Tweet
I was recently in Japan after my last trip two years ago. Unlike last time, I had mobile data on my phone because I bought a local data SIM.
(I bought in Bic Camera (a chain of electronic shops in cities across Japan) a Japan Travel SIM - JPY 3,790 (about US$32); 2GB of data (no voice minutes and no SMS); valid for 3 months; another 2G of data for JPY 3,000.)
It was so liberating to be able to use Google Maps to get around, jump on and off public transport like a native (with Google telling me how much I need to pay too) and find locations. I could happily browse the net and research/plan my trip whilst sat on the Shinkansen. The speeds were very good (I got 4G most of the time on my iPhone). With 2GB of data, I could basically use the Internet without caring how much I'm using.
I've had similar experiences in the past few years in other places like Hong Kong (where I again bought a local SIM) and across Europe (where my phone provider, Vodafone UK offers the option of paying £3/day and then being treated that day as if I'm in the UK with unlimited calls and a massive data allowance).
I think back to before mobile data and it seems so backward now! Having to bring along paper guidebooks and maps; relying on directions from hotel concierges and asking people on the street; hunting down wifi hotspots; needing to take a taxi because walking is impossible without knowing the route; etc.
(I bought in Bic Camera (a chain of electronic shops in cities across Japan) a Japan Travel SIM - JPY 3,790 (about US$32); 2GB of data (no voice minutes and no SMS); valid for 3 months; another 2G of data for JPY 3,000.)
It was so liberating to be able to use Google Maps to get around, jump on and off public transport like a native (with Google telling me how much I need to pay too) and find locations. I could happily browse the net and research/plan my trip whilst sat on the Shinkansen. The speeds were very good (I got 4G most of the time on my iPhone). With 2GB of data, I could basically use the Internet without caring how much I'm using.
I've had similar experiences in the past few years in other places like Hong Kong (where I again bought a local SIM) and across Europe (where my phone provider, Vodafone UK offers the option of paying £3/day and then being treated that day as if I'm in the UK with unlimited calls and a massive data allowance).
I think back to before mobile data and it seems so backward now! Having to bring along paper guidebooks and maps; relying on directions from hotel concierges and asking people on the street; hunting down wifi hotspots; needing to take a taxi because walking is impossible without knowing the route; etc.
Comment