How not to go broke on roaming abroad
When traveling, you always want to stay connected, be able to call your family to say that you’ve arrived safely, check in on Foursquare, or send a beautiful photo to Instagram. But upon returning home, you might be very disappointed to see your phone bill. So, how to travel and not go broke on roaming?
Use Wi-Fi
If you have a smartphone, always remember that your phone constantly transmits data from the internet: updates apps, downloads emails, checks traffic information and weather forecasts, etc. To avoid an unexpected internet bill upon arrival, disable automatic data updates in app settings, as well as data roaming. To connect to the internet, use Wi-Fi. Free Wi-Fi hotspots are available in airports, train stations, and many restaurants and cafes; for example, you can always connect to the internet at McDonald’s and Starbucks worldwide. Learn more about how to stay connected if you have access to Wi-Fi or mobile internet >>
Special service packages for travelers
Many mobile operators, in addition to roaming, offer extra service packages that can help you save money. For example, for those who constantly need internet access, operators offer special daily internet packages. By activating such an option, you will pay a fixed daily amount instead of per traffic volume. Similar packages are also available for SMS.
Travel SIM card
Many travel agencies and international providers offer to purchase a travel SIM card.
What are the advantages of travel SIM cards?
Firstly, it’s the low cost of calls, SMS, and mobile internet. Secondly, no matter where you go, you will have the same number; many companies offer to link your regular mobile number to a travel SIM card, i.e., to set up call forwarding. Its cost depends on the operator and the country you are traveling to. Thirdly, travel SIM cards have no subscription fee. You only pay for calls when you are abroad.
Buy a local SIM card
If you are traveling abroad for at least a week, in most cases, it is most profitable to buy a local SIM card. Many foreign operators provide prepaid SIM cards that work on a Pay As You Go basis. A full list of operators and card options can be found here. If you need internet, pay attention to the amount of mobile traffic included in the SIM card’s price or its cost.
Install a special application on your phone
It’s very simple to use:
- install the application
- before flying abroad, “park” your mobile number
- upon arrival, insert any local SIM card and launch the application again.
Now all calls coming to your “native” number arrive on the new card, and to make calls from your “native” number, you need to use the application. Calls with Roamer are indeed much cheaper than standard roaming tariffs.
Alexey Komok CEO kupi.com
The program will be especially convenient for those who live “in two countries”. Now, when traveling, I don’t have to change my SIM card and lose calls coming to my main number. And now I have a local SIM card, and I also receive incoming calls to my home number. Previously, I only had “outgoing” communication with a defined number using SIP applications. Also convenient and inexpensive. But for this, you need internet... 3G or good Wi-Fi. The main difficulty with Roamer is understanding how to “park” a number the first time. You need to go into the app, then phone settings, and set up call forwarding. The next time you’ll do it automatically, but the first time, you can’t do it without instructions. As you can see, there are many ways to save on calls from abroad; your task is to choose the one that suits you best.
