So often, as we prepare ourselves for vacation getaways, we forget to make the appropriate adjustments and tweaks to our cell phone plans so as not to incur huge roaming charges while away from home with the family. I for one, always make sure that I am prepared no matter where I am going. Here are a few hand tips to make the trip less stressful.

1- Whatever you do, don't forget to pack the phones charger. If travelling overseas, you may need to pack a voltage converter.

2- Load the appropriate travel apps on your phone before you go. They may help you find local hot spots, like restaurants, clubs, and attractions. Google Maps, AroundMe and Yelp are often helpful.

3- Wifi is available in most hotels and restaurants, and offer a great way to save on data roaming charges, which can creep up on you real fast.

4- It makes sense in most cases to purchase a travel plan before you leave home. TELUS offers savings of up to 90 percent off regular pay-per-use rates, including US, Mexico, Caribbean and Cuba travel passes.

5- Travel Tracker is a convenient web portal accessible via your smartphones web browser to help TELUS customers track and manage their data usage and costs in real-time while away.

6- A phone protection plan is always helpful in protecting your device against damages, lost or stolen. Save valuable time and money by protecting our investment.

7- Consider unlocking your device while away as some foreign networks may let you purchase a localized SIM card to use while on vacation. TELUS offers easy and affordable device unlocking for just $35.00.

8- Turn off apps you are not using. Learn to turn on Airplane Mode and GPS to manage your usage. Apps will continue to run in the background and use up data.

9- For protection while travelling, set up a password on your device so no one can use it should it be lost of stolen. Don't let anyone access your confidential and personal information.

10- Pack some cool accessories, apps and games to use while away. A protective case like an OtterBox can help save your phone from despair. A pair of Bluetooth speakers can add some needed noise to an otherwise quiet and boring hotel room.

But, at the end of the day, the most important thing to do on any vacation is to play safe and have fun. Cherished memories of any vacation is what it's all about.