Taking your iPhone To Europe

Your iPhone can be a handy, but expensive-to-use travel tool when you are in Europe. During a month-long trip I learned what works and what does not, and what you need to know before you go:

Pay to Play

Your AT&T U.S. calling plan does not include Europe. You can pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to "roam" the Continent unless you:

• Read AT&T's Travel Guide (www.att.com/travelguide; international phone call and text messaging costs). Buying a cheap cell phone in Europe, or using international phone cards, may save you money if you make many calls, Otherwise, sign up for AT&T World Traveler ($5.99/month, lower per-minute rates).
  
• Buy a monthly iPhone Global Data Add-On plan (20 MB - $24.99; 50 MB - $59.99; 100 MB - $119.99; 200 MB - $199.99) to cover e-mail, Web browsing, and other data functions done over phone company networks. (You can reduce your data costs by using Wi-Fi "hot-spots" at hotels, restaurants, or other locations). I use 100 MB/month at home, opted for the 20 MB plan (but would have gotten better use out of my iPhone with 50 MB), and exceeded it by about 2 MB. My total data costs were $49.20, but would been $601.30 without the Add-On plan.
  
• Follow AT&T's advice (www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/roaming/iphone-travel-tips.jsp ) to minimize data usage over phone company networks.

Conserve Battery Power 
       Keeping your iPhone up and running during a full day of sightseeing is difficult, so:

• Read Apple's recommendations to slow battery drain (www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html).
  
• Consider buying a supplemental battery (morphie Juice Pack Air, $79.95, Apple Store; Backup Battery for iPhone and IPod, $39.95, or RichardSolo 1800 for iPhone, $69.95, www.richardsolo.com).

Phone Calls

• Incoming: Callers just dial your iPhone's number.
  
• Outgoing: Guidebooks have instructions for dialing from Europe. The "European Calling Chart" in those by Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) is easy to use.
  

E-mail

• E-mail works the same as at home.
• 
  
  Rely on Wi-Fi rather than phone company networks to avoid data usage.

Share Photos
 
       Share photos with fellow travelers or "locals" you meet by:

• Downloading pictures from your computer onto your iPhone before leaving home.
• 
  
  Using the Safari Web browser to access on-line photo albums.

Programs for Your iPhone

       Go to the App Store section of iTunes for programs (called "apps") that let you turn your iPhone into a hand-held computer. (Download the iTunes program and install it on your computer from this page on the Apple Web site: www.apple.com/itunes/download ). Some "apps" are free; others are sold (some for less than $1, many for less than $5). Here are "apps" I used on my phone while in Europe:


Weather


       Check the weather forecast using:

• iPhone Weather app (comes with the iPhone; 6 days).
  
• AccuWeather or The Weather Channel apps (up to 15 days).

Tell Time

Set the iPhone's Clock to the time at home and in Europe:

• London is 6 hours ahead of U.S. CST/CDT.
• 
  
  Most other European cities are 7 hours ahead of CST/CDT.

Keep Up with the News

• 
  
  I used the New York Times and NPR News to read newspapers or listen to news broadcasts.
  

Send Pictures Home

• Take "Wish You Were Here" shots with the iPhone's camera.
  
• E-mail photos using Wi-Fi rather than phone company networks to avoid data usage.
  
• SodaSnap (free) or SodaSnap+ ($1.99) apps let you create and send "picture postcards."

Carry Electronic Guidebooks

• Save money and room in your suitcase by purchasing electronic guidebooks.
  
• Amazon.com's Kindle app (free) offers 708 books on Europe from several guidebook publishers.
  
• The Barnes & Noble Bookstore app (free) accesses 171 titles on European travel.
• 
  
  The Lonely Planet Travel Guides app ($0.99) lets you to buy that publisher's e-books.

Find Your Way Around

• Use the iPhone's Map app.
  
• Download mapping apps for specific cities. I used the London Bus, Tube & Rail Journey Planner ($0.99), London Tube Subway ($0.99), Fahr-Info Berlin (free), and Berlin Metro 09 (free) apps to find my way around using public transportation.
  

Find Where to Eat

• The $18.99 Michelin Guide Restaurants (Europe) app had listings in all nine cities I visited, but I thought it too pricey and did not buy it.
  
• OpenTable, Urban Spoon, and Yelp apps are free, but
  only covered restaurants in one of my stops (London).
• 
  
  Dining recommendations from guidebooks and my hotels turned out to be the best option during my trip.

Currency Conversion


       The Currency app (free) calculated the U.S. dollar equivalent of hotel stays, meals, services, or other costs in each of three currencies (British Pound, Euro, and Czech Koruna) I used.


Speak Like a "Local"

       The Talking German Phrasebook ($0.99) app not only spelled out phrases for me, but spoke them aloud through the iPhone's speaker. Unfortunately, it could not translate any response I might have gotten from a "local." I would have learned more by taking a "German for Travelers" class.


The Bottom Line

• Check the iTunes Store for iPhone apps that you could use during your trip, but carefully read the user ratings and reviews before buying and downloading them.
  
• Contact AT&T to set up voice and data roaming plans before you go.
  
• When you are not using them, turn off the iPhone services that consume battery power and increase data usage over phone company networks.
  
• Remember that you are in Europe to enjoy the sights and culture, so "disconnect" yourself from your iPhone as often as possible.