Global Phone

Some folks have asked me for phone advice for international travel. You need to do careful research with your phone company, but here are some little bits of info and advice. Generally, Europe and Australia use the GSM frequency towers, which means that if you have T-Mobile or AT&T, you do not need a different phone. You just need to take the phone in to have it activated for international use (sometimes this is not even necessary, but it is always wise to check). If you have Verizon, US Cellular, or other CDMA phones, they generally work in Asia, but NOT Europe.

There are many ways to get a global phone if you do not have one. We have found the best way is to work with your current mobile carrier. They will generally rent you a phone for a nominal fee. There are other companies all over the world that will also rent or sell you a phone. Just be careful and do your research - the prices vary widely, and a colleague of mine recently had an unacceptable experience with his purchased "global" phone - didn't work in the USA nor in the UK. Basically useless, but too late to work out any other option.

If you already have a global phone through a GSM carrier (it will have a SIM card), you can simply purchase a prepaid SIM card for the country you are visiting. Again, do your research because prices vary, but this is an excellent option.

If you have had really great service with any of these prepaid companies, please let us know! While you're at it, go to our facebook page and hit "like" - the blog automatically posts there, as well!