New ways to stay connected while you travel

(ARA) - If you're a frequent traveler, you know one of the biggest challenges is keeping in touch with friends and family while you're on the road. Losing cell phone service or your high-speed Internet connection can feel like the end of the world, but it doesn't have to be. Whether you travel for work or pleasure, you can use the following tips to keep in touch with the people who matter most:

Dive into social media - Utilizing social media is one of the easiest ways to keep in touch with friends while you travel. You can send messages on Facebook or update your location and post photos to your Twitter account. It's a great way to keep large numbers of people up to date on where you are and what you're doing. One of Facebook's most popular features allows you to list all the places you've visited around the world. Plus, you can post your travel plans in advance and find out if any of your friends will be in the same city.

Start a blog - If you're looking for a more general way to keep friends and family in the loop on your travel adventures, start a blog. You can share stories, photos and even video footage. Allowing people to comment on your posts is a good way to stay connected. You might even get some unexpected new readers along the way.

If you're not Web savvy, many blog services guide you through the process and provide easy-to-use templates. Start with popular blog sites like Blogger and use online resources to learn more about optimizing your site.

Utilize travel sites - Several interactive travel sites are dedicated to connecting travelers around the world. One of the most innovative is Traxo. It not only helps you book your trip, it lets your share your travel plans so you can connect with other Traxo members when you're in the same city. The site also offers travel reviews and automatically updates your itinerary if flight plans change. It's the perfect solution for streamlining travel and keeping you connected.

Get satellite Internet - If you're one of the millions of travelers who love to get away to the mountains or other rural areas, you know that cable and DSL can be hard to come by. Fortunately, there's satellite Internet. It provides high-speed Internet access in areas where DSL and cable aren't available.

Instead of dealing with dial-up at your vacation home, you can use satellite Internet and get online at speeds that are up to 50 times faster than other services. Some leading satellite Internet providers even allow you to put your high-speed Internet service on hold during the months you don't need it.

Try in-flight Wi-Fi. One of the most recent innovations for travelers is in-flight Wi-Fi. The technology lets you get online while you're thousands of feet in the air. Aside from allowing you to work while you fly and watch Hulu videos, it also provides a great opportunity to e-mail friends and family. The service is only available on certain flights and airlines including Delta and United Airways is offering discounts and free trials of Wi-Fi for a limited time.

Courtesy of ARAcontent