Best SIM for four-country trip

Posted by JoeC (Northern California) on 08/26/14 04:07 AM

My girlfriend and I start a six week trip soon-- Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary.

In our last trip to Italy and Spain, we found it very convenient to have a local cell #. We used Vodafone in both countries, and it worked well. The only downside was needing to get a new SIM when we went to Spain, to avoid a much higher cost.

Will we need to do a similar switch on this trip? It's not the worst thing on Earth if we do...but with EU integration, I'd think there are carriers that make this border-hopping easier.

Thoughts? Thanks!

Posted by Ken

Vernon, Canada

08/26/14 05:21 AM

32220 posts

Joe,

Buying a SIM in the first country you visit will provide cell service in the other countries you're visiting. The rates will be slightly higher when you leave the country of purchase, but not appreciably so as the E.U. has capped roaming rates. One potential issue you could face is being able to top-up the card once you've left the country of purchase. I haven't checked so not sure if this will be the case in the four countries you'll be travelling in.

The other method you could consider is to use a SIM from one of the travel phone firms such as Roam Simple, Cellular Abroad, Telestial, Mobal, EuroBuzz or others. These often have a U.K. number, but provide fairly consistent rates throughout western Europe. Many use post-paid billing (calls charged to a credit card), so there are never any issues with topping-up. Also, you can continue to use the card and same number on subsequent trips. Many of the firms offer renewal of the plan for a small yearly fee (as low as $9 in some cases).

Posted by Harold

New York, NY, USA

08/27/14 02:50 AM

11294 posts

Within the EU, the roaming rates are capped, and the caps keep getting lower. So the cost for using an Italian SIM in Spain now is lower than when you went last. That's the good news.

The bad news is that Switzerland is not part of the EU, so companies can charge whatever they want for roaming there.

What I'd do in your situation is see which of the German companies has the best rates for Swiss usage. To start with that, look at Prepaid GSM. Their forums would be a great place to ask this question, but be aware that answers there can get VERY technical - don't be afraid to ask for clarification.

Here's their listing of German cell providers: http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/germany.html

Here's their Germany forum: http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=34 and their Switzerland/Austria forum: http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=36

Posted by JoeC OP

Northern California

08/28/14 06:27 PM

106 posts

Thanks guys!

Posted by Eileen

Texan in CA

08/29/14 12:17 AM

4408 posts

If you already have an unlocked, quad-band phone you can spend $9 on a SIM from EuroBuzz. You can get the phone + SIM for $29, or two phones with SIMs for $39. You keep the phone number forever, and never have to pay to 'top off' your account. It's a post-paid system; you only pay for the calls/texts you actually make. I've used it, and it worked exactly as described for us. We made calls and texts within Europe, and calls to and from the USA, and the quality was fantastic.

EuroBuzz is designed for use within Europe (for $0.79/call minute or text sent), but can be used internationally, too. Unless you're planning on a lot of phone usage, this could work really well for you. You simply charge it before leaving home, and you're all set. When you return home, just keep it with your travel things to take with you the next trip. That's it.