Staying in touch…
“Can You Hear Me Now?”
You are coming to France, Italy or anywhere in Europe for a one-of-a-kind art retreat, and will be immersed in the color, sight, sensation and utter creation of the experience. You don’t want it marred by aggravation when you can’t easily reach friends and loved ones back home, or to be clobbered with a gargantuan phone bill at the end of such a magnificent trip. Just a few quick steps will avoid messing up an otherwise spectacular journey communication-wise.
Have Phone Will Travel
To start with, check with your phone plan provider and invest in a good plan for traveling in Europe. Some offer data by the day, others by the month. Some offer free data, albeit slow. So talk to your provider and find the best to suit your needs. Europeans don’t have this issue as their phones work across borders.
In addition, you should download Facebook Messenger, which is probably the best app to travel with because it’s used virtually everywhere. With Wi-Fi, FaceBook is available throughout much of the world with 2.41 billion users. Note that even if you already have Facebook on your phone, Facebook Messenger is a separate app—and you can use Facebook Messenger to call people (or video-call) for free, as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection.
An alternative to phone companies. Talk via wifi.
Another one you should download is WhatsApp, which is also used widely in France, and in Europe in general—even the French use it to talk to each other. It works both with Wi-Fi and with data, but doesn’t consume call minutes.
And of course, if you, your friends or your family use Skype, make sure you have that as well.
Just one more thing: Make sure people you will be calling also have these apps installed. So let the significant others, the kids and everyone else know to load those apps!
Facebook Reigns.
As we said, Facebook is available throughout much of the world. WhatsApp too. Globally, WhatsApp is the most widely used of all the messenger apps with 1.5 billion users. Their combined reach, Facebook and WhatsApp, is simply massive.
In fact, guess who owns WhatsApp? Yes, that’s right, Facebook.
Blogger: Julie Snyder
Julie Snyder is a professional artist and also the programs director of Workshops In France. A native of Scotland, she is a seasoned traveler who splits her time between California and France. You can learn more about her role with Workshops in France here.
Check out more blogs about art workshops, tips and hacks for artists traveling in France and Scotland.
The French You Already Speak
You Already Know More French Than You Think. Just for fun, we started looking at the French words that have been in common usage in the English language for a long time. Remarkably, many of these words seem to pop up in the realms of culture and cuisine. No surprise...
Coffee is an Art Form in France
Coffee in France is an art form, and an art-form that we have researched intensively. We fully expect to spend the rest of our lives continuing our research, just to make sure we don’t miss any nuances.
Our conclusion so far? Yum!
Workshops in France’s Top 9 Instagram Accounts for Inspiration
Life is an art.
Inspiration is sometimes needed to keep us motivated. Instagram has inspirational content. They call it inspo.
I am recommending here, 9 super Instagram accounts to follow. When I open my app I expect to see images of fabulous French life, and my soul is filled with inspiration.
