Data and Voice have become one of the most important things for people especially when one travels. In the yester years, it was unimaginable to access family and friends when one was travelling inside the country itself, let alone abroad. Once in a while a postcard that arrived would acknowledge the health and well being of a relative working far away. But this scenario has fast changed ever since the internet came into existence. SIM Cards and mobile phones were other incredible additions that allowed national and international calling. With SIM only Prepaid plans, now travellers, students and professionals who work in countries abroad can easily make international calls without the steep prices that were once charged. International calling, be it from the mobile phone service or via the internet, is now one of the most important necessities, almost like a bare basic for people who plan to travel abroad and the new age SIM and online calling facilities are able to fulfil these requirements with ease.
International Phone Calls
One of the primary ways to connect with a loved one is to make a phone call. It’s a mindless simple act but when it comes to international calls, it’s not as simple as just picking up a phone and dialling. Making an international call is very expensive because of the varying international cell coverage limitations. This is one of the main reasons why travellers and professionals have a hard time making phone calls to their family or friends back home when in a foreign country.
Having a mobile phone with a SIM card that does not have service coverage in the particular country can be a big hurdle as this renders the phone incapable of making phone calls at all. Many cell service providers operate only in a specific range of countries and if one ends up going in a new country where the person’s cell service is inoperable, making phone calls can be quite hard and one ends up relying on phone booths and other telephone services, which are extremely pricey.
Ways to make Cheap International Calls
For a traveller or tourist abroad, there are plenty of options to make international phone calls without having to burn a hole in the pocket. Below are some of the best options:
1. SIM Only Plans
SIM only prepaid plans are one of the best ways to make international calls on the go. This is a method of buying just a SIM card that can be used on a phone. Many mobile companies provide this SIM card at a cheap price, sometimes even free. All a person needs to do is recharge the SIM card with the amount that one plans to spend over international calls. This is one of the fastest and easiest ways to stay connected while travelling abroad
2. Online Calling Apps
Most of the countries offer WiFi in many of its locations such as airports, rail and bus stations, metro stations, cafes and hotel rooms etc. Online calling apps such as Skype, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, Google Duo and Google Hangouts etc offer free calling with data. SIM cards often come with data plans so making online calls is another cheap alternative.
3. Calling Cards
A calling card comes in a prefixed amount such as $10 or 5 euros and can be bought by travellers. This card has an access code that can be dialled following the phone number allowing the user to make an international call easily.
