Have Postcards Gone Out Of Fashion?

March 4th, 2007 by Pia Taylor

Phone booths in Istanbul

Staying in touch with family and friends whilst you travel is getting easier and easier. Gone are the days when the only way to send news of your progress was snail mail postcards and telegrams.

We wrote recently about the new (affordable) global travel phone brought out by National Geographic and have often highlighted the wide array of social networking websites aimed at travellers.

The Baltimore Sun (via the LA Times) yesterday published its own 10 ways to stay in touch while abroad.

Hotel phones (pricey), email, cellphones, calling cards, VOIP (eg Skype) and more – the options are seemingly endless and increasingly inexpensive.

But, at number ten is one option that echoes my own sentiments on the matter:

Postcards – They don’t ring at inopportune times. They don’t cost a fortune. And they are simple to operate. Could it be possible that whatever we have to say to each other could wait a while?

Long live the humble postcard, say I. No obsessive email checking for me (well, maybe just a little bit) – I travel to get away from the norm, not to check in on it at every possible opportunity.

Then again, what with the proliferation of digital cameras amongst travellers, I guess we take our own postcard shots these days, don’t we.

Related stories:
How travel has changed – (Vagablogging.net)
Tools for the trade: Staying in touch on the road (Vagablogging.net)

Useful resources for backpackers:
Cheap hostels worldwide – find and book cheap hostels online
Travel Forums – find travel buddies, get travel tips, see what’s under discussion

(Photo: ortonesque/sxc.hu)

Posted in General Travel, Staying In Touch, Travel Tools