Travelilng abroad is much easier when you speak the language of the
countries you plan to visit and your phone is compatible with the phone
systems in those countries for both communication and navigation. Click here for the things to consider if you plan to
use your phone.
First order of business is to contact your carrier and see what they
offer for using your phone in the countries you are planning to
visit. Depending on the phone model,
your carrier may offer in-country calls, text, and data. Roaming data
can be
expensive. Not all US phones are compatible with forign wireless
systems because
they use different radio frequencies. Find out!
Another opotion is to purchase a sim card or e-sim's in
the coiuntry you are visiting. This can be a less expensive option
than using a US carrier roaming data. However, WiFi is usually free and
you can set your phone to use data
intensaive apps only while on WiFi. Translation and nagivation apps can
be used off line so there is little need for using much roaming data.
Things you will want to download before you leave the US so you
don't gobble up data for these apps.
1) Download Google Translate and
the language
packs for the countries you will visit. You'll need English,
Portugese, and Spanish for this trip.
2) Download Google Maps and the off-line maps that allow navigation without data
useage. You'll need maps for Portugal: Lisbon, Sintra, Porto and for
Spain: Bilbao, Burgos, Madrid, and Segovia.
3) To totally geek out, check out the path of the eclipse
with all the times for each phase of the eclipse. (Note: they showed
C1's where there should be C2 and C3.) We will be right on the path of
totality just below Burgos Spain. An animation of the eclipse
show first contact, C1, when the moon just touches the sun, C2, when
the moon just covers the sun, C3, when moon just starts to slip off the
sun.