Traveling to Europe June 22-Aug 3 and want dependable cell phone usage. Have tried Verizon's $10/day international plan, but we don't want to worry about minutes/texts, etc that we use- not that we talk a lot, nor do we stream. We just want internet, texting, and gps (Google maps) and not worry about getting gouged by our carrier. Any advice?
Posted by
Hudson Valley
2267 posts
A frequent topic in the forums. Here are the recent discussions by searching "sim"
https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&date_range=6m&filter=Travel+Forum&query=sim&utf8=%E2%9C%93
Posted by
St. Petersburg, FL
146 posts
We went with TMoble as they have a great international plan. Free texts/data/wireless calls in most countries that we visit. Calls are cheap - may be 35 cents/minute now - not sure. We rarely make calls not on wireless. Suggest you download google maps that you need. You can navigate off line.
Posted by
Reno, Nevada
1025 posts
A SIM card for us in most of Europe by Orange worked well for me. Generous cellular data, inexpensive. Good phone rates. Good Google Maps coverage. What’s not to like? https://www.amazon.com/Orange-Holiday-Europe-New-Package/dp/B07RXYH2NW/ref=sr_1_3?crid=12DNJOPO7NI8W&keywords=sim%2Bcard%2Beurope&qid=1646865060&s=wireless&sprefix=SIM%2Bcard%2Beurope%2Cmobile%2C160&sr=1-3&th=1
Most new phones have dual SIM slots, one real and one virtual. Set up your home SIM as the virtual, then use the real SIM slot for traveling and Cellular Data.
Posted by
11569 posts
We use one our phones with a European SIM that we buy when we arrive. We get an international phone plan for our other phone. Covers all bases.
Posted by
26 posts
I signed up for Google Fi service a couple of years ago because its network (which relies, apparently, on T mobile) is good for international travel. I have the flexible plan of $20 for calls and texts. Data roaming is $10 per gigabyte up to maximum $60 spend (you get it free after). We hit the max of $60 once and did not notice service slow down after. We use it as our wifi hotspot and easy calls (to make restaurant reservations say) . https://fi.google.com/about/plans/
Posted by
SFO
124 posts
Hi All,
We driving cross-country in France for a month: many spots will have weak or no wi-fi. How best can I get reliable google map service & how much data would you buy? Would 20 gigs be enough? I imagine we will be using for days on end, then pausing when we get to the destination.
Thank you!
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
You can use Google Maps for navigation on your phone without any mobile data, as long as you load the maps into your phone for the area where you''ll be driving ahead of time. It's not quite the same experience has having full data. You can try using Google Maps "offline" at home to see how it works. But mobile data with a local SIM will probably be affordable if you have an unlocked phone.
Posted by
1 posts
We are traveling France in September, with a couple stops in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Austria.
We are coming from Canada.
What is the best SIM card for us to get. I cannot find any info for Canadian travelers, only USA travelers.