Cattle Airlines

In the old days, I didn't keep in touch much while overseas.

10-15 years ago, I had a British pay as you go mobile phone but that phone was unusable about 5 years ago. 10-15 years ago, I went to internet cafes. They still have them in India.

What's the best way to keep in touch now? It's been a long 5 years since I been overseas. I realize it's different for different countries, but let's say UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria?

Free wifi common?
Wifi the same? (Or do they have RHD wifi like cars? )
What phones can be used there? GSM? Can you avoid roaming charges by simply not answering the phone?
Are there still phone cards that you can buy for pay phones?

chff

Do you have an unlocked GSM phone? You can buy a local sim and pop it in.

fistd461

MagicJack on your computer with internet access is fabulous. Have used it all over Europe. Cost for hardware and year subscription is less than some sims.

tentseller

Voda and O2 has PAYG sim card plans that have very low EU roaming rates.

sbm12

1) How much do you pay for the internet access? That matters a lot. And Europe can be incredibly expensive in hotels, depending on which one you're at.

2) Why pay extra for MagicJack and a subscription versus any of the other platforms out there which do the same thing on a pay-as-you-go basis?

I send emails. I occasionally make calls via skype. I send post cards.

fistd461

Have generally not paid for access - usually included with platinum; internet cafes available.
Yes, we all send emails; sometimes its nice to speak to someone. Nothing wrong with Skype.
$19.95/year for service. Calling from US to world is pennies. From Europe to US is included in yearly service.
I have no financial attachment to MagicJack - just happen to like it.

der_saeufer

UMA/GAN/WiFi calling/whatever we're calling it these days is very helpful if you'll have access to wireless Internet. I think only T-Mobile supports it for US carriers, but making free calls from anywhere in the world over WiFi is great. SMS works too. You can then use Google Voice or another VoIP service to call out for cheap.

I do buy a local SIM if I'm expecting people to need to call me or if I won't have Internet access often enough, though. Most countries have pretty cheap prepaid plans now. If you don't have a GSM phone or can't get yours unlocked, buy a cheap unlocked one online. The overwhelming majority of GSM phones sold in North America in the past few years support all four GSM bands and will work anywhere with GSM service. Sadly that's not the case when it comes to 3G/4G data, though, so pay close attention if you'll need data.

powerlifter

I use Skype on a daily basis. It doesn't matter what country I am in If I am calling the US it is included in my subscription. I have it on my phone as well so I can receive calls even if I am not on the computer as long as I am on wifi. If one has an online # it is a local call, and you can receive the call without being on wifi. It is free if your subscription covers your mobile phone.

mapleg

Most of my travels I do not pay anything for internet. Included in the hotel rate.

As for pay extra for MJack--I have it anyway..use it for LD calling from home and use it when overseas to call back. Cost is nominal.

Post cards? E Mail? Not much use when I need an actual phone call (as in phoning the credit card insurance company to initiate a claim while overseas) or talk to the family at home.

MJ has saved me a ton of money over the years.

sbm12

If you're already paying for it then no big deal; I still wouldn't go out of my way to use it versus other options.

No doubt, but I do still use them all the time. I've actually found that the frequency with which I actually need to talk to someone live is quite low and i do have solutions (skype, toll-free CC via a pay phone, etc.) which don't require the same pre-paid commitment.

We all have tools which work for us and not others. Not much of a surprise there.