One of the biggest problems with traveling abroad is roaming charges, if you can even use your phone internationally. I learned the hard way that a quick 10-minute call from Aruba can cost $80 and a month in Cancun can cost $700. Here’s the progression of how I got smarter with each trip abroad until I ended up with the new Skyroam Solis.
My History of Trying to Avoid Roaming Charges
After some pretty hefty phone bills with ridiculous roaming charges, I started putting my phone in Airplane mode for the entire duration my trips abroad. But then I have to rely on WiFi all the time. What about when you’re in Iceland in the middle of the country with no civilization abroad? Getting lost is fun…as long as you don’t get caught in a snowstorm and can’t tell whether you’re going left, right, up, or down.
So my next attempt to be smart was to buy a local SIM card. In Spain, SIM cards limit the amount of data you have and after you hit the limit, it takes literally 10 minutes to open one webpage. It’s basically like when cell phones first came out and your mom told you to only use it in emergencies – only use what little data you have on local SIM cards in emergencies. And while SIM card prices in Spain were reasonable, in Italy a SIM card cost 35 euros so for only a week-long trip, I decided it was better to just get lost and use WiFi whenever I could.
From there I learned to always request a rental car with a WiFi hotspot. This way I could never get lost, right? Not so. When I moved to Spain, it was my first time ever in Europe. Since the maps app uses satellites, theoretically you can use it without phone service. I also rented a WiFi hotspot with the car just in case. Sadly, both failed me and I ended up lost in the olive fields of Andalucia. I felt like I was Lloyd driving a sleeping Harry through the flat plains in Dumb and Dumber, wondering where our town on top of a mountain was. That’s when I realized neither my maps app or the WiFi hotspot were working and we took a wrong turn a while back.
The Skyroam Solis
I know it sounds pretty bleak when it comes to paying a fortune or not being able to use your phone internationally, but have no fear! The future has caught up with me again and I have discovered a new way to get service without huge fees.
Skyroam Solis is a global 4G LTE hotspot and power bank to charge while you go. Not only can you connect your phone, you can also connect a laptop, tablet, GoPro, or any other device with the 6000 mAh power bank. That means you can charge and use global WiFi on all of your devices!
My Review and Verdict
In a nutshell, I don’t know how I’ve lived so long without one of these portable WiFi hotspots. It’s so wonderful to be connected to the whole world no matter where I am. Most recently, I tested out my new Skyroam Solis in Aruba.
Aruba has 2G and 3G cellular capabilities, but 4G hasn’t hit the small Caribbean island yet. While Skyroam has 4G capabilities, it’s only as good as the cell towers it’s working off of. So your Skyroam WiFi in Aruba will be 3G speeds. This was great in 2008, but now that most of the world has gotten used to 4G coverage, it feels a little slow. This is not due to limited Skyroam capabilities though.
Using the Skyroam all day on the beach and being able to upload Instagram videos and pictures immediately was great. Having two of my friends also able to connect to the Skyroam was even better. Using the adapter to charge my phone was icing on the cake.
The Skyroam fit perfect in my beach bag and didn’t add much weight at all. It as easy to set up and stayed on all day. And it was so low maintenance that I almost forgot I had it. The only problem came at night when I didn’t want to bring a big purse out and it was just a big too big to fit in my boyfriend’s tight jeans (even if they were loose, it wouldn’t have fit). At night, I ended up relying on bar/restaurant WiFi. But during the day and hanging around the house, Skyroam was a perfect companion.
I got to try Skyroam in Iceland as well. I was nervous because Iceland is known for its wilderness and lack of civilization. There definitely aren’t cell towers around the country. I drove 5 hours from Reykjavik with towns getting smaller and smaller as I got farther away, and I never had an issue with Skyroam. I was able to keep GPS on the entire time while uploading pictures and Googling cool little things to see along the route. It wasn’t slow at all!
Another thought: buying a local SIM card in a foreign country could result in all information stored in your phone to be stolen by hacker. There is a vulnerability in SIM cards, and hijackers can steal your foreign SIM’s information. Additionally, criminals can steal your information when you’re using public WiFi, like restaurant or hotel WiFi that everyone has access to. To avoid hijackers stealing all of the information in your phone (I know I’m not the only one who stores passwords in their phone!), play it safe and use your own private WiFi with Skyroam.
So now the big question: do I recommend Skyroam to my fellow travelers?
The verdict? Yes.
Do I recommend #Skyroam to my fellow travelers? Verdict: Absolutely. Click To TweetPros
- Stay connected wherever you go (as long as there are cell towers nearby)
- Fits in a purse or backpack
- Very long battery life (about 24 hours using it all day)
- 3G/4G speeds (depending on nearby cell towers)
- Great customer service with quick responses
- Lightweight
- Charges your phone even on the beach
- Private WiFi makes it harder for hackers to steal your information
Cons
- Depending on location, it can take a while to connect and you may have to disconnect and reconnect a few times
- 3G speeds can be slow at times, but you can still use the GPS
- Doesn’t fit comfortably in your pocket so if you’re not bringing a purse or backpack out with you, you might have to leave it at home
Tips for Getting Started
Step 1: Make sure the Skyroam is fully charged before your first use. It comes with a USB to charge it so you can plug it into a wall adapter, computer, or car.
Step 2: Turn on your Skyroam Solis.
Step 3: Skyroam gives you 20 minutes free to set it up before you buy it. On your device, go to the Skyroam account portal (a.skyroam.com).
Step 4: Register your hotspot and activate your day pass. Day passes cost $9.99 (U.S.) and run for 24 hours. You can purchase them as needed.
Step 5: Connect your device to a WiFi network and enjoy!
If you’re interested in getting a Skyroam Solis, get a 10% discount using my code SHEWENTTOSPAIN or click this link to go directly to the site for a 10% discount: www.skyroam.com
Have you ever used a WiFi hotspot? Have you thought about Skyroam? Do you have any other tips or tricks for staying connected while traveling abroad? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
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P.S. You might also enjoy 10 Travel Apps That Make Traveling Easier and 6 Best Travel Mistakes
If you buy a Skyroam using my code, I will make a small commission on your purchase but it doesn’t change the price for you or my opinion of the product. So why not help a girl out and click my links?! 🙂