Work and nomads
A different country every week: how not to lose your mind over data
A setup you do once that lasts the whole season. What to install, what to switch off, and how to check your usage without thinking about it.
Bea Nogales 5 min Photo by Amal Bourkhis on Unsplash Anyone changing country every few days ends up doing one of two things: buying daily passes without looking, or wrestling with their phone settings on every landing. Both are solved with half an hour, once.
The setup you leave in place
- Your usual line, active for calls and messages, with DATA roaming switched off.
- A regional or global plan installed, set as the data line, with its roaming switched on.
- Clear names on both lines, so you do not get it wrong half asleep.
- Backups, updates and automatic downloads set to wifi only.
With that, landing has no steps left: turn off aeroplane mode and you are done.
How to check usage without thinking about it
Once a week, look at the phone's counter and compare it with what is left of the plan. If you are running ahead of pace, adjust by dropping video quality and leaving downloads for wifi.
And one habit that saves more than any setting: download at the hotel whatever you plan to watch on the next flight.
The three places you will have no data anyway
- On board, unless the airline offers a connection.
- At sea, if any rotation includes a ship: there the network is satellite and billed separately.
- And in the international zones of some airports, where the local network does not always latch on.
The ship case, the most expensive of the lot, is in internet on a cruise ship.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set up my phone if I change country every week?
Your usual line for calls and messages with data roaming off, and a regional or global plan as the data line with its roaming on.
Do I have to touch anything on each landing?
No, if you set it up once: switching off aeroplane mode is enough.
How do I keep track of usage?
By looking at the phone's counter once a week and comparing it with what is left of the plan.
And if my routes change?
Check the country list on your regional plan at the start of each season: a new destination can fall outside it.
