Avoid heavy charges for using your cell phone overseas

“Recently, Clark heard from a listener who took an iPhone to Europe and got hit with more than $5,000 in fees for overseas use.... But realize that there is a much better alternative. Get a pre-paid SIM chip to use in an unlocked world phone. Clark … recommends Telestial.com. Whatever you do, don't trust a stateside cell carrier with your wallet while overseas!”

Reviewed on Clark Howard National Radio Show

Staying connected to your business from overseas

“For better savings, consider using two phones - one for data, the other for talking. Telestial offers cheap calls via a SIM card - called the Passport - that can be inserted into unlocked GSM phones. The card costs $39 and works in 110 countries around the world, primarily in Europe, where outgoing calls are $0.49 per minute, while received calls are free.”

Reviewed on CNNMoney.com

Navigating the New World of Cellphones, as the Options Pile Up

“Travelers too lazy or too enthralled by their journeys to keep comprehensive journals … (can) outsource the job to their cellphones. Telestial, an international cellphone network ... tracks your travels and posts (to your private Web page) stock photos of everywhere you’ve been. Then while you’re sitting on the runway waiting for takeoff, you can post entries on your online travel journal via text message. The service is included in the price of Telestial’s international phone packages or SIM cards.”

Reviewed by the New York Times

Call for help before you need to phone home from overseas

“Another option is to go with a company such as Telestial, which offers SIM cards that allow users to make international calls without paying outrageous roaming fees. Customers pay $49 for an international SIM card that comes with $10 of talk time, and the SIM card enables the phone to work in more than 90 destinations worldwide. Outgoing calls to the U.S. start at as little as 49 cents a minute.”

Reviewed by the Dallas Morning News

New service creates travel journal by tracking cell phone.

“Online travel communications retailer Telestial has just launched Travel Journal, an online service that automatically creates an online trip journal based on the location of the user's phone. Using a special SIM card that triangulates the user's location using cell phone towers, Travel Journal automatically updates in more than 100 countries. T rip data is displayed on a Google map and a journal is created with images of locations visited by the traveler, local weather, and a record of recent communications. Users can manually update their journal by sending text messages or photos to the Travel Journal site. … This service …(is) fun for people planning road trips or international travel. … (they can) enjoy their travel, instead on focusing on chronicling it.”

Reviewed by CNet News

Carry On! The Best Travel Gadgets

"TELESTIAL SIM CARD/GSM PHONE, $100. The GSM phone available through Telestial also works overseas; you insert a SIM card that will work with a local number and a local rate, so you can forget the exorbitant fees. There is free incoming calls in 40 countries in the world. No contract is necessary."

"Unlike phone rental options, Telestial eliminates problems associated with incompatible cellular networks abroad or being tied to a U.S. network that charges huge overseas rates. Telestial works with international providers, and their customers can get the same low local call rates that international residents would pay, plus the convenience of having an enabled phone prior to arriving in an international destination."

Reviewed by CBS

Another phone menu: how to call home from abroad

"A Telestial GSM 900/1800 international cell phone starts at $99, while a smaller phone with more features begins at $179. SIM cards cost $17-$79, but Telestial says they pay for themselves within 30 minutes of use when comparing the costs with international roaming rates. With Telestial's $49 Passport SIM card, for instance, that call from Spain would cost 49 cents a minute. Using a $59 Explorer SIM card, a call from Russia would be 45 cents a minute. Both cards allow free incoming calls from the United States."

Reviewed by The Boston Globe

Calling From Abroad at Reasonable Rates

“Telestial's customers are billed only when they use the service, so it's a good backup option for any traveler to have…”

Reviewed by The New York Times

A Celestial deal from Telestial

“You’ll get the lowest possible per-minute rates.”
“Telestial holds you hand every step of the way.…”

Reviewed by Frommer's

The best travel technology product awards

“...an essential convenience for anyone traveling out of the US. No matter where they are, a single phone number reaches the traveler, affordably and easily.”

Reviewed by The Travel Insider

Staying Connected

‘If you want to save money, get a GSM phone from an independent supplier like Telestial.”

Reviewed by Newsweek