Hello! Soooo I am trying to figure out how to stay in contact with my family and also have a phone to call hotels from europe for my 7 week trip. I will be in Spain, Ireland, UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Greece. I need something cheap. Any suggestions? A friend who did study abraod suggested going to a Wind store over there and buying a sim card (My phone is unlocked and GSM triband enabled) and then buying a international calling card... but i'm not sure if this is the cheapest when traveling to multiple countries.
so i was wondering, what is the cheapest way to call the US and other europe countries from multiple countries?
is there a way to skype from an ipod touch?
can i use a calling card from a hotel phone without the hotel also charging me?
any suggestions? thanks!!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
50 posts
Hi there!
I've always found that the cheapest way was to go to call shops, just little shops in the middle of the city centres where the rates to call home are pretty cheap. You could also buy a sim overseas but I find that more convenient than cost effective. You can use a calling card you buy overseas at a payphone, not sure about the hotel phone. If you can make local calls for free I would assume you could make calls on a calling card for free just as you can with phones here in the states, just e-mail or call your hotels and make sure.
Best of luck! Message me if you have any questions.
Cheers from the Emerald City!
-Sandra
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32363 posts
Kallie,
Given the number of countries you're going to be visiting, I suspect the least expensive choice for you would be roaming with AT&T, using their international roaming plan. I'm not thoroughly familiar with the plan, but others here have indicated that you can cancel it when you return home.
I'd highly recommend using voice calls VERY sparingly. Use text/SMS for most of your communication with others back home, as it's a lot cheaper. If you do make the occasional voice call, keep the time difference in mind, and be sure the calls are SHORT!
If your phone is "tri-band", I'd be interested to know which three frequency bands it's equipped with? What brand/model is the phone? Some of the European networks use only a single frequency, so you may find there are times when there's no signal available.
The problem with buying a SIM card in Europe is that if you use it outside the country of origin, you'll likely face high roaming charges.
AFAIK, there is NO way to Skype from an IPod Touch, as it has no provision for either a Camera or Microphone. If you're interested in using Skype while travelling, you may want to have a look at the discussion in this section titled "Best Netbooks". Many of the newer Netbooks are inexpensive and include Wi-Fi and built-in Cameras and with their small size they're not hard to fit into a Backpack (ideal for travel).
Happy travels!
Posted by
Edmonds, WA, USA
88 posts
If you're over there for seven weeks, it'd definitely be worth it to buy an international SIM card & rely on prepaid service to make calls. Relying on your domestic carrier can be convenient, but it is SO expensive. I used AT&T last summer for two weeks in Europe, and it was ridiculous. The calls took forever to connect (and they will bill you for the minutes of dead time), the calls had to be kept VERY short due to the insane charges (costs about $5 just to check voicemail), and (unless you turn your phone off) you will be billed for every person who attempts to call you even if you don't answer it. Texting was a breeze though. International SIMs are just as easy to use after you get the card & the rates are SO much better. Plus, you get free incoming calls on almost all the SIM cards there (with your domestic carrier, you'll pay the same insane rate for incoming calls too). I used TIM in Italy & never had any problems. You can use it in all the other countries as well; your number will just be tied to whatever country you brought it in. Here's a website with an international SIM for only $5:
http://www.telestial.com/view_product.php?PRODUCT_ID=MSIM-PPLT
They have some other SIM options too--check them out to see if they are better-suited to your needs. I don't have any experience with calling cards, though it sounds very cheap as well.
Posted by
Chicago
8 posts
I'd suggest an international SIM card such as United Mobile since you are visiting several countries. While individual country cards are cheaper per minute, there is usually a minimum purchase, as well as the hassle of buying a card in every country. Some countries, like Italy, make it difficult for foreigners to buy cards. Others require IDs.
I don't know how well the Skype client for an iPod will work, but Skype from a notebook computer works great if your hotels have broadband access. I took a conference call from my notebook PC from my hotel in Spain last year on Skype on just the promotional credits I got for signing up.
There's a website called prepaidgsm.net that has some good information about local and regional carriers across the world.
Another option is picking up a SIM card in the UK. It is an easy country to buy one (no ID required - they have them in vending machines at Heathrow and you can fill the card at tobacco shop or phone store anywhere in the UK). Roaming's a bit more expensive than with United Mobile (it's about 40 pence per minute, or $0.60 today), but it is pretty convenient and still cheaper than using AT&T or T-Mobile USA. That said, you won't be able to load it up outside the UK without a UK credit card.