Taxibooking

 So, the vacation plans are set. Tickets are booked, packing is done, and the dog has been left with the neighbours. All the vaccinations have been injected (ouch), visas are arranged and there's no sign of political unrest on the television. What have you forgotten?

Oh, that's right - you're leaving Mum behind, and she's   taxibooking  worried that you'll never come back. And all your friends keep asking you to let them know about your adventures. How are you going to keep everyone updated?

You may be escaping the country for a well-earned vacation, but you'll probably still need to send word back home. Here are 6 options for keeping in contact when travelling, no matter if you're a whiz or you have trouble finding the on-switch on a computer.

...low-tech options for staying in contact while travelling Get confused working a microwave? These are for you...

1) Postcards

Ahhh, postcards; the classic option. Who really needs more than a couple of sentences to say that you're still alive and wish that the recipient was there? You should be able to find postcards all over the place on your travels, but you can always take some with you just in case. If you're really organized, you can even pre-fill the addresses.

Another option is to get a couple of your travel photos printed as a postcard alternative - try taking the memory card of your digital camera to a printing shop, and then scribble a message and a sending address on the back with a postage stamp!

Remember that in most places it costs more to send something in an envelope; postcards are your cheapest option.

2) Payphones/Call centres

A long time ago in a galaxy far away, people used landlines to talk to each other. Believe it or not, this still happens and you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a payphone.

To get the best possible deal with landline calls, you should probably buy an international calling card. Post offices, call centres or even your hotel will sell cards that give you a better rate when phoning home.