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Travel Apps

Lutherf

Lutherf

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I'd appreciate some input on what apps you recommend for international travel. I'm going to be spending about a month in Europe and don't want to blow up my phone bill so I'll get an international plan for voice, text and data but it doesn't offer a bunch of data. I figure I can use WiFi for most stuff but what about stuff like Google Maps? I figure that alone will put me over the limit in the first day.
 
Lutherf said:
I'd appreciate some input on what apps you recommend for international travel. I'm going to be spending about a month in Europe and don't want to blow up my phone bill so I'll get an international plan for voice, text and data but it doesn't offer a bunch of data. I figure I can use WiFi for most stuff but what about stuff like Google Maps? I figure that alone will put me over the limit in the first day.
Click to expand...

Voice and text shouldn't break your bank, but getting data abroad is a real struggle.

Whenever I go back to England I just purchase a sim card over there (off contract, $15 gets you unlimited voice/text and 500mb of data which is enough for sporadic browsing when I need it). You'll need an unlocked phone, and this of course only really works if you're mainly in one country. Buying a sim in the UK will mean roaming costs in France and Italy, buying one in Italy will mean roaming costs in France/Spain etc etc etc.

If you're hopping between countries, then realistically you're better off just finding a map, or a starbucks/wifi hotspot when you can. The roaming charges just aren't worth it.
 
Nilly said:
FYI you can also save parts of google maps for offline access. If you know the areas where you'll need maps then this can be useful:

https://support.google.com/gmm/answer/3273567?hl=en
Click to expand...
Yep, I regularly save google maps though the last update it forces me to have to name the save maps when I feel it shouldnt have to do that.

Also another app called navfree allows you to download an entire country's maps in one time and store it for easy access. Plus its free!
 
Nilly said:
Voice and text shouldn't break your bank, but getting data abroad is a real struggle.

Whenever I go back to England I just purchase a sim card over there (off contract, $15 gets you unlimited voice/text and 500mb of data which is enough for sporadic browsing when I need it). You'll need an unlocked phone, and this of course only really works if you're mainly in one country. Buying a sim in the UK will mean roaming costs in France and Italy, buying one in Italy will mean roaming costs in France/Spain etc etc etc.

If you're hopping between countries, then realistically you're better off just finding a map, or a starbucks/wifi hotspot when you can. The roaming charges just aren't worth it.
Click to expand...

I'm with Verizon and they offer an international plan for $85 that covers the voice/text & data like you said the sim card does and what I'm thinking now is that we'll just get a GPS (TomTom or Garman) for maps. Hell, maybe I don't even need to worry about data as long as I can find WiFi spots. It was really more the navigation I was thinking of since my mother will be with us and she flat out panics when she's in unfamiliar territory after dark. I'm not talking just getting anxious either. She becomes straight jacket material after about 90 seconds.
 
Nilly said:
FYI you can also save parts of google maps for offline access. If you know the areas where you'll need maps then this can be useful:

https://support.google.com/gmm/answer/3273567?hl=en
Click to expand...

PoS said:
Yep, I regularly save google maps though the last update it forces me to have to name the save maps when I feel it shouldnt have to do that.

Also another app called navfree allows you to download an entire country's maps in one time and store it for easy access. Plus its free!
Click to expand...

Excellent!!

I'll do that for each city even before we leave otherwise It'll cost me a fortune in Gelato just to keep mom scraped off the ceiling.:lol:
 
Lutherf said:
Excellent!!

I'll do that for each city even before we leave otherwise It'll cost me a fortune in Gelato just to keep mom scraped off the ceiling.:lol:
Click to expand...

LOL if that fails you can also go to the tourist offices in each city where you can get free maps! :D
 
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