Thanks to technology, staying in touch on the go never been easier – or cheaper. With a smart phone or tablet and an internet connection, there is nothing stopping you from connecting with friends and family back home. Here are some useful travel hacks and ways of keeping in touch that make it easier to reach your loved ones whilst out on the road.

1.Locate Free Wi-Fi

From email to social media, the easiest methods of keeping in touch are reliant on the internet. Whilst most of us are familiar with the typical café chains and hotels that offer Wi-Fi, these may not always be in the vicinity, making it trickier to find local internet spots abroad. Before you set off, it is definitely worth downloading an app such as The Free WiFi Finder, which locates Wi-Fi spots in over fifty countries worldwide and, most importantly, works without an internet connection.

2. Update Your Social Media

Social media is the perfect solution for staying in touch without too much effort. Uploading photos and checking in your location, for example through Facebook, instantly updates your friends as to your whereabouts without the need for crafting lengthy messages. Although a more impersonal form of communication, it provides quick confirmation that you are safe, well, and enjoying yourself! You can also customize your posts so that they are only visible to certain friends, or tag specific people to let them know you’re thinking of them.

3. Use Instant Messaging

Instant messaging is great for dropping a quick line whenever you have Wi-Fi, enabling a real-time conversation with your online contacts. WhatsApp is a completely free messaging platform which, provided you have an internet connection, allows you to send messages to other WhatsApp users among your contact list anywhere in the world. The group messaging function makes it easy to chat with multiple people at once, and you can also update your status and share pictures, videos and voice notes.

4. Set Up Video Chat

For a more personal catch up rather than a quick check-in, video chat provides quality face-to-face time with your loved ones, no matter where you are in the world. Whilst Skype and FaceTime are some of the more well-known video calling services, there are plenty of other options available depending on the device you are using. Tango, for example, enables smartphone users to make video calls from Android and iPhone, whilst ooVoo facilitates group calling and document sharing. Whichever method you choose, be sure to set up an account before you go so that you’re ready to simply dial in as soon as you get online.

5. Make Cheap International Calls

While most modern-day methods of staying in touch are reliant on the internet, there is no need to be cut off from the rest of the world simply because you don’t have Wi-Fi. Jinggling is a mobile app that enables you to make high-quality, low-cost international calls from your mobile without changing your phone number or existing mobile provider, and will automatically switch your phone to roaming mode when you leave the country. It’s also incredibly easy to top up your credit, as Jinggling is compatible with paysafecard, a payment option that allows you to pay online without entering any credit card or bank account details – ideal for when you’re on the move. For more handy travel apps, see my top picks for 2015.