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Phone cards and cell phones abroad

Do you think about going abroad and wonder how difficult it's going to be leaving your cell phone at home?  You may have to get used to other methods of communicating while studying abroad, but there are options for you.  Read on and find out about some tips we've collected regarding communicating by phone while travelling abroad.

Beware of AT&T calling cards while abroad. There are hidden fees for overseas use and you can literally rack up of hundreds of dollars in just minutes.  Pre-paid phone cards from Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club are a good choice as the cards work internationally to call from abroad to the U.S. or from the U.S. to a foreign country. The actual minutes on the card will vary however, depending on call origins and destinations. The charge to connect will also deduct a certain number of minutes from your card.

**In many countries, the best option is calling cards that you can purchase in local shops for just pennies a minute.**
You can then call home from a public phone – this may require the insertion of one of the purchased phone cards in order to make a call.  Another good option would be direct-dial numbers in your host country that offer inexpensive calling rates to the U.S. or other countries from your home phone (charges applied to your phone bill). 

Upon your arrival in your host country, be sure to ask about the telephone system. In other countries, local calls may not be free like they are in the U.S. and are often charged similar to long distance calls in the U.S. It is best to use personal calling cards whenever possible to avoid disagreements about paying or the risk of offending your hosts.

Here is a 'tutorial' about GSM phones and 'SIM' cards

Be sure to check with your provider about canceling or temporarily freezing your cell phone plan while you are abroad. If you are locked-in to a service contract with your cell phone provider, you may want to consider having a family member be responsible for your phone while you are gone.

Other notes:

• If you are going to be gone for a semester or longer:  Many countries also offer pre-paid cell phones at reasonable prices, and this is something you can look into after arriving. Text messaging (or SMS) may be a popular means of communication in your host country, and it may even be cheaper than making voice calls.  Sometimes, incoming calls on your cell phone are free, which makes it very convenient for your friends and family to reach you.  Investigate pre-paid cell phone plans and take notice of the cost per call and text message so you can best use your time and money wisely. 

• Important note: If you have a cell phone with a plan based in the U.S., your phone will probably NOT work overseas. Some cell phone providers offer roaming for U.S. phones, depending on the type of service in your destination country and the type of phone you have (CDMA vs. GSM, etc.). But, beware – roaming is expensive and it will not be the best solution to make calls within your country and to the U.S.
• You can also get a prepaid cell phone before leaving the US which is compatible with systems in many countries.  Free incoming calls and text messaging are sometimes available and make it very convenient for others to reach you.  But beware - if staying overseas for a long period of time, it might be less expensive to wait and purchase a prepaid cell phone in your host country if you are planning on making a lot of phone calls yourself.   Purchasing a prepaid here in the US before travelling abroad can be a great option for someone who travels abroad for shorter periods of time. Here is a list of online companies to check with about international cell phone plans.

  TravelCell

  Ekit

  Zengo Wireless

  STATravel

  Telestial

  CellularAbroad

  United Mobile

  InTouch USA and InTouch SmartCards

• There are also different calling plans available in the U.S. that can allow your family to call you fairly inexpensively from the U.S. Some places to check are:

www.1010987.com

www.continentcalls.com

Some people also keep in touch by web phone, which may be free just like instant messaging.

www.skype.com - requires Internet connection

• Article from CNN on cell phone costs abroad