I’m off for Hong Kong! We have a 15 hour direct flight to Beijing ahead of us and then a shorter flight from Beijing to Hong Kong.

As a blogger, internet addict, or well, anyone living in this day and age it’s kind of hard to go off the grid when you travel. Most of us want to still use our cell phones and upload pictures to Instagram. Here’s how I do it.

Switch your phone to airplane mode, then turn on wifi. This will allow you to use all of your apps when a wifi network is available and staying in airplane mode will prevent your phone from pulling data. I use whatsapp, viber and facebook messenger to communicate with other travelers. You can also use iMessage to stay in touch with anyone who also has an iPhone.

I got an international phone from Verizon last time I traveled to Thailand, but I didn’t turn it on once. The rates were too high to make it worth it. Instead Maggie and I took turns using her iPhone when we had wifi. So in the US there are cheap cell services that can be used with a lifeline cell phone, but not everyone is eligible for it. And I’m not sure whether they will work in another country, but within the country they can be used to make cheap calls locally and internationally. Those who can get it are lucky, but others have to make do with what they’ve got.

Purchasing a SIM card at your location would be preferable if you want to be able to use your phone with data at any time but this requires you to have an unlocked phone. The SIM cards are ridiculously cheap but the unlocked phone will cost you. If you can afford this option, you can also use your phone as a hotspot for wifi.

Do you travel with a cell phone? How do you do it?