Some people don’t like getting huge roaming charges on cell phone bills when they travel abroad, and some other people might have mothers who also don’t like getting emergency collect calls from Italy that cost way too much money. There are ways to stay connected in foreign lands with the monetary bummers.

It’s a good idea to call your service provider before you head off to traverse the globe and see if you can get your phone activated for international service while you’re gone.

Even cheaper than that is using a calling card or Skyping for free, points out the New York Daily News. You can even buy calling cards online now, so you don’t even have to walk into one of those bodegas and try to decide from nine billion options.

Skype can be free, if you’re somewhere with Wi-Fi access and you have a Skype account and you’re calling another Skype account. For as little as 2.3 cents a minute, there are plans that will let you call anywhere in the world. It’ll turn your computer into a phone, by way of the magic of technology. But of course, you’ll need the Internet.

For those gone across the seas and over the mountains for longer than just a getaway, for example, students, a prepaid cell phone from a local service provider is always a good idea. You can also purchase a SIM card from a local carrier and use it in your phone, if it’s been unlocked for use with any service.

Your mother and your phone bill will thank you for being prepared.

Skype, calling cards, prepaid cell phones are ways to avoid huge roaming charges when abroad [New York Daily News]

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