SaleHoo Travel and the Cell Phone Quandary
Cell phones have become the main telecommunication resource for the modern world. Cell phones have enjoyed mass popularity because they allow users to make calls anywhere, anytime, and they generally provide cheap and reliable service, which begs the question: Do you take your cell phone on overseas travel?
This cell phone quandary has faced many travelers over the years, and SaleHoo Travel tackles this problem head on with a collection of ideas to consider before heading out on your next out of the country trip.
To Bring or Not to Bring: SaleHoo Travel and Cell Phones
Generally, the less valuable objects you bring while traveling, the better. It’s one less thing you have to worry about. Almost every traveler knows that important items have a high risk of getting stolen, lost, or broken while traveling, and a cell phone is no different. Pick pockets will try and grab a cell phone, which are easy to steal and hock off for quick cash. Cell phones don’t do well with rain or harsh conditions either, and life on the travel road is generally not good for them. Traveling is hard on cell phones, and reduces their physical life expectancy greatly. It may not be a good idea to travel with a cell phone simply because it increases the likelihood of it getting lost or broken.
Sometimes it might not even be practical to take your cell phone to another country because of calling restrictions. This all depends on the specific carrier and your destination, but a variety of phones either can’t be used in other countries or their roaming charges are so extreme you will rack up hundreds of dollars in bills after only a few short minutes of conversation. You can circumvent this problem by doing some preplanning research by checking out sites like SaleHoo travel to search for information on different cell phone carriers and their prices abroad.
ringing a cell phone to another country brings up a classic philosophical dilemma as well. Do you really want to be connected to everyone from home while you travel? Do you want to give your boss the ability to get a hold of you? Do you want your annoying friends to call you at weird hours because they forget about the time difference? Traveling is about getting away from your normal life, and a cell phone can serve as a miserable connection to your old world. Plus, it’s nice to come back from a two week vacation and see all the voicemails you have. Part of the joy of traveling is being disconnected, so maybe it is good to just leave your cell phone behind.
Despite the pitfalls of cell phone use abroad, they can serve an important purpose in emergence situations. If you get in a bad place and need immediate help, a cell phone could save your life. All the extra charges won’t mean anything if you are stranded and need to desperately call for help. In this circumstance, a cell phone can serve as a valuable travel safety tool.
Some countries are very cell phone friendly and have a rich integrated telecommunication system that makes it easy to use your cell phone. In many countries, you can simply buy a local SIM card to put in your home cell phone, which will allow you to make local calls at a low price while continuing to use your familiar phone. Many other destinations allow you to rent cell phones and use them while in the area. These options serve as better alternatives than braving the dangers of steep roaming charges. Once again, this all comes down to researching and figuring out what type of cell service your destination handles, which is when information providers and deal finders like SaleHoo Travel come in handy.