If you do own a cell phone — do you travell abroad? Currently, it is estimated that over 80% of cell phones in the US are not capable of working abroad, so the chances are, you will need a second solution if you want to keep in contact when traveling.

There can be a number of factors that determine whether your cell phone will work abroad, but the quickest and easiest way is to contact your carrier and ask them directly. If your carrier does provide an international service, what are the call charges?

Using your own cell phone abroad can be far more expensive than using it in the US, because every call you make when abroad will have a charge from your own carrier plus a charge from the carrier your cell phone automatically registers within the country you are visiting.

Your carrier will be able to tell you their charge, but they may not know how much the foreign carriers will charge you, so your bill could come as a nasty surprise.

Will I have to pay a fee?

If your carrier does provide an international service, you may need to notify them first before you leave so they can make the changes to your account, and you may have to pay an upgrade fee to activate your international service.

Does my cell phone handset use the right technology?

Your carrier may offer an international service, but only to its subscribers that use a certain type of cell phone handset.

If you tell your carrier which type of handset you own, they should be able to tell you. Inorder to use your carrier’s international service you may need to upgrade your handset, and these upgrades can be expensive.

How the Mobal World Phone overcomes these problems? At just $49, it is easy to afford just for traveling. Because there are no fees other than for your calls, it doesn’t matter if you travel every month of just once a year.

It can be much cheaper than upgrading your existing cell phone (if that is possible), plus you will have a dedicated international phone number that will work around the world (for life) so you can choose who calls you when you are traveling.

You will know exactly how much every possible call costs, rather than only finding out when you get your statement. And with a 60-day money back guarantee, it might be worth giving it a try.

I have traveled for 30 years and just returned from vacationing in Italy. The Mobal World Phone made a wonderful difference on the trip thanks to the comfort and security of knowing that the family and friends back home could reach me.

M. Boucher, DE

Renting a cell phone for the period of your trip has traditionally been the popular option to keep in contact.

The way rental works:

1. You contact a rental company to order your phone.
2. You pay a deposit and rental charges for the period of your trip.
3. You arrange for a collection day before you travel.
4. While you use the phone on your trip, the charges for your calls are deducted from your credit card.
5. You arrange to return your phone when you arrive back home.

Why rental looks like a good idea

You only have to invest your money in a cell phone for the period of your trip. However, in reality it is not as good as it seems.

It is true that a few years ago the cost to buy a second cell phone (just for international use) was a luxury that only those who traveled very frequently could afford.

But today this luxury has become affordable to all. In fact, you can buy your own International Cell Phone for almost the same price you would pay for just couple of weeks of rental charges.

If you still decide that cell phone rental is the best option for you, here are a few things you need to consider before choosing a cell phone rental company:

The cost of cell phone rental: The cost of rental differs between $3-$8. It would seem obvious to go with the cheapest option, but you must look into what other charges are involved.

Minimum rental period: Some companies will impose a minimum on their cell phone rental, e.g. you must rent for at least one week, or one month etc.

Minimum daily call usage: You may have to agree to a minimum call usage per day, that you will be charged for, whether you make the call or not.

Delivery charges: You could be charged as much as $30 for shipping and collection, so make sure you check first.

Charges for itemised invoices: Another area where cell phone rental companies can gain a few extra dollars is by charging for itemized invoices, a necessity for business users and very useful for vacationers also.

Insurance: First, check whether this is optional or not. You may find that you are covered under your general travel insurance policy. Also, check what the deductible is.

Deposits/credit card authorizations: Most companies will demand a deposit or authorise your credit card for a certain amount before they agree to rent a cell phone to you. This can be anywhere up to $1000 off your credit card when you need it most -- on vacation.

Final thoughts on renting a cell phone.

Renting a cell phone was once the most popular option, but now that the cost to own your own international cell phone has come down, rental is no longer cost effective.

If you still decide you would like to rent, make sure you check out all the extra charges.

How the Mobal World Phone overcomes these problems.

At just $49 you can have your own international cell phone, which works in over 140 countries, which you can take traveling on every future trip abroad you may ever take.

When you consider that $49 will rent you a phone for about 2 weeks only, you can easily see the savings you could make.

I researched my options to have a phone while I travelled and I found that buying the Mobal World Phone was the most economical. I was pleased by your service and the Mobal World Phone was very easy to use.

Jean John, NC

Your International Cell Phone will use a little, removable electronic chip, called a SIM card, which contains your connection to the carrier. Many carriers in each country provide their own local SIM cards that you can purchase, giving you local call rates.

You pay for credit in advance, and then you must keep topping-up your credit, or the service will be cut-off when you reach your limit.

To use local SIM cards, you will need to buy a SIM-free international cell phone separately (one that is not "locked" to the SIM card of one carrier).

Buying a SIM free cell phone will generally be more expensive than one that comes with a SIM card, as it will not be covered by the carrier.

Local SIM cards are increasing in popularity with travelers because:

You get local call rates: You will be using the same service that many of the locals are using.

You get a local number: If you are giving your number out to locals, it could be an advantage that your phone number will be in the format of that country.

Pre-pay for your calls: You buy call credit in advance, which you may find useful to for sticking to your budget.

What are the problems with local SIM cards?

They are expensive to buy — you may get cheaper calls, but to purchase the actual SIM card you need to pay anywhere up to $60, before you even make a call.

It can be expensive to buy the cell phone — it will cost you more to buy your international cell phone as you will need one that is not "locked" to one carrier’s SIM card, and so will not be covered. A 4-country trip around Europe could cost as much as $306 for the phone and SIM cards, before you have made a call.

The SIMs will expire if unused — If you do not use your local SIM card, typically for 9 months, it will expire. If you planned to return to the same country a year later, you would need to buy a replacement local SIM card.

You may pay for calls you never use — because you are pre-paying for your calls in advance, you may not use all your credit before you leave, and you will have paid for calls you will never make.

You can get cut-off during conversations — as soon as your credit runs out you will be cut-off, and you may not be able to buy more credit immediately.

You will have to change phone number in each country — if you are traveling to a few countries and have SIMs for each country, you will be changing phone numbers as you cross borders.

It can be hard to keep friends back home informed with which phone number you areusing and when.

Foreign-speaking customer support. If you have problems using your local SIM cards, you may find the only customer support is in the language of the country you are visiting.

Final thoughts on local SIM cards.

You may think that local SIM cards offer a great deal due to the fact they offer local call charges. However, you must look into both the extra costs in setting yourself up with everything, and the extra inconvenience they bring, especially if you plan to visit a number of countries in the future.

How the Mobal World Phone overcomes these problems.

Because $49 buys you everything -- for that price you get the phone and the SIM card that works in over 140 countries. Saving you $225 over the example given earlier about visiting 4 European countries.

Your Mobal SIM will never expire -- your Mobal service is yours for life. Every time you travel in the future your Mobal phone will go with you, whether you travel once a month, once a year, or even once every 10 years.

You only pay for calls you actually make -- because you pay after you have made your calls with Mobal, you know you are only paying for calls you actually made, you never have to estimate how much credit you need and run the risk of never using it.

You will never get cut-off through lack of credit -- again, because you pay after your calls and do not need to buy credit in advance, your Mobal World Phone is always connected so you decide when to end the call.

You keep the same number around the world -- once you get a Mobal phone number, you will keep the same number around the world, for life.

Friends never need to know which country you are in, they just dial your Mobal number and reach you English-speaking customer support -- you can call us free from you Mobal World Phone anytime you have a problem, and get your answers back in plain English.

I will save over $200 with the Mobal World Phone -- the cost of buying local SIM cards for the countries that I am visiting.

Gerald Hubler, FL

There was a time when using hotel and public phones abroad was the only option to keep in contact, and some people still swear by it -- they require no research or expense, before you leave home.

You do not need to invest in a cell phone -- you just use the hotel phone or a public phone, when you need it.

However, this is about the only reason.

Now that it is affordable to take an international cell phone with you, each time you travel, it really does make relying on hotel phones and public phones a thing of the past.

Most people who use them now are those that have not invested in an international cell phone because they did not think they would need one.

The main problems with using hotel and public phones.

Need to organize times to be contacted. Nobody will be able to call you at a moment's notice, they will have to wait for a pre-arranged time or leave you a message, no matter how urgent it is.

You have no idea how much calls will be costing you — if you ask at reception how much a call will be, there is a good chance that they will not be able to tell you, so you will just have to take the risk each time you make a call, and wait for your bill to see if it was worth it.

You may have to go through a foreign operator — when placing an international call you may need to speak to a foreign operator who does not speak English, are you confident that you would be able to place the call?

Final thoughts on using hotel phones.

Although you may have been tempted to just take a chance with hotel and public phones, the reality is that it could prove to be more expensive, and a lot more hassle, than investing in your own international cell phone.

How The Mobal World Phone overcomes these problems.

Be contactable at a moment's notice -- because you have The Mobal World Phone in your pocket, you can be contactable anytime you need to be.

Know exactly what each call is costing you -- with Mobal you can find out in advance exactly what every phone call you could possibly make will cost you, so you never get a nasty surprise when the bill comes.

All support is in English -- you will never need to speak to an operator with your Mobal World Phone, but if you do need support, you can ring Mobal for free from your phone and hear a friendly English voice, no matter where in the world you are.

I never thought in my dreams that I could come across a deal like this, it is amazing! Before I got my Mobal World Phone I would get crucified by the hotel phone rates.

Cedilio Ensley, UT

You can get free, unlimited calls to potentially any other computer with an Internet connection. However, to make free calls using the Internet, you will need:

1. A computer with Internet connection.
2. A headset, or microphone and speaker.
3. The correct software to be installed on the computer (the most popular is called Skype and can be downloaded for free.
4. The person you want to contact must have the same set-up. This may seem complicated, but it is very popular and you may find that most Internet cafes are set up for you to a make Internet calls.

You will obviously have to pay for your time on theInternet, but if the person you want to contact also has the same set-up on their computer, you will be able to call each other for free.

What if the other person does not have the right set-up?

Using the Internet, you will be able to call normal cell phones and landline phones, but it will cost you. Using the most popular Internet calling company, Skype, you can register and buy credit in advance. However, your friends will not be able to call you on the Internet from an ordinary phone.

The problems with using the Internet to make calls.

Using the Internet to get free calls may seem like the perfect idea, but it does have a lot of problems too.

You need to pre-arrange times to call — like using hotel phones, you will need to arrange a time when you and the person you want to speak with will be sat at a computer.

You may not be able to find a computer with the correct set-up, although using the Internet to make calls is growing in popularity, you may still find that computers you can access will not be set-up for making calls.

The line quality can be poor. The quality of the line can differ completely, sometimes it may be better than using a normal phone, but other times it will be much worse. It also depends on the type of microphone and speakers installed, and the Internet connection of the computer.

Final thoughts on using the Internet for free calls.

Using the Internet to get free calls sounds like a great idea, but you will need to make sure that the computer you plan to use has the correct software installed, and a headset (or make sure you take a headset with you), and you may not be able to make calls when you want to as you will need to pre-arrange times for your friends to be sat at their own computers ready for your call.

How The Mobal World Phone overcomes these problems:

Be contactable at a moment's notice — because you have the Mobal World Phone in your pocket, you can be contactable anytime you need to be your Mobal World Phone will automatically use the strongest cell phone signal – so you can be sure that your call quality will be the best available from where you are calling.

With the Mobal World Phone you always know that you can make a call exactly when you need to, which you will never be able to do if you rely on using the Internet.

You definitely have the best plan going! I've traveled overseas quite a bit, but having The Mobal World Phone will raise my wife's comfort level when she accompanies me soon on her first trip.

Robert A. Kotche, MT

An international cell phone that works in many countries using just one SIM card. Despite this general description, services offered by different companies can vary, so not all world phones are the same.

To show some of the differences between world phone options, you will see The Mobal World Phone's benefits and how these compare to other world phones.

The Mobal World Phone costs just $49 — other world phone options can start from about $150.

The Mobal World Phone has no fees other than for calls — other world phones can charge some sort of ongoing fees, either monthly or yearly, these can be as much as $350 per year, before you even make a call.

The Mobal World Phone works in over 140 countries — to date, you will not find a world phone that works in more countries than the Mobal World Phone.

The Mobal World Phone uses an easy dialing method — some other world phones use a system of dialing where you must first call an access number, and wait for a call back before making your connection, which can be long-winded and complicated.

With Mobal you just dial the number you want in the full international format.

With the Mobal World Phone you get the most affordable package available to travelers, both for purchase price, and because it has no other fees — you only pay for your calls.

I don't think there is any service that compares to this one. The rate structure and the ability to use the phone in 140 nations is great.

Dorothy Simms, OH

As you can see, there are a number of different options, and in reality, only you can decide which option is best for you. However, below is a quick overview of the options discussed:

1. Using your own US cell phone: If you find that your own US cell phone can be used abroad then this could be the most convenient option for you, but make sure you find out what all the cost are, as you may have to pay extra fees, or for an upgraded handset.

2. Renting a cell phone: This used to be the best option if you did not travel enough to justify buying a second cell phone. However, today you can buy an international cell phone for as little as $49 from Mobal, so rental is not cost-effective anymore.

3. Using local SIM cards: These are popular with travelers today because they advertise cheaper call rates, however, the cost to purchase everything you need can be expensive and cancel out any savings you make on getting cheaper calls.

4. Using hotel and public phones: These should really be used as a last chance option. Compared to using a cell phone they can be both expensive and inconvenient.

5. Using the Internet: You can get free calls using the Internet, but you and the people you may want to call all need to be set-up in advance with the correct hardware and software. They also have the inconvenience of using hotel and public phones, you need to organize times to be contactable.

6. Buying your own world phone: As long as you choose a service that is cheap to purchase, and does not charge any extra fees other than calls, buying your own world phone -- like the $49 Mobal World Phone with no extra fees -- can be the most convenient option. Plus, the Mobal World Phone gets rave reviews from the travel experts.

The Mobal World Phone is the convenient option for people who don't already have a usable phone. It costs just $49 and works in 140 countries and comes equipped with a SIM card.

Mauricio Flores San Diego, CA

Why not try the Mobal World Phone for your next trip (60-day Money Back Guarantee). If you're not totally delighted with your Mobal GSM World Phone for any reason, return it within 60 days for a full, prompt, no-hassle refund.

Buy now and get a FREE set of 5 Power Connections travel adapters, worth $25. The set contains 5 high-quality electrical adapters, so you can charge your phone in any country in the world. The adapters come in a sturdy carrying case.

You can also use the adapters with chargers for your other electricals -- such as your laptop, your digital camera or even your iPod. The set is essential for any world traveler.