Would you answer your mobile phone while overseas?
By Koalemos
@Asylum (47893)
Manchester, England
March 4, 2017 1:20pm CST
I was recently updating my financial spreadsheet and was reminded of the fluctuating bills for my mobile contract. Since my contract covers unlimited mobile and landline calls it is usually consistent, but of course calls to and from another country are not included.
My mobile phone always accompanies me because it is my way of telling the time. Furthermore it serves as my alarm clock if required.
I always know the costs for the country I am visiting and behave accordingly. Turkey would be £1-50 per minute to make or receive a call, while Tunisia was a ridiculous £2-50 per minute, so it would need to be an emergency for me to use the mobile. However, some countries such as Spain are just 26p per minute, so I have often accepted calls from friends while there.
Would you use your mobile abroad, or do you not even take it with you?
14 people like this
16 responses
@pgntwo (22405)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
4 Mar 17
Yes, and yes.
My phone an be in a foreign country at times when it is sitting on the table beside my bed at night, given the proximity to the UK/Irelnd border up here.
That wall they erect to mark the border between the two countries after Brexit completes had better be impervious to mobile phone mast transmissions ;)
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153530)
• India
5 Mar 17
When I was on a travelling spree I did not own a mobile but yes I would take it with me on holiday and keep a budget for such expenditure. The question of travel now will not arise though.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
5 Mar 17
@allknowing Sadly such booths are almost unknown now.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153530)
• India
5 Mar 17
@Asylum Those days I used to call from public booths.
1 person likes this
@Carmelanirel2 (8085)
• United States
7 Mar 17
I don't go overseas (though I would love to) but my daughter recently visited the Philippines and what we did was we skyped.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
7 Mar 17
@Carmelanirel2 That must have made you quite jealous.
1 person likes this
@Carmelanirel2 (8085)
• United States
7 Mar 17
@Asylum It was great, at 10pm here, I saw not only the sun, but knew it was warm from seeing my daughter in short sleeves while I was freezing...lol Plus, I got a live view of the house she stayed in, it was beautiful..
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
5 Mar 17
we have an international rate here from our country to other nations, and it is expensive that is why my brother resorts to messenger chat
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@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
6 Mar 17
@ridingbet I do not understand what you mean by this.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
6 Mar 17
@Asylum yes that is true. that is why the WiFi at home is always open and online
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
5 Mar 17
I brought my phone with me when I went to Thailand to a attend a forum. When I received my phone bill later the following month, I was shocked to see my bill at P6,900+. My usual monthly billing was below P2,000. Learned my lesson and placed my usage to the minimum the following year when I attended another forum in South Korea.
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
6 Mar 17
@Asylum I was charged whether I was the one sending or receiving the calls or texts.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189833)
• Boise, Idaho
4 Mar 17
If I went a broad I would take my mobile phone to keep up with my family here in the states. Unless they went with me of course.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
5 Mar 17
@celticeagle Naturally, none of us want to accept scam calls while away.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189833)
• Boise, Idaho
5 Mar 17
@Asylum .....I would check my caller ID first.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
4 Mar 17
I can pay a bit extra for an International plan and it allows me free texts so well worth it. It makes the calls much more reasonable.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
4 Mar 17
@Asylum I need to be able to contact people at home, I have my 101-year-old mother and my kids and grandkids.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
5 Mar 17
@BelleStarr That does make a difference.
1 person likes this
@pgntwo (22405)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
5 Mar 17
Oh, and come July this year, after much wrangling, mobile calls between any 2 EU countries will be no more than a call in the home country... But we in the UK spurn the EU, so I guess we must like paying over the odds for things...
MEPs push through legislation to cut fees for use of mobiles while travelling in EU, with holidaymakers able to call, text and surf at UK rates from mid-2017
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (24004)
• United Kingdom
4 Mar 17
I take my phone with me and like you use it as an alarm clock. I also go on line when I have wifi. I do not make calls on the phone unless it would be an emergency and i would not answer a call while I was away either! I have found out about wattsapp and use that. It was handy last year when my daughter was in Amsterdam and I was in Gibraltar the next time i spoke to her she was in Vienna and I was in Gran Canaria so it is very handy for that!
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (24004)
• United Kingdom
4 Mar 17
@Asylum Well it is free to use as long as you have got wifi signal so well worth thinking about!
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
4 Mar 17
@garymarsh6 An ex work colleague of mine used Skype often, but he has family in France and Algiers.
@Mike197602 (15504)
• United Kingdom
4 Mar 17
I was in cuba for a few months and took my mobile with me but got a "bolt on" to my contract which made calls cheaper to make/receive in cuba.
I didn't use it more than twice anyway and these days I don't go abroad at all
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
4 Mar 17
@Mike197602 The problem with Skype is that unless you notify all your contacts they will ring you on the usual number.
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@Mike197602 (15504)
• United Kingdom
4 Mar 17
@Asylum back then I was with 02 and payed a lot for my contract so the bolt on was free for me.
If I went abroad now and wanted to make a call i'd use skype.
I don't have a contract phone anymore just payg because I never make calls and rarely text anyone.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (98005)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
4 Mar 17
Haven't been abroad with my mobile but my hubby has been on business and he usually buys a travel card or something like that for his mobile.
1 person likes this
