend on roaming?
This question is asked by many novice travelers and there is not always a clear answer. Here’s how to reduce the long-term costs of talking to family and friends while you’re sightseeing or studying in another country.
Call Via The Internet
The cheapest option to stay in touch abroad is to use only Internet messengers. All popular instant messengers support voice communication: WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Skype, etc.
Choose any of them or communicate with different people in different messengers, and you will see the difference. Most importantly, use video less often, since image transmission will consume more traffic than voice messages.
If your relatives do not have messengers, or they are simply blocked by a certain country, you can use international calling apps. For example, you can make cheap calls to Cuba via Yolla app. Now the main question is where to find the Internet connection?
Take Advantage Of Open Wi-Fi Networks
The number of free Wi-Fi points depends on the specific country, but usually, in crowded places, you can connect to free Internet hotspots. Most frequently, you will have to accept the terms of the agreement, watch the advertisement, and only then use the service.
In some cases, the connection is limited in time: for example, you can only use the network for free for 30 or 60 minutes. To protect personal data as much as possible when working with open networks, we recommend using VPNs.
Here are the places, where a traveler can find free Wi-Fi:
- at the airport of arrival;
- on the bus that will carry out the transfer;
- in hotels and hostels;
- in cafés and restaurants;
- in museums and public libraries;
- in the central squares of the cities;
- in places of interest.
By the way, passwords for closed Wi-Fi networks are quite easy to get. To do this, use FourSquare – a social network in which people mark their location (make “check-ins”). In comments to popular tourist sites, users sometimes leave passwords for wireless Internet.
Be prepared for the fact that the data transfer speed will be low. The more other travelers around you, the more likely they are to have free internet plans too. Therefore, choose less crowded places for conversations: for example, at the hotel reception. Otherwise, rely on alternative methods of communication such as text messages.
You May Also Check: 14 Effective Ways to Save Money on a Tight Budget
Payphones
Payphones are often found abroad – this is a very funny old-school way to call abroad. This, of course, is not a mobile connection, but a perfectly acceptable way to make a call when necessary.
Such devices are located in crowded places and on the streets. From a modern payphone, you can call anywhere, using a credit card to pay. At the same time, the price will be lower than outgoing calls in roaming, and even less than calls from a local SIM. In some places, there are also free payphones to use.
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