[填空题]

Along with the obvious convenience and quick access to help in emergencies big and small, mobile phones can be both economical and essential for travelers trying to stay connected. An example: it’s not uncommon for mobile calls to be cheaper than local calls made from some hotel rooms. European hotels in particular are known for excessive (过多的) phone tariffs (费用表) -- three days of connecting locally at a five-star hotel in Amsterdam once cost me more than ＄100 ! However, Europeans have no lock on this practice -- I recently stayed at a hotel in Quito, Ecuador where local calls cost USD $ 50 a minute! In contrast, many mobile providers offer exception- al plans that include generous amounts of air time( 通话时间), no long distance charges, and in some cases very reasonable international roaming rates.
In other situations, a mobile phone may simply be the only way to get online. This was the case when I stayed at a lovely historic hotel in Krakow’s old town