Here at Mosaic Travel, as well as planning your trip, we can help to make it as smooth as possible with solutions to some frequently asked questions.

Part 2 of our series looks at the all important mobile phone and the best ways to use it while travelling.

Using your mobile phone while abroad

First things first, unless you want to come home to a huge bill that will make you never want to travel again, don’t use your phone as normal!

There are several ways to stay connected without having to sacrifice your next trip:

Purchase a roaming plan

Most Australian networks offer a plan for as little as $5 extra per day, to continue to use your phone as normal.

This is a great option for those who are travelling for a short time, really like to stay connected, and don’t mind the cost. This is the most expensive option.

Call your mobile provider to activate this service.

Purchase a local SIM card

Depending on the country you travel to, this can be easy or difficult. For example, SIM cards can be bought from newspaper stands in Croatia and Vietnam, but in Turkey and Spain, it is a complicated process involving registration, photocopies of your passport etc. Once you have this SIM card, staying connected is cheap and easy.

This is a great option if you’re travelling for a long time in a particular country.

Use only WIFI (for more details on how to do this, see below)

With WIFI readily available in most parts of the world, switch off your phone’s mobile data and simply reply on wifi. You can even make calls over wifi, using apps like WhatsApp and Skype.

This is the perfect option for those who don’t need to stay connected 24/7, but like to check in on occasion.

How to turn off mobile data on your iPhone and iPad and why it’s important while travelling.

We’ve all heard a horror story of a traveller forgetting to turn of their mobile data while overseas and come home to a HUGE phone bill!

To clear up any worries and hesitations, follow these easy steps to ensure your phone bill will be safe while you’re travelling.

Click on “Settings”

Scroll down to “Mobile”

Turn the “Mobile Data” toggle to the off position.

Alternatively, from the lock screen swipe up and tap the mobile data symbol so it turns grey as shown here ————–>

So what can your phone do while it’s in this mode?

Phone calls: you can still make and receive calls although this is strongly discouraged due to high roaming costs. It’s good for an emergency though.

Text messages: you can still send and receive texts, although at a slightly higher cost.

Internet: this is the main difference! You will only be able to connect to the internet in places where you have a wifi connection. These days, you’re able to connect to wifi in almost all hotels, restaurants, shops, airports and even some service stations.

So don’t worry, using one of these options won’t cost you the world and will still ensure you’re able to send holiday snaps to jealous relatives back at home!