I am going on short business trip and I am traveling in few days from the US to the UK, and then one day in Paris, 3 days in Iceland and 1 week in Germany. I am looking into taking an unlocked iPhone and getting a SIM card in London but I'm confused about it. I assume that I won't be able to check in anywhere along my flight on my US sim card, without paying roaming charges? Once I get to London, I can buy a SIM card but is it only good for the UK? I don't really want to spend the limited time I have in Paris looking for a SIM card just so I can post pics back to family. I am a businessman and I hardly get time for my family in business trips as am having a very busy schedule anyways, I am wondering if someone can help me to find out 1 SIM card that works at least in these countries without any sort of roaming/hidden charges and with the best service. Moreover, It allows me to use the internet as well. Does one SIM card do it all? Or is it better for me to pay my phone company their international plan and just be done with it?
Posted by
Magyarország / Rep of Texas
17918 posts
Or is it better for me to pay my phone company their international
plan and just be done with it?
If its AT&T or especially T-Mobile: YES
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
Any SIM that you buy in the UK would work in the other places (it would just be roaming, which would use up your time quicker). But for such a short trip, it might just make more sense to keep your regular phone and use their international plan. As you say, you wouldn't be using it much, anyway. An alternative would be to buy a travel SIM like Eurobuzz, which is a postpaid SIM - you are only charged when you make a call. The per-minute cost is probably a bit higher than the international plan, but there are no fees at all until you use it. The number is permanent, and will work on future trips. Check it out here: www.eurobuzz.com.
Posted by
2081 posts
honey,
id see what your provide can offer and go from there.
One thing i found out with my T mobile UK PAYG SIM, i have to buy vouchers in the UK to add minutes. Im not sure about the other providers. You cant buy them once outside of the UK.
happy trails.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32206 posts
haris,
The easiest solution would be to use a SIM card from one of the "travel phone" firms such as Roam Simple, Cellular Abroad, Telestial, Mobal, EuroBuzz, etc. (check their respective websites for costs and other details). I'm familiar with one of the firms (Roam Simple) and they use U.K.-based SIM's from O2 Telefonica that will work in all the countries you're travelling to. Billing is post-paid, with calls charged to a credit card. Basic service (voice & text) is VERY cost effective, but if you add data, it will become considerably more expensive. With this type of arrangement, you'll have a working phone as soon as you step off the plane, and won't have to worry about finding cell shops in all the places you'll be visiting (keep in mind that your phone number will change each time you change SIM cards).
If you're concerned about costs, you could just get basic service and leave data roaming "OFF". Most of the hotels you'll be using will likely provide free Wi-Fi, so just send pic's back to family when you have Wi-Fi available.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8141 posts
I changed to T Mobile just to get their $50 all included monthly service and $.20 international voice calls--without any long term contract.
My GSM phone worked seamlessly as it did at home. My 2 1/2 year old granddaughter kept calling us at 3:30 a.m. Budapest time on speed dial.
We didn't have to deal with getting a SIM card only good for one country--since we were going to 4 countries.
Had I chosen to go back to AT&T, I could move back to them at anytime without penalty. I stayed with T Mobile--with millions of others trying to avoid AT&T and Verizon's rates that are 2-3 times as expensive.