I want to be able to have a cell phone over in Europe when traveling to London, Rome, Barcelona, and Paris. Is there pay as you go plans for cell companies over there? I would really only need to to call the US - family and friends - and use it for emergencies. I don't want to have to use my Tmobile cell I currently have because it will cost WAY too much! I'm also planning on getting phone cards, if that makes any difference.
I'd really appreciate the input! 25 days before I leave!!!
-Kayla
Kayla,
I don't think they have the equivalent of a WalMart where you can pick up a cheap phone and buy minutes as you go.
My understanding (I haven't purchased them yet) is that you need a sim card for each country you're in to get the good call rates. Since you are talking about four countries that's four sim cards.
Also I have seen some discussion about unlocking your phone so you can change sim cards. If you can't do it with your phone, you also have to buy a phone there that you can put sim cards in.
As I said, I haven't done it yet. I've been using PIN cards at pay phones but want to transition to a cell to make my calls for lodging while traveling rather than making an extra stop on travel days.
Hopefully, someone else can chime in on this subject. I know some people on this site are old hands at using cells in Europe.
If your Tmobile phone is unlocked, you can get a sim card to use in Europe. Some companies sell multi-country cards so you wouldn't have to buy a separate card for each country. Check out RoamSimple.com and RangeRoamer.com
Hi Kayla. My husband and I took his cell phone (which is world capable) over to Europe with us for two months. We only used it a couple times for emergencies and a few text messages. The bill only ended up being an extra $30 a month for those few cases. We liked having it for emergencies too. We bought phone cards as well and called home from pay phones with those but found some pay phones difficult to figure out. I would suggest brining your cell and keeping it off and only using it if need be. Hope that helps. Safe travels!
You can purchase PAYG sim cards easily.
You can either buy one in each country or buy one in your first country and keep it as you travel. You will pay roaming charges but they are quite reasonable.
I think I pay 38p to make or receive calls and 40p or so to send a text. I usually get a text when I enter a country with the rates. They have been going down a lot in the last couple of years, I can even send a picture message for 20p!
If you want it for family and friends to text you while you are traveling or to use it as you go then it is a good idea.
If you do use your phone from home just make sure it is compatible to use here.
This same subject is being discussed currently in the To The Boot section: click here to go thereAnd here's the latest from Rick on the subject, in his just released 2009 ETBD (realize that other travelers may have a different experience or opinion than Rick), what follows is a paraphrase of Rick's writeup on cell phones for Europe:These days it can be surprisingly affordable to buy a basic "pay as you go" cell phone in Europe. No conract required, the phone comes loaded with prepaid calling time. The cheapest new phones run about $40 - $75. And while you can buy European SIM cards online from the US, they're usually over-priced. Many people these days are keeping it simple and just buying a cheap phone when they arrive in Europe and a SIM card--pretty affordable, all this has changed in the last few years. Most SIM cards in Europe are about $10 to $15. They come with a European phone # and starter credit, and you buy additional prepaid credit as you go. Simple and affordable.
I have a phone from TMobile and got a code from them to unlock it. I handled it through a couple of emails to customer service.
If you are renting a car in any of the locations there is a way to rent a phone. I have done that it's not cheap, but was cheaper than using my own phone. You get the phone at home before you leave and can have it the whole time not just while the car is rented.
Kayla,
We debated the same thing before our trip this summer and we have T-Mobile too. I figured out that it would have cost my wife and I over 100 minutes of talking on our T-Mobile phone before it started to get more expensive than a multi-country SIM card at the lowest price I could find (factoring in the cost of the SIM card bought in Europe, plus the cost of using it). T-Mobile charged a flat .99 per minute fee and .35 per text. We ended up texting each other a bit to coordinate (we met family there) instead of calling. To call home I just used a calling card as it was cheaper then my cell. Happy travels!
Kayla,
Have you heard of Mobal.com? They offer a GSM World phone good for use in 150 countries for $49 and it includes $20 in calls. They also offer a $99 phone that woeks in 170 countries including the USA and includes $99 in calls.
They give you a British phone number so your calls in England would be very cheap. The phone and number never expire. You can toss it in a drawer after your trip and still have it to use on your next trip. (They do recommend making one call every few months though, just to keep it current.) The charges are made to your credit card, so you don't have to buy minutes.
I used the $99 version during my trip to Paris and Switzerland in August, 2008 and it worked flawlessly. Never found a place, even in the Swiss Alps, where I had no signal. And my sister in the US was amazed at the call clarity. The per minute rate is NOT a bargain. Paid about $1.50 per minute to the US, but if you will use it only sporadically, it's not so bad given the cost of the phone. The $99 phone gives you more than an hour of talk time. The $49 phone gives you 13 minutes. But since it's charged to your credit card, you don't have to worry about buying minutes you may never use.
At any rate, you might want to check it out and see if it would be an good option for you. Mobal.com
I am going to France in October and will be getting a cell phone with Sim card for $29 through this site: http://www.callineurope.com/cgi-bin/cie.cgi?b=(null)&p=how_it_works.html
I have Verizon service. I called them about global phones and here is the deal:
For $9.99 they will send a phone for use while in Europe. Once activated, it will have your current number.
The charge for use is $1.29 per minute. But if you buy a prorated 30 day plan for 4.99, the price is lowered to 99 cents per minute.
The phone includes a charger for European electricity.
Once you return, ship the phone back in the postage paid container they send.
I am planning on doing this, but may also buy a phone card to save money. My husband and I split up a lot when we travel, and mostly we will use the phones to keep in touch with each other and for (God forbid) any emergencies.
I agree with David - I have a Mobal phone and it has never failed me.
Also, I've just looked on their website and see they have a special offer at the moment...
their $99 phone comes with $99 free call credit.
http://www.mobalrental.com/gsm/handsets.asp
Al
I have used the Mobal phone the past few years in Italy and never again.
Your creidit card is automatically charged and you have to work really hard to ever see the "to and from" to the very high charges.
Being a British phone company seems to add to the confusion.
Linda
I took Sue's advice regarding Verizon and it was great. I still don't know what the full bill was but it was super convenient to have a phone with my normal cell phone number so anyone could reach me in case of emergency. When my home security company called me regarding my home alarm going off, I immediately knew this was much better than just using phone cards to get around. Plus you don't have to worry about getting different cards, phones, etc for different countries if you are doing more than one.
What I needed was a European cell phone I could use during my trips abroad.
And after doing some research I decide to stay with http://callineurope.com/; the rates they offer look more competitive compared to few sources I verified. And I won't have to pay any monthly fees and will be able to reroute my US number.
Both my brother-in-law and I researched this endlessly before we went to Europe. We wanted to have our phone for emergencies and also to reach one another if we needed to. (we were 2 couples traveling together but not spending every minute together) After weeks of research, we reached the conclusion the cheapest option was to bring our t-mobile phones. At 99 cents a minute, it seems expensive. But by the time you buy anything else, you could use your phone a lot and still be cheaper. We used the phone to call ahead to where we were staying and let them know when we would get there, and we used text messages to communicate with each other. I called t-mobile when I got home and my total "increase" on my bill was about $16.00. (I honestly expected it to be closer to $30-$50 and we still would have been money ahead) This is even after I let a gentlemen use my phone in an emergency situation (car accident) and he was not quite as quick as I would have liked. The only other option worth considering is an unlocked phone from home that you buy a sim card for. Of course, I am assuming that you will only use it for emergencies and use phone cards for more lengthy calls. (I called my son in the US once when we couldn't get the phone card to work and had not touched base in a awhile. We talked for less than 3 minutes) Anyway, I remember how stressful this was to try and figure out, so good luck. Also, once you get to Europe, it can be a real hassle to try and work this stuff out there. (you are on vacation-who wants to mess around with all of this) so whatever you decide, try to have it ready to go when you hit the ground.
England does have a Wal-Mart subsidiary called Asda. It has most of the same stuff. They probably sell Pay as you go phones. My husband is british and has a pay as you go phone for the UK by Vodaphone.
I have to disagree with Linda about Mobal. There is a website where you can view your billing detail any time you want, so I'm not sure why she had to "work really hard" to see it. I have used mine only a few times, but the calls are crystal clear. The rates ARE high, but for lengthier calls I use a phone card that I purchase once I get there. It's good to have along in case of emergencies (in which case I wouldn't care what it cost if I could get help or someone could reach me).
Kayla and others, I just researched cell phones for my first European adventure and I choose to use Pic cell wireless. This is a site a lot of universities and students use, so it is a reliable and quality vendor. My phone rented for about $30 and then there are minimal daily fees. You also get a "free US phone #" with the area code that aligns with your home state, you can give to family, and any incoming calls from that # you pay about 39 or 49 cents a min. You can choose as many sim cards as countries you will be in ($18 each). Then your outgoing call are a cost as well. If you want to get it all squared away before you go, and feel safe and secure, they are an option:
www.piccellwireless.com/latest/products.php / Toll-free within the US:
877-CELL-PIC (877-235-5742)
I chose a phone card from zaptel / www.zaptel.com/ that I can use NOW from US (to make calls to Europe cheap) AND can use from there (called True North card) and that one met my needs.
Good Luck!
Thank you all for all the advice! I was surprised to see people were still replying! I am in the last week of my trip in Europe.. it has been amazing!
What I ended up doing was buying a GoGlobalSim card at the airport Heathrow London. It was 20£ with 10£ credit included. It worked in all the countries I went; Ireland, Italy, Spain, France, and Great Britain. Free in coming calls, which was awesome because my family and friends bought international phone cards and called me, so small cost of them, almost none for me!
The only probably with it is sometime when people call it wont ring at all... or some other person will answer instead of me! But service was good in most places we went.
6 Days Left! Cheers!
Kayla, you've done great and taught us a few things. Enjoy the rest of your trip and safe travels back !
Hi Kayla,
I lived in France this last year and I purchased a phone that hada pay as you go plan. I used Orange, which I believe is either an English or a French company. You can purchase a phone and then go to local corner shops to purchase credit. That's how I did it. Phone cards area also a good option for emergencies. In case you run out of minutes on your phone and you don't realize. I hope this helps! Have fun!!
