The question is always, “What’s the best way to stay in contact with friends and family back home?” The approach I take when travelling abroad is to purchase a short-term service plan through a service provider (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobil, etc.) that allows me to text, use data and to make phone calls whenever in cell range. These plans and their service providers have agreements with many of the service providers in the country or countries in which you are travelling. I’ve found this to be a quite manageable solution, one that provides much convenience, but at a price. This approach works well in Europe and many other parts of the…

When it comes to the security of your data online there are only five words: Your data is not secure. That said; don’t go through life worried about it either. But, do take precautions and be aware. If you do find yourself in an Internet café on a public computer never use your personal passwords or do any kind of financial business, including purchases. Just assume there is software on that computer that is mining your information for less scrupulous types to use whenever and however they like. Realize too that avoiding the use of your passwords is hard to do and still be able to check your personal email…

When phoning internationally, the use of country codes is required. To place phone calls internationally from a mobile phone simply dial the “+” sign, followed by the country code, city code and local phone number. If you plan to use a number often, save it into your list of contacts including the “+” sign, saving time and hassle the next time. If dialing from a landline you must use the International Direct Dialing (IDD) number and the respective Country Code. Examples: Phoning to US with a mobile: +1 555 555 5555 Phoning to US with a landline: 001 555 555 5555 Phoning to Spain with a mobile: +34 555 55…

An advantageous use of technology and one that also reduces the weight of your bags or backpack, is to store useful information and travel documents on the cloud, Internet based storage sites. There are various free cloud-based services on the Internet where documents, important phone numbers and addresses, even your pictures, can be stored. This method of storage allows for access almost anywhere in the world and is extremely secure. By secure I mean the data is stored under a user name and password only you should know, behind ultra high tech firewalls in redundant computer networks with reliable power supply and backup. When I’m making trip plans with other…