Using my phone as a Paris guidebook cost me $50 — here's how to save on your bill when traveling abroad

I didn’t think much of my daily cell phone use during a vacation to Paris in May.

But by the end of the five-day trip, I’d amassed almost $50 in extra charges — for fairly routine tasks like checking restaurant hours and menus, or researching neighborhood attractions after long, meandering walks.

While not a bank-breaking sum of money, it was high enough to frustrate this personal finance reporter and make me rethink phone use (and the value of better pre-planning) for my next excursion.

Luckily, there are many ways to potentially reduce or eliminate extra cell phone costs when traveling outside the U.S., experts said.

“There’s no one single way to save money using your smartphone when you’re overseas,” said John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud at the National Consumers League, a consumer advocacy group.