Best Phones For Travelers - Top 3 International Phones (GALLERY)

Anyone who’s ever traveled overseas knows it can be a huge inconvenience when their cell phone doesn’t work as it should. Older, cheaper phones often only have dual-band, which makes them completely useless for say, a Canadian who takes their phone to Germany. Besides access to the address book, calendar and use of the clock’s alarm, the phone isn’t of much use. In today’s highly networked world, it’s become a necessity to be able to keep in touch via mobile phone, whether it be for business or personal use.

There are exceptional phones available now that can keep you networked abroad. The beautiful part about taking your cell is that you can be reached when you want, but if the boss is calling while you’re being romanced by an Italian stallion over a bottle of red wine in Milan, you can always hit “ignore.”

Here are three excellent phones to pack along for the networked world traveler:

LG CU500v - This sleek flip phone is the perfect traveler companion and won’t weight down your carry on. At a measly 3.5 oz and only $30 (with two year contract), the Bluetooth enabled device might be the smartest thing you pack. If being hooked up to your e-mails is vital, you might want to skip this option. While the phone let’s you read your mail, it won’t let you compose.

RIM BlackBerry 8830 - The BB is a little pricier than the LG at $200 (with two year contract), but offers significantly more functionality. If you need to access a lot of info in a short amount of time, this speedy little device is for you. Verizon also offers its customers a 24/7 global help line. Its shape could make long chats a little uncomfy, so it’s more for the guy on the guy who wants to make use of Verizon’s 3G technology to keep connected with the web. Business 2.0 loves the way Bluetooth lets it function like “a wireless modem for your laptop.”

T-Mobile Wing - The Wing may be the priciest of the bunch at $300 (with two year contract), but for the work-a-holic, is well worth it. The slide-phone features the new Windows Mobile 6 operating system, a “qwerty” keyboard to make writing e-mails easier and it functions in 90 countries (and counting!) As Business 2.0 put it, “The Wing is more industrious than a hungry intern.”