Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Many smartphones, such as the iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry, work in Europe
(though some older Verizon iPhones don't). For voice calls and text messaging, smart-
phones work like any mobile phone (as described under “Roaming with Your Mobile
Phone,” earlier)—unless you're connected to free Wi-Fi, in which case you can use
Skype, Google Talk, or FaceTime to call for free (or at least very cheaply; see “Calling
over the Internet,” earlier).
The (potentially)
really
expensive aspect of using smartphones in Europe is not
voice calls or text messages, but sky-high rates for data: checking email, browsing the
Internet, streaming videos, using certain apps, and so on. If you don't proactively ad-
just your settings, these charges can mount up even if you're not actually using your
phone—because the phone is constantly “roaming” to update your email and such.
(One tip is to switch your email settings from “push” to “fetch,” so you can choose
when to download your emails rather than having them automatically “pushed” over
the Internet to your device.)
The best solution: Disable data roaming entirely, and use your device to access the
Internet only when you find free Wi-Fi (at your hotel, for example). Then you can
surf the net to your heart's content, or make free (or extremely cheap) phone calls via
Skype. You can manually turn off data roaming on your phone's menu (check under
the “Network” settings). For added security, you can call and ask your service provider
to temporarily suspend your data account entirely for the length of your trip.
Some travelers enjoy the flexibility of getting online even when they're not on free
Wi-Fi. But be careful. If you simply switch on data roaming, you'll pay exorbitant
rates of about $20 per megabyte (figure around 40 cents per email downloaded, or
about $3 to view a typical web page)—much more expensive than it is back home. If
you know you'll be doing some data roaming, it's far more affordable to sign up for a
limited international data-roaming plan through your carrier (but be very clear on your
megabyte limit to avoid inflated overage charges). In general, ask your provider in ad-
vance how to avoid unwittingly roaming your way to a huge bill.
Public Pay Phones:
Coin-op phones are virtually extinct in Portugal. To make calls
from public phones, you'll need a prepaid phone card, described next.
Metered Phones:
In Portugal, some phone centers and bigger post offices have
phones with meters. You can talk all you want, then pay the bill when you leave—but be
sure you know the rates before you have a lengthy conversation. Note that charges can be
“per unit” rather than per minute; find out the length of a unit.
