Life in immigration

Last Updated: 7/17/20 | July 17th, 2020 Dave Dean from Too Many Adapters is a tech expert. In this guest post, he delves deep into Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to explain what they are, how they work, and why you as a traveler should be using them. These days, everyone travels with a computer. Whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, we’re all connected when we’re abroad. While this technology does make travel easier, it also opens us up to new risks. From stolen credit card numbers to governmental spying to hacked emails, cybersecurity is usually something we overlook when we’re planning our trips. Sure, we’ll buy travel insurance to protect our health. But we often overlook ensuring that our data and information are kept safe too. Free Wi-Fi is available pretty much everywhere to travelers, from coffee shops to hostels to airport lounges. Yet as we casually surf the web and connect with friends and family back home, we’re opening ourselves u...

Last Updated: 3/20/21 | March 20th, 2021 A long time ago in a state far, far away (Massachusetts), I used AT&T as my cellphone service provider. When the iPhone first came out, I bought it because I could remove the original AT&T SIM card, insert a local SIM while on the road, and still have a handy-dandy smartphone to tweet from. So I unlocked my phone and off around the world I happily went. Flash forward to the end of 2012, when Verizon announced that their iPhones would come automatically unlocked for international travel. I needed a new iPhone at that point, AT&T had awful customer service and high fees, and since the new phone would already be unlocked, it would save me some hassle. It was the excuse I needed to leave AT&T. Flash forward again to the end of 2013, when T-Mobile announced it was giving all their users free international data and text messaging in over 140 countries — plus all calls while in those countries were 20 cents a minute. Since then, I’...

Posted: 02/03/15 | February 3rd, 2015 On the first Tuesday of each month, Dave Dean from Too Many Adapters shares his tips and advice on travel tech and gear. He is our resident expert, trying out new products and seeing what works so you end up with gear that can handle life on the road This month’s column is about the change technology has brought to travel. If you’ve ever read the comments on an article about travel and technology, you’ll likely have found someone insisting that gadgets cheapen the travel experience. It’s just “a weak excuse to stay connected to your old 9-to-5 consumer self, terrified by the enlightenment of travel,” according to one reader of this site. This is an easy argument to make when you see travelers sitting around a table glued to their smartphones or laptop. No one seems very social. By keeping us tethered to life back home, does technology rob us of the chance to make real connections on the road? With phones in our faces, are we ...

Last Updated: 11/3/20 | November 3rd, 2020 Travel insurance is one of the most important things you need when you travel — yet it’s often overlooked. You wouldn’t drive a car without car insurance or own a home without home insurance. Why would you risk traveling the world without travel insurance? While it may seem like an unnecessary expense, travel insurance provides a vital safety net when you’re abroad. Illness and injury, canceled flights, damaged electronics, lost luggage, the death of a family member back home — these are all covered by insurance. In a nutshell, travel insurance is an all-purpose emergency coverage plan. It’s the single most important thing you should get for your trip and something I strongly, strongly advise travelers to never leave home without. I’ve seen it help so many people over the years – people who would have been out thousands of dollars otherwise. Myself included. I used it for a doctor in Argentina, when my camera broke in Italy, m...

Updated: March 13th, 2019 | Posted: July 31st, 2009 (Updated with added information and resources) I’m a solo backpacker at heart. It’s the type of travel I enjoy the most and find the most rewarding. But that doesn’t mean I also don’t enjoy traveling with others, visiting touristy destinations, or even going on tours. Personally, I don’t care if you’re a solo backpacker or someone who prefers tours. All travelers are created equal. But that doesn’t mean all budgets are going to be equal. So when Contiki tours put up a message on Facebook that “you can literally save hundreds of dollars going with Contiki overdoing it on your own” and that backpacking was “so 1997.” My jaw dropped. Tours being cheaper than solo backpacking? Dream on. I tweeted how that wasn’t right since independent budget travel is always cheaper. Contiki tweeted back saying otherwise. Whether or not you believe backpacking is “so 1997,...

Last Updated: 11/3/20 | November 3rd, 2020 Travel insurance is probably the most boring topic to discuss when it comes to planning a trip. Dreaming up the perfect itinerary, finding cheap flights, buying gear — all of these things all much more glamorous! For that reason, many budget travelers actually skip buying travel insurance. Unlike a flight, a travel backpack, or applying for a visa, travel insurance just doesn’t seem necessary. And since it’s not always cheap, travel insurance is often tempting to jettison. I mean, how often does something terrible happen when you travel? Not often, right? But that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Sure, over the years, I’ve rarely had to rely on travel insurance. But I have still had to use it from time to time — including recently when I was stabbed in Colombia. Remember: you’re fine until you aren’t, which is why you get travel insurance! Yes, for most trips you won’t need your travel insurance. You’ll buy it, save the details in your inbox, and...

Updated: 11/6/2018 | November 6th, 2018 Dave Dean from Too Many Adapters gives us tips and advice on travel tech and gear. He is our resident expert, trying out new products and seeing what works so you don’t end up with gear that breaks and a laptop filled with viruses! This month’s column is about how to pick the best phone for when you travel. As a travel tech writer, I get asked about using smartphones when we travel. The minute we head overseas with our phones, we’re hit with a confusing mess of technical jargon, expensive roaming agreements, conflicting advice, and nonworking gear. Trying to discuss the nuances of GSM frequency bands or iPhone unlock codes with a mobile vendor in a dusty Cambodian town isn’t my idea of fun, and I doubt it’s yours either. Since we all want our smartphone to work when we travel, I’ve put together this guide covering everything you need to know about how to get your smartphone working overseas as well as the best s...