I'm going to be in Lisbon for August followed by a week in London. I know Lisbon fairly well and don't need a lot of guides or the like, but I will be staying with my grandparents, and at this point I think I worry for them as much as they do for me wandering in a city alone while female ;) Calls to the States will be done through Skype with wifi, but I'd like to use my iPhone for quick calls to check in on my grandparents and let them check in on me, figure out when we'll take meals, etc. Before my iPhone, I just had a cheap phone from TNM and a pay-as-you-go plan, but I've lost that phone and would rather not carry two phones. I have AT&T, and the prices seem exorbitant. My grandparents don't text. Is there a way to use my phone cheaply?
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
Since you're only planning on using it for quick, infrequent calls, it seems like AT&T international roaming would certainly be the most convenient.
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
That's exactly how I used my iPhone the last time I was in the UK and the Netherlands. It worked well. It's not cheap, but I liked having only one phone and using the same phone number. You may want to turn it off or very carefully check who is calling before answering if a lot of friends have the number in the US and aren't aware of your trip. Pam
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
Brooke, If you decide to travel with AT&T roaming, it would be a REALLY good idea to disable the data portion of the iPhone while you're travelling, as data roaming charges can be HORRENDOUS! For one recent example, have a look at: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/03/03/bc-video-telus-bill-fight.html I believe AT&T offers data roaming packages, but give some thought on the capacity of the plan you . You can easily access the internet using the Wi-Fi function of the phone when you're at the Hotel. With AT&T roaming, if your grandparents want to phone you they'll have to make a long distance call back to the U.S., and the call will then be "bounced back" to you in Europe. They'll pay long distance to the U.S. and you'll pay LD from the US to Europe, according to AT&T rates for "incoming calls". It's unfortunate that your grandparents don't text, as that's by far the cheapest and easiest way to keep in touch. You won't be able to use local Cell plans / SIM's unless your iPhone is unlocked. Buying a cheap PAYG phone may be the easiest solution for the type of calling patterns you're anticipating? Happy travels!