Keeping in Touch 
For many people the hardest thing about traveling is being away from family and friends.  Luckily, there are plenty of cost efficient ways of maintaining contact with the important people in your life while you are away.

    Phone Cards | Cell Phones |  Internet Cafés I Photo Storage
Travelogue Sites | Free E-Mail Accounts | Snail Mail

Snail Mail
Traditional postcards and letters are a cheap and easy way of keeping in touch, though not as fast some other options.  

While it is easy for you to send mail, it takes a bit of preparation for you to receive it if you are constantly traveling.  One solution is to have your family and friends send  your letters "poste restante" to the main post office of the city you will be staying in (one very good reason for preparing a detailed itinerary).  If you are an American Express cardholder, their travel offices (located in most large cities in Europe) will hold your mail (up to 30 days) at no cost AND will provide you travelers checks for free.

Sending Packages/Parcels Home
The price of sending packages home depends on a variety of factors. The largest factor is weight, since most post offices determine price by weight. If you are sending home books from Europe, then request the "book rate" and you will be charged significantly less than you will be for standard packages. Book rate does take longer to get back to your home destination, so if time is factor, don't choose this option.