international SIM

4 Actions You Can Take Now to Prevent Jaw-Dropping Roaming Bills

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4 Actions You Can Take Now to Prevent Jaw-Dropping Roaming Bills

With expensive hotel rates, fancy restaurants and transportation expenses, shocking roaming bills have also contributed to the high cost of vacations. Many cell phone users are unaware of the fact that they will be charged more than usual for using their phones outside certain zones.

Here are 4 actions you can take to avoid the outrageous roaming bill:

  1. Enable airplane mode while traveling. The airplane mode prevents any calls and texts to be sent/received. Different phones (iPhone, Samsung) have different settings for example, the iPhone also blocks Location Services while the airplane mode is enabled. This function is useful for preventing any possible charges while traveling to your destination while still having access to music, games, and calendar.
  2. Get an international SIM card before leaving so you can enjoy local rates for calling, texting and data. In the end, this may be cheaper than making that one call using the hotel phone’s outrageous rates.
  3. Turn off data roaming on your phone.
  4. This will prevent your phone from using data on the road while outside the range of your carrier’s cell phone towers.

    iPhone:

    Settings → General → Network → Data Roaming → Off

    BlackBerry:

    Manage Connections Icon → Mobile Network Options → While Roaming → Off

    Android:

    Home → Menu → Settings → Wireless & Networks → Mobile Networks → Data Roaming → Off

  5. Even if you have an international data plan, it is easy to go over any data plan’s limit if you are not careful. Keep in mind that although your phone is tucked away in your pocket, it may still be using a significant amount of data by pushing emails, syncing to your social media, and having automatic application updates. Navigate the settings on your phone to turn off automatic fetching of data.

Here’s an example of how much it could cost you to roam in France:

  • Incoming/Outgoing Calls – $1.39/minute
  • Data – $20/MB
  • Incoming Texts – $0.20/message
  • Outgoing Texts – $0.50/message

Be sure you know your roaming alternatives next time you travel to avoid outrageous roaming bills!

What you need to know before traveling to Italy

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A country with an abundance of art, food, history and a fiery team in the 2012 Euro Cup, Italy is a travel destination that promises not to disappoint. Maximize your experience by planning ahead, learning some Italian food phrases and getting an Italian SIM card.

Buon Appetito

One of the many delicious Italian dishes can be found while feasting on a plate of antipasto. It is generally the first course of a meal consisting of cheese, vegetables and pickled meat. This is the best time to chat with friends over prosciutto (cured ham), marinated olives, and even figs on mozzarella. Finishing up the meal with an espresso or cappuccino is perfect preparation for a late-night snack of pistachio flavoured gelato.

Gelato (Italian ice cream) is a famous dessert not only recognized in Italy but also worldwide. In Italy, many people come on the streets late at night to have gelato with family and friends. Next time, why not try the pistachio flavour?

Affogato is an Italian beverage usually consisting of vanilla gelato topped with a shot of espresso. The ultimate two-in-one coffee and dessert!

Exploring the Past

When visiting Italy, make sure to add the lost city of Pompeii to your itinerary. Almost 2000 years after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, the city still acts as a reminder to the great forces nature holds over humans.

While the gondolas were traditionally used as a means of transportation, today it is a great way to explore the city and sometimes used for rowing races. For about 40 minutes, you will be serenaded while enjoying the view of the Grand Canal.

Other places that you cannot miss:

  • The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Took about 200 years to build).
  • The Coliseum of Rome (Built in 70 AD).
  • The Amalfi Coast (Beaches, mountains and fjords).
  • The fashion capital – Milan (Make sure to shop on Via Monte Napoleone – this street houses some of the top designers).

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Brightroam featured on Yahoo!

Described as the “unsung hero of the wireless business”, SIM cards have increasingly become part of every traveler’s mobile solution, saving them money and time while they’re away.

Recently, Brightroam was featured on Yahoo! Finance, where Marketing Director Doug Johnson spoke about the benefits of using one of our SIM cards while you travel.

“We have all heard roaming charge horror stories, or even worse arrived home to a mobile bill hundreds of dollars higher than expected,” he says. “Once a SIM card is tucked into your phone, it’s out of sight and out of mind.”

Brightroam can save you up to 65% when you use our International SIM card, and even more (up to 97%, in fact) when using country-specific cards like our Mexico SIM. More good news comes with the fact that our services are post-paid (unlike most other SIM card services), meaning you only pay for the time you’ve used.

Peace of mind comes at a small cost at Brightroam – check out our website to learn more & start saving!

Be Prepared For Back-To-School Abroad

206345xclt71tkg Photo courtesy of graur razvan ionut/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Now that the Labour Day long weekend is over, all parents’ thoughts have returned to back-to-school mode. Some of us have kids who will be studying abroad this year for homestay programs, exchanges and more. How can you prepare them for a successful year of studying? With a cool care package!

1) An international outlet plug will aleviate the stress of replacing current electronic items.

2) A subscription to their favourite magazine, sent to their new address, is always a nice surprise (who doesn’t like receiving mail?).

3) Find out what the hottest boutique in town is, and purchase a gift certificate for your child to indulge in a little retail therapy.

4) A variety pack of teas is a greaty way to help your child de-stress or re-energize. Green tea is full of antioxidents, and peppermint calms an upset stomach.

5) Buy “airline safe” clear bottles and package up some of your child’s favourite products to bring with them.

6) Brightroam’s World SIM card can be used in over 200 countries, and will keep you and your child connected while they’re away.

It’s never easy seeing your kids off to school, whether it’s just down the street or halfway across the world. Just remember, absence makes the heart grow fonder!