Cell phone use in Europe

If you don't have a cellphone at home, do you really need one travelling? It's expensive, especially if you're going to be using it in more than one country. If it's just to stay in touch, internet cafes are pretty easy to find.

I use my boyfriend's cellphone at home....and i'm about to replace my own, but don't have time to do so before we leave (in 3 days).

We both have elderly parents and really need to have a way for them to contact us in case of emergency...i wish it weren't so!

Heather,

Which network was your home cell phone with? Also, did you have a PAYG plan or a contract plan? If you buy a phone overseas, is this for long term use or just for this trip? Are you only planning on making a few local calls or numerous calls back to Canada?

A few options you might look at:

• You could buy or rent a travel cell from firms such as Cellular Abroad, Mobal, Call In Europe or others. The advantage of that is that the rate structure would be fairly predictable regardless of which country you were travelling in.

• You could buy a phone in Europe. Since the majority of your travel will be in the U.K., buying one there would probably be the best idea. Check the websites for Orange, Vodaphone, O2 and the other networks to get some idea on the rate structure for PAYG plans, as they have a variety of plans for different calling patterns. The disadvantage of buying a phone in Europe is that when you venture outside the country where the phone was purchased, you'll be paying much higher roaming rates.

I've been travelling with a Cell Phone for a number of years and "don't leave home without it". My plan is with Rogers and I just use roaming with them, as it's the easiest and simplest method. However, I'm very careful to keep voice calls to a bare minimum and do my best to ensure I don't get any incoming calls. I use text most of the time (outgoing texts are only 60¢ each and incoming texts are FREE). The rate structure is the same for most western European countries, so costs are fairly predictable.

Happy travels!

that's very helpful. thank you so much.

since I'm with Roger's, maybe it's best that i rush out and buy a new phone now, and then just continue with the roger's as you do?

thoughts?

You can buy a Pay As You Go phone in the UK for £15 and it will include £10 call time. Calls to the USA cost 4-5 pence per minute, would expect Canada to be similar. Because we do not pay to receive calls in the UK, your nearest and dearest can call you 24/7 at no cost to you (bit of a mixed blessing I would have thought?) As said before roaming charges in other EU countries will be higher but they seem to be dropping in price as we speak.

If you go to the Carphone Warehouse, shops everywhere it seems, you can discuss and pick the best calling plan for you. The shop assistants are used to dealing with overseas visitors and you will walk out ready to go.

http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/mobiles/pay-as-you-go/by-price

that's probably the simplest way to handle it, as I have enough to take care of before we leave....

i'm guessing we can find such a place in Edinburgh....I haven't checked the site yet, but will do so.

many thanks.

h

Heather - this is the latest post on the subject on that "other site", bit more info on the international calling plans available

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g186338-i17-k2938710-Phone_cards-London_England.html

PS there are three CPW stores on Princes St.

Heather,

Are you on a contract plan with Rogers or PAYG? I'm not sure PAYG customers have the ability to roam, but if you're on a contract it's very easy.

If you're going to buy a new Phone, BE SURE that it's a quad-band GSM model. When I was in Italy recently, I spoke with a couple of young travellers from the U.S. that were very puzzled on why their phone wouldn't work in Europe. After all it was a GSM phone. I checked the settings for them and it turned out the phone was only equipped with the two North American frequency bands.

You could certainly buy a Phone in the U.K. as there are shops from the various networks on almost every street corner. Carphone Warehouse has lots of branches as I recall. However, two things to keep in mind. When you use this in Paris and Amsterdam, you'll be paying higher rates than in the U.K. The E.U. has been pressuring the cell networks to reduce roaming charges, and they've had some success but I don't think the rates are as low as they would like.

Also, if any of your family and friends will be calling you, they'll be required to dial (and pay for) long distance to the U.K. Be sure they know the correct number sequence. If you roam with Rogers, callers simply dial your regular number and the network will find you (keep in mind that incoming calls are more expensive than outgoing local calls, as these are routed from Canada).

If you use Rogers, be sure to phone customer service and tell them you'll be travelling with your phone. If you buy a phone with data capability (I-Phone, Blackberry, etc.) BE SURE to disable the data section as data roaming is VERY expensive.

Whichever option you choose, you'll have to spend a some time in a cell phone shop (either at home or in the U.K.) to get it sorted.

Hope this provides the information you need?

Happy travels!

Heather,

A few last thoughts (I ran out of room in the previous post).

If you buy a Phone in the U.K., if it's an unlocked quad band model, you'll be able to use it back home. Simply pop the SIM card from your "broken" phone into the new phone and it should work fine on your existing plan.

If you buy a phone in the U.K., the Charger for it will be equipped for the U.K. (three large rectangular pins). To use this in Amsterdam and Paris, you'll need a Euro Plug Adapter (two small round pins). If you think you might use the phone at home, BE SURE that the Charger is designed for "world operation" from 100-240 VAC.

Cheers!