Staying in touch with your travel group abroad, without roaming
Roaming is expensive and local SIMs are a hassle. Here's how families, friends and tour groups keep talking abroad without either.
Airbok team5 min read
Quick answer
When you're near each other you don't need roaming at all: Speeky connects phones directly for voice, messages and a live map. Anyone who wanders off is switched to Wi-Fi or data automatically if they have it. Set the channel up on hotel Wi-Fi.
You land, switch roaming off to avoid the bill, and suddenly the family group chat goes quiet. In a busy old town or a giant airport, losing someone for twenty minutes can derail the day.
The usual fixes, and their catches
- Roaming packages: easy, but pricey for a whole family.
- Local SIMs or eSIMs: cheaper, but someone always has a phone that won't take one.
- Hotel Wi-Fi: great at breakfast, useless at the market.
Talk phone to phone instead
When your group is nearby, you don't need a network at all. Speeky connects phones directly, so you can hold to talk, send messages and see each other on the map with roaming off and no local SIM.
If someone heads off on their own and has Wi-Fi or data, Speeky switches them to the internet automatically, then back to direct when they're close again.
For tour guides
Talking to twenty people in a crowded square is hard on your voice. With a group channel, everyone hears you through their phone, and you can see who's drifted off with stray alerts. Leaders can add Seats for up to 33 people, including a one-trip pass.
