• Using Your Cell Phone for International Travel

    iPhone Photo
    If you are planning on traveling internationally, you’ve probably heard stories about how some cell phone owners come home to cell phone bills of over $1,000 due to roaming charges.  But, if you are planning an international trip, there are ways to use your cell phone without incurring major charges.  Here are some tips on how to use your cell phone when traveling internationally.

    • Call your cell phone provider.  They can tell you all of the roaming terms on your contract and let you know what your options are.  You may be able to pay for a international data, text, and/or calling plan that will help you save money.
    • Swap out the SIM card.  Depending on your phone and your provider, you may be able to switch the SIM card to an international card while you are away.
    • Get a disposable phone.  Purchase a disposable phone at your destination city to use just on your vacation.  This obviously may not be the easiest thing to find depending on the city, so check online before you go.
    • Turn off the data.  If you aren’t going to add an international data plan, make sure you learn how to turn off roaming and cellular data before you leave.

    Photo credit: Yutaka Tsutano on Flickr

     

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    Author:Jodi

    Jodi Grundig has loved traveling since she was a little girl. She started blogging in 2007 on her popular review site Mom's Favorite Stuff and after doing quite a bit of travel blogging, decided to launch her own travel site. Jodi resides in Massachusetts with her husband, six-year old son, eight-year old daughter, shelter cat, and Havanese puppy.

    One Response to “Using Your Cell Phone for International Travel”

    1. Tom Bowie
      April 26, 2013 at 6:17 am #

      If you have an unlocked phone then buy a roaming sim card while traveling. There are numerous advantages from buying one. One number, Low costs and convenience. I’ve been traveling with roaming Sim cards for quite a while and have some experience using them. Some are very bad quality. Beware! Check Amazon for reviews. The best traveling sim card I’ve used so far is form Tellink Roaming. (http://tellinkroaming.com/)

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