8 mo trip - best prepaid sim card to use

I'm sorry, your response is lost on me. What is a "schegen" joke???

ok, funny. Is this a legitimate website for travel questions???

Sarah, have you researched entry requirements for the UK and Schengen zone countries? The UK only allows visitors to stay six months. More details here: http://tinyurl.com/7kpw6fp

Michael, how is your snarky response helpful?? If you don't like a question... DON'T ANSWER IT!!! Sarah, this is a legitimate website for travel questions and most people are nice and will help you. I don't have the answer re: Sim cards but others will.

yes I'm aware. I am hoping to be able to renew my visa and stay a bit longer. This is up in the air right now. My point is, I am staying longer than a week or two, which seems to be what most people are asking about. I wondered if staying longer would make a difference as to what type of sim card would best fit my needs. I didn't realize this would start a chain in a whole other direction :-)...

Ya, I see that. First time on and I've already pushed someones buttons :-)... Hadn't expected that.

Grit your teef and hang in there, Sarah. Eventually you'll get some kind of answer. One Hint: If you have kids, don't fess up to it or you're going to be told how to raise the little suckers.

sarah - The reason for the seemingly oblique replies are that regulars here see a constant stream of new users dropping in and posting questions like "I'm going to Europe for 6 months, can I wear shorts in France, and where should I exchange my dollars?" (answers typically are - sure, no place, and by the way, no you're not...). Some (but not all) of the most naive new-user questions revolve around (or mention in passing) staying for months in Europe. These users are often shocked to discover that, in general, one can't simply go to Europe as a tourist and stay for many months without going through some challenging (sometimes impossible) visa application hoops. That was the reference to a Schengen joke. That said, if I were you, I would focus first on nailing down your own visa/entry requirements for the UK. Staying there for 8 months (and making shorter trips to the Continent) might be a piece of cake, or it might be difficult or impossible (depending on your circumstances - I honestly don't know), but if it were me I'd get that 100% squared away long, long before I started worrying about the relatively trivial questions of what sim card to use.

Californians are usually willing to take credit for creating trends, where credit is due, but... The adjective snarky is first recorded in 1906. It is from dialectal British snark, meaning 'to nag, find fault with', which is probably the same word as snark, snork, meaning 'to snort, snore'. (The likely connection is the derisive snorting sound of someone who is always finding fault.) Most dictionaries label snarky as "Chiefly British Slang." But for the last five or more years, it has become increasingly common in American publications, maybe ones infiltrated by British or Canadian writers and journalists. I have no proof, but a vague recollection that being 'snarky' in recent years may have re-emerged in New York print media, because New Yorkers have the delicious gift of witty, intellectual sarcasm. But, they're also responsible for 'Meh'..., which in and of itself is kind-of Meh. :) (This forum software needs a flag of some sort to indicate 'Take this post with a grain of salt'.) Sarah, sorry. My reply above is not helpful to answer your good question, so I'm editing it to say - there are apps for the iPhone, such as MapsWithMe, that work without requiring Cellular Data to be ON. You download the needed country/region beforehand and incur no roaming charges. Check it out in the App Store or Google 'offline map app Europe'. I never spend a penny using my iPhone when in Europe, even for weeks at a time.

sarah, The first step you'll need to take is the check with the nearest British Consulate, and explain your circumstances to them. They will have the best and most up-to-date information on whether you'll be allowed to stay for eight months (a special Visa may be required). Unfortunately, I don't think Working Holiday Visas are available for U.S. citizens. You should be prepared to provide documentation or bank records to show that you'll be able to support yourself for the duration of your stay, and also that you'll have adequate health care coverage. The reference to the Schengen Rules were referring to the fact that tourists can not stay in any of the 26 countries of the Schengen zone for periods exceeding 90-days in any 180-day period. In other words, if you stay in Europe for 90-days, you have to leave for 90-days before you can return. The Schengen countries include most of Europe but not the U.K. Regarding your cell phone question, as you have friends there they'll be able to help you get sorted with a U.K. plan when you arrive there. They will know which carriers offer the best deals. Stop by the nearest Carphone Warehouse or other Cell shop and pick up a PAYG SIM card. I always use the O2 network when travelling in Europe, but choose the one that provides the best deals. Be sure that you're clear on how to top-up, especially when travelling in other countries in Europe. Also, be sure that the iPhone 3G is in fact "unlocked". As it was originally with AT&T, if you try it with a T-Mobile SIM card and it works fine, then you're good to go. Be sure to check the expiry date on your Passport prior to departure, to ensure it will be valid during your trip. Happy travels!

Not sure who is being the most snarky. This is a site to answer AND to get good travel information from some very knowledgeable travelers. If you understood the visa limitation then a simple, "I have the visa situation handled." would have ended the conversation. Scan back and you will see one young lady fined 500E for think 90 days meant 3 months - one day over. Another posting from a young man who was about 30 days over who was fine and banned for time period from returning. So visa issues are not to be taken lightly unless you like idea of being an illegal alien. Alerting you to that possibility should be appreciated even if you thought it was pushing a button.

Rose, Thank you so much for the helpful advice. I will check into the map aps. I had not heard of them. This could be a life saver :-). Sarah

Thanks Ken, The i phone I have is currently "locked" and I am looking into the steps to get it unlocked. Not a big deal if I can't use it. I have a back up "unlocked" blackberry if I can't get my iphone unlocked. Thanks for giving me a few names to look into. I had heard that there are "international" cards too, and thought that maybe they would be a better route for me. But I am ok with the basic UK card too and that seems to be the most recommended from other forum responses. Sarah

Sarah, yikes! Your simple question sure went off track. I agree with Ken. Get a local prepaid SIM from a U.K. company, especially for a trip of any length. I use the U.K. version of T-Mobile, but I think any of them will work pretty much the same. You can visit the companies web pages before you go and get some idea of what is offered and the costs. They're all in English, which makes it easy for most of us to navigate. Just search for "mobile u.k. phone" and then the name of the company: Orange, EE, O2, T-Mobile, Virgin, Vodafone, and others. There are web sites that will give you a list of all the companies. Don't get a new SIM for trips outside the U.K. Just use the prepaid account you have for use in the U.K. You'll be roaming, but the companies expect you to and they make it very easy to go from country to country and still have phone and data service. Costs are regulated by the E.U. (welcome to Europe) so they aren't as outrageous as some of the charges by U.S. companies. To add credit to the account, you can buy a top-up voucher at countless shops (mobile phone shops, grocery stores, and convenience stores). Or you can buy credit online with a credit card that the companies accept (I've discovered that at least one of them accepts American Express, but not a U.S.-based VISA) or at a web site that accepts a PayPal payment (and PayPal will let you use your U.S. credit card). Generally, incoming calls are no charge to the recipient so getting a call from the U.S. won't cost you anything. Those back in the U.S. just have to worry about finding a low cost international calling option (e.g., Skype). (Continued . . . )

As for getting the SIM in advance, you can buy them off the U.K. version of ebay (another reason to have a PayPal account). Search for "ebay U.K." to find the right web page. I have not done so myself, although I have purchased top-up vouchers off ebay before. If you went that route, I'm not sure you can activate the account, however, when you're not doing so from the U.K., but I don't know for sure. If you discover you can, please post another message here to share what you learn. Thanks. Have a good trip.

Thanks for clarifying that for me. From reading other suggestions about picking up a sim card for each country, I thought that meant that the sim card for the UK area would just stop working when you traveled to another country and I would then be without any phone service. Thought maybe I'd get a "no service" message or something. I didn't realize you could still use the card while traveling. As I most likely won't use it that much on the short trips, the higher fee would not be that big of a deal.

Sarah, it's actually better than your concern. Not only do you not get a "No service" warning, you actually get a text telling you are out of the country and how much it will cost to make a call.

Sarah, I wouldn't bother buying a SIM card in advance of your trip, as they're so very easy to buy in the U.K. Also, your friends will be able to help you get the best deal. As Paul mentioned, you will absolutely be able to use your SIM outside of the U.K. My O2 SIM (U.K.-based) can be used worldwide (anywhere a GSM network exists). Be sure you're clear on how to top-up when out of the U.K. Using text messages will be the cheapest, especially as received texts are usually FREE. Cheers!