It's never ideal when your phone dies on you in a new city. If this happens to you in Hong Kong though you're in luck as you can recharge your battery in any 7 Eleven store for just HK$10 (US$1.20 / 80p). There's a 7 Eleven on practically every street corner in Hong Kong so it won't take you long to find one.

Pop in, drop off your battery (just your battery, not the whole phone), return 30 minutes et voilà, no more running on empty. Nifty huh?

Photo Credit: 7 Eleven by speedwaystar via Flickr (Creative Commons).

By Nora Dunn

In the "global village" we live in, keeping in touch and being accessible while you are travelling isn't as tricky as it was in days gone by. But to do so while maximising your budget: that's another thing.

Cellular phones are more common than not these days (so much so that some people have done away with traditional land lines altogether). And travelling with a cell phone is also a great way to remain in contact with those you love... for a price. With roaming, long distance charges, and a myriad of other cryptic fees and charges though, it seems that cell phone providers are profiting handsomely from your travels if you aren't careful about how to navigate through the maze of cellular plans and promotions.

So should you even bother taking your cell phone with you? Is there a way to inexpensively stay in touch while you are travelling? Yes!

Here are five easy steps to "travel-proof" your cell phone:

1) Make sure your phone uses SIM cards:

A SIM card (standing for Security Information Management) is a small chip that usually lives underneath the battery in your phone. It is in effect your phone number; so don't lose it, because you'll lose your phone number too!

There are some cell phones that don't use SIM cards, and without one, you will be dead in the water and in the market for a new cell phone if you want to be globally accessible.

2) Ensure you have a GSM Quad Band phone:

GSM (standing for Global System for Mobile communications) phones are usually the standard, unless your phone came free with a plan or is a pay-as-you-go cheapie. The trick is to ensure that all four bands – cell phone frequencies – are available with your phone. 850 and 1900 Mhz frequencies are usually used in the Americas, while 900 and 1800 Mhz frequencies are the norm in Europe and Asia. By ensuring your phone covers all four frequencies – and that all four bands are open on your phone, you are one step closer to being a tech-savvy globe trotter.

3) Unlock your phone:

And no – we're not referring to the password or keypad lock. Unlocking your phone is an internal function that will allow you to put any SIM card into your phone, making it a portal for multiple phone numbers and networks. If your phone was sold to you by your cellular provider, it will probably need unlocking. You have a better chance of already owning an unlocked phone if you purchased it from a cellular store independent of any plans and put your own SIM card in.

If your phone is locked, you can purchase special kits online for about $10 to unlock the phone (which is usually a matter of entering a series of "secret" numbers into the phone), or you can pay somebody else to unlock it for you.

If you are in the market for a phone, you can easily find unlocked ones – just specify that you want a GSM Quad Band unlocked phone – and they'll know what you're after.

Now you are ready to hit the road with your travel-compatible phone. Once you reach your destination, here's what to do…

4) Buy a Pay-As-You-Go SIM card:

In many places, SIM cards are very common and readily available in convenience stores. In other places, you'll need to go to a cellular provider to get a SIM card. Just make sure you aren't buying the phone to go along with it or and that you're not getting sucked into a monthly plan; you just want a pay-as-you-go plan, and should not be required to pay much (if anything) for the SIM card itself.

5) Buy a Long Distance phone card:

With your new SIM card installed, friends and family back home can call you; but if you want to call them, you'll pay a lot for the privilege. By using a long distance phone card (again, available at most convenience stores), you will only pay local fees for the call, and your long distance fees will be covered with your calling card.

Now you are officially globally accessible!

Here are some of the benefits of travel-proofing your cell phone:

• You have a local phone number wherever you go, allowing you to make travel plans, stay in touch with new friends, and ease the burden of communication on the road.
• In many cases, incoming calls are free.
• Your family can reach you whenever they like (which may be a mixed blessing).
• You will pay only local charges (if anything) to answer the call, and hopefully they have a good long-distance plan on their land line to cover the charges.
• You can keep your home cell phone number by simply holding onto the SIM card. If you want to check messages left for you on that number, all you have to do is put the card into your phone and check your voicemail. Be warned though – you'll pay roaming and long distance fees to do so.

With these new tips, you will be a tech-savvy traveller with the matching cell phone to boot. Now go forth – and communicate!

Photo Credits:

Nokia n95 by KhE 龙 and Crazy about Mobile Phones! by ndingureiji via Flickr (Creative Commons).