Technology is certainly making the world smaller.  The webmaster remembers living in Germany in the mid 1980s and being largely dependent on “snail mail” to hear from home.  The internet and emails were still in their infancy; and he could not afford a computer at that time.  Today, one can travel much of the globe while staying connected via phone, skype, email and the internet–all through the smartphone.  However, the traveler has to wade through a full range of phone and calling plan options.  The two New York Times articles from 2015 and 2016 outline many of the options:

A Traveler’s Guide to Taking a Smartphone Abroad

How to Pick a Cellphone Plan for Traveling Abroad

The webmaster is always interested in feedback from readers; especially if they have found a unique or cost-effective way to travel to the battlefields.  For example, he met a family from Australia that was spending six months in the U.K. and Europe.  They relied heavily on Wi-Fi at their vacation cottages and they largely used Skype to communicate with friends and family at home.