Traditional money-saving options for travellers include renting a Wi-Fi router from Changi Airport which you collect at the start of your trip and return when you come back.

It costs from $12 to $25 a day, depending on the destination, and connects up to eight devices to the Internet. It works by hooking up to the destination country's cellular network, and then it creates a Wi-Fi hot spot for mobile users to connect to the Internet.

This is ideal for large groups as the cost can be shared.

Even so, Wi-Fi sharing is only possible within about 10m of the router. The router's battery must be charged, and battery life varies from four to 15 hours. And the router, which is the size of a small notebook, adds bulk to one's pocket.

Another traditional option is to buy the daily unlimited mobile data plans from Singtel, StarHub and M1, for roaming on your preferred partner's network. The plans start from $15 a day, depending on destination.

Singtel and StarHub also sell mobile data roaming plans in smaller quantities of, say, 100MB. But this costs $10, which may not be worth one's while.

Another option is M1's Data Passport service, which lets customers use their existing unused Singapore mobile data allowance while overseas - for a fee.

The Data Passport service costs $10 a month per country, and is available in 46 countries including popular destinations such as Australia, Hong Kong and the United States. A $2 activation fee applies.

Irene Tham