Loads of places in the UK without a signal, and probably elsewhere too. Maybe not big cities.

I continue to take my phone with me when I travel, just in case of an emergency, but I have never used it. When I am on the road, friends and family know that I will be out of touch and they have learned to accept that. Any news of my travel will arrive in postal mail.

However, obviously I am sometimes in total contradiction with myself. On one of my trips to Southeast Asia (probably in the 90's), I suddenly saw internet cafés everywhere and my immediate reaction was complete disdain. "Can't they get away from the keyboard for a couple of weeks?" On the following trip, maybe only about six months later, an internet café was one of my first destinations after dropping my bags at the hotel. Of course now with free wifi at the hotel, that is another thing of the past. I think it's kind of shame. Travel is now so watered down because we are never out of contact with our ordinary lives and people. But even though I use wifi, I still don't use it to relate my adventures day by day. That story comes later.

Ha! My first European trip was in 1992. 15 nights- Germany, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Italy, France. Something I would tell people never to do now. LOL.Except for Paris and Florence, we had no reservations. Walked right into the Uffizi and the Accademia and strolled through the streets of Florence early in the morning all alone. Walked down the Grand Gallery at the Louvre basically alone. Of course there were only 5.4 billion people in the world then and there are 7.7 now...

Opening up tourism to the whole world is a good thing until a bus load of tourists empty out just before you get to the line. And speaking of lines, or lack thereof, our first visit to the Louvre was in the fall of 2000. The staff was on strike, but they didn't close. Just left the doors open. Even with that, we not only had the Mona Lisa to ourselves but the entire gallery where she was. We saw only one person, probably a supervisor, roaming from one gallery to another as the total security for the entire building.

Maybe half the stuff on the list don't need a signal. Most of the other half if you don't have a signal you likely don't need the function.

I loved your post, Edward 2005. Unfortunately, I replaced all those books with a bag of meds and chargers!

First trip Europe was on 1978, with High School German Club.
Thereafter, would arrive in each small town, go to TI and have them book a Zimmer Frei. No calls home (too expensive).
Ripped out pertinent train schedules from the pertinent Bible of Trains to travel with.
Paid with my traveler checks.
Took my list of addresses for postcards (which often arrived after I was home).
NOW, beside my smartphone, I have to NOT forget my bifocals, support knee highs for the plane trip,
first aid bag with Tylenol, Advil, Protonix and Benadryl, and my intolerance for loud nightclubs in the area!

Restaurants 1992:
if you arrived in a new town between 2 pm and 6 pm, forget trying to find a meal outside if an Imbiss.
2019- durchgehend Kueche fast ueberall.

Grocery stores 1992- rare was the bag of chips/snacks, and unheard of The Prepared Food section!
2019-are our European neighborsalso headed toward a preponderance of obesity?