Avoiding the high cost of mobile calls abroad

Avoiding the high cost of mobile calls abroad
I haven't left yet, but the experiment has started already, and here's the first tip...

Before you leave, call your mobile phone company to check that your phone is not barred from international roaming, and make sure you ask what the call charges are. Calls to/from South America using 02 are expensive: its £1.70 /min to call the UK (landline or mobile), £1.41 to receive a call from the UK, 40p to send a text to the UK and £6 /MB to send/receive data. The good news is that receiving a text from the UK is free!

So, the new plan is to leave my mobile broadband dongle in the bag, and leave the phone off most of the time. Whilst on the road, I shall check for texts occasionally and send texts - or a quick call, if necessary - my PA can handle the rest for me. Otherwise, I shall Skype the office for free and call clients for 1.2-1.8p /min. I did consider mobile Skype, but the data charge would make this as expensive as mobile phone calls.

I am intending to logon most mornings (around midday UK time) to download email and Skype the office and clients if necessary. I'm told hotel Wi-Fi is available in most places, although I may end up using internet cafes if I get stuck. In the evenings I should be able to catch up with emails and do any necessary work that my PA wasn't able to take care of - hopefully, that will be minimal!

Well, this is the last post before I leave. My next post should be from Buenos Aires towards the end of next week, providing the BA strikes are still off ... fingers crossed.

For more ways to help you save time, money and hassle visit www.office-lifeline.co.uk