1. Your GSM phone assumes the characteristics of the wireless network in each country you visit. So if you are traveling in Italy, your phone will work like a local Italian wireless device.

2. Upon arrival, you should learn how to make local calls in the country visited.

3. While roaming outside the U.S., be sure to make all international calls using the international format (+, country code, number). For example, to place an international call back to the United States, dial +1, then the area code and number (the U.S. country code is "1%u2033). In most GSM devices, holding down the 0 key will cause the + sign to appear.

4. When roaming outside the U.S., most phones allow you to reach voice mail, by holding down the 1 key. If you are unable to reach voice mail this way, dial your own wireless number (inserting a +1 before the number) and press the * key during the voice mail greeting. You will need to know your voice mail password. Calls to voice mail when roaming internationally are billed at international rates.

5. The 911 emergency number is unique to the U.S. In many European countries, the emergency number for police, fire, or ambulance is 112. Outside Europe, emergency numbers will vary by country.

6. When you are abroad and turn on your wireless phone, it will automatically search for a wireless network. Registration usually occurs within 30-40 seconds. When the name or network number of the local operator is displayed, your phone should be ready to use.

7. Most phones are preset to roam automatically, which means that the phone will switch networks as you move from one country to another. However, when you arrive at certain international destinations, it may be necessary to turn your wireless phone off and then back on again, so it recognizes the local wireless network. If you are still having trouble switching networks, or would like to manually switch networks, please consult your owner's manual for assistance.

8. Charges for calls placed while roaming internationally will appear on your regular wireless bill. Sometimes charges for international usage take several weeks to process and appear on your bill.

9. Like any other appliance, you will need a universal phone charger and plug adapters for the countries you are visiting.

10. In some countries, using a wireless phone while driving is prohibited. Contact the local tourist information office for regulations that may apply.

First thing you should consider if you are a spontaneous traveler is a mobile phone, but obviously not just an ordinary mobile phone like the one's sold for local use, I mean if you're gonna travel to other countries you must pick a phone that supports Global System for Mobile networks in foreign countries. Either an international roaming plan from you U.S. carrier or a local SIM card (subscriber identity module) in the country you're about to visit. If you already have a phone from a US carrier that supports GSM, that doesn't necessarily mean that your phone is a world phone. As you should know, GSM works in different frequencies - GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (each of these numbers represents a different GSM frequency). For a true world phone, it should be compatible and work under all the these frequencies. GSM World has a helpful list that shows which GSM frequencies are supported in nearly every country in the world. The site also provides information on the telecom companies available in each country, plus each carrier's network coverage map. It's a good idea to find out whether your phone supports the GSM frequency for your destination before you hop on the plane. GSM handles voice calls. On the data side, the complementary services are General Packet Radio Service, the faster Enhanced Data for Global Evolution, and several so-called 3G (for third generation, the fastest wireless communications) technologies, of which only Universal Mobile Telephone System has begun to appear in the U.S.

To use a mobile phone abroad, you'll need to subscribe to an international phone plan. Such a plan allows you to call people overseas and receive calls from abroad while you're in the U.S.-albeit at a very high per-minute price. Text messaging your buddy in Calcutta is more economical. The major nationwide carriers AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, Nextel, Sprint PCS,T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless - offer international roaming service. This means the companies have partnered with carriers in other countries to provide expanded service to U.S. customers. Some regional cellular companies also offer international roaming. AT&T/Cingular and T-Mobile run on GSM, and Nextel runs on Integrated Digital Enhanced Network. Sprint and Verizon use Code Division Multiple Access.

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