All right onebaggers, it's time to turn the tables and ask you for advice.

I will soon get the new Iphone 5. I am with Verizon Wireless. Because they come unlocked, I'll be able to take it overseas and put in local Sim cards to save money. The bad thing is that if anyone calls me on my regular cell number, I won't get the call or notification of a voicemal.

Is there a way to get email notification of voicemails? I tried setting up Google Voice but I'm confused with the need to tell them if you want to receive the call or have it go to voicemail. I want the calls coming in while I'm overseas to automatically go to voicemail and then alert me via email.

Any suggestions?

Would google voice work?

Sending all calls to voicemail
If you'd like to send all calls made to your Google number directly to voicemail, you can enable Do Not Disturb from a phone or through the Google Voice website. Then, all calls will be sent to voicemail until you disable the setting. Please note that any text message sent to your Google number while Do Not Disturb is enabled, will also not be forwarded to the phones you've set up to receive text messages and have marked as 'Mobile'.

To send all your calls to voicemail (the 'Do Not Disturb' feature), follow these steps:

Enabling 'Do Not Disturb' from a phone

Call your Google number. Press the * key and enter your PIN (if you're not calling from one of your phones that connects directly to your voicemail and account system).
Press 4 to access the main settings menu.
Press 4 again to access your temporary settings.
Press 1 to activate Do Not Disturb.
Press 1 again to confirm your selection.
Enabling 'Do Not Disturb' from the Google Voice site

Sign in to Google Voice.
Click the gear icon at the top right of any page, and select Voice settings.
In the Calls tab, select the checkbox next to Do Not Disturb. You can also set your Do Not Disturb setting to expire after a certain period of time. If so, select the checkbox next to 'Ends in' and set the desired amount of time (in minutes, hours, or days) for which you'd like to have the Do Not Disturb feature enabled.
Click Save Changes.
Enabling 'Do Not Disturb' from the Google Voice mobile site

Sign in to Google Voice on your mobile phone.
Click the gear icon at the top right of any page, and select Voice settings.
Click Do Not Disturb and select the box next to 'Enable "Do Not Disturb".' You can also set your Do Not Disturb setting to expire after a certain period of time. If so, select the drop-down menu next to 'Ends' and select the desired amount of time for which you'd like to have the Do Not Disturb feature enabled.
Click Save.
Please note that you can only specify the duration of the Do Not Disturb setting from the Google Voice website and mobile site. While you can enable and disable Do Not Disturb from the Google Voice website, phone system, and the mobile site, the time expiration setting is only available through the Google Voice website and mobile site.

This is what I do. Two things to keep in mind though, I'm a full-time expat, and I don't have anyone in the states that I need to talk to regularly. Plus I always carry two phones.

1, I use Google Voice as my main number, my bank, my mom, and my employer have that number.

2, I use a TruPhone SIM with a US number and point my GV number to my TruPhone number. A lot of people have asked why bother with GV if I already have a US number with TruPhone. The answer is TruPhone can be expensive for everyday use. When in the states I use a SIM from Straight Talk, then I point the GV number to that. However, when abroad, as long as I have GSM coverage with my TruPhone SIM my GV number will follow me anywhere. And if I let it lapse and end up with a new number it doesn't matter, I just point my GV number to the new number.

3, The TruPhone SIM goes into a Nokia C5-00.

4, I use a local SIM for my "real" phone. At the moment that's a Galaxy S3. That way I don't have to worry about outrageous data roaming charges.

Unfortunately Google Voice won't forward to international numbers so I have yet to figure out how to do this with just one phone/sim. Would love to hear what others are doing.

Yes that is all you have to do. I do it myself.

Yes, I use conditional call forwarding with Verizon on my Galaxy S3. Meaning it only forwards the call if Imiss or decline the call. I forward it to my Google Voice number and get an e-mail when somebody leaves a voicemail (and also a Google Voice notification on my smartphone.)

Sounds like you've got it Frank! Our company uses Google Voice for all of our work cell phone numbers. That way we have a separate phone number for business without the hassle of having to carry two phones. We all have ours set to automatically send calls to voice mail from 6:00 pm - 8:00 am. I always get the emails even after hours. I've been using it for almost 2 years now so if you have questions, let me know!

I don't see any options in the Google Voice settings to change the caller ID of outgoing calls. I just tested it and my Google Voice number came up on the caller ID. I have Skype set up to show my cell phone number on the caller ID when making outbound calls. So to the person receiving the calls it looks like I'm calling them from my cell phone when using Skype.

There is a Google Voice app you can download for you phone. Once you download it, you can adjust the settings to either make all calls through Google Voice or for it to ask you each time you make a call. It will do the same with text messages as well. I have mine to set to ask with each call. When making a business call, I call from google voice, but when making a personal call I don't. The app will also catalog your voice mail messages.

But is Google Voice capable of making VOIP calls if there is no telephone service, only wifi, on the device? I don't love Skype.

No, Google Voice is not capable of making call on its own. It calls you at a number you specify first and then makes the outgoing call.

I have been happiest with the talkatone app.

caveats about Google voice for everything- several companies that send you text messages don't work well with it. These are the companies (Springpad, starbucks) that send you texts showing their number as 58-523 (for example) Your car calling features get confused if you set it up to use either gvoice or "real" cell, pick one or the other.

you should set up your Google voice number as one of your favorites, if your cell carrier has that feature, as this will save $$ down the road when you start calling almost exclusively "from" that number.

There's an iphone app called hullo mail that does what you want (I think). I use it for all my voicemail. It replaces your regular voicemail service with a visual voicemail service that stores the recorded message and plays it back to you using a data (not phone) connection. It can also email you a copy of the messages. What this means for travellers is effectively that (a) if you are not data roaming you can only pick up your voicemail when connected to a wifi network but (b) there are no costs involved in getting the messages.