OneSimCard
We have a final way around the sticker shock of high overseas phone bills. As savvy international travelers know, one of the cheapest ways to make a cell call while on the other side of the world is by replacing your phone's existing SIM card with one purchased in your destination country. But it can be a hassle buying a new card in every port of call, and in some countries (like India, where terrorism is a major concern), stores may not sell a SIM card to anyone without a local ID and address. You can avoid all that by buying a global SIM from onesimcard.com. The card works in 190 countries, and plugging one into your phone means your cell will be ready to go as soon as you touch down. OneSimCard is prepaid, so you can stock it with as much or as little money as you like and draw down the balance with each call. The rates aren't always cheap ($1 per minute to make an outgoing call in Mexico, for example), but incoming calls are free in 75 countries, and receiving texts never costs anything. One hiccup: If you change your phone's SIM card, your number will change. In the case of OneSimCard, you'll be assigned a European number, which could make it expensive for folks back home to call you. Then again, you could always just have them dial you via Skype and spend the money you both save on a real vacation, where you can ditch the phone and every other communications device altogether.