Staying connected

Electronics and Staying Connected

Your hotel(s) have adequate internet for basic use throughout the building, however there is typically not a public computer available. You may choose to bring a laptop, although we have found that smartphones and tablets typically suffice for most people on a ski vacation.

As Lumi partner hotels have wireless internet, you do not need cell service to use the internet on your smartphone in the hotel. However, phone calls will not work without an international plan. We recommend upgrading to an international plan during the trip so that you can communicate with your travel companions when you're away from WIFI. This will allow you to access your daily itinerary and more while you are out and about during your travels. Most US cell phone service providers offer this option. You can contact your provider for more information.

Another option is to purchase a SIM card in Europe. A European SIM card costs around the equivalent of $10 USD for one month of service within Europe. While you cannot call the US with the European SIM card, you can access the internet via 3G connection almost everywhere. With that connection, you can make phone calls using Skype or access Google Maps for navigation, almost everywhere we travel on the trip.

To charge your electronics while traveling, we recommend bringing at least two North America to Central Europe adapters with you. 230 volt electric current is standard in most European countries, and most electronics are dual voltage so only require a plug adapter.

Communication Apps

If you have a smartphone, there are several applications we recommend downloading before your travels to make communication easier on your trip.

  • WhatsApp is a simple, free way to communicate with your travel companions, Garrott and trip leaders (for group trips) while on tour. It will work any time you have an internet connection, either via wifi or 3G/4G. It is also a convenient way to share photos during the trip.

  • With a Skype account, you can make phone calls to the US, and it is generally less expensive than calling internationally. For iPhone users, FaceTime or WhatsApp also offer free calling when connected to wifi.

  • DuoLingo and Babbel are fun language learning tools you may want to try out before your trip.

  • Google Translate is helpful for translating words or phrases in-country, and can even be used offline when you’re far out on the ski trails. A neat feature is the camera within the app that lets you take a photo of text, such as on a menu, and translate it.

Photography

We may be taking photos and/or video records on tour that may be used to for future promotional and/or commercial purposes. While Lumi Experiences reserves the right to use these records, we aim to respect your privacy as well. Please let us know if you prefer that we do not use photos or film of you and we will do our best to honor your request. We are also happy to share our photos with travelers during and/or after the trip.