International cell phone or ???? How to keep in touch?

When we went to Poland we talked to our cell phone company and they had an international plan, so we got it. We could use our phone there to get and recieve calls, they were a little more expensive, but so worth it. We did not have to mess with operators or anything and it was my regular cell phone number. The one issue was places where there are no towers. We were able to keep the new plan for two months (we did two trips the first ten days and the second 6 weeks) and then go back to our regular plan. Of course I don't know about towers in the country you are going to, I would check with others who adopted from there and see, or maybe somewhere you can find business travelers who have been there, even the cell phone company might know if you can find someone live to talk to.

Unicall! If you search for them on the internet they're there. Calls to Germany were 9 cents a minute, calls to Kazakhstan were 19. You put money on your account from your credit card and you'll get an authorization code to dial. It is so easy. My mother called us at least once every three days and although we were gone for a months, she did not go through all of her $100 that she put on the card. You can use it in country to call home, it's really easy. I believe it's a Russian based company but can be used anywhere. I highly recommend them. I'll look us the number for you if you're interested; I know I have the info in my travel stuff. Let me know.

I adopted from Ethiopia last year. I did not call home at all. However the couple I traveled with did. Our guide helped them to rent a cell and buy a card with minutes for it. I know that it is hard to find a calling card in the US that allows for people to call Ethiopia to the US. Samantha

I would check with your present cell carrier first. I know Verizon has overseas service.. we used ours in Taiwan last year. Our friend used hers too while there but I can't remember which cell carrier she is with. Sarah k .

Depends on where you are traveling to. We bought magic jack. We get internet service at the hotel (Moscow) and then the little magic jack just plugs into the computer and then plug the phone into it. You can call back to the US for free. The cost was $40 and that included the jack and a yrs worth of service. It works great! There is no per minute charge.

I didn't use it, but a lot of folks adopting from China nowadays use Panda phone. You can arrange to have the phone delivered to your hotel. Check the China board if this is your country of interest. Sharon

If you have a laptop and a headset get Skype. Last I looked it was about $10.00 a month for unlimited international calling. My husband was in Afghanistan for 3 years and we have been to Russia four separate times adopting all of our kids. We used it all the time. Download their link and bring the computer with. You can talk all you want, no hidden charges or anything..

I know of Skype and some kind of international SIM card that can be put into your phone. I would contact the cell phone company you are with about the SIM card. I heard it's $100 dollars for the card. But that price may depend on what cell phone company you are with.

Rangeroamer.com has a very good plans that work around your cell phone. So you can keep in touch no matter what service you are with =)

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I am Russian.It is a lot easier to either use Skype (if u are planning to use internet and your relatives in teh US have internet as well). Then it would be free. It is a program you download on your computer (it is free) and if you have skype on your computer, and your relatives have skype on theirs you can call for free from computer to computer no matter where in the World u are. As long as you have internet access. skype.com can help you with all the info and with downloading the softwareAlso of course you can buy an international plan but it will be more expensive then just going to Russia, go to a cell phone company office (any), get a sim card there (there is no such things as phone plans in Russia - you just buy a sim card and put $ on it), stick it in your phone (if u have iphone your iphone has to be unlocked, or just buy a cheap phone here or in Russia) and in the same office where u buy sim cards, they usually sell calling cards that will allow you to call internationally. Your guide or agency representative can help you figure out how to work it out (coz there are directions how to dial the number but the instructions are in Russian)Good luck!

It depends on the country. I know in Honduras and some of central america you can buy cheap pre-paid phones ($20) and add on minutes instead of buying a plan. Calls to the US are really reasonable like 5 cents a minute. Other countries may have something similar. Also, internet cafe's have skype accounts if you don't want to bother signing up for a plan.

A lot depends on the country you are using. As an example, many China families rent Panda phones. They can be ordered while you are in the U.S. and delivered to the hotel where you are staying in China. Sharon

If you go to China, and you have an unlocked phone, you can purchase a prepaid SIM card there. It is very popular, and it is money wise for short term visitors.