Cut Back Your International Roaming Bills

By Author: Julia Connor
Total Articles: 3
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You are a thousand miles away from your home and desperately longing to hear the voices of your loved ones. You look at your cell phone and dial the number. But the thought of the exorbitant charges on international roaming holds you back and you disconnect the phone. Well, most of us have been hit with a huge phone bill at one time or another and it's never nice to know that the next call to your loved ones wound up costing you hundreds of dollars.
Traveling abroad can often mean racking up annoying roaming fees, but there are definitely ways to avoid them. This article will tell you about the most popular ways you can use to keep in contact when abroad. Get it right and your trip will be a breeze, get it wrong and it could turn into a trip to forget.
1. Know your coverage area
Most reputed phone companies have maps to indicate what areas count as your network, which don't, and which have no coverage whatsoever. Make sure you are aware of which areas are included in your current phone plan before you travel.
2. Tell your phone to warn you
It is sometimes possible ...
... to set your phone so that it warns you when you are about to make a call using roaming charges. Look for the Call Guard option in your settings. Most Smartphones will have this option.
3. Confirm the downloading of messages
Set your phone to ask you for confirmation before it download any messages when you are travelling. Sometimes downloading large files with attachments can take longer and can wind up costing a lot. Even receiving junk mail can be expensive on roaming. Look for the Message Retrieval Options in your phone. This option could be found under Automatic Retrieval Settings in the Settings option.
4. Update your Preferred Roaming List (PRL)
Your PRL can usually be found in your phone settings and this will show the most up-to-date information regarding roaming on your phone. Keep this updated whenever possible.
5. Buy an International Roaming SIM Card
International Travel SIM cards are the best companion for you across the world. You can easily gain access to your important emails and social networking updates using your phone. These SIMs provide you with free incoming call facility in multiple countries and typically reduce your roaming expenses up to 85%. You can choose the destinations of your choice while purchasing your SIM. In fact, it is much more convenient and cheap to carry a multiple destination SIM than to use country-specific SIMs. You will not require a local SIM card for each country or change SIM cards at each country. World travel SIM card offers a reliable and cost effective solution to global roaming charges. However, the specific rates charge will depend on the carrier as these prices will vary from one carrier to another. Carriers tend to compete for business by offering real great deals.
A final note
In the world of mobile telecommunications, it can be frustrating trying keeping in touch with friends, family or colleagues back home. And the frustration can start before you even leave home - if you do a little research on the Internet, you will quickly find the most popular ways you can use to keep in contact when abroad.
Trying to find the best Travel SIM Card or International SIM Card for your international roaming needs? Then check out the leading International SIM Card at www.mytravelphone.net and find out how you can save up to 85% on call charges and receive calls for free when using your mobile abroad.