This week I’m in Paris for a conference. I’ve never traveled so far for a conference before, and conference traveling outside of the United States definitely brings a new set of challenges. I’ve written in the past about my attempts to leave the laptop behind when conference-bound, and I’m trying the same technique now. Erin Templeton has some great advice for planning your international travel, but I was more concerned about happened once I got here without the constant connectivity my usual technology allows.
Here’s a few of my strategies for managing without data:
- Cut down on technology. Mark Sample shared his technology for traveling abroad a few years ago, and while our go-to devices may have changed, many are constant. I’m more of a minimalist: my wifi-only iPhone and iPad are my only devices, serving as camera, e-reader, laptop replacement and travel book. There are lots of device I carry regularly (like my Pebble) that are simply useless without a cell phone data plan. On the other hand, there’s new life for the analogue: my rarely-worn “normal” watch gets to come along for the ride, because I know I won’t be using my cell phone in its place.
- Think power. One of the comments on Mark’s post suggested bringing a power strip, which seems obvious in retrospect but is even more important when towing a limited number of adapters. On the other hand, if you’re traveling light, you might get away with a converter with built-in USB to avoid the extra redundant power blocks. Most of my go-to devices are USB, and with planning you might eliminate devices that plug-in normally entirely.
- Plan ahead for the lack of data. Ever since Erin Templeton recommended TripIt, an app for storing an itinerary, I’ve been a convert, and I use it to have an easily accessible back-up with all my reservation information. I rely on apps that don’t need a data connection to be useful, including a currency converter for quick reality checks on prices and pre-downloaded metro maps of any city I’m headed towards. Ars Technica offers some other good ways to navigate without a data plan. I also download a travel guide to my Kindle app for a high-tech alternative to being the lost tourist staring at a guidebook.
- Know how you’re staying in touch. I am somewhat lost without my iPhone, but not quite so lost as to be willing to pay for international service. The hardest part I’ve found isn’t reaching people back home (Ryan’s written about using Google Voice, and I’m relying on Skype), but keeping track of travel companions for re-grouping. So far, my solutions to that problem hearken back to the days before cellphones: synchronize watches, pick a landmark, and have an emergency back-up plan.
What are your strategies for managing travel when your cellphone signal and data-plan are off limits? Share your tips in the comments!
[CC BY 2.0 Photo by Flickr User Global X]