Travel Cell Phone Service

I’ve had many people ask me about using a cellphone overseas. There are a few 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.

The key is to use it sparingly. I don’t give the number out to just anyone, and I’m not spending all day chatting on the phone! But it’s there when I need it.

Despite popular belief, WiFi internet is not available everywhere, and even when you do have it, it can be too slow for Skype to work. While I’m a big fan of Skype, a working cellphone is an excellent backup plan.

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!

Prepaid Local SIM Cards

If your phone is unlocked (you are able to use SIM cards from different companies), then you can buy a prepaid local SIM card when you arrive at your destination country. This is the best & cheapest option. It only costs $3-$5 to buy a local SIM card in each country, then you can refill it with minutes when you need to.

The downside to local SIM cards is that they can often be confusing. It took me weeks to figure out why my prepaid minutes would magically disappear sometimes in Central American countries. Turns out they are only good for a week before they expire! Every company will have it’s own special rules that you’ll need to learn about, which can be hard if you don’t speak the language.

Plus, if you are only going to be in a particular country for a week or two, it might not be worth the hassel of purchasing a new SIM card for each country you visit.

Get a Global SIM Card

This is a middle-of-the-road option. It’s a little more expensive than a local SIM, but it’s also much less confusing. With a global SIM card, you get the best of both worlds. A pretty 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. This allows any SIM card to be used in the phone.

If you don’t want to mess with unlocking your phone (it can be complicated), you can just buy a cheap international phone that has already been unlocked right 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 international SIM card, you’ll get both a US & a global UK phone number. It’s easy to set up forwarding from your existing phone number, and you still get voicemail, text messaging, and 3G internet where available.

This international SIM card works in over 140 countries worldwide. I’m a big fan.
Check it out here.

Cheap 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 just want to buy a super cheap, pre-unlocked phone to use for travel, check out this site.

Unlock Your iPhone

If you still want to try and unlock your iPhone yourself, this is where I learned how to do it.

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