There are travellers who rush headlong into techno and cling at all costs to the slightest network signal. Then those who unplug everything to venture the old-fashioned way, card in hand. These two types of nomads face specific challenges. They reveal their respective secrets, some to inflate their connectivity, others to dry it up and get away with it, to help you travel the way you want!
Hyper-connected travellers everywhere
The technological network has grown exponentially over the last decade. But if staying connected at home remains easy, maintaining permanent, high-quality access abroad is another matter. SIM cards, international calls, network access... management and costs change according to borders, which can become a real headache for anyone improvising in this area.
Tools to stay connected
Wi-Fi in your pocket
Some countries or companies offer tourists the rental of mobile Wi-Fi hotspots. The terminal follows you everywhere and can be connected to several cell phones or tablets simultaneously. In Japan, two weeks of rental costs about a hundred dollars. For Europe, among others, many websites rent this service. This solution is interesting for groups of travellers. Check
my-webspot.com/ for further details about pocket Wi-Fi in Europe.
Most travellers like to stay at least a little connected even on the other side of the world. But how do you use your phone, tablet or laptop when travelling? Our advice is to expand its arsenal in order to avoid any digital shortage.
The refill is in the bag
Various manufacturers soon began to woo connected travellers with the development of cutting-edge backpacks. New York-based Voltaic, for example, has developed a series of equipment with solar panels connected to a battery to recharge its techno devices, even energy-intensive ones, on the road. The panels can also be purchased separately and installed on your favorite bag.
Memories and backups
When travelling, we move, hurry, unpack and pack. And sometimes we lose or forget. That's why the techno traveller has every interest in doing business with his great friend: the cloud. Maps, important documents and photographs should be synchronized online, or placed in a Dropbox server. For large files, there are mini-USB keys that can be plugged directly into most cell phones.
Never flat
A busy day (thousands of photos, trips with GPS, translation applications) rhymes with an empty battery. The price of portable recharge batteries has dropped and the choice is huge, with various charging capacities and speeds.
Having your tongue in your pocket
Let's put it this way: language translation is so complex that speech recognition technologies, although they have improved, often get their feet in your mouth. Various mini translators specialized in this function are available on the market, even if none of them seem to be the Holy Grail. For example, the tool called Ili works offline and without a cell phone... but only translates in one direction, with a limited number of languages.
Jumping the Wall
It is a secret: the blocking of certain sites and applications by certain countries, such as China, is not insurmountable. Many travellers install a VPN (Virtual Private Network) application on their mobile phones before leaving, creating a remote connection, which allows them to bypass the ban and access Facebook or Google. However, the network is still monitored.