Using A Mobile WiFi Hotspot To Stay Connected On Holiday

Please note that the Mobile WiFi Hotspot mentioned here was sent to me free of charge in return for the feature, but all opinions are my own.

Road trips in Europe can be an amazing adventure, packing the car, planning your route, and hitting the road to explore beautiful landscapes, historic cities, and charming little towns. While a bit of spontaneity is always fun, being unprepared can lead to stress and arguments in the car.

One thing you can’t skip? Reliable internet and navigation. Staying connected isn’t just a nice-to-have; nowadays, it’s a must. Whether it’s keeping the kids entertained or avoiding wrong turns that waste hours, having internet access makes your trip smoother.

Here I want to share why staying connected in Europe on holiday or a business trip is so important and how the Netgear Nighthawk M3 Mobile WiFi Hotspot could make your road trip stress-free.

A black box with blue trim displays a photo of a NETGEAR Nighthawk M3 Mobile WiFi Hotspot—perfect for reliable data on a European road trip. The box shows 5G and WiFi 6 logos, and rests on a wooden surface against a brick wall background.

Contents

The Struggles of Being Unconnected

It’s easy to imagine a perfect road trip, driving through scenic countryside or along sunny coastlines. But, here’s what can go wrong without reliable internet:

Getting lost: Even with planning, missing a turn or hitting an unclear junction can lead to frustrating detours. Offline maps are helpful, but they can’t reroute you in real time, and if you don’t know where you are, they are less helpful.
Paper maps are awkward: Unfolding a giant map in the car isn’t exactly convenient. Plus, they’re often outdated or lack detail.
Finding essentials: Need a fuel station, a good restaurant, or a fun activity? Without the internet, you’re left guessing opening times or wandering.
Communication issues: Staying in touch with family or coordinating plans becomes tricky without mobile data.

Why Staying Connected Makes All the Difference

With a reliable WiFi connection, you can avoid these headaches and enjoy a seamless trip. Here’s how:

Better navigation: Apps like Google Maps or Waze give real-time updates, helping you dodge traffic and find scenic routes.
Entertainment on the go: Long drives can test anyone’s patience. WiFi lets everyone stream music, watch videos, or scroll social media to pass the time.
Instant info: Want to learn about a castle you just passed or book tickets to a museum? Staying connected lets you adapt and plan on the fly.
Save money: Roaming charges in Europe can add up quickly. A mobile WiFi hotspot is often cheaper than buying multiple roaming plans or SIM cards.

A small, black rectangular mobile WiFi hotspot labeled "NIGHTHAWK" sits on a wooden surface. With a screen in the center and setup QR code below, it's perfect for travelers wanting to stay connected in Europe. The background features a gray wall with molding detail.

The Netgear Nighthawk M3 Mobile WiFi Hotspot

The Netgear Nighthawk M3 is your road trip essential. It’s small, powerful, and keeps you connected wherever you go. Here’s why it’s a game-changer:

Fast and reliable: With 5G, you can stream, browse, and download without lagging.
Connects multiple devices: The M3 supports up to 32 devices, so everyone in the car can stay online. Not only that, but you can take it in a hotel with you to ensure you have secure WiFi rather than public WiFi, which can be compromised.
Portable and easy to use: It’s small and lightweight (4.14 inches square and less than an inch thick), has a long battery life of 13 hours, and is simple to set up, just pop in a SIM card and go.
Secure connection: Unlike public WiFi, the M3 gives you a private, safe network.
Easy to charge: The gadget is so easy to charge with a USB Type-C port and literally took 5 minutes at the most to set up. Do you like the name we gave it? It was Ben’s idea!

A NETGEAR setup screen with a checkmark icon states "Set Up Complete." Instructions say to click Apply to finish and reconnect to the mobile WiFi hotspot "Pretty fly for a wifi" using the shown password. Buttons for "APPLY" and "BACK" are at the bottom.

Perfect for Families

On a road trip, everyone wants internet, kids for games, teens for social media, and adults for maps and podcasts. The Nighthawk M3 keeps everyone happy by supporting multiple devices. Plus, it saves money by avoiding individual roaming charges. One SIM plan for the hotspot is often cheaper than separate data plans for each phone.

For our upcoming drive to Mallorca, the roaming costs for just the three of us were around £80, and that was just to use the data in our current contracts. Instead, the SIM for the mobile WiFi hotspot was £37 for unlimited data! Of course, there is the cost of the hotspot; this one is £449, but if you travel frequently, the money saved will soon cover that, and you can’t put a price on the safety of a secure network.