Whether it’s showing off all the amazing places you’ve seen or making sure your relationships with friends, and family stay strong, staying in contact with people at home while travelling is always crucial. The good news is I’m sharing the most important elements that you need to do this successfully in my post below. Read on to discover what they are.
Laptop and Phone
The first thing you’ll need when staying in contact with people back home is the right tech. These items are crucial because they will allow you to use the software that will help you keep in touch with your loved ones back home.
This usually means a smartphone, a laptop or both. However, some people choose a tablet like the iPad instead. Such devices are particularly useful for travelling because they are designed to be compact and portable. This means you can easily pack them in your hand luggage, so you can ensure accessibility and safety at all times.
However, your devices will not work without being charged so you’ll need to make sure you pack the right charging cables and adapters for the locations on your trip. You’ll also need to ensure that you keep your devices well-charged, especially if you want to use them on the go. This means you’ll need to keep an eye on your battery and how much charge it holds and replace it when it is no longer at optimum. It’s also a good idea to take a portable power pack with you when travelling in case your phone, laptop, or tablet runs low on battery while you are out and about. Then you can charge it up on the go.
Also, remember that in a dire emergency, you can always use a landline phone and reverse the charges, or find an internet cafe in your location and log into your accounts from there.
Internet Access
In addition to having access to the right technological hardware that will enable you to access methods of communion, you will also need internet access. Unfortaly, this can often be a problem when you are travelling for several reasons.
The first of these is that mobile internet access can be expensive, so if you are travelling on a budget you may need to wait until you are in a location such as your hotel, a cafe, or a hostel that offers free WIFI. Of course, whenever you do choose to use free WIFI, you must adhere to the proper safety protocols as most are not secure.
Another major issue that many people experience concerning the internet and communication when travelling is being blocked from certain sites. This becomes a big problem if you go to use a particular site such as social media, or email site and you are greeted by a message that like: IP address blocked, as you won’t be able to gain access. After all, if the IP address of a site you are using to contact with a loved one is blocked, you won’t be able to stay in contact with people from home.
The good news is there is a solution and it’s to use a VPN service, as this masks the IP address you are using. A VPN service is also a good investment when travelling as it provides extra security for you, and ensures you can access entertainment streaming sites no matter what your location.
Social media and messenger accounts
In addition to internet access, you will need proper accounts that allow you to access software for communication. There is a wide range of options to choose from here including video calling platforms like Zoom and Skype, generic email accounts like Hotmail, and Google, and social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. There are even messenger apps like WhatsApp that allow you to message people all over the world for free, which can be very useful in keeping your costs down when you are abroad.
In particular social media accounts can be a great way of staying in contact with loved ones from home. This is because you can share your pictures and videos from all the places you have visited while away, as well as use their messaging services for DMs.
Letter writing kit and stamps
Last of all, if you want to stay in contact with friends and family while you are travelling, you may wish to try a more old-school option. Yes, I’m talking about handwritten letters, which can be a real treat for people to open when they arrive in the post.
They can also be a lot of fun to write as well, especially if you are travelling alone and have time to kill in the evening when you are not out and about exploring. Just remember for them to get to their intended destination you’ll need to make sure they are addressed and have the right local postage attached.
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