![]() ![]() Another great way to avoid any cellular activity when you land is to keep your phone in Airplane Mode. When the flight attendant asks you for the fourth time to switch off your phone, be sure to turn off mobile data in your settings before you do. While you're at it, consider translation apps that work offline - Google Translate has downloadable language packs to help you find the nearest bathroom when you're data-free. Google Translate has 90 languages to choose from. If you're standing in freezing New York desperately trying to find the closest Shake Shack, there's a lot to be said for a map that doesn't load the CBD on to your screen block-by-block. There are also a range of offline map apps on the Google or Apple app store, though it's worth paying for better quality. Microsoft's Here Maps will also let you download maps to use offline, but you'll need a Microsoft login (you can use your Xbox or Hotmail login). Instead, you can download Google Maps to use offline. Just when you need Google Maps the most, you don't want the data bill that goes with them. Zone 2 countries (including Asia, South America and the Middle East) will cost you AU$0.25 per MB, but that rates well compared with AU$0.25 per MB everywhere for Australia Post's Prepaid Travel SIM or a whopping AU$1 to $3 per MB for pay-as-you-go roaming with the major carriers. Globalgig's Traveller+ Plan gets you 1GB for AU$30 per month in Zone 1 countries (most of Europe, UK and US). If you're leaving from Sydney or Melbourne international airport, buy your SIM before you leave through SIMCorner - you pay in Aussie dollars and then activate when you land, and the rates are good.Īustralian telco Globalgig also sells SIM cards offering 4G data in Australia and data for use in more than 100 countries worldwide on a rolling one-month contract. You can stack these packs up, so AU$50 will get you 250MB to use any time over 5 days, and coverage includes plenty of popular destinations across Asia, Oceania, North America and Europe. Optus post-paid customers can pre-purchase an Optus Travel Pack for AU$10 a day to get unlimited talk and text plus 50MB of data. At AU$10 a day for most countries except New Zealand (which is AU$5 a day), it's still double the price of Vodafone and the 100MB daily data limit doesn't roll over day-to-day, but you will get unlimited calls and texts. Telstra has simplified pricing, moving away from reasonably costly monthly passes to pay-by-the-day passes. Telstra customers can pay in advance for an International Travel Pass to get overseas calls and data. You may still face a small charge per forwarded call, so be sure to check the fine print: See Telstra (PDF page 21), Optus, Vodafone and Virgin. Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and Virgin Mobile all offer this service. By entering a few keystrokes while you're still in Australia on your local network, you can choose to divert some or all calls, and send them to another number or straight to Voicemail. If your partner is staying home with the kids or if your boss is happy to field work calls while you're away, set up call forwarding. Don't be the person standing in LAX listening to voicemails from your hairdresser (yes, that was me). Alternatively, leave your email address so people can still contact you, but you can choose when to respond. Before you fly out, record a new voicemail message to tell people the dates you're away, and ask them not to leave a message unless it's an emergency. When you're travelling you often want to triage important calls. ![]() Whether it's knowing what to set up before you leave or what to do when you're on the ground, here are our tips (some of them very quick and easy) to prevent bill shock. Even the seasoned travellers have nightmares about returning from holidays to face a $2,000 mobile phone bill.īut if you're planning a trip abroad, there's plenty you can do to minimise roaming charges.
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