How to manage your mobile roaming while traveling overseas

Some advice on what to do with your phone when heading overseas

Going overseas for work or holiday is always an exciting time. But what do you do with your mobile phone and tablet? How do you make sure you can still contact the boss and family and upload amazing photos to Facebook while away without racking up a nasty roaming bill? Here are some great tips to help you navigate a potentially tricky topic!

What do I need to do before leaving home?

Ask yourself what you need your phone and tablet for. Do you need to make calls or do you just need to access data? If you are making calls, check the call rates for the country you are going to. Call rates will vary between counties, so be sure you ask so you know what you will be in for!

As far as your provider is concerned, calls and data can be turned on and off with a click of a button. This means the ability to roam with calls or data can be customised to suit your needs.
If you need to make calls but do not need to use the internet, simply call your provider and have the data turned off. When you get home, all it takes is one call and a click of a button to restore your data again. Better to be safe than sorry, right?

Wi-Fi is the answer!

Most hotels, cafes and even McDonald’s locations around the world now offer free Wi-Fi. The safest option is probably waiting until you are back in your hotel room to check your emails and upload the day’s photos to Facebook. Many of the applications on your mobile and tablet use background data. This is data you don’t even realise is in use throughout the day. Even if you are not actively using your data on the go, you still may be surprised when you receive your next bill due to background data usage.

There are many applications around that allow you to harness Wi-Fi to make calls on the data network. Look into apps such as WhatsApp, Viber and Facetime from Apple. With a bit of forward planning to install these apps, you will be able to make calls, send texts and have video chats just like you were at home, all using free Wi-Fi!
How long am I away for?

If you are away for a short period of time, your carrier will certainly offer global roaming. Simply call to activate it and you will be on your way.

If you are moving or spending a significant length of time overseas, there are a few more options. It may work out cheaper and with better service to investigate the following options:

Calling card – These can be purchased upon arrival at your destination, usually at the airport, and can be preloaded with credit to make calls.
Travel SIM – Providers that deal strictly in travel SIMs can provide SIM cards that work in almost all countries. These can be pre-purchased with special rates.