Dixanta Shrestha  
SMSing is a quick and convenient way of keeping
in touch with family and friends while holidaying abroad. Forget
airport payphones and expensive hotel phones - texting from your mobile
phone means that you can stay in touch on your terms. Here are our top
tips for texting while abroad.


#1. Check you can text
with your mobile phone in the place you're visiting and find out about
the text services offered by your network provider or its partners in
your destination. You may also have to lift an international call bar
on your mobile phone before overseas use. This information should be
available from your network provider.

#2. How do you make
your mobile phone work outside the India? Easy! Your handset will
automatically search for compatible networks once you switch it on. You
can stick with your mobile phone's first network choice or, if there is
a choice of providers, use the network selection menu on your handset
to opt for an alternative.

#3. Worried that your
pre-pay phone can't be used to text from abroad? This depends on the
network you use while overseas, but in most cases you should be able to
use pre-pay phones in the same way as you would in the India. Again,
check with your India network provider.

#4. Check the
telephone numbers you are likely to use before leaving the country. To
text a India number from abroad leave out the zero at the beginning of
the area code and replace it with the symbol '+' and India country code
91. However, your network may allow you to use special short codes
without any need for international codes. This information should be
available from your network provider. For calls to local landline
numbers in the country you are staying you do not need to prefix it
with an international code.

#5. If you want to
use your mobile phone for voice calls, or for any other text or voice
services while overseas, check with the network provider to see what
you can and can't do - and how much it will cost - before you leave the
country.

# 6. Remember to pack your mobile phone charger, travel plug adapter and spare battery before you go off on your travels.

# 7. And remember to always switch your mobile phone off before boarding the aircraft.
Nov 20th 2007 06:05