Good article on USA TODAY about the different options you have to stay in touch while travelling. They list Skype as one of the options next to various cell phone packages. When travelling for work, you're mostly at offices or hotels where you have Internet anyway, so calling home is easy.

> Some travelers, such as Michael Wolf, a Microsoft public relations manager, forgo cellular technology for the Internet on his frequent trips to Japan. Wolf relies heavily on Skype. It is a VoIP —voice over Internet protocol — service that lets you type, talk or video chat.
It's cheaper to use than a cellphone, and sound quality is better, he says. "You can talk for as long as you want without worrying about charges."