Just because you’re there doesn’t mean you can’t be here … or something like that.
Global roaming
What is it?
If you are travelling overseas, global roaming ensures everyone can still contact you at your regular mobile number. You can make and receive calls, check your flights, speak to the airlines, use your voicemail, and, as usual, send and receive a SMS.
How does it work and how am I charged?
Whoever calls you pays the same as if you were at home. You pay the extra international charge. It’s not cheap, so confirm the rates before you jet off.
As for calling home, your overseas network sets outgoing call costs. It bills your Aussie provider in their foreign currency and you pay in Aussie dollars. Expect SMS charges to vary because they’re also set by overseas networks.
Tip: When roaming internationally, you can save by letting your calls go to voicemail. You can then use a landline to access voicemail and return any messages. Those landline calls back to Australia tend to be much cheaper than roaming rates on your mobile, especially from the US and UK, where landline rates have fallen a lot in recent years.
Mobile phone tips and insights
If you’re travelling for a while, consider buying a pre-paid SIM card in your destination country. Pre-paids are cool because all your local mobile calls are charged at that country’s standard local rates.
You also avoid incoming charges on calls from Australia; callers from home will pay for the international part of the call. However, they are only charged the standard fixed-line international rate, not the hefty global roaming rate.
Receiving SMS messages from home works most of the time, but it’s not a done deal; it depends on the capabilities of the local network.
And grab a power plug converter before taking off, or before long you’ll have a dead phone battery.
VOIP
VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) allows you to connect your normal phone to a full telephone service via your broadband connection. Calls are made using your normal telephone but the phone is plugged into an adaptor box connected to a broadband connection. You can then make free calls to family and friends anywhere in the world.
VOIP numbers are fully portable, so, say you are in London, you simply connect your VOIP-enabled laptop to the web and anyone calling your traditional number is connected to you for the cost of a local call. You can call them for the cost of a local call too.
Another great VOIP option is Skype, whether you’ve got it on your laptop or smart phone. Just hop on your hotel Wi-Fi, or find a connection at a cafe, and you’re good to go.
Links:
Travel insurance
Travel insurance covers you for those “just in case” events.
