Dear LH, My partner and I are heading to Europe for three weeks – we’ll be in Germany first, then Austria and finally the Netherlands. We're normally happy to hit up wi-fi when it’s available, but we’re going to be cycling for a large part of the trip and want to make sure we’re connected, with plenty of data. Happy to grab a local sim when we get there, but unsure whether we need to do that in each country or the best provider to go with for coverage in all three?

We're pretty keen on Globalgig's Roaming SIM card, which is one of the better-value offerings for travellers out there who want to dodge roaming rorts. Now it has an added attraction -- an option to access 4G networks in Australia and the UK, which is actually one of the cheaper 4G data packages even if you never head overseas.

Vodafone's $5 a day roaming option is one of the better choices if you're travelling overseas and want to keep your phone number. If you're on one of Vodafone's more expensive Red plans, you now won't have to pay that $5 daily fee to use it.

Telstra has always had stupidly expensive deals for roaming data and overseas calls on mobile plans. Do its new International Travel passes -- which incorporate a bundle of options for a fixed period -- improve that situation? Yes, but you can still do better.

Hey Lifehacker, I am heading overseas and want to minimise my data usage on my iPhone. Which settings do I need?

Hi Lifehacker, I'm heading overseas for 12-18 months and I'd like to keep my mobile phone number active as it's the failsafe/reset for several online services I use (Gmail, LastPass and so on). I won't be using it for outbound calls, just to be able to receive the occasional SMS or incoming call for verification.

Dear Lifehacker, I'm going overseas soon, and am considering picking up a local SIM in my destination country. The only problem is tethering is explicitly prohibited by the plan I want to use.

Vodafone's $5 a day roaming deal is one of the better choices out there if you want to roam on your existing account. If you're travelling to New Zealand, it's now an even more appealing option, since you'll be able to access Vodafone's own 4G network while doing so.

A couple of years back, I visited Tokyo and was struck by the fact that there was a genuine dearth of "free" Wi-Fi options. I recently returned to Japan's capital city to see if things had improved.

Travelling internationally is difficult enough without worrying about your phone. To avoid paying a fortune for international roaming fees, here's how to prep your phone for travel so you can stay connected without breaking the bank.

Global roaming rates are a rort. That's news to nobody. But if you were desperate to keep hold of your Australian phone number while travelling overseas, what's the best way to cap your costs?

Dear Lifehacker, I'm taking a trip to the US soon with my partner, and we want to be able to use our phones to contact one another while we're there, and maybe give our folks the odd shout to let them know we're alive. So we'd need a decent data pack at the very least, and ideally the ability to call or SMS. What's the cheapest -- and easiest -- way of doing this?

Not only does paying for global roaming mean you are often ripped off, it can be very confusing trying to work out what rates you'll be charged based on your destination. As of 24 March, Telstra will be making its rates a little less confusing -- but it's still a very expensive way to stay in touch on the road, especially when using data.

Vodafone's $5 a day roaming deal is one of the better ways to avoid being rorted with excess phone charges when you go overseas. From 23 January, it will also work in six major Asian countries.

This makes the Adelaide Mayor's $20,000 roaming bill and Malcolm Turnbull's $13,000 look like amateur hour. One Australian had to battle his carrier over a $570,000 phone bill after his phone was stolen while overseas.

Yet another reminder that roaming your phone when travelling internationally is a lousy idea. Adelaide's Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood is facing a $20,000 bill after a trip to Malaysia for a regional summit.

Roaming rates charged when you use your phone overseas are one of the easiest ways to pour money down the drain. A new report highlights just how extreme the charges can get. $51.20 a megabyte for data, anyone?

Dear Lifehacker, T-Mobile in the US is about to start offering unlimited data and texting worldwide at no extra cost. So can I get a friend or someone to sign up a plan there and then use that SIM card here in Australia for unlimited data? Thanks, Data Greedy

Earlier this year, Vodafone launched a new roaming deal where you could use your existing number and credit in the US, UK or New Zealand for a flat $5 a day fee while travelling. From 7 October, that deal will also extend to an additional 34 countries in Europe.