Communications Tips and Resources for Safe Travels
Reliable and redundant communications capabilities are critical to ensuring a safe and productive trip. Global Affairs is committed to providing general tips, as well as communications-related travel resources, to assist you in trip planning.
Travel Communications Tips
- Research cellular and data plans, coverage areas, and country/local dialing procedures at your destination
- Often, purchasing a SIM card or renting a phone in-country is the most cost-effective and reliable approach
- Establish regular check-in times and procedures with family, friends, colleagues, and employers
- Have a land line phone connection available, where possible
- Know local, long-distance, and international dialing procedures, which may differ from mobile phone dialing procedures
- Save emergency phone numbers
- Program local emergency services, the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate, local friends/colleagues into your phone before you travel
- Memorize local emergency numbers
- Keep hard copies of emergency numbers in a wallet, purse, and in your hotel/residence
- Keep your mobile phone and computer charged
- Consider purchasing a spare or external battery
- Conduct a series of test phone calls, emails, and text messages, once you arrive at your destination
- Adjust phone contacts and dialing procedures as necessary, especially after moving to a new region
- Consider renting a satellite phone or radios, for travel in rural areas
- Ensuring contact with colleagues who can assist in the event of an emergency
- Engage with friends and colleagues who have traveled to your destination previously or who are originally from there
- Ask questions about communications capabilities at your destination
- Remember text/SMS/data may still work normally in an emergency when cellular phone service may overwhelm carrier capacity
Travel Communications Resources
- Research your destination with Crisis24 Horizon
- View local emergency numbers
- Find contact information for U.S. embassies and consulates around the world
- In an emergency, ask the embassy operator to connect you with the “Duty Officer” for assistance, including after hours
- See more information on purchasing travel SIM cards
- Research this international calling guide
More Information
UC Davis travelers with questions about communications while abroad are encouraged to contact Global Affairs at (530) 752-4129 or [email protected].