

Having a cellphone just didn’t seem like I was getting off the grid.

I only needed to occasionally call my parents, but still wanted to remain unconnected from the world at large. I figured they were more convenient than scouting out a cell phone, especially since I was in each country for an only few weeks at a time. When I first traveled overseas, I used calling cards almost exclusively. While I think Skype is a decent option for travelers, especially as a simple way to communicate with people back home, I would not rely on it as my main form of communication on the road. I’d say about 95% of the people I knew back in the US had not even heard of the service. There were a few travelers who used the site to call home like I did. In my travels, I encountered a number of people who had it but, compared to the amount of people who had a cellphone, or even a chat service like MSN, the amount was minuscule. The problem with Skype is that not too many people know about. Conference calling (a great business feature).Your own Skype phone number (This service is called SkypeIn).While you still need a computer for a majority of its services, Skype now offers a variety of other services, including: Over time, they expanded the service to allow calls to land phones or mobiles for a small fee (.02 –. The only problem was that you needed a computer and a reasonably fast internet connection. It was hailed as a new way to communicate – a way that would make old phones obsolete. Additionally, if you had a webcam you could see the person you were talking to.

It allowed users to create a profile and talk to other users using VOIP (essentially it was an Internet phone). It was invented in 2003 by two Swedish guys and, in 2005, was bought by eBay. Skype is an Internet based phone service that lets you call users around the world for free. There are three major options a traveler can choose from: Skype, calling cards, and cell phones.īut which is the best? Which is the easiest? And, more importantly, the cheapest? Let’s examine all three. For that you need a phone and/or a webcam. While e-mail and social sites like Facebook and MySpace allow us to stay connected easier than ever before, sometimes you just need to hear someone’s voice or see someone’s face. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.
