Poll of the Week: Using Your Phone While Traveling

[SarahS]

How heavily do you rely on your mobile phone when you're traveling? Are you addicted to email and map apps, or do you prefer to stay out of touch? Vote in our poll!

[Globester]

I text to say I've arrived or to secure a ride home from the airport - and may make a call if I'm away at Christmas- or if I run into problems, but generally I use it to look up attractions and to keep an eye on work emails.

It's also my watch when I'm away. And my address book, when sending post cards to friends.

More than anything, it gives me a sense of security to have a phone that works when I'm traveling - and the few times I've really needed it, it's been priceless.

Of course, when the fan falls off your car in the middle of the Outback it's still no help - but it was nice to know for sure there was no cell phone reception and absolutely no way to get help, and that getting into a pickup truck with a scary stranger (like on all good horror films) really was the only option if my I couldn't limp the car back into town!

[rinnylynn]

If I'm leaving the country I only use it as a clock, alarm clock, and camera. In country I will call my land-line home phone every day or so to check messages on answering machine and to keep track of members of my group if we split/

[Host Bonjour]

Most of my travel has always been international and I don't have a GSM capable phone (I wish my network would get with the program already!) so I don't use it but I do BRING it with me to have in the airport for departure and arrival phone calls which I do actually tend to need it for when traveling. I just make sure it's plenty charged when I leave for my trip and then sure enough, when I land back home I turn it on to make whatever calls I need to make upon arrival. When I get home I get HOME fast and things start happening right away, LOL !!

And actually I don't think I would WANT to use it while on holiday - it would be one of the things I would want to be AWAY from the most! I make do with the local telecom of wherever I am or shoot off an email to someone from an internet cafe somewhere - that seems to work in terms of keeping people apprised of what I am doing while away and that I am still alive, well and generally having a good time. Seems to work alright doing in that way for me!

[soliteyah]

My phone doesn't work overseas, so I don't even bother to turn it on then. But for domestic trips I do make calls and set an alarm.

[allseasonhotels]

I also use my cellphone to save important information especially if I do not have a pen and paper with me. I am easy to awake when I am not at home but I still use the cellphone to set an alarm just to make sure I can get up early for my appointment.

[jocap]

I think there's an old mobile phone kicking about the house somewhere, but we have a very poor service here, so it's not worth using....we've managed to see so many places over our long lives without being in constant touch with home, that we wouldn't like to have one with us....we're away on holiday!
Mind you, there's always the internet......
Jo.

[commspec1]

I just call to check in, like my sister once told me on a trip we took together if anythings happen and happens we couldn't do any thing about it and this happened about 30 years ago and I have did this every trip just check in and tell them I will talk to them when I get home.

[LSKahn]

My phone would cost a mint to use out of the country and I either leave it home or turn it off. I always have access to email and use it to check and see if there is really anything I need to know. Mostly there isn't and I am on holiday anyway, so who cares?

[soliteyah]

My phone would cost a mint to use out of the country and I either leave it home or turn it off. I always have access to email and use it to check and see if there is really anything I need to know. Mostly there isn't and I am on holiday anyway, so who cares?

My feelings exactly!

[Bradkie]

I don't usually use my cell phone when I travel to Europe. In 2010 I need to be in touch with husband on a daily basis. I was in Spain for a month. I bought a phone and card for 40 euros. My husband called me daily from home using the land line long distance plan we have. I had no extra charges on the cell phone I bought in Madrid. That worked well for me in that situation.