Staying in touch on the road
Options for staying in touch with family and friends
PHONES
Long distance cards: FMCA (Family Motor Coach Assoc) offers calling cards for long-distance as do Wal-Mart, Costco, Sam’s Club and others. It can be difficult to find a pay phone, however.
Cellular phones: Several companies offer cell phone plans that cover the U.S. with no roaming. Each does have holes in their service, or areas that do not have coverage. You generally have to sign a two-year agreement so coverage where you’ll travel is critical. Consider:
- Coverage and technology: CDMA (Sprint, Verizon, Alltel and small er carriers) v. GSM (AT&T/Cingular and T-Mobile). Nextel uses iDEN. Currently CDMA has better coverage in the continental U.S., especially rural areas, though that won’t be true forever. GSM has better coverage internationally, though some CDMA phones now support GSM networks for international use.
- Your travel plans: RV forums can be a great source of information as to which carriers can work best in the areas where you’ll be traveling or staying while working.
- Plans: Check the cost of calling plans and which ones suit your needs.
Check:
- Cell phone buying guide.
- Compare cell phone plans at BillShrink.com
- Another Web site to compare rates is MyRatePlan.com
- Check cell phone towers in an area.
Prepaid cell phone: Pay as you go. More expensive than a monthly plan but a good way to budget. You are limited in choice of phones. Read this article on prepaid phone and compare rates.
Your own 800 number: FMCA offers up to three 800 numbers for calling home or frequently called numbers.
INTERNET
See articles on Internet and PocketMail.