Lots of discussion on this subject so I thought I would post up this experience in case it helps a member of the community. I have an unlocked Apple iPhone 4S and was in the UK and France in Nov/Dec of 2011. Upon arriving I checked out a few of the carriers to see what the best deal was: Orange, T-Mobile, Vodophone and others. T-Mobile was by far the best deal. Here is what a I got for a total of £10 after ing T-Mobile: a microsim card, 6 months of unlimited UK data and a rate of 35p per minute local. All prepaid, no contract. (I'm not kidding - that's all I paid) I didn't even have to give my name. Walked into a store, asked for a prepaid SIM, handed over a 10 and they gave me the package. I had my choice of free data or an airtime bonus. Taking the data was a no-brainer for me. So while in the UK I had a London phone number but basically kept Skype active on my iPhone the entire trip and used it over 3G. Google maps and the web worked excellent. I used it every day for navigation, finding places to eat and sending pictures back home in real-time. Coverage is very spotty in the tube and had issues in unexpected areas but overall was money well spent. I also have high standards since in Canada we do have excellent coverage considering the topography. The price goes up significantly once you leave the UK. Upon arriving in Paris I activated a T-Mobile data passport which gave me a few MB of data for about £3. I burned through it in a few hours and drained most of the £10 within a day. I checked many providers in Paris a France carrier based option similar to what I found in the UK. The answer is simple: there is no prepaid data service available in France. You must sign a contract and go post paid. Zero options according to 5 different shops I visited. Hope that helps people with their need to be connected :) Pete
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32322 posts
Pete, Thanks for post! I've now got an iPhone 4S and will be travelling with it later this year. Sounds like the options for data coverage outside the U.K. aren't too good. I'm currently on a trip in the Seattle / Portland area, and used a one-week 15 MB data pack with Rogers. After five days, I've only used 7 MB so far, so that gives me some idea on how much data I typically use (the iPhone is fairly new, so I have yet to determine "typical usage"). One of the options I'm considering is the iPhone plan from Roam Simple. The 50 MB plan is a bit "pricey", but it seems cheaper than iPhone Trip. I've decided that I DO need data, so I'm still looking at the least expensive way to get that. I don't anticipate starting my trip in England, so the T-Mobile plan won't be an option for me. Cheers!
Posted by
Tuscaloosa, AL
1152 posts
Pete, thanks for the information. Your experience in the UK matched mine. When using data in Germany, I thought the rates were pretty good under the circumstances, but France sounds like a different story. FYI, here is a description of my experience in Germany: Prepaid data in Germany.
Posted by
Seattle, Washington, United States
91 posts
Thank you Pete for posting this. I have few questions regarding using this in UK: 1) Were your incoming calls on this prepaid Sim free? 2)Was it free both from people calling you within UK or people calling from US?
3) The 35 p per minute was local thtroughout UK? meaning if I called from Scotland to a London local, would it still be 35 p per minute or you had to call London-London and or Scotland to Scotland?
Posted by
OP
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
180 posts
1 & 2 ) I don't believe I had free incoming calls. Also, I think I was wrong - it was 25p per min. I only made a few outgoing calls - all of my incoming were data via Skype. When I purchased the microsim at the T-Mobile store I was given a choice of a number of boosters for free. Since I wanted data I ed unlimited data. I believe the other booster I was offered was free incoming calls along with some included minutes but no data. 3) I called from Edinburgh to London when trying to find hotels and checked the balance by text message afterwards. Didn't appear to be any long distance charges - only the standard per min rate. I have to admit the overall UK price and experience was spectacular (except for coverage). Which is really tough for me to say as I have worked in the wireless industry for over 16 years now. Pete
Posted by
OP
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
180 posts
To add, they didn't charge extra for the SIM itself. It was free.
Posted by
Fontainebleau, France
893 posts
Prepaid data service is available through Virgin mobile. However, the SIM is not free, and the data rates are outrageous (roughly 10€/Mb). While you can purchase the re-charge cards in stores, I think you can only order the SIM online. Anyone in need of a cheap SIM + minutes only can go to the post office. LaPoste Mobile has some of the cheapest pre-paid minute rates.