Travel Cell Phone Service
I’ve had a couple people ask me about using a cell phone overseas. There are many different options for world travelers to keep in touch on the road, and a cell phone is just one of them. So I thought I’d talk about how to make cheap calls from your cell phone, from anywhere in the world.
Not everyone wants to be accessible via cell phone while traveling overseas. Many people decide to leave the cell phone at home while traveling. That’s fine. But I find that having a working cell phone while traveling can open up many opportunities that you might miss otherwise, like using it to schedule meetups with new local friends in the country you happen to be in. And if you are trying to run a business while traveling, a cell phone might be needed.
The key is to use it sparingly. While I bring a cell phone with me, I keep it turned off and hidden away in my pack most of the time.
International Roaming
Many cell phone companies offer international roaming with their service. While this might be the easiest option, it is extremely expensive. International roaming charges can add a few hundred dollars to your cell phone bill… Not good!
Local SIM Cards
If your phone is unlocked (able to use different SIM cards), then you can buy a local SIM card when you arrive at your destination country. While this can be the cheapest option, it can also be time consuming and confusing. You frequently have many different choices when buying a local SIM card, and not all of them are a great deal. You’ll have to do extra research to figure out which one is the best, and if you don’t, you could end up paying for it.
If you’re traveling to many different countries in a short period of time, you’ll be forced to repeat the whole process in every country. If you don’t use up the pre-paid minutes you’ve bought before you leave, it’s wasted money. Because of these factors, I’d only use this option if you are staying in a country for longer than a month.
Get a Global SIM Card
This is the option I use. With a global SIM card, you get the best of both worlds. A cheap way to make cell phone calls anywhere in the world, plus you don’t have to waste time searching for and buying new SIM cards every time you travel to a different country. I use the Telestial Passport Plus SIM in my iPhone. To use it, you have to unlock your phone. If you don’t want to mess with unlocking your phone, you can buy a cheap international phone here.
I don’t use my cell phone all the time while traveling, but I do use it occasionally, and I want to be able to use it in an emergency. With this SIM card, you’ll get both a US & global UK phone number. It is easy to set up forwarding from your existing phone number, and you still get voicemail and text messaging.
The reason I choose this option is because I really don’t want to hunt for a cheap local SIM in each country, having to change my forwarding to a new number each time as well. Plus, it’s a pre-paid calling plan, so there are no contracts. I only pay for what I use. This international SIM card works in over 140 countries worldwide. Check it out here.
Unlocked Cell Phones
Unlocking your cell phone might not be an option for everyone. It can be complicated for people who are not very tech savvy. It also voids your phone’s warranty. If you want to buy a cheap unlocked phone to use just for travel, check out this site.
Very useful information! Thanks for posting! I recently wrote a blog post about staying in touch with family and friends while abroad, but at the time that I wrote it, I didn't know about the Telestial Passport Plus SIM. This would have been a great service to get prior to coming to China so that I could use it for emergency situations and what not.