Anyone out there travel without a phone?

Not anymore. We use the phone for GPS and keeping in contact with loved ones, just in case of emergencies.

We have traveled for well over 20+ years in Europe with no phone and continue to do so. Recently started carrying an Ipad that we use occasionally at the hotel in the evening. We leave the phones at home. One last thing to worry about losing. But we are not of the generation that believes in having constant contact via facebook or other social media. And we are not in the habit of constantly advertising what we are doing.

I usually travel with a small netbook PC which I use in the hotel but don't carry it with me during the day. No phone as of yet but will probably feel the need if I have another trip to Europe. It's getting harder and harder to be without one - as much as I hate the idea of being tethered to a phone.

Not a chance! The “phone” is so much more than a phone, it is an essential life management tool. Never leave home without it. And in our case, it is not for work, BTW. If I was worried about having access to work email, etc., I might make a different decision.

I do bring my iPhone. Use it for camera, downloading info., WhatsApp, email (I do occasional contract work and receive job opportunities per email that I need to respond to). I have noticed that WhatsApp is being used more widely abroad. Handy if you need to contact a guide or apartment manager. ** I also bring my iPad as well.

We do not use our phones overseas. Like Frank, we use the iPad now and then in the evenings at the hotel. We hardly ever use them here at home and rarely even carry them. I got it years ago when Dad went into nursing care and it just sort of stuck around.

We were on the Eurostar going from London to Paris when our train stopped just outside the tunnel. We sat there for a while with no word about what the problem was. My husband used his phone and learned there was a strike and they were burning truck tires on the train track and road blocking all travel. (Eurostar never told us what was going on). When the train started going back to London I immediately got on my phone and booked plane tickets for the next day. The price was the same as if I had booked them 3 months prior.

By the time we got back to London the Eurostar station was crazy. It was jammed pack with people trying to reschedule their tickets. The best train tickets available were for 4 days later. The plane tickets we had just purchased about 90 minutes before were now tripled in price. We would have missed our Paris leg of the trip. I also used our cell phones to cancel or first hotel night in Paris and make a reservation for another night in London. Before we left the station we had taken care of everything.

I don’t do social media unless you want to count Ricksteves forum, tugbbs.com, and TripAdvisor forums. But a phone is a travel tool. There have been times both in the US and abroad where we booked an attraction (while standing in line) and gotten an extra 20% off.

When we separate at an outdoor market or foreign location we use “find me” to meet up with one another. (This really use to be a pain in the butt before smart phones).

The list goes on.

We use our phones as camera, for WhatApp to contact Airbnb hosts to coordinate arrival, for GPS when we rent a car...

Nope, as a solo traveler I check in with wifi calls most nights in the hotel. These days many of my reservations are in their respective apps - FlixBus, German trains, hotels. Often those do not require data to display to a conductor.

If you're worried about bringing an expensive, new phone - then my suggestion (not quite what you're asking about) is to bring your most recent "old" one!

1) you can have it activated before your trip and either use your carrier's international plan or put whatever European SIM in it that suits your call/data/text needs

2) even without an international plan, you can still: use wifi in hotels, access documents you've stored locally on the phone (even while out and about); bring up maps (though typically without walking directions - unless you have a data plan), etc

Of course, in the same way that many people have 2 copies of their documents, I do bring a spare phone for backup.

This is likely too obvious, but the only major suggestions I have is to have a plan for not being reachable that long and to make sure everyone knows you're off-the-grid and all the bills are paid somehow beforehand so you don't get any late changes or dings on your credit.

Our cellphones don't work outside the USA. I take my phone anyway, since we could have a flat tire or accident on the way to the airport. Also, we can still use wifi with the phone overseas.

Still, it is rare that I every turn the phone on at all.

Wife takes here IPAD, so we do have access to the internet if we need it. We rarely need it.

I plan our trips, tours, hotels in detail, well in advance.

It is a personal thing, I know I am the exception, but I retired 9 years ago and just don't need an expensive cell phone. I only turn on my phone only when traveling within the USA.

I take my phone, but tend to not make 'phone' calls. Most of my internet stuff is done on my tablet in the evening, and I haven't transitioned to using the phone as gps, but as a solo traveler, I am starting to find the logistical part and always being the only one responsible for 'everything' is becoming onerous, so hope to transition to using the phone more for off line google maps and the gps function to show me where I am when lost in the labyrinth of ancient European cities with no 90 degree grid street system.
Whatsapp keeps me in touch with my hosts.
I also use a real camera, but the phone photos go to Instagram every night so that my kids know I am alive, well and having fun.
Essentially, I take the phone, but wouldn't go through withdrawl if I never used it....and on some trips, I don't.

We do not take a phone on our trips, but we do take an Ipad Mini. The Ipad doubles as a camera. We use hotel wifi to send texts and emails. We also did facetime on our last trip.

Thanks for this discussion. It is really helpful. We may borrow our son's tablet, but would have never thought of it without this discussion.

Don't you need to call your airbnb places to coordinate check in?

I take my phone with me when I travel, but don't use the phone function when out of the US. I like having the option of a phone available in case there is a family emergency so I can stay informed of the situation.

I use WiFi whenever I can get a good signal to check emails and send updates to family and friends who are interested in where I am and what I am doing. Since most of my non-work travel is with groups, like the RS tours, I don't find I have much need to make phone calls. I don't work while on vacation, so no need to keep connected there either.

My last vacation trip to Europe I turned on my phone when I arrived in Milan just so the phone network would know where I was, the phone rang and even though I didn't answer I got charged for 1 minute of roaming which was just under $2. This is the only phone related cost I have spent on any of my European vacations.

I store documents on my phone, or in email which I can access on WiFi, so no piles of paper. Anything I need printed, the hotels I stay at are always happy to do so for me.

I also go to Europe for work. My employer provides a phone for those trips and I do use it just as much as I would my work phone at my regular office. I have no idea what the cost of that is since I never see the bill.

We're still traveling without a phone, and with an ipad and itouch. Anyone who needs to reach us knows they can do that via email. If we were renting apartments/booking airbnbs, not having a phone would probably be a problem but the only apartment we've booked so far was in a B&B and were given a code for the front door if no one was around to answer it.

Haven't needed GPS as we don't drive in Europe, and we still use paper maps...which have been more reliable than google maps! :O)

I wouldn’t go to Europe without my iPhone. Indispensable for all the reasons already mentioned.

The cell phone has become an important part of day to day living. It is small and portable which makes it a good tool for travel. Is there a special reason that you don't want to use a cell phone?

I can only tell you what I did on my first trip to Europe in 25 years. It's not like I travel much. I don't have an iPad or laptop, just an old desktop Dell at home. My phone was my connection to the internet, email (especially credit card alerts), translation apps, maps and GPS. Although I printed out all hotel, tour, and rental car confirmations, I also had email files, apps and bookmarked websites. I used Google Voice using the hotel's WiFi to call my husband to our landline (he has a flip phone that he doesn't answer). After getting salty sea spray on my camera lens and having to carefully clean it, I used my phone for pictures on rainy days and when I didn't want to carry the extra weight of the camera.

Why don't you want to travel with your phone? Leave it on airplane mode unless you're using it so you don't accrue charges or get unwanted calls/texts.

We have been bringing our phones for years. We buy a Sim card for one phone in the country we're visiting and put the other in airplane mode so we can still use wifi. We have used the phone to contact apartment owners before our arrival as required, and to get directions to hard to find buildings (people have sometimes met us at main streets to direct us). We research bus and train schedules and look up more information on places we're visiting, useful when we change our plans. We also use our phone camera so we no longer bring our cameras. We download maps and use the phone when driving between locations and sometimes for walking directions. We used to bring a tablet but no longer do so. We now each bring one device, our phone. It's small, lightweight, and simple but with many functions.

Well...I am reconsidering. The reason I don't want to carry a cell phone is, one, I don't have one. Only a flip phone that does not work in Europe and of course no internet access. Two, I don't want to go around Europe with a phone between me and everything out there, staring at a screen, looking at the phone instead of the world around me, as I see so many do.

I'm with you. We have a tablet we can use to look stuff up (but rarely do).

But reading some of the reasons given for travelling with a mobile 'phone, makes me more convinced that we're right not to do so. Holidays are meant to be relaxing, fun, occasionally aimless. Touring around constantly connected to all this faff seems to be the opposite of being on holiday.

At the risk of throwing cold water on this discussion, or stirring up the sh!t, and quite by coincidence, earlier today I viewed a Burt Wolf Travels episode speaking to the use and dangers of cellphones. I'll let this Guardian article https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/14/mobile-phones-cancer-inconvenient-truths from last year speak to the general tone of Burt's show, produced this year. I found it eye opening, even as the risks from use of mobile devices are nothing new.

My own use of cellphones is, and I do bring it along on my travels, as others have mentioned here for taking pictures, or contacting Airbnb hosts. It's rarely used to help me navigate in real time new, unfamiliar surroundings (and have never streamed movies, for crying out loud!). I'm from a generation long before mobile anything. 8-tracks anyone?

Only a flip phone? That was me until Virgin Mobile would no longer support the flip phone and I was forced to upgrade to an Android. Still with no international cell service. Not even Canada. But WiFi works with the phone working as a micro computer. But its hard to find a payphone these days?

While we don't have foreign cell service, WiFi has become essential for travel, domestic or international. I prefer my 11" Chromebook that relies on WiFi but has real keys (I can touch type) to a phone and pack it along. While a number of my European trips are group trips, our group relies on the Internet for group communications and updates. And then there is paying bills and staying in touch with family, clients and the home office (with e-mail being the new old technology).

Well Mis, only having a flip phone changes the whole conversation. If you decide to get an iPhone or Android, do so way before your trip so you can learn how to use it and download travel apps. There is a learning curve. People on the forum, especially Andrew, were wonderful when I couldn't figure out how to make calls on Google Voice and patiently answered other phone questions.

My friend took her iPhone, but doesn't use many of the features, mainly text, pictures and talk, She couldn't download apps when she got here before the trip because she couldn't get her Apple password. Before the trip I gave her son a few app suggestions so her kids could help her download Google Translate, RS Audio Europe and a few others. It didn't happen. She was only able to access the basics, but to her that was enough. GPS, Google and Microsoft translator apps and most access to the internet were my job and I'm not very "technical." It was a "tad bit" frustrating (which is way less than "really" frustrating) at times, especially when I had to pull over driving to help her find the Waze GPS page she "lost". Or trying to keep up on Microsoft Translator, which I prefer to Google Translate, when she was talking to someone who spoke no or limited English. That said, it all worked out in the end, we got along great and had a wonderful trip.

Just travel without one. If you are not getting used to using it at / around home it will spend possibly more trouble than value.

On the long run there are some features that can make a trip very memorable.

I do NOT mean what is called photo because the quality even of the expensive models is ridiculous compared to a camera with a third of the price. All that snap something is imo really meaningless.

Every smartphone has a voice recording function which allows to record impressions at or directly after experiencing something. Compared to writing only your voice transports more emotion which will enable an own memory better than text only.

One more good thing about smartphones are special interest apps, e.g. Northern Lights forecast.

In contrast to that you may ask other people for information which allows interesting exchanges if you are lucky.

One last tip: All major cities of countries mentioned have issues with tricky pickpockets (organised and trained gangs) - so have a permanent hand on your belongings.

A comment above discussed calling your AirBnB host. I think you do have to have something to access the internet so you can at least check email. Sometimes things happen and AirBnB hosts have to cancel...or they want your ETA. I tend to do that by email, rather than an actual phone call and I do it the day before or the morning of - when I know my schedule and can commit to a rendezvous time.
So, this time around, your flip phone isn't necessary, but your plan to use your son's tablet or similar is pretty much a requirement. As mentioned, pay phones are as rare as hen's teeth now, and I will admit that the city/country/region codes and trying to connect properly in Europe by phone has not worked well for me....so I email or use what'sapp.
You need some back up in case life gets in the way and lodgings disappear. Also remember the prudency of reconfirming all lodging reservations at least a week prior to arrival.

We travel without one. Honestly - up until about 3 mos ago, we only had a flip phone - rarely used - and we only got a smart phone when the system that our flip phone used would no longer be supported, and we were sent a new smart phone for free.

BUT - we do have iPads so as long as we have wifi (and I make sure all our accoms do, and you can find free wifi now in a lot of public places) I can keep in touch with people via email/messaging - you never know when an airbnb may cancel last minute. I have a mini, so it is small enough to carry in our day bag.

Two, I don't want to go around Europe with a phone between me and everything out there, staring at a screen, looking at the phone instead of the world around me, as I see so many do.

mls,
You don’t have to keep the phone out, any more than you have to carry a paper map or a guidebook in your hand all the time. My phone is mostly in my handbag, not in my hand, when I travel. I use it for public transportation (no more waiting at bus stops wondering when a bus will come) and to plan connections from one site to the next. But I don’t follow it slavishly. I check the phone map like a paper map, put the phone away and enjoy exploring.

Some responses are absolutely hilarious !

Just got back from a five week trip to Europe - London - Prague - 3 Greek islands - Paris - London .

Nine hotels or rental studios ( Greece ) , five flights , and the Eurostar .

Somehow we managed just fine using our phone just for photos and looking up some stuff in evening using wifi ( we do not get calling palm etc for Europe )

We didn’t need or use gps - we used these primitive things called “ paper maps “ . Lol

A phone may be a convenience but it is most certainly not a necessity. If it was so important how did we ever manage ? Lol

We travel with not one, but two phones. Until a couple of years ago, I had just a flip phone that worked only in the U.S. After two experiences of my husband going off and me not being able to contact him, I bit the bullet and got a smart phone. That’s all I need it for while traveling, keeping tabs on the old geezer.

We take a phone with us but only for use while we are in transit to and from the airport in case of emergency. It is a simple tracfone which rarely gets used even at home and would be useless overseas. We do take an iPad and, if we are driving, a Garmin.

As Laurel said, NOT A CHANCE that I will ever travel without a smartphone!

I often travel solo and based on past experiences a phone is absolutely essential. A few examples.....

While travelling in France a few years ago, I found to my dismay that my ATM card wasn't working. I tried different banks, different hours of the day, etc. and no luck. By the end of the second day, my cash reserves were just about exhausted. On the morning of the second day, I received a phone call from my Credit Union at about 03:00 asking if I was having problems with my card. Somehow they were aware of the situation. They suggested I use my "backup" card which is with the same Credit Union, and that solved the problem. When I got home, they advised that they had been doing some work on their computer system at the time, and there was a "coding error" on my main card. If they hadn't been able to contact me, they likely would have "frozen" both cards and I would have had a big problem.

On a more serious note, I was injured during a trip to Italy a few years ago and ended up in hospital for a week. The phone was my only way of keeping in notifying my family and keeping in touch with them, contacting the travel insurance company and my travel agent to rebook flights. Having the phone was absolutely crucial in those circumstances.

I also use the phone for GPS when required, contacting hotels if I'm going to be late checking in, buying rail tickets "on the fly" if necessary and perhaps most importantly, letting my family know where I am each day.

I will NEVER travel abroad without my phone!

My sentiments exactly Ken.
There was a time before fire, the wheel, cars, spears, telephones, elevators, medicine, you name it, were invented. People lived without all of them, but life is easier with them.
Same with a Smartphone. Everything is easier. You don’t have to be dependent on it, it does not control you, you don’t have to be staring at it all day... all silly arguments.
You use it when you want to, how you want to, for as long or as little as you want to. And as Ken said, it can be a life-line. It is a tool, not something evil out to ruin your vacation - lol.
And, it’s smaller than the camera you carry around with you - which you could also live without.

No way. I can (and do!) skip social media and being in contact with home. But a phone is a super valuable tool. Why give it up? Some uses not related to contacting home or social media:

-place to store all confirmations/tickets/notes so I need to bring less paper
-alarm clock so I don’t need to bring one of those
-camera and video camera
-way to read guidebooks and books
-map, with directions if needed, or just a map
-annotated map (places of interest marked so I can plan routes and make changes on the go)
-research tool to learn about sights/history
-way to pick and reserve restaurants
-language translation
-unit and currency converter
-way to deal with transit (call an Uber, look at Subway maps, plan routes and distances)
-way to book hotels if plans change
-museums often have apps with audio tours or other information

Not using such a valuable resource just seems silly in most normal circumstances.

We have just left Switzerland after spending a week in Muerren, and are currently in Venice for a few days. My cell phone has been an enormous help for navigation. I do not walk around with it in front of my nose, and I am not texting, phoning, or surfing, but I planned our travels (day-to-day, hour-by-hour, and last minute) in Switzerland with the SBB mobile app, and we are now connecting around Venice with the CheBateo app. Just knowing how we get from A to B with a couple of clicks on the phone is an amazing time saver.

Plus the ability to check on imminent weather (crucial while hiking in the alps), random credit card alerts, etc., is incredibly helpful.

No way would I travel without a smart phone if I had a choice.

I only travel with two at the moment... When I was working I had a third - a great massive Samsung thing.

I have my iPhone and my wife has her Android. We also usually take an iPad and a laptop. The other iPhone stays home - it is old. Like me.

Mls, I know this is totally off topic, but if you are considering leaving the flip phone at home, I wonder about your comfort zone with a world of no cash? Sweden is essentially a cashless society. I mention it so you don't have any surprises.

I take my phone. I use a maps app and download city maps ahead of time and use it for directions.

I've also used the Uber app to call an Uber.

I've also used it to message guides, to show tickets, to take photos, for emergencies etc.

I find in this day and age you need to be able to communicate. That doesn't mean I take calls or have it in my face all day and I loathe selfies.

I find some of the above reasons confuse a phone with a wifi device. If you are able to borrow a tablet from your son that would be fine, too. You can do anything you want on wifi, but you can still easily travel without any technology. I have brought an iPod touch, which is a smart phone without the bills, in the past, as it has my audio books on it. I just bought an iPad mini that has a space for a sim card should I choose to try that; maybe for the heck of it. I often travel solo, so this allows me to post my daily photo showing where I am for my family without having a cell phone. I did buy a cell in Sweden after a few days, because of the nature of my visit so locals could reach me, but I found the smartness of it invasive otherwise. Here's the thing. If you get over there and you are sorry you don't have one, you can pick up a phone on the cheap once you are there. You don't need GPS to navigate. Review your locale and destinations on a map before you leave your hotel/apt. Chances are you won't need to refer back to it. Those I know who grew up with gps only never learned how to navigate naturally. If you did this last year, you probably already have the system down. BTW, I did not use my smart phone in Sweden to pay for things...you can just use a card like you would here.

BTW your flip phone will work in Europe if you need to call any region's version of our 911.

I never have traveled with a phone since I have a tablet when internet access and use a real camera

Just my wife's phone last time because I forgot to bring mine, but I'm glad I did. We don't need two phones. Also, I know I couldn't resist checking my e-mail and there would certainly be some work-related "crisis" that would distract me from the vacation, so it worked out fine. And yes, there were three e-mails that were deemed "urgent" that sure as hell were not. I'm glad I didn't get sucked back in. My wife was a bit agitated when I borrowed her phone to look at news and sports updates.

Just to clarify a couple of points.....

"You can do anything you want on wifi"

Not "anything". The Italian hospital I was taken to did not offer Wi-Fi for patients. I would not have been able to contact anyone without cellular data and a phone.

"BTW your flip phone will work in Europe if you need to call any region's version of our 911"

If the flip phone the OP is using is a CDMA version, it won't work in Europe as the technology is not compatible with GSM.

For the OP.....

"I don't want to go around Europe with a phone between me and everything out there, staring at a screen, looking at the phone instead of the world around me, as I see so many do."

You don't have to do that, as using or not using the phone is something you have absolute control of. As Susan mentioned above, the phone is a tool and something that may help in your travels especially if you encounter problems. As with many other things, there are pros & cons with this question but in this particular case the "pros" far outweigh the "cons" for me. One other point to mention is that if you ever do decide to travel with a phone, be sure to obtain one well in advance of your trip so you can learn how to use it. Smartphones especially have a learning curve and learning whilst on holidays is not the best policy. You'd also have to choose a network that offered reasonable rates for international roaming. As your profile doesn't show your location, I assume you're in the U.S. so I'll leave the question of which network to use to others on the forum.

I've been travelling with a cell phone since about 1992, and packed one along on a road trip to Southern California in 1993. Cellular technology was still somewhat "primitive" in that era with phones using AMPS techology but it did provide communications and was somewhat of a novelty at the time. The phones were considerably larger and didn't provide for texting or internet - https://images.app.goo.gl/roFQr4mQVtwU9rnC9 . I took a slightly more modern GSM version to Europe in 2004 which did allow texting - https://images.app.goo.gl/2NygX7tQHKQzpBdR6 .

Phones take up little space. We always have one, but seldom need to use it. We use the WiFi at hotels. Occasionally we use offline maps downloaded to the phone to find places no on our GPS’ maps. On our last trip to Wales we needed to call our B&B host since she was away running errands when we arrived.

You would be foolish not to travel with your phone or tablet.

Speak for yourself. It's not foolish, it's just someone's personal preference.

Mis, as you will not be traveling alone, should you have an unlikely emergency as another poster suggested, there is always someone in you party to contact anyone whom it is necessary for you to contact via wifi should you not have access. Or to at that time, buy a cheap cell phone. Don't lose an sleep over this issue. Personally, I think anyone with a cell phone on the street, at a hotel, etc. would be more than happy to make an emergency call for you, but that's just my way of thinking, I guess.

Carrying an iPad is too much for me. My iPhone does all that I need and is much smaller.
Also, carrying my iPhone or whatever phone I have does not mean I have my face plastered to it!
Having had some photography classes, I can get pretty good photos using my phone for my needs.

I smiled when I saw your question. The short answer is "YES", some of us do travel overseas without a mobile phone.

Everyone's circumstances are different, and I'll admit that the world situation has changed since 9-11-2001; however, I only started bringing along a small tablet (for e-mail occasionally using hotels or cruise ship Wi-Fi) about 5 years ago. Guide books and paper maps work just fine. I use a "smaller than a phone" Nikon camera. Husband has no interest in modern electronics. But all the bills at home are set up on automatic payment plans, so we can travel 30+ days at a time, no problem.

Perhaps it's generational, however, I've been travelling for decades without a mobile phone and have thrived just fine. Granted, I stay in hotels reserved in advance, and always share my planned itinerary with loved ones, including my elderly mother. I've also been fortunate with my health --- never having experienced an accident or being deathly ill while travelling (knock on wood). I did have my handbag with passport stolen once while travelling in the USA many years ago, but managed to get the necessities replaced during my trip - certainly inconvenient but not impossible --- and that was long before cell phones.

Heck, I've even survived more than my share of "disasters" while travelling and managed to communicate with loved ones back home that I was safe: Hurricane Iwa in Oahu, Hawaii in 1982 (no electricity or phone service for several days); an earthquake in Taiwan in 1999 the day before my flight from Japan; and several typhoons in different years while in Tokyo. On January 13, 2018, I was in Hawaii at Magic Island looking out over the ocean when a "ballistic missile alert" came over the emergency alert system - I had no phone - and it turned out to be a false alert - but I got the message immediately from other park visitors and ran directly back to my hotel, lol.

So if you prefer to travel without a mobile phone, I say "go for it".

Does a flip cell phone count?

I only have that when traveling in Europe, only because the Mrs insists on it. If it were my decision alone, I would not even bring that flip cell phone along...extra weight.

Traveling solo in Germany I don't need a "phone" though sometimes it does come in handy in a train station, but basically in Germany on my travels that phone and other electronics are totally unnecessary.,..don't need or rely on a GPS or any of that electronic gear.

When I need to call back to the US or to other countries in Europe, very seldom, there is always the call shop/internet cafe.

When the Mrs and I are traveling together, then she has her phone, all her business and planning, likewise with other family members when we're all on the same trip. I have nothing to do with their electronics.

My feeling is, since I bought it, why not take it along for use as a camera and Wi-Fi device in hotels ? Put the phone in airplane mode or have the carrier enable vacation hold to ensure no expensive usage. Last trip I added an inexpensive SIM card with €30 of data for a month just in case I wanted on-the-fly connectivity or Whatsapp texting.

Last summer was our first trip to Europe with a smart phone. I can’t tell you how many times I said “How did we ever live without this?”

We stayed in apartments and often were asked to call the owner an hour before arrival so they could meet us, even after giving an arrival time.

We changed plans last minute and stayed an extra night in one place. I was able to book another night and cancel in the next place in minutes.

We used TripAdvisor to look for restaurants in the area. There is an offline feature that you can use without data.

We used google maps offline.

We used Rick Steves walking tours.

I also keep pictures of our important documents in the phone. Paper copies get lost too, this way I have them in two places.

I would much rather have a phone than an iPad, but I carry a small crossbody bag. I do not spend my trip with my face in my phone, but I use it as a tool to optimize my experiences and record them. I keep notes in the phone along with taking pictures on it.

I agree that if you decide to switch to a smartphone, do it well before the trip and get familiar with various apps beforehand.

All Apple stores have free classes to teach you all about your phone and how to use them.

TMobile is a great service provider, particularly for international travel. No need for buying and changing SIM cards.

Just because I have an iphone does not mean it gets in the way of personal contact. If that is the case, it is the people and not the iphone that is at fault. I take a book with me too and could easily use this to avoid talking with people, but I don't. It is in my bag and I only read it when I am alone, not during dinner with friends.
I like the ease of taking great photos at a moments notice without the need to carry a large camera. Having elderly parents in the US, it is essential that contact is easy for them if something happens. Train emergencies, etc. are all handy to have at my fingerprints.

I love the ease of taking quality pictures on my iPhone. Plus, knowing my family can call me. And, I have google maps to assist with navigation.
I received updates on my iPhone when I was in London in Sept. 2017 after a bomb was placed near a subway station. Having my iPhone with me gives me an added sense of security.

A phone is too useful as an emergency tool to not take. But perhaps the better question is "can anyone out there travel without *using** a phone?"* The answer is yes. We've done whole trips abroad without turning phones off airplane mode. But then we are older travelers and know how to read paper maps, find restaurants, ask humans for recommendations and directions, and live without constant self-gratification through selfies and instagram/facebook/snapchat, etc. Some people are dependent on it, but sure, you can travel well without one. Attitude.

Bus tickets, train tickets you'll need the app.

Er, not really. We've purchased bus and train tickets right at the stations, no sweat. I even bought bus tickets from a travel agency beside a train station once. And nope, we don't use Apple Wallet or Google/Visa Pay: we're fine with cash or cards (so far, and no big interest in Sweden at this point). I have a nice Canon G15 for photos.

But it comes down to personal preferences. Just like choosing destinations, hotels and attractions, there's no wrong answer as long as it works for YOU. :O)

mlstimetotravel, one important point above is that it could be sort of stressful to buy a phone and get used to it before your upcoming adventure...prep for which could be a little anxiety producing to begin with even if in a good way! If doing without is what you're comfortable with, then it won't hurt to take one more trip before making the change?

Traveling in Germany by myself, I don't need any apps to do this effectively.

When I need to buy a point to point train ticket to ride the regional train , I almost always get it the night before (a lot fewer people at that time) from a DB machine in the station paying cash or using a credit card. I use the DB machine to figure which departure or route I want to take, preferably without having to transfer, etc

Then I start over to purchase the ticket from the machine having gotten the needed information first.

Perish the thought! I travel solo and need to have my mini computer with me; as others have mentioned, it's so much more than a phone--I use the camera and internet because sometimes you need to know something or find something right that minute, or address an issue when plans change. I use wi-fi whenever possible and certainly do not spend my vacation glued to the phone playing games or taking a bazillion selfies, but as I have elderly parents we like being able to stay in touch--with a calling plan from ATT that's been much easier and cheaper.

I take my phone but don't use it to make calls or text. Cellular data is turned off. This works perfectly fine for me. Wi-Fi only access is very useful though. I am not generally someone who is always on my phone anyway. I took an inexpensive Kindle Fire tablet on my last trip but did not really use it much at all.

'You would be foolish not to travel with your phone' - Count me in that prestigious company. I am vice president of the local Quasimodo's Fools Society, Niagara branch. Although few in number, I am hoping that our membership will increase in time as more fools come out of the closet. Come on all you fools, I know you're out there. Our membership includes people of all political stripes, races and creeds, so don't be bashful.

Our sanctuary is a cave deep below Saint Martin's, guarded by statues of Ned Ludd and Quasimodo himself. Inside, we pass our time speaking with each other face to face, threading ropes, clambering up and down stone steps until we are well out of breath, throwing magnetic darts at magnetised posters of certain idols - three darts landing on the bridge of Mark Zuckerberg's nose will earn you a pat on the back and a rousing call of "one hundred and eighty." We ring bells, naturally, and are pretty good at it if truth be told. At the risk of blowing my own trumpet, I am dubbed 'Satchmo' within our little group for my improvisational style and my ability to scat as I ring. After each meeting, we mosey on down to the local pub to chug a few witbiers and 'peal' a few oranges.

With specific regard to cell phones and their essentiality for a blissful life, my fellow fools and I tend to share the view of this young chap in the following animated cartoon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUW1wjlKvmY

I never ever travel without my phone, first I am too paranoid to do that, what if there's an emergency or if something goes wrong during the whole trip.
I understand some people want to leave their phones because it's probably stressful for them. ( work and all) but I would never suggest it.
You cannot go to a strange land without a fast means of communication, it's not good for you or for friends and family back home. You can't even dial 911 for an emergency. Sorry, it's an absolute NO for me, as such I don't have any helpful suggestions to your case.

It's absolutely easy to travel without a phone in Germany. I do it all the time. You have to know what you're doing, I know what I'm doing in Germany. Be it foolish, stupid, or whatever, it makes no difference if you want to travel in that manner.

Smart phones are so useful it's foolish to travel without one. They simplify or replace a dozen or more things compared to travel 15 years ago.

Want to take a photo? In 2000 you had to bring a camera, film, and tote them around.
Want to take a video? In 2000 you had to bring a video camera, film, and tote them around.
Want to make a local call? In 2000 you had to find a pay phone, figure out how it works, and have local coins or a phone card.
Need to make an emergency call? In 2000 maybe you're near a local pay phone, maybe you are not.
Want to read a book? In 2000 you had to bring and tote a book around.
Want to consult a travel guidebook? In 2000 you had to bring and total the books around.
Want to check a map? In 2000 you had to tote your maps around.
Want to listen to your favorite music? In 2000 you had to bring a Walkman and cassettes and tote them around.
Want to check your email? In 2000 you had to find an internet cafe.
Want to buy a train ticket? In 2000 you had to stand in line at the station.
Want to translate a foreign word? In 2000 you had to bring a phrase book and tote it around.
Want to find a good hotel at the last minute? In 2000 you go to the TI office, consult a guidebook, and take your chances.
Want to listed to a RS audioguide? In 2000 they didn't exist.

A smart phone does all this stuff. Bring all the books and music you want, take all the videos and photos you want and they will add no bulk and no weight.

"You cannot go to a strange land without a fast means of communication..."

I can. And not only can I, but I do.

Apparently being "phoneless" doesn't suit everybody any more - that's fair enough if you prefer to take a phone then do so. I don't think anyone is stopping you are thry? But others absolutely can travel without a mobile phone if we want to. Loads of us manage it!

This idea you "must" travel in a certain way (with a phone and moneybelt, without checking luggage, only booking direct, never on a cruise ship, pretending to be a local, etc), are all just one option and failing to comply isn't "stupid" as some insist. These modern "rules" might work for many, even most, but these aren't unbreakable laws despite what some on here try to insist.

FastEddie, I'm trying to recruit new members for my Fools Society and your words are encouraging.

And I always wondered about my excess baggage fees. The full works of Edward Gibbon in my suitcase may have something to do with it.

Could we please just stick to giving an opinion about why or why not YOU travel with (or without) a phone, and stop calling others stupid, dumb, or foolish for not seeing it your way?

I'm beginning to feel that if someone isn't hooked into the 'e' world in all aspects of their life, they should be put out on an ice floe and left to die.

Nancy, should I send you a membership application, and do you have any bell ringing experience?

You cannot go to a strange land without a fast means of communication,
it's not good for you or for friends and family back home.

LOL, Jessica! But that's the way ALL of us over age ___ HAD to travel before cell phones or the internet! And we survived! LOL, I have Grandma's letters (yes, airmail letters) home to my mom when she and Grandpa took the Queen Mary to Europe in the 1950's, and my mother's to them from her biking summer in Europe later that same decade. I sent my own airmail letters home on my first trip in the early 70's.

Doesn't mean that progress isn't a cool thing but, well, a lot of us did OK once without 'fast' communication. We had to! :O)

Gundersen, who do I send my dues to (airmail, of course)? You take Traveler's Cheques?

Gundersen, send the application. I'll be at the next meeting with bells on, i'm good with bells.

One's traveling style dictates how much electronics one wants to use on his/her trip. Since my travel style in Germany needs no electronics, then there is none, is there?

I sent not only letters back to my folks by air mail but also sent aerogrammes, which were even more convenient than the letters by airmail, still have them.

If a newbie traveler to Germany wanted to do a trip there"phoneless," would I recommend that? Most likely not, unless s/he insisted, but it most certainly can be done phoneless, and minus any other electronics. I leave that choice to the individual to make.

If the newbie went with me to Germany, then I would do such a trip phoneless.

In 2001 I still brought along 35 mm film, and I still go an internet cafe.

It is strictly generational. It is what we are comfortable doing and mostly from habit. I have absolutely no interest in posting my daily, if not hourly, activities so my friends (?) know exactly when I am and what I am doing. In the old days, early 70s, did have to use the phone bank to check-in. Bit inconvenient and had to remember the time difference. Rapid communication was the telegraph. Once had a plane delayed in '72 by 36 hours, so we sent a telegram to our friends who were picking us up. It worked. As we moved we mailed postcards to my parents so if we went missing they would know where to start looking. If there was an emergency at home, what could we do about it. No way to rapidly return home. Sure, we shoot a lot of film but didn't to worry about passing it through an xray machine. Today's digital cameras are a vast improvement and I do carry one. The turning point was the processing bill of $280 for my film for one trip. That was half the price of a good digital camera.

So we will continue that way because we know no other way. However, son and dil will continue to travel with three cell phones and at least one lap top.

I like the bell ringing songs at church. I should have joined but I'd probably just botch it up. I'd like to be in charge of a church bell, or Big Ben. Does the job pay well? Do you need to take some course for certification and licesnsure? (Is that even spelled correctly?) Even it the bell is automatic someone must be in charge of it. That or selling shoes, which might pay good money at chi-chi store, like Harrods, or Target. There once was a talent for selling shoes that seems largely gone, now, and it's a doggone shame if you ask me. I'm thinking about some guy with a tape measure around his neck.

Don't get me started on selfie sticks or how my imagination runs wild on what I'd like to do to one.

Flip phone with the big numbers? Dad, is that you?

"...fast means of communication." My Pension in Berlin located in Charlottenburg has no website but it does have an e-mail address but one can't book a room with it since one does not see the price or the room's availability You call them up on the phone to reserve just as you did in yesteryear.

I am not sure whether the Pension offers free Wifi, if at all. I never asked.

Nice to see ladies in line to join our little gang. Us ‘Fools Society’ bell ringers are an equal opportunity bunch, after all. Monthly membership is $60.00 Canadian. Discounted membership is only $6.43 US annually.

Kathy, our lonely hamlet does not receive regular mail. Strictly Pony Express, but guaranteed delivery if you hire a gentleman by the name of Tom Mix as your rider.

Nancy, I was so excited by your enthusiasm that I spread three layers of Gorilla Glue on your application envelope stamp. I’m looking forward to seeing and hearing your bells. I hope they are shiny.

Big Mike, no pay involved. If you can’t do something for love, doggone it, then it’s not worth doing at all.

My phone goes with me everywhere. In truth, though, calling it a "phone" is almost misleading nowadays - the actual phone function of the device is probably the feature on it I use the absolute least, even at home.

For me, it is a compact, all-in-one device on which I can listen to music, access a wealth of useful information, communicate, take pictures, store information and documents, and do countless other things. It just so happens it can also be used to make phone calls.

Did I travel with a cell phone 15 years ago, when it really was just a clunky device with limited battery life, limited roaming ability (if any at all), and that could do no more than make phone calls? Naw.

Nowadays, however, on one little device that has pretty darn good battery life and can fit easily in my pocket I can take all the pictures I'll want to take on the trip (no need for a camera), take all the videos I might want to take on the trip (no need for a video camera), access maps (no need for foldout paper maps, an atlas, pocket map, or anything else), access museum and restaurant hours and addresses (no need for flyers or brochures or notebooks), book tickets or make reservations on the fly (no need for finding booths or windows), store and display many of those tickets and reservations (no need for a pile of papers), pay for a great many things (not needing to carry as much cash or as many credit cards), contact people if needed in an emergency (no need for change for a payphone, or a prepaid calling card), communicate with tour guides or people I need to contact locally (no need to check in with the front desk at the hotel to see if I have any messages), translate foreign languages (no need to thumb through or carry a phrase book), listen to music on planes and trains and even listen to audio guides (no need for CDs or cassettes or additional audio devices).

Really, with the invention of the smart phone (which is to say, a handheld phone device with apps and other functionality) it is a supremely useful piece of technology, thanks to all of the tools being provided by app developers and the 3rd party app providers - an iPhone isn't about just what Apple lets you do with it, an Android phone isn't about just what Google lets you do with it. Rather, on their respective websites or apps, the museums you may want to visit may be giving out useful information and functions through it; the hotels you're staying at and airlines you're flying with may offer up a lot through your phone; the train companies you're traveling with, and networks and stations you're traveling through, are likely offering up useful information and functionality through it. They're remarkable little devices thanks to the entire ecosystem of apps from countless providers they place in the palm of your hand.

“it is a supremely useful piece of technology”

Well said.

Another supremely useful tool is it alerts you if your plane is delayed, much better than getting to the airport and finding out.

To 1885BD - That is why in Germany, they don't call them cell phones or mobile phones, they call them Handys. Perfect name as they are handy for everything.

I take my iPhone to use as a camera and do not have international service. Sometimes it is inconvenient, but actually, it's freeing. My children (adults) can text me using wifi if it's an emergency; otherwise they have my itinerary. In reality, an emergency will happen with or without me. You can use maps without service. Not everyone is comfortable disconnecting like this...do what's right for you. My husband is in the tech industry and this is his only opportunity to get away from it all, which we all deserve to do!

One thing that the people who argue they've always gone without a phone and can continue doing it the older way is that things are now set up for people with phones. Pay phones are impossible to find, hotels expect you to book ahead (email or website, or phone maybe in some cases), internet cafes are dying, and so forth. Not having a phone or other access to text/data (an ipad on wifi can work ok) puts you at a disadvantage now, when obviously that wouldn't have been the case years ago. Yes, there are trip types where it's less useful but for your average trip it's great.

Many apartments and bnbs, even small hotels, request that you call or text them when you arrive. Can't do that without a phone, and pay phones are mostly extinct. Say your ATM card gets blocked on a fraud alert. All you need to do is call them to unlock it, but without a phone this is a real challenge (remember, no pay phones anymore!). Or say you arrive and your hotel is awful. You're booked for 5 nights but can't deal with this place, it's a disaster. Sit in the cafe next door with your phone, open up a hotel search sight of your preference, find something passable, book it, and head the three blocks over there. No phone? Room finding offices are extinct so you need to physically walk all over town trying to find an available hotel. You may have a guidebook with phone numbers...but how are you going to call them without a phone?

Or say you carefully printed off or hand wrote reams of paper notes and confirmations for your trip. But your bag gets lost/stolen/soaked in a rainstorm. Your paper is now useless. If you had copies on your phone you'd be fine (use the electronic copies, or ask the hotel to print what's critical). As it is, you have nothing. If you're lucky a friend at home can e-mail you some of your info. But how to access your e-mail without a phone? Internet cafes are also going extinct (because...everyone has the internet in their pocket! There are still some, but fewer each year.

Restaurants often require a phone number when making reservations. Some even text you confirmation and will cancel on you if you don't confirm (this is annoying, and not super common, but happens).

So lets say you detour to a nearby town, but you did this last minute so don't have a map. It's Sunday so the tourist office is closed. Buy a paper map, right? Wrong, there's no demand for paper maps of this random town (everyone uses Google maps, and it's not a heavily touristed place anyway).

A simple, silly one - when's the last time you saw an alarm clock in a hotel room? They seem to be disappearing. Sure, you can pack a clock. Or just use your phone.

Sure, you COULD make all this work without a phone. But why when instead you could learn to use a phone as a tool while avoiding the things you don't like. Don't want to post updates to social media? Don't, I agree that can get excessive. Don't want to text people from home? Ignore them, or get a local SIM card and don't give anyone the number. Don't want to browse facebook while in the Louvre? Me neither, it's easy to just turn the phone off. That's the thing - a turned off phone is just a piece of metal, it won't interfere with anything, but once you need it you can turn it on and suddenly it's amazingly useful.

I fought the smartphone(because I didn't want to pay the data charges) and the smartphone won. My husband insisted I get one(a 4S when they first came out) and now it is the most important object I own. It is my brain.Having that little camera with me everywhere I go is so useful-if I see a recipe in magazine in a doctor's ofc, I can just take a photo of it. My phone has photos of insurance cards and prescriptions. There are apps for foreign metros and trains, taking notes(slow but my handwriting is abysmal), alarms to remind me not to forget things, my doorbell, weather, yes the RS audio tours, Waze gps, my music downloaded from iTunes which Apple is threatening to discontinue, white noise app, how many miles I walk. There's so much you can do with a device that takes up so little space. Taking your son's iPad would help, but it's so much bigger and heavier to carry around. You might want to make the future mind change happen sooner rather than later. By the way, we have found T-Mobile to be a great carrier and seamless to use in Europe, although it does slow down there.

There's so much you can do with a device that takes up so little
space.

Reminds me of a viral photograph circulating through Facebook a few years ago. It was a copy of a full page newspaper ad from Radio Shack cira 1985 of their weekly specials. Almost every individual item listed can now be easily squeezed into a smartphone! As much as they have become a routine part of my life, from time to time it still blows my mind how "Star Trek" we've become:)
Now if they could only get around to inventing that's beam me up Scotty device so I can have travel to Europe in ten seconds I'll be a happy camper.

Regarding that pay phones are impossible to find, I would say that depends on the country. In Germany I don't find that to be the case. In the big cities and towns no problem finding a pay phone,.. true, occasionally I can't find one but that is the exception but over-all no problem locating one in train stations, be it in Flensburg, Kiel, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Osnabrück, etc, etc.

The same applies to call shops/internet cafes. London is most likely the city where they're most gone. Still, where I stay in Kings Cross, I know of 2 call shops/internet cafes within walking distance to by B&B.

In Germany I find them still to be the most prevalent relative to other countries. In Frankfurt on Kaiserstrasse just after exiting the Hbf , you see a call shop.

In Berlin near Savignyplatz, say 10-15 mins from the RS recommended Pension Peters are two call shops on the same block, if not, then down the street on the next block from the first one you encounter coming from Peters, both of which are on Kantstrasse.

I traveled with a phone as soon as I could, but I used the Internet with a flip phone (could be done, but fairly limited).

On a recent trip we booked a room that was very similar to an Airbnb. All we had was a phone number. There was no live person to meet us at the room. When we got to the location, however, we discovered we needed a code to get into the building. We called the number we had (nice to have a phone) and were told that the code had been emailed to us a few hours earlier. (Really nice to have a phone that could retrieve email.)

We travel several months at a time without a phone. Once or twice each trip we do need to phone someone locally, such as an Airbnb host. We simply ask a stranger if they will make a call for us. People love to help. And everyone everywhere except us has a phone with an unlimited local calling plan!

As a man all I need is preparation, a paper map, and a little intestinal fortitude.

You would be foolish not to travel with your phone or tablet.

So rude!!

My phone is the ONLY device I travel with, as it's by far the smallest and most effective and efficent. With my phone I:

-Have maps (download offline maps for being without wifi)
-Have all my trip research on said map (note many different restaurants I've researched and sights, so no matter where I am in a city, I can direct us to a place to get decent food nearby - Google maps lets you flag, star, or heart different places and even add notes)
-Can translate menus, practice basic phrases, and in a worst case scenario, communicate with people who don't speak English (Google Translate, download the language of your choice before you go to use offline)
-Can call to make reservations on the fly (SIM card required, or a service like Google voice and a WiFi connection)
-Read pre-downloaded books, including travel guides that are pre-bookmarked for self-guided tours
-Listen to pre-downloaded podcasts, including Rick Steves Audio Guides
-Take pictures that are far better on my mid-range phone than an expensive digital camera would have taken 5 years ago
-Have photos of travel documents/passports
-All flight and hotel reservation info available
-Boarding passes/train tickets are on the phone!
-Shopping lists
-Note-taking/audio notes

The only argument I can see to not using a smartphone when you travel is because you haven't learned to use one effectively and aren't interested in doing so (which is fine). But it's an amazingly useful and compact device. If you're worried about spending too much time on social media and not enjoying your trip as much, you can delete those apps temporarily - I deleted Twitter on my trip to Croatia and it was wonderful. Phones aren't the problem - it's how we use them!

Funny, the only reason I set up a Twitter account was because Barcelona police sent out Twitter posts of demonstrations and strikes during unsettling times traveling October 2017. No interest in it otherwise.

I only have a mini ipad for staying in touch. I have done several solo travel trips as a senior and have had a few times a phone was needed to notify a host that I was running late. Often some one would help me do it in the local language. Young people I met in hostel stays were aghast that I could be in my 70's traveling solo w/o a phone! Shocked those kids! I am thinking MAYBE I need a phone for a 8-10 week trip summer 2020 to Eastern Europe+ Ukraine/ ferry to Finland for a short stay.

I travel with my iPhone only, no other electronic devices. The phone is used as a camera/video camera, we use Google Maps for GPS, and I download any other relevant transit apps for our destination. Sometimes I’ll also jump on TripAdvisor for the restaurant reviews. I save posting on Instagram/Facebook for at the hotel in the evenings, I don’t use them while we’re out touring.

I did 6 weeks traveling around Europe in 2003 with no phone (canceled my service before I left since I was moving to another state shortly after I got back anyway). Back then Internet cafes were everywhere, so we visited one every few days to check our email and post a quick entry on Livejournal to let our friends know we were still alive. (Anyone else remember Livejournal?) We also bought phone cards and used a pay phone to call our parents once a week or so, again to let them know we were still alive. Now those things are virtually nonexistent since most people have their own cell phone. I’m sure I could survive traveling without a phone but the ability to have GPS and information at my fingertips makes things much easier.

You can still use phone cards on public pay phones in Germany. Depending where, it could be difficult getting a phone card, they come in 5 Euro and 10 Euro cards, although I can still get them relatively easy in Germany, I have noticed that some outlets don't sell them as they once did.

I still use the coin phone in Germany with phone cards, also it helps knowing when it's cheapest to call.

I traveled solo as a senior for 4-12 weeks in several locations : Ecuador/ Belize/ Guatemala/ Eastern+ Central Europe /Greece and Malaysia + Thailand. I did NOT have a phone but relied on my IPAD for staying connected. I also observed since I wasn't tied to a phone checking email/ playing on line games etc. I was more open to meeting other travelers and many wonderful locals. Airports and bus/train stations are less friendly now that most people have their phone and don't even look around or try to engage with others. It is some thing I miss from previous travel :(

Perhaps the OP has traveled and been back.

I travel with my phone and Kindle (plus chargers of course, including a portable one for out and about.) Kindle is for entertainment at night and for checking emails, browsing while at breakfast for things I may want to check out during the day.

Just because you have a phone on you, does not mean you have to check it every 30 seconds or be glued to it. I think a phone is good especially when traveling solo. Also helpful for when you have a meet up with a friend, checking directions or just for "those emergencies." .

we do carry one phone but it's for photos and GPS so I guess it depends on what you mean by "phone"

Re: traveling solo without a phone and meeting those young folks in the hostel, they were aghast..... bravo! I do the same too....definitely can be easily done in Austria and Germany.