Around the World

Roaming charges outside of North America are always quite steep, but the original poster indicated a desire to keep their phone #. Roaming is your only option if you need to be reachable at your usual number. For anyone traveling on business, that's often quite important.

It is important to check with your carrier before each trip, to see what international roaming options are available. Often you can pay x amount per month for greatly discounted per-minute roaming rates. The plans to change occasionally. Most carriers let you sign up right before a trip and drop the add-on plan as soon as you return. If you only travel 3-4 times per year, that can save you some cash.