After countless run-ins with security because I decided to travel with a CW key (or any other piece of equipment that looks “sketchy” on the TSA’s X-ray machines), it’s safe to say that I’m pretty familiar with how traveling and amateur radio collide with each other—or more fittingly, how they complement each other.
At first glance, it can seem like trying to incorporate amateur radio into traveling would just complicate it, but with good planning it can make your trip even better than it would have been without ham radio.
The first and probably most obvious way that amateur radio could be enjoyed while traveling would be bringing a portable station with you and getting on the air from a new place. While being relatively simple, there are a few things to pay attention to:
- If you’re traveling to a foreign country, make sure you educate yourself on the rules and laws regarding operating in that country with the license you have from your home country. Many countries have reciprocal agreements with each other so that if you’re simply going on holiday, you can add a prefix or suffix to your personal callsign and operate easily, but this is not always the case.
- Carefully think through what you will bring to complete your station and how you will take it with you. If flying, I strongly recommend taking the components of your station in a carry-on bag rather than checking them, but both options are possible. Just remember to check your airline’s policy on transporting such equipment.
- Taking your own equipment while traveling also opens doors to interesting experiences like SOTA or POTA activations. You will want to consider opportunities like these when deciding whether or not to bring your own equipment.
Operating portably can be a lot of fun, but if bringing your own equipment isn’t possible, there is almost always a local amateur radio club you could visit. Some of my favorite travel experiences have been visiting an amateur radio club and operating a bit from there. For example, while in France this summer I had the opportunity to operate from both the F6KOP and F4KTR stations. This let me operate from France without having to pack my own equipment, while also visiting two stations that I hear on the air all the time.
Clubs aren’t the only way to operate without bringing your own equipment. Hams are almost always happy to meet other hams, and meeting new hams in a new place can be incredibly fun. The amateur radio community spans the entire world. You’ll find that anywhere you go, there are hams to meet. For example, while my host family and I were on holiday in Italy last year, Bruna Begali invited us to have coffee with her and tour the Begali factory. When I wanted to attend Ham Radio Friedrichshafen for the first time, Carsten, DM9EE, hosted us at his hotel for a few nights before the conference.
Looking back, it was amateur radio that gave me a reason to start traveling and showed me that I loved traveling so much. After a few trips to various conventions around the U.S., I realized I wanted to travel as much as possible, which was one factor in my decision to embark on an exchange this past school year. The development of the relationship between amateur radio and travel for me has been immensely interesting—when I first started traveling for amateur radio, it was specifically to attend amateur radio conferences for the conference. Now, I travel for the opportunity to see the friends I’ve made at the conferences and contests, or just to visit and see their country. I encourage you to leave some room in your suitcase for a radio on your next trip. Amateur radio really is a worldwide hobby. It’s flexible, so you can make it exactly what you want it to be both at home and when you travel. The hobby doesn’t have to be confined to your shack, and you may even find that it’s more enjoyable when experienced everywhere you go!
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