Out of the country and out of range of the Internet? You’ve flown from the US and landed in London and are determined never to pay $2,000 in roaming fees again? Would you like the latest in iPhone applications to match your travel destination, without the hours and the fuss of finding the right downloads?

If your response to any of the above questions is “yes!” consider renting a ready-to-roam cellular phone from iPhoneTrip for just dollars a day.

iPhoneTrip can prepare a custom-made iPhone for you, installed with all the software and applications you’ll need for your journey – like GPS, translator software, restaurant advice, hotel information, audio guides and museum guides. Based in San Diego, with the Israeli-developed service you can order an iPhone or smart phone from home in advance of any trip abroad.

First, you place your order online, choosing from customizable packages for business people, students, travelers, culture lovers or children. When the rented iPhone arrives at your address by FedEx about three days later it’s ready to roll, complete with dictionaries, maps, entertainment ideas, media and recommended applications you’ll need when on business or holiday.

We have the technology and now we can access it

Despite the fact that technology is racing forward, most of us find that we’re left with massive phone bills – or are unable to make calls – whenever we shift locations.

We have the technology, but aren’t always able to access it or use it. Now the five-person iPhoneTrip company has a new solution that tourists in San Francisco’s Fisherman Wharf hotels are already enjoying, according to iPhoneTrip founder Guy Zbarsky, who started the company earlier this year with a partner and private funds. They are now looking for about $1 million in investment.

“In the very near future the smart phone will be as essential as the suitcase when traveling,” Zbarsky tells ISRAEL21c. “Our goal is to make traveling with a smart phone simple and affordable for everyone. We want our clients to travel really smart.

“Everything started about a year ago,” he continues. “As my partner and I observed the new rapid and growing market of multi-touch smart phones and their applications.”

Within the first year of opening its iTunes store, Apple saw more than 1.5 billion applications downloaded in one year, earning profits of about $1 for each application. Zbarsky and his partner quit their jobs and started to work in that area. Aware that most of their clients would be in America, they left for San Diego for a short time, and now have a fully operational company in Israel, San Diego, Milwaukee and London.

No more unpleasant surprises

The main idea behind iPhoneTrip is to tailor the iPhone to the traveler’s needs, Zbarsky explains. “Let’s say you are traveling to Japan and know nothing about the country; you don’t speak Japanese and you want to be able to call local phones.”

With iPhoneTrip’s customized iPhones, “you’ll have all the information about Japan and have an electronic device too,” Zbarsky says. Three weeks in Japan will cost about $250 for the phone, which includes unlimited Internet (the iPhone can become a modem for your laptop this way), and minutes packages cost about the same or less than local rates.

iPhoneTrip currently offers two packages. One is the complete and ready-to-use iPhone, and the other is a retail service for travelers who want to download custom-made packages of applications online.

iPhoneTrip has developed special technology to enable this service, which provides significant cost-savings and time savings value to the customer. “If you are renting with us you won’t pay for roaming charges,” Zbarsky promises.

iPhoneTrip has content-sharing agreements in place with application developers and agreements with cellular networks around the world, so you can be sure there won’t be any surprises like unexpected, extra fees when you return home.