How to Avoid a Smartphone's Bite

This article gives a good guideline on how to avoid racking up large phone bills while overseas. The 2 categories of user listed below probably encompass the large majority of travellers, and are likely to be the wisest choice for connectivity when on the go. At a pinch, getting a local SIM may be the best option. The point about ensuring data roaming being turned off is the most pertinent and crucial in limiting the amount on the bill.

The Semi-Connected

You don’t feel the need for constant connectivity, and can wait until you’re connected to your hotel’s or hostel’s Wi-Fi network to call home, check e-mail and plan the next day’s activities.

What you should do: Once you connect to Wi-Fi, e-mail, Web browsing and online chat are free. But phone calls are not, so be sure you have an account with an app like Google Voice or Skype that can dial out to real world numbers. 

Choosing the company is a matter of personal preference. Google Voice has lower rates than Skype to virtually every country and is especially easy if you already use Gmail. Skype is reasonable too and maintains a loyal following. There are many other competitors, and all them claim to be revolutionary and cheap, but I’ve yet to find one that can beat the reach and dependability of those two.

Keep in mind that while offering “free Wi-Fi” is practically an industry standard at budget hotels, and even some campgrounds, it can mean many things. A system that’s always online, is acceptably fast and actually works in your room (rather than the lobby) seems more the exception than the rule.

Finally, when you go out for the day, bring your smartphone along for emergency calls and even for the occasional 50-cent text message if you make local friends or split with travel companions and need to meet up. Just be sure the international data roaming is turned off.

The Moderates

You love to make friends in a new country and want to be able to call and text them later. Tweeting every minute is too much, but you would like to alert your friends the moment you’ve reached the mountaintop/seen the Mona Lisa/eaten a bug. You want the option of checking with TripAdvisor or Yelp to decide between two restaurants. You need to check your e-mail occasionally.

What you should do: If your phone is “unlocked,” meaning you can use other providers, get an international SIM card. 

Web browsing was surprisingly affordable in many places; in Scandinavia, it was 49 cents a megabyte on Telestial, which was enough to keep up with e-mail, tweet regularly and use the occasional app or Google search. Prices have dropped recently, to as little as 10 cents a megabyte with a $99 bundle from Telestial or 25 cents a megabyte with OneSimCard’s Daily Data Package.

For pure Web browsing, install the Opera Mini app, a free, intuitive browser that saves money by compressing data to a fraction of what Safari or Chrome or many other mobile browsers do.

Most of the time, you can travel from one country to another and your phone is unfazed, simply switching from one local company to another. (Data rates will change, but you can find them easily online.) You load your phone with credits and set your account to reload automatically.

But the international SIM cards can be quirky. For instance, to make a call, you enter the number and press enter or send. The call is instantly disconnected, and sometimes weird codes appear on the screen. Seconds later, the phone rings. You pick up, and then it connects your call. It’s weird at first, but you get used to it. 

A final note: though the rates sound reasonable, beware. You can easily fall into your home habits and stay overconnected. Don’t. For a while, I was running through $10 or $15 of data a day.

How to Avoid a Smartphone's Bite - NYTimes.com