Truphone

If you love to travel internationally, a MUST HAVE is Truphone.
I use the Truphone Sim Card product (they have another product for Truphone App). With the Truphone Sim Card — I have one US number — and I can use it virtually anywhere I travel to (with an unlocked phone). No more trying to buy different SIM cards and keeping track of them. Pay as you go. Woohoo!
Last year, I went on a group tour with National Geographic Expeditions to a country where no one else on the tour had cell phone service (except this girl right here — that’s right… ME!). My phone was passed around like a hot commodity for everyone to call their loved ones. (I got a lot of free drinks in return). Truly a MUST HAVE! I’ve been using this for at least 2 years now when I travel.
Rate Checker —
TIPS:
1) When arriving in countries, a text message is sent to your phone of the local rates to receive and send calls /​texts.
2) Depending on your phone, sometimes it doesn’t pick up the network automatically. The first time I had trouble (after traveling to at least 5 different countries was Grand Cayman). Easy solution — you just need to manually change the network in the phone settings.
3) Receiving text messages are usually free.
ENJOY!

* Finally an answer for when I travel! *
I am sick and tired of switching in new SIM cards to my mobile phone every time I land in a new country. These folks have come up with a brilliant solution. They give you a single SIM card, and you can add numbers in different countries to it. Brilliant!
Right now they only have numbers in the States and UK, but they are expanding quickly (with a promise to add Canada in about a year — can’t wait!).
I ordered the card, and received it in about 10 days, along with a complimentary start-​up credit on it.
I logged onto the website, got to choose from all the available numbers to find one I really liked, and was up and running!
Calls within the US are reasonable at 15 cents a minute, and that INCLUDES calls back home to Canada! Woo hoo! Calls to a bunch of international destinations are also quite reasonable (15 cents to Hong Kong, 16 cents to Japan, etc.)
And now when traveling into one of their «local» countries I will receive a text message upon turning on the phone letting me know the rates, and any discount upgrades available.
For instance, when I visit the UK I can upgrade to get local UK rates for $ 12.99 and then all calls within the UK are 12 cents a minute without having to switch SIM cards — even when people call me on my US number and I’m in the UK!
And if I need to have a local number for people to call me, I can add a UK number that rings through as well (which will work in the States for that same 15 cent rate).
They already have low cost roaming (much lower than my other SIM cards from North America) for travel in most of Europe, and will be offering local rate plans in a bunch more countries soon.
Finally a solution to my problem of having to switch SIM cards all the time!
Once they add Canada I’ll be able to make this my permanent SIM card at home too! Can’t wait! For now I will be using it whenever I’m down in the States, Europe, or Australia (which they just announced as the next local country to be added soon). (Their rates in Asia are still not fabulous sadly, but I imagine that will change as they add local countries there too.)
Really a brilliant idea for international travel! Thank you, Truphone!
Oh, and you’ll get a 5^th star when I see your Canadian local rates — hopefully sooner than later!