Make sure you have enough cell phone data!
A bad ending to a great trip could be a huge cell phone bill waiting for you when you get back. No one wants to deal with that! Follow these steps and with a little planning you should be covered to call your mom as often as you like to let her know you are ok, eating enough, and having a great time!
#1. Check with your provider before you go.
Pop in to your local store or call customer service and inquire about their international plans for cell phone data, especially consider an international text message package. Most of the major carriers have them, and while it might cost you a little more to add it to your plan, it will cost WAY LESS than not having it in the end.
#2. Track your international data usage.
Your phone should have a built-in usage tracker (ask the employee at the store to show you while you are there). Also, your laptop (if you are taking it) should be able to track data too.
You can also download a third party app to help you track your data, but check out your provider’s first–it’s probably the best way to go.
PSST: Pokemon GO will use a lot of your data! Click on the link for tips.
#3.Turn Off Unnecessary Things
Close Apps. To get the best performance out of your phone and save cell phone 
data, close all of your apps that are running in the background. You may think you have closed an app by exiting out of it but it may still be running in the background.
Check out these links to learn how to:
Close Apps on an iPhone
Close Apps on an Android Phone
Roaming. Turn off data roaming to place a call but not use data. This also blocks email, browsing, picture and video messages, and downloads. You can still receive text messages when data roaming is blocked.
Email auto-check. Disable this so that you don’t receive email updates automatically while traveling internationally. You can always check your email when you connect to WiFi.
#4. Use Free Wi-Fi whenever you can. 
Check when you are at hotels, restaurants, cafes, museums and other places where you stop. If you can connect to their free WiFi that will save your data. This is also a good time to check email and other apps that you turned off.
#5. Use Airplane Mode
It’s not just for airplanes. It can save your data and power. When you put your phone or device (this applies to both iPhone and Androids) into airplane mode it disables:
Cellular. Your phone won’t connect to cell towers
WiFi. Your phone will stop scanning for nearby WiFi networks.
Bluetooth. If you are using a wireless headset it won’t work in airplane mode.
GPS. Airplane mode also disables the GPS function on your phone.
#6. Research your cell phone insurance plan.
Insurance for your phone doesn’t cover data usage, but it does cover lost or stolen phones and hopefully provides a quick replacement. You don’t want to be caught without your phone so far from home.
You may have bought extra insurance when you purchased your phone. Review the policy. If you didn’t, you may be able to purchase travel insurance through your plan provider or from a third party. Traditional travel insurance (for things like missed flights, etc. typically DON’T cover cell phones.)
One more thing…
It’s not about your phone, it’s about YOU! Now that you have your phone all figured out, let’s talk about protecting you. Let’s face it, you are more important than your phone.
Medical Travel insurance will cover you if you get sick or injured far from home. It’s not something we like to think about when planning a trip, but it is a real possibility. If you don’t have a plan, check out the link below. You’ll be glad you did.
GET A PLAN