Full Time Van Life: Staying Connected On the Road

Finding wifi on the road can be a challenge, here are some ideas to help you stay connected

Staying connected and finding wifi on the road…

Working while traveling full time requires that we are connected. So we have come up with some suggestions for finding wifi on the road:

*Our first stop in a new place is usually a visitor center. We like to get a lay of the land, and tips on what to see in the area. Often times they have reliable (though basic) wifi. Typically for emails, checking and messages.

van life travel staying connected, cell service, wifi

*Most of your favorite coffee shops have wifi, Starbucks isn’t your only option, but they are still pretty reliable.

*Many restaurants, especially chains (think fast food locals) have wifi, and usually, you can access the signal from outside their 4 walls.

*Walmart, yep we’ll just say it, sometimes we camp in stunning locals with breathtaking views, and sometimes, we are camped out in a Walmart parking lot. These guys offer wifi in all their stores and we have even been able to upload and download on this connection.

van life travel staying connected, cell service, wifi, life on the road,

Thankfully in this day and age wifi is becoming more and more accessible, but sometimes it means thinking outside the box.

More ideas:
*Libraries,
*Community centers
*Recreation centers (maybe catch a workout and shower),
*Many retail stores,
*Park visitor centers,
*Laundromats (multi-purpose visits are an added bonus)

If RV parks are more your style, many offer free wifi. We have also encountered some that charge for wifi, restrict website access(no Netflix and chill here) and time limits are often placed.

van life travel staying connected, cell service, wifi, life on the road,

Lastly having your own hotspot. You can cover your bases by working with multiple service providers, signal on more than one network is ideal. Our cell service is through AT&T and we will be purchasing a Verizon Hot Spot. As long as we are in service areas with the help of our weeboost this should cover our data needs!

If you have any suggestions for staying connected on the road we’d love to hear them in the comments!

If you enjoyed this article check out our gear guide for van life and full time travelers

Advertisement