If you plan to bring your technology abroad this summer, be sure to check these 5 quick tips:

1) The voltage

Before you even think of plugging your electronic device into a foreign outlet, you need to check the voltage in that country, and the voltage compatibility on your device. I’ve posted about this in the past so I suggest reading that and checking your power supplies.

2) Mobile phone roaming enabled and possible at your destination?

Most mobile operators do not turn international roaming on by default. If I had a nickel for every time someone emailed me complaining that their mobile phone "could not get a signal" at their destination, I’d have a couple of bucks.

There are 2 things to check before taking your phone with you:

Is international roaming enabled?

The only (and safest) way to check whether your mobile account allows international calls, is to contact your operator. Tell them that you are heading abroad, and that you’d like to be 100% sure that your account is enabled for roaming.

Keep in mind that some operators may need a day or two to get this working, but in most cases they should be able to turn it on right away. Some accounts will not be eligible for international roaming, in the US, prepaid plans won’t work abroad. Some accounts may also need an additional credit check (and deposit) before the feature is turned on.

Will my phone work abroad?

The US is one of only a handful of countries where there are several different mobile phone systems. Of "the big 5", T-mobile and AT&T use GSM, Sprint, Alltel and Verizon use CDMA.

GSM is available in virtually every country in the world. CDMA users don’t have it that easy. CDMA networks are only found in the US and Canada, parts of South America, New Zealand, India and China. Some CDMA operators offer dual-mode phones that support CDMA in the US, and GSM when traveling. Once again; check with your operator to see if your destination is listed.

Not every GSM phone will actually work abroad. In the US, we use the GSM system on 2 frequencies: 850MHz and 1900MHz.  Almost every other country uses GSM on 900MHz and 1800MHz. Some cheaper phones only support the 2 US frequencies. So, be sure to check your user manual and lookup the frequencies at your destination using this site.

And last but not least: some phones have a menu selection for the GSM frequencies. If you don’t get "a signal" when you arrive abroad, your phone could be manually set to the US frequencies. Once again; check the manual.

 3) Bring the receipts!

If you plan to travel with a lot of equipment, and take it outside the country, then consider registering it before leaving. This really only applies if you travel with high value stuff (like camera gear, or specialized computer equipment). It involves bringing the items to your local Customs office, and filling in form 4457. A Customs officer will verify the serial numbers on your equipment, and next time you pass through Customs, you’ll have proof that you didn’t buy it abroad.

For small(er) equipment like a mobile phone or laptop, I highly recommend bringing the invoice or receipt. Now that most equipment is available overseas (for less than in the US), Customs will want to be sure you didn’t buy it when you were abroad, because that means you owe Uncle Sam some import duty.

If you do plan to purchase equipment overseas that exceeds your exemption, be sure to keep the receipts. If you declare the items (or get caught not declaring them) and can not produce a receipt, Customs will charge you what they think is reasonable, and trust me when I say that they know exactly how to find the market value of a product. Returning from your vacation and being slapped with a duty invoice based on MSRP is a bad way to come home.

4) Is it legal to use outside the US?

Surprisingly, not every gadget you can buy in your country is legal to use abroad. Some basic examples are those cute walkie talkies you see every other parent use when they visit Disneyland. But you can even be breaking the law with some Wi-Fi equipment. Granted, the chance of getting caught is slim, but you could be interfering on emergency frequencies.

5) Is data roaming turned on or off?

You spend 2 weeks in France touring quaint wineries, and return home with some amazing wine, and even better memories. Then, 2 weeks later you get a $3500 phone bill.

Every year there are thousands of travelers who arrive at their destination, turn on their phone, and only use it to make a few "emergency calls". But their phone keeps receiving email or updating weather reports in the background.

With international roaming costs as high as $15 per megabyte, it’s easy to run up a huge bill. Most phones have some way of disabling "data when roaming", so be sure you know where to find it before leaving.

If you really do need access to your email when traveling, call your mobile operator and ask if they offer a discounted data plan for international use. The cheapest option for international email is the T-mobile international Blackberry plan; $19.95/month adds unlimited data in most countries.