Month: October 2015

Hints & Tips, Travel

Top 5 Ski Resorts in Europe

Chloe Acland

Looking to Ski in Europe? Read below to see our Top 5 Ski Resorts.

    1. Val d’Isere, France

      Val d’Isère is widely renowned as one of the best ski resorts in the world, offering everything a skiier or snowboarder could possibly want. Due to its high altitude the region offers snow-sure slopes and operates using modern high speed lifts in order to get the huge volume of skiiers up the mountain. Fantastic accomodation, off-piste skiing and a well-connected ski area with nearby Tignes, Val d’Isère is a strong choice for anyone looking to ski in Europe.

    2. Kitzbuehel, Austria

      Located in Austria’s Tyrol mountain region, Kitzbuehel is world reknown for great skiing with the infamous Hahnenkamm downhill race, apres-ski and swanky hotels. Despite the resort having a relatively low altitude, peak conditions here are tough to beat and a true sense of luxury can be felt as you move around the town. When choosing Kitzbuehel, it’s best to book dates in January or February to get the best snow conditions.

    3. Val Thorens, France

      As Europe’s highest ski resort with an altitude of 2,300 metres, Val Thorens ensures reliable snow conditions all through the ski season. The resort is part of the worlds largest ski area (Les 3 vallées) that connects Val Thorens with Meribel and Courcheval. To summarise, the resort offers great apres-ski and a large ski area that will leave you spoilt for choice with reasonably priced accommodation.

    4. Zermatt, Switzerland

      Zermatt is one of the most picturesque ski resorts in the world. Traditional buildings along with breath-taking views of the Matterhorn ensure that you will be stunned by the beauty of the small Swiss town. A unique feature in Zermatt is that it operates as a car-free village so forms of transport around the Town include electric taxis and buses. The French speaking Swiss resort is a world class skiing venue with top facilities. If during your stay you fancy a trip elsewhere, there is a link over to Cervinia, Italy for those who want a to explore the area. Arguably expensive for accommodation, ski rental and an area lift pass, Zermatt is well worth the extra cash to get the best experience.

    5. St Anton, Austria

      Famous for après-ski bars such as the Mooservert and the Krazy Kangaroo, St Anton is the perfect place to let loose after a busy day on the slopes. The centre of the village is pedestrianised to keep the traditional alpine character. Despite its low altitude, peak season in St Anton is fantastic for both advanced and intermediate skiers.

Are you fed up of using slow chalet/hotel Wi-Fi? We recommend a Cheap International data bundle to browse and update social media whilst on the slopes. An essential item for anyone looking to share pictures or keep in contact with family, friends and colleagues when traveling.

Hints & Tips, Travel, US News

How to use an iPhone abroad

Chloe Acland

Want to use your iPhone abroad?

The iPhone has some fantastic built-in features that help you save money while roaming, read below to find out more.

It’s becoming increasingly common for people to take their iPhones with them when traveling. To avoid “bill-shock” from data roaming and to make the most out of your iPhone’ features, it’s important to manage data usage in an affordable way. A popular way to control costs is by using International SIM card.

You can manage your data usage in the following ways:

  1. Enable data roaming

    Firstly, you will have to enable data roaming on your iPhone. To do this go to Settings > Cellular > Data Roaming (leave EU internet turned off). Once complete you will be able to use data in different countries. Beware that this can be expensive and a cheap International Data SIM card is likely to save you money.

    Enable-data-roaming Enable data roaming

  2. Manage which apps use cellular data

    Secondly, you must select which Apps you want to use your data for. This is a great way of ensuring you only use data when you actually want to.
    Settings > Cellular > Scroll down and select which Apps you want to allow.
    Manage cellular usage

    Manage cellular usage

  3. Make sure iMessage doesn’t send as SMS

    As a way to save costs when communicating, you can set your iPhone to only send texts as an imessage (this will save you money by not sending SMS when data or WiFi cannot be found).
    Settings > Messages > Turn off ‘Send as SMS’
    Turn off 'Send as SMS'

    Turn off ‘Send as SMS’

  4. Turn off Automatic Updates/Downloads

    One large drain of data usage comes through Automatic Updates; this allows your updates to be carried out on your iPhone without you knowing and can easily cost a small fortune.
    Settings > iTunes & App Store > Make sure ‘Use Cellular Data’ is turned off.
    Turn off Automatic Updates/Downloads

    Turn off Automatic Updates/Downloads

  5. Disable app notifications

    Many apps will attempt to send notifications to your iPhone in order to encourage you to use them. This is likely to be unwanted when abroad and could be using your precious data, make sure only certain apps (News and Communication) are included.
    Settings > Notifications > Select the appropriate app

Cheap International data bundles are becoming more popular for travelers due to their ability to dramatically reduce international roaming charges. This service allows one SIM card to be used across the world at a fraction of the price, an essential item for anyone looking to share pictures or keep in contact with family, friends and colleagues when traveling.