Purchasing a Prepaid Phone in England

In London, when I need a new phone there, I just go to one of the many telephone shops and buy a phone that goes with their 'top up' plan. One usually lasts me about 5 years, and then I get a new one. I find them extremely reasonable, but as I don't recall prices very well, I can't help with a current price. That being said, I'm pretty 'frugal' so it can't be too much. Also, the phone can be 'topped up' all over London at small shops...the sign is posted in the window. If I were you, I'd wait till I arrived in London. It's likely to be less expensive.

It sounds like your phone/carrier in the US could do with an update. No good being limited by outdated technology in 2018. Why not buy a new modern phone and get used to it before you travel?

This is a very good budget model https://www.motorola.com/us/products/moto-e-gen-4

Then either use your new phone’s international plan (maybe with a new carrier as well) or buy a UK SIM when you arrive from https://www.carphonewarehouse.com/ and pop it into your new phone.

Carphone Warehouse even do a phone for nothing plus airtime credit (which you pay for):
https://www.carphonewarehouse.com/mobiles/pay-as-you-go.html#!/p/2/sort/relevance

Yes, phone shops are all over London. Carphone Warehouse has a variety of carriers and models. You could just go in and explain your needs, and they can set you up with something suitable.

However, in order to know just what is suitable, you will have to determine just what it is you will be using the phone for. Will you be making calls, using text, and/or wanting data? Will this just be for emergencies, or are you planning a lot of calls? Will your calls/texts be within the UK, to other European countries, and/or to the US? Will people in the US be needing or wanting to reach you? As for the phone itself, are you looking for a basic model or a fancier one? Do you only need one that will work in the UK for this trip, or do you want one that will also work in the US?

There are no right or wrong answers, of course, but figure this out now, so you can get the best setup for your needs when you go to the store. You could also look at the Carphone Warehouse website to compare prices.

Or go into most Tesco supermarkets with a phone store and look at their GiffGaff plans with a cheap Motorola or other entry level smart phone. You may like what you see.

Thanks to all. I appreciate the benefits of a smartphone but I really don't want one. I try to limit my airtime and I don't really trust all the data things like ApplyPay collect-and then lose somehow to anyone who wants access to the system. I also have no desire for my, or any other, government to know my exact location at all times. Paranoid, perhaps, but most people today are way too trusting of a system that doesn't warrant their confidence.

How does any government know it is you? You use as many features or apps as you want. An entry level smartphone is about the same price as a feature phone and just works easier.

Think about when you moved from text based computing to using a mouse.

If you have the phone part enabled then cell triangulation knows where you are for the company regardless if it is a feature phone or a smartphone.

Maybe we need to get to basics. A feature phone can make phone calls. A smartphone can make free wifi calls. A feature phone can send texts. A smartphone can use whatsapp to send texts, voice messages, video calls, all encrypted. A feature phone may be able to sort of read your email. A smartphone can read your emails as easily as a laptop.

So what do you want this phone for? You said you want other options. What other options?

If you are too paranoid to worry about being traced by your government you can turn off all the radios by activating airplane mode when you are somewhere secret. You can do that both with a feature phone and a smartphone.

And if you don't register the phone they won't know it is you unless they take the phone off you.

I also have no desire for my, or any other, government to know my exact location at all times.

If you have a mobile phone, even the most basic, then any governmental agency in whatever country you're in will be able to pinpoint your location whenever they wish. Why they would want to is another matter. Plus there are the myriad other techniques that you are likely to be unaware of. You really need to make drastic changes to go "off grid" but why would you? I suggest you drop the paranoia and invest in a basic smartphone.

Yes, old Verizon flip phones are CDMA-only (no SIM card) and cannot be used in Europe. Newer Verizon flip phones may actually have SIM cards, though - you may check into upgrading to a newer Verizon-compatible flip phone. My folks still use flip phones on Verizon and get new phones every couple of years for free (or for almost nothing). Anyway...if the new Verizon flip phone has a SIM card, it is also probably eligible for Verizon's international roaming plan (because it would be able to roam on the GSM networks used in Europe). It may also be unlocked and allow you just to buy a SIM card for it.

did you look into borrowing a verizon phone? they have a program (or they used to) that lets you rent phones for international travel: https://www.verizonwireless.com/articles/how-to-get-a-loaner-phone-for-international-travel/

that might make it easier and, potentially, cheaper.