Going off the grid vs staying connected while travelling

---

For many of us, being connected has become an obsession. We spend hours every day looking at screens to check emails, monitor stocks, scroll through social media feeds, look up how long something will take to the minute, and often read things we won’t even remember. While traveling, we face a dilemma of sorts.

Once traveling meant contact with those back home was limited by necessity and even in the early days of mobile technology, the costs were far too exorbitant to consider using your phone overseas. However with the accessibility of the technology exploding and the development of SIM cards that can be used in multiple countries (more on this here) we have reached a point where we have to make a choice about whether we stay connected overseas.

It is convenient to have the internet and stay in touch, but is it necessary? And will it add to the trip or take away from it? Read on for our detailed evaluation of how going off the grid vs staying connected can affect your holiday for better or for worse.

Going off the grid

Pros

Save Time and Money

It will save time and money. Without searching for the nearest WiFi hotspot or accumulating expensive bills by using roaming, you will save both time and money. You can use these to enjoy your holiday through activities and real-life interactions rather than wasting them on your phone.

Break from Work

You will not worry about work. By disconnecting yourself, you shield yourself from the worries of your everyday life. Without work emails or phone calls, your time is truly yours to relax and spend it however you like. The last thing you want while travelling is stress!

Real Socializing

You will make a better travel companion and spend more quality time with people. Social interactions can make or break a holiday. Without notifications to distract you, time spent with your family, friends, loved one, or just a stranger will be more intimate and rewarding.

Enjoy the Moment

By refraining from using the internet, you will be more alert and open to your immediate surroundings. Whether you like to look at landscapes, do activities, enjoy the sun, or immerse yourself in new cultures, you will be more present in the moment and more capable of mindfully experiencing it. You will actually enjoy the experience and setting you came for in the first place.

Cons

No Travel Information

You will not have access to potentially useful travel information. You might be tempted to find the ideal restaurant on TripAdvisor, look up a bus schedule, use an online translator, or check-in for your flight back home. It is impossible to prepare in advance for every potential situation so you may have to continue planning and preparing after you have started the trip. This could be more difficult without the usual online resources. Keep in mind that there are equally effective ways of planning, researching, and communicating without the internet.

Wait to Share

If you go off the grid completely, you won’t be able to document your trip. You also can’t share pictures and stories of your travels with your friends and family while you are away, but you could always do this afterward.

Emergencies

You will not be reachable if there is an emergency or someone needs to contact you for whatever reason.

“Missing Out”

The fear of missing out is real, especially if you are going on a long trip. Switching off will mean you at least feel like you are losing touch with your friends and family back home.

Staying Connected

Pros

Internet Travel Resources

Internet resources often make it much easier to research, plan, and arrange elements of your journey. You may want to find out about local restaurants and attractions, book a tour, research train schedules, or any number of things. This is especially useful in unfamiliar countries or if you don’t speak the local language, because being well-informed can give you a head-start in exploring a new place.

Reachable

If you stay connected, you are reachable and can contact others when you want or need to. This means you can tell your friends about what you’re doing, share pictures, write reviews, or call your cousin to say happy birthday. These activities can be enjoyable and might even add to your travel experience.

Work Updates

You can keep updated on what’s going on at work. It can be stressful and even overwhelming to come back from traveling with no idea what has happened in your absence. Updates will keep you in the loop and prepare you for your return to work.

Cons

Work Stress

Receiving work emails may add unwanted stress and distraction to your holiday. If you’re worrying about work, it is much harder to enjoy your travels, which you likely don’t get to experience that often.

Bad Socializing

Spending time online means you are spending less time with the people around you. Everyone needs some down time, but it can be frustrating for your travel companions if you are looking at your phone all the time. While you were looking for the WiFi password, you could have had a meaningful conversation. This also applies to meeting new people. Would you try to start a conversation with someone if they were looking at their phone? A study has even shown phones can decrease our satisfaction with our trips.

Expensive

Staying connected is potentially more expensive. Though many places will have free internet these days, it is not uncommon to have to pay to use wifi, and data roaming can be incredibly expensive.

Fixed Itinerary

Planning your travels online will make it less likely that you explore off the beaten track, so to speak. If you just wander into a café that looks nice rather than looking up the best café in town online, you may discover some hidden gems. Though having a plan and being prepared can help you feel secure and relaxed, it might actually be less stressful if you don’t try to follow a fixed itinerary.

Crime

This may seem a little far-fetched, but staying connected can actually be dangerous. A post on social media that you are away for a week is not only visible to friends and family, but also to people with potentially bad intentions. You are essentially advertising that no one is home at your house full of valuables. Also, looking at your phone may decrease your ability to apply common sense awareness to your surroundings. While you’re applying a filter to your Instagram photo of the beach, your camera could easily disappear.





As you can see from the pros and cons above, both being off the grid and staying connected have significant advantages going for them, but overall, minimizing the time you spend online can really help you make the most of your travels. The most important thing is creating a healthy balance between the two, in favor of enjoying what is immediately around you. You know yourself best – if you are likely to need the internet then you should arrange that it is easy and cheap to access when necessary. However, there are real benefits to minimizing your time online to absolute necessity. Try to fully enjoy where you are and with whom!

---