Touching Base when Abroad
May - 23 | 
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Calling home from abroad can often seem like a choice between the devil and the great blue sea, especially for travelers from the UK. Using the phone in your hotel room can cost a small fortune because both the hotel and local phone company jack up the per-minute fees for long-distance and overseas calls. Using your mobile phone can cost a small fortune as well with all the extra charges phone providers stick on the bill.
Think texting is a cheaper option? Think again: phone companies charge higher rates for international texting too, and data-transmission costs also can be ridiculous. In fact, many world travelers have horror stories about getting huge phone bills because they kept texting and downloading during their travels, thinking that these activities were free under their domestic calling plan or cost just a few pence each.
The good news is that you do have a few decent alternatives for staying in touch with friends, family and the office while traveling in the islands. These include buying an unlocked GSM world phone and using local SIM cards. This is probably your best option if you travel overseas frequently. International companies are your best bet here. American ones such as Mobal, Telestial and Cellhire are the most logical choice with the most coverage and you can rent a GSM phone off them for as little as £30 per month; you then pay lower rates for calls (though not always as low as the rates from local carriers).
The next best bet is to use Skype. Any two people with Internet access and computers or handheld devices with the Skype application installed can talk for free online (you’ll need a microphone, of course, and a webcam if you want video, too). You can also chat via e-mail or instant messaging: OK, it’s not the same as hearing a human voice, but if all else fails at least you can get in touch in more-or-less real time.
However, there is a new option. The roaming charges that have so long plagued travellers abroad may be rendered antiquated and obsolete by a new tariff being pioneered by Vodafone. From 1 June to 31 August it won’t cost you any more to call, text or send picture messages when you’re abroad than it does at home using this tariff, as they have abolished their normal 75p roaming charge – which is what you usually pay to connect a call to the UK with Vodafone. Go to the Vodafone website, and opt into Vodafone Passport to take your rates along with you to over 35 European countries, and also Australia and New Zealand. The site also has a huge range of the latest handsets, including the iPhone 4.