Using a cell phone while you’re traveling is NOT as difficult as one might think. I learned this last month when I was in Bangkok attempting to find the best way to phone home.
While I did bring my primary cell phone with me for emergency use and to have access to my contact list, I also carried an older spare phone that I had lying around in a drawer. This was a phone for which I had long ago canceled my service with my provider, therefore the phone was free from any contract and considered “unlocked”.
I knew that I needed a SIM card in order to access the local network in Bangkok, but where to find a SIM card? In India, telecom shops are found in every city and village. You have to fill out some paperwork and provide a passport photo of yourself (which they’ll gladly take for you at the shop). You’re then provided a SIM card which is (usually) placed behind the battery. You’re given a set amount of minutes and you can then purchase more.
Cell phones are ubiquitous in developing countries – here, my rickshaw driver was using his to get another fare.
In Bangkok, I had been keeping my eye open for a cell phone shop so that I could purchase a card and have the freedom to call some of my contacts in Bangkok as well as make international calls if I wanted to. After not spotting any during my walks around the city, I asked the hotel desk clerk for some help.
“I’m looking for a SIM, card for my cell phone.” I even spelled out SIM. It’s unlikely that a hotel desk clerk in the U.S. would know what a SIM card was, I figured I’d have little luck with the clerk in Bangkok. I was wrong.
“Oh yes, just go to the 7-11 across the street.”
“Really?” I asked, incredulously.
“Yes, they will have it.”
I ventured across the street and showed the two young cashier gals my cell phone and made my request for a SIM card. They pulled out a card from a drawer and, because they didn’t speak English and I speak little Thai, they showed me my options for how much money I could put on the card. I chose 200 baht. They installed it for me and another customer called my phone so that we could make sure it worked.
It was that easy.
Of course, if your cell phone is GSM-enabled, you can make calls directly using your carrier but this can be quite costly – really as much as a few dollars per minute (because you are roaming) depending on your provider. It’ll do in a pinch, but shouldn’t be your main source of communicating with home or in-country.
To make calls, you’ll want to first determine whether your own phone has compatible technology with the country in which you’ll be traveling. For example, the majority of cell phones use GSM technology but not all providers around the world support GSM. Check your provider’s website before you depart to determine compatibility.
Here’s a short primer from least expensive to most expensive options. This is geared towards North American cell phone users traveling abroad. This is a relative new area for me so I don’t claim to know everything. If you’ve got some info you’d like to share, please do so, all my readers will appreciate it!
1. Carry your own cell and request that it be “unlocked” by your provider. Not all providers will do this for you and it may depend on your contract. For example, if you’ve passed year 2 of your 2-year contract, your provider may be willing to unlock the phone. A provider may also unlock your phone under special circumstances, such as if you are traveling abroad. Bottom line is that it never hurts to ask and to plead your case. They don’t want to lose you as a customer by allowing you to use another SIM card, but if it’s for traveling purposes, they may allow it.
2. Carry a spare cell. By traveling with a cell phone that is no longer associated with a mobile plan, the phone will be “unlocked” and you can simply add a SIM card and dial directly to local numbers or dial internationally. The local phone charges apply but this is generally FAR less than the cost of calling from your own phone while traveling abroad.
3. Prepaid cell phone. If you do not have a cell phone that can be used outside of your country, picking up prepaid cell phones is a great way to stay in communication with your loved ones when abroad.
4. Purchase a phone when you arrive at your destination. In many countries, particularly developing countries, cell phones are used on a pay-as-you-go basis. This means you won’t have to buy into a bigger plan/commitment. You’ll be buying the phone, but then can get a local SIM card for using the minutes.
5. Enroll in an international calling plan from home. If your family, friends or significant other will want to stay in touch with you while you’re traveling, have them enroll in a long distance plan that provides inexpensive international calls. They’ll be able to call you at a reduced rate and, often with SIM cards, minutes aren’t used for incoming calls.
You might also consider text messaging as an inexpensive alternative. You’ll likely be charged at a higher rate than if you were texting domestically, but it’s still cheaper than phone calls. Making Skype calls from an internet cafe is another way of staying in touch with home cheaply.
Hope this helps in getting you started on that next trip!
Travel Well,
Beth
Photo credit: Gaetan Lee
Related links:
Understanding Travel Insurance
Booking Advice in Today’s Climate
5 Healthy Travel Tips
10 Tips for Traveling Around the Globe
Tips for Staying Safe in Your Hotel
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Beth-
I found this article really helpful. As much and as widely as I travel, I’ve never found a consistently reliable (and affordable) way to make calls in or out of country. Thanks for this advice.
Helpful post. Thanks.
I have an iPhone and my plan is with AT&T. I was able to turn on the Int’l. plan (without charge) unless I needed it for emergencies. I was also able to receive text message for free and send text messages for 50cents per text.
Yes, this is what I do. Carry my unlocked mobile, and then just buy a SIM card in the country I’m visiting. You can also save your SIM cards, so that if you are returning to the same country (for example, I often travel to Ireland and use my same SIM card), you then just need to buy the minutes, and can save an extra 10 bucks or so by not having to buy a new SIM card. Very easy!
Ring ring,
Kristen
This is a great piece Beth, thanks for the insights. I was also told you can have your phone unlocked by phone shops in many countries.
This is just as easy in Latin America too, where your own carrier will charge you $1 to $3.50 per minute. Unfortunately many countries around the world have different standards, so a cheap phone I bought in Peru wouldn’t work in Mexico, even though they were both Movistar (Telefonica).
I heard some real horror stories from people who kept gabbing away with their home phone when I was working on this article:
http://www.tripso.com/columns/6-alternatives-to-predatory-international-cell-phone-bills/
Interesting article but a bit patronizing about hotel clerks anywhere in the world. I’d be surprised if anyone say, under the age of 60 (apologies for all of you over 60s out therewho probably do know) didn’t know what a SIM card was, what it was used for and where it goes.
Having lived in Thailand and Japan and travelled through the region, I would say there is maybe even more awareness of mobile technology there than the in US and large chunks of Europe.
And if you want to betray your origins and make yourself one step away from being understood in most countries, use the expression ‘Cell’. Most of the rest of the world call ‘Cells’, ‘Mobiles’. Not always but usually. Just be aware of the need to use the alternative terms. Even use the expression ‘Mobile Cell Phone’. In one of those three words, most Americans can be understood in other countries.
And also the expression and gesture ‘Unlock’ while turning an imaginary key on the back of your phone will get locals to understand what you’re trying to achieve. Just be aware that the process isn’t always legal/ethical if done without the consent of your provider.
Tip for travellers in Bangkok – MBK department store (amongst many, many) 4th floor – anything you’ll ever need including ‘services’.
Happy trails 🙂
I had never heard about doing this. It’s a great idea! Thanks for the info.
The rest of the world is way ahead of the US in cell technology; we unlocked our phone in Israel and used SIM chips in both Israel and Jordan… much less hassle and works great!
@ Nancy – I have found that ATT’s published text messaging prices are more than what they actually charge. Their website says they charge .15 for each sent message but I’ve never been charged myself (don’t tell them).
@ Kristin – Thanks for the reminder of saving your SIM cards. I did just that for both Thailand and Bhutan and will definitely bring them back with me. I think that the value themselves might expire after a certain time, so you’ll want to use up the cards but keep them for the future.
@ David – Don’t know what country you live in but I’m many years away from 60 and I just learned 1.5 years ago what a SIM card is. There was one gal (out of 14) on my tour to Bhutan who knew what a SIM card was and I bet if I asked my friends, most of them wouldn’t have a clue what a SIM card was.
You’re right, however, that people in other parts of the world are far more educated about mobile technology than in North America (we are strapped with landlines whereas they are not).
And, thanks for the additional tips!
Beth, you may have a point there. I did a very large sample (three female friends LOL but all in our young 50s) – one knew, one sort of knew and one thought it was something to do with a Playstation (she was a little tired at the time).
Oh, and we’re in Australia and we’re going through a HUGE amount of political turmoil about building a newer National higher-speed Broadband network with coverage to 95% of the country.
Problem is, the proposed technology still won’t be as fast as countries such as Korea and Japan.
The current owner of the main Broadband infrastructure is also liviing in a landline past and even though they’re also the largest ISP in Australia, they are also the most exposed company to a change in technology and consumer patterns.
In our household, we have one mobile/cell per person and I doubt if we use the housephone at all – it’s purely for recieving calls.
Now we’re making the next step of using VOIP (Skype specifically) to change our habits even further. For travellers, look into Skype as a further way to reduce costs and also, at buying phone cards in the countries they visit.
One thing that hasn’t been pointed out, the type of network your home provider uses. I used to have Verizon, and my phone would not work at all in Europe. I had to rent a world phone from Verizon to use for my 10 day trip. You need a quad band phone that accepts a sim card, not all US providers use those types of phones. ATT and T-Mobile are the American GSM providers I know of.
As long as you have an unlocked phone then I think the best option is to just buy a local sim card for use abroad. Makes reservations and keeping track of friends easy and less expensive.