Travel brings me great joy, but it also takes me away from my darling dog and her loving, pooch-watching grandma…my mom. For many, international travel means they don’t communicate with their loved ones back home because it’s too expensive. But I talk to my mom daily and I won’t let distance change that ritual, so I need a way to talk to family and friends without breaking the bank. International travel is not the only reason we need a cheap way to talk to people around the globe. Jon and I also have two Italian “sons” to communicate with and other friends and family who live abroad, so the ability for us to chat with them when we’re in the States is necessary, too.
With some cellular phone plans costing an outrageous $10 per day to use abroad and even reasonable phone plans costing many pretty pennies per minute, talk isn’t cheap. How do we communicate with everyone without spending a fortune? The answer is the WhatsApp free application.
Some of my friends use Facetime, but I’m an Android lover/user and want a system for international communication that’s affordable, doesn’t require a certain device, is reputable, and is easy to use. WhatsApp meets all these needs. When people approach me for advice about traveling abroad, telling them about this travel app is one of the best travel tips I give.
Important Points:
- You can voice call, video call, text message, or voice message people.
- WhatsApp uses your phone’s internet connection, so if you are abroad and don’t have a good data plan make sure you are using wi-fi to avoid incurring charges.
- You can use WhatsApp on an Android, iPhone, Windows phone, Mac, or PC. Just download it from the your favorite app store.
- Make sure that all the people you want to contact using WhatsApp have installed the app on their phone before traveling.
- You can easily share documents and media, as well as take photos/videos. I like how all the media I send through WhatsApp is saved in a separate file for easy access and sharing.
- According to the company, it’s secure. WhatsApp boasts that they have end-to-end encryption making it so 3rd parties can’t listen.
Although widely used in Europe, people in the States seem slower to adopt this technology so I hope this blog introduced a “new-to-you” app that will help you keep your travel costs lower…and keep you connected to the friends you meet while exploring our globe.
P.S. I receive no remuneration from WhatsApp; I just like them and want to share with everyone.
Like what you just read? You can support me by following my blog and leaving comments–I love to hear from my readers. Happy travels! Amy
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