How to Avoid a Smartphone's Bite
By SETH KUGEL SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
Correction Appended
Travel and smartphones go together - and these days, texting, updating Facebook and good old tweeting-while-eating are the least of it. Instant access to Yelp, TripAdvisor and endless other apps helps with everything from choosing an entree, tracking down discounts, posting a photo and checking the traffic ahead. Add a healthy dose of old-fashioned phone calls from poolside or mountain trail, and you might say staying connected has become something close to a constitutional right.
Just one catch: leave the country and your smartphone plan - much like the Constitution - no longer has you covered.
As many people have learned the hard way, calling and texting while abroad can bring painful bills; using data services can lead to insolvency. That's because standard international roaming rates are outrageous: $2, $3 or even $5 a minute, 50 cents for a text message. A megabyte of data costs $15 to $20. That means that checking the status of your Facebook friends can cost about $3 or $4. That's a lot to see your high school classmate's backyard tomato plant.
The good news is there are ways to save. The bad news is there are lots and lots of ways, some complementary and none perfect. Here's how I'd break it down for five kinds of budget travelers.
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