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“I could never imagine going to Vinexpo [wine trade show in Bordeaux] without a cell phone,” someone told me. Why? Because I did just that.

It was unintentional, of course. Despite having a quad-band phone, I forgot the charger to my Motorola Razr. So no phone during the show. Perhaps you have felt a similar frustration in your overseas travels.

I got reunited with my charger while in France and installed a SIM chip from Orange, a local cell phone provider. It cost 30 euros for the chip and a few minutes credit. I later reloaded it at one of the ubiquitous tobacco stores (yes, that’s what they’re called) where they give you a code to add prepaid minutes. Calling domestic land lines in France is a low per minute rate. But calling French mobiles and the US sucks down the credits faster than I would a glass of 1982 Petrus.

I thought I was being Mr. Savvy International Traveler by going local. But in the end, I’m not sure it was worth it. Yes, I got a French number that is valid for eight months. But the domestic rates for calling mobile phones is so high in France, I’m not sure it’s any less than calling an American number.

So next time I might just switch on international roaming, which generally ranges from $0.99 to $1.29 a minute from American carriers. Imagine that: what’s the most convenient might also be the most price competitive. If you have further suggestions for ways to maximize your mobile, post them in the comments! And what about the iPhone–is it quad-band?

Tyler Colman, Ph.D. writes about wine in print and online at DrVino.com