OneSimCard

Stephanie, The One Sim website seems to be out of service at the moment, so hopefully that isn't an indicator of their reliability. Just for "comparison", you might find it helpful to have a look at the "travel phone" firms such as Roam Simple, Cellular Abroad, Call In Europe, Telestial, TruPhone or Mobal. They also sell SIM's, typically with a UK number and post-paid billing (calls charged to a credit card). If you're going to be in Europe for several months, you'll probably get the best rates by purchasing a local PAYG phone when you arrive there. Which country will you primarily be staying in? Happy travels!

Hmm, it seems to be up and running for me. I would feel more comfortable with a pre-paid service. I will be traveling for a couple of days in the following countries: Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Spain, Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, Scotland. The majority of my time will be spent in the UK. It's just when I'm trying to look at rates and there's SO much information, I could be wrong...it looked like OneSimCard was the cheapest. Am I wrong?

Stephanie, The One SIM website seems to be working again today. I tried numerous times last night, and wasn't able to access it. If you feel the One SIM plans best fit your criteria and budget, I'm sure it will work well for you. I looked at it but it appeared to be a "ring back" style of operation which I don't like. It also seems to involve complicated number sequences to access some functions, so despite the price I'll stick with one of the other services I mentioned above. Cheers!

Ken, Are any of the above pre-pay services?

Stephanie, I think most of the travel phone cards get a credit card number from you and bill you as you go. That has its advantages so you don't run out of credit while traveling. If you're going to be spending most of your time in the U.K., it might make some sense to get a prepaid phone and SIM from a U.K. company. I've used T-Mobile U.K. for years and have used it while traveling outside the U.K. I think the other U.K. carriers (Orange, Vodafone, O2, etc.) work outside the U.K. as well. You can find the web pages for these companies by doing a google search. Then you can see the prepaid rates directly. Or, check one of the companies that sells phones for all the companies, such as Carphone Warehouse. Those web pages should explain the rates, too.

Stephanie, Here's the billing details for the services I mentioned..... > Roam Simple: Post Paid billing via credit card > Cellular Abroad: Pre-Paid (Talk Abroad International SIM card - Automated credit recharge available in 2012) > Call In Europe: Post Paid billing via credit card > Telestial: Pre-Paid (Auto Recharge feature available) > Mobal: Post Paid billing via credit card Check the websites for specific rates and other details.

Stephanie, Ken does not provide completely accurate information, so to clarify: > OneSimCard is a prepaid service with auto-recharge available. There are no complicated dialing sequences, you just dial countrycode-areacode-phone# like you normally would do. All low-cost "travel phone" firms use a "ring-back" system. With OneSimCard this can be removed if you have an iPhone or Android device. When comparing different services make sure to check for any connection charges, expiration policies and any other monthly or yearly fees they might require. Most "travel phone" firms have these extra charges which are sometimes hard to find on their websites. Good luck! Ben

Stephanie, I'd like to add a few comments regarding my supposed lack of "accurate information"..... I looked at the OneSIM service briefly, but stated that it appeared to be a Ring-Back type of service. I wanted to raise the point about Ring-Back in the event this might be an issue for you. I intentionally used the word "appeared" so this wouldn't be construed as an absolute statement of fact. It would seem that I may have to use more precise terminology in future, as some may still misunderstand. "All low-cost "travel phone" firms use a "ring-back" system." That's not really true. I've used services from Roam Simple (one of the "low-cost travel phone firms") for several years, and they DO NOT use a Ring-Back style of operation! Calls are placed normally by simply dialing the appropriate number, in the same manner as making calls at home. It sometimes takes a few attempts to get the correct number sequence (depending on country). Perhaps this comes down to a question of "splitting hairs" in terms of what constitutes a "low cost travel phone firm"??? Incidentally, there's a chart in all the RS Guidebooks showing the number sequences to dial in various European countries. Ben is correct in that it's a good idea to check the websites carefully, so that you're fully aware of what the charges will be. Cheers!

Ken, Your points are well taken, however I disagree with your statement that <<Perhaps this comes down to a question of "splitting hairs" in terms of what constitutes a "low cost travel phone firm">>. I would not count Roam Simple as one of the low cost services because they offer 0 countries with free incoming calls (even none in Europe!) and their rates in general are at least 2-6 times higher than a "ring back" service like OneSimCard. In most countries Roam Simple charges $2 or more per minute to make calls, so this is not "splitting hairs" but in fact quite a significant difference from the true low-cost travel phone firms. Thanks!

I've looked at the OneSimCard.com web site and it does appear that the service is a "ring-back" service. For me that wouldn't keep me from using the service if it had the right price and features. I wish that OneSimCard's web site stated the call-back requirement more clearly, though. One advantage it looks like it has is the ability for callers in the U.S. to call a general local number and then key in the foreign number OneSimCard assigns. The caller is only billed for the local call and you are charged an extra 20 cents a minute. This may be cheaper than purchasing a specific U.S. forwarding number as well as the foreign number. OneSimCard does offer that feature, too, I think. I'd keep OneSimCard on the list of travel phone firms to consider, but it is sometimes difficult to correctly calculate how much it all costs. For example, there is a $29+ initial charge for getting a OneSimCard SIM. To be accurate, you have to include that cost when figuring how much a call will cost. (Most travel phone companies have similar charges.)

Ooh. I just did a search for "onesimcard review" and found that Amazon sells the card. The first customer review is headed, "Details You Don't Get Until you Have It," including that the number you are assigned is from Estonia. Check out these reviews and others before choosing this company. (Good advice for any such purchase from any company.) Some of the reviews were positive; some not. It should give you a good idea of what to expect.

@Ben, "I would not count Roam Simple as one of the low cost services because they offer 0 countries with free incoming calls ..... In most countries Roam Simple charges $2 or more per minute to make calls, so this is not "splitting hairs" I disagree with your view of the first point, so I suppose this comes down to a difference of opinion. On the second point, where are you getting your rate information? Here are the current Roam Simple rates (all billing in US$): > Incoming Calls $0.49 > Outgoing Calls local within country $0.69 > Outgoing Calls to Europe (Zone 1) $0.69 > Outgoing Calls to USA & Canada $0.89 > Retrieving Voicemail $0.69 > Sending a Text Message $0.69
> Receiving a Text Message $0.00 Calls are billed in one minute increments. The cost of a SIM is $9 for a standard phone (not a Smartphone) and the phone number is based in the U.K. with O2 Telefonica (in my experience this is a very reliable network). The costs differ for iPhones and other Smartphones. I definitely agree with your previous suggestion that it's very important to carefully look at the rates and other terms on the websites of the various travel phone firms. I did that prior to choosing a travel SIM, and that's why I chose Roam Simple. I felt it was the best solution for my particular situation. Although they don't offer free incoming calls, I can afford to pay 49¢ for the few calls that I get. I also really like the fact that no "top-up" is necessary. I'm only billed for calls made, and I don't have to worry about having a balance left on the card when I come home. I'd like to emphasize that I don't work for Roam Simple, so I'm simply relaying my experiences with their service. Cheers!

Hi Stephanie My name is Adam from Roam Simple and I'd like to jump in on this thread to assist with your requirements as well to offer some feedback on some other posts. Roam Simple unlike most other international cellular services is a postpaid service and a Direct Dial service which essentially means we are offer a carrier grade service backed by one of the largest carriers in the world o2 Telefonica UK. Many other companies are callback services which tend to use their own network and switches to terminate calls. Its true that Roam Simple rates are slightly higher then the callback services and do not offer free incoming calls in any country other than the UK - but the question remains...do you want to comprise reliability and connectivity to save a few $ when traveling? Over the past few years the major feedback we received from those who have compared our service to callback services is that our services are reliable - it actually works - call always go through and the postpaid aspect allows those who are using the service be billed for their actual usage and not have to worry about prepaying for airtime or worry about running out of airtime. If you are studying abroad and would like more information pls contact us and ask our service reps about the Student program which will save you anywhere between 15 - 25% off our posted rates. Adam

hi Again We also highly recommend that you consider purchasing a travel phone instead of using your domestic phone or iphone overseas. Firstly your domestic phone needs to be unlocked and secondly if you do loose or damage your domestic phone when overseas then you will be in a situation when you return back home with no phone. Having a low end travel phone will be a good investment. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you need any additional support or advice - we are not just here to promote our world class service but also to assist and educate thank you and best
Adam

Hi all. Thanks for your input. I decided to go with Cellular Abroad. Thanks again!

Ken, You can get the Roam Simple rates right from their website. The rates you list are only valid in 33 countries (Zone 1/EU) and you left out <<Outgoing Calls to the Rest of the World $1.29>> and their data rates of over $15/MB. Once you get outside of those 33 EU countries it is very expensive to make or receive calls, even in other European countries. Here are the call rates for their other 3 zones, and note that most countries (129 total) fall under their highest rate zone: Zone 2/Extended Europe (13 countries: e.g. Norway, Switzerland, Turkey) > Incoming Calls $0.99 > Outgoing Calls Local Within Country $1.49 > Outgoing International Calls $1.99 > Retrieving Voicemail $1.99 Zone 3/Asia & Pacific (6 countries: Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore & South Africa) > Incoming Calls $1.29 > Outgoing Calls Local Within Country $1.49 > Outgoing International Calls $2.49 > Retrieving Voicemail $2.49 Zone 4/Rest of World (129 countries: e.g. Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Russia, UAE) > Incoming Calls $1.99 > Outgoing Local Calls Within Country $2.49 > Outgoing International Calls $2.49
> Retrieving Voicemail $2.49 Roam Simple may be a good service for your needs -- my only point is that it is not even a close comparison to the true low-cost travel phone firms like Telestial or OneSimCard.

Ben, I didn't want to hijack the Thread, but some of this may be of interest to Stephanie, so I have a few further comments. "You can get the Roam Simple rates right from their website." Yes, that's exactly what I did in posting the information above. As the HelpLine deals only with European travel questions, I focus my replies only on that area. More comprehensive information related to travel in other parts of the world is not relevant. For those wishing to travel in South America or Asia, they can use Lonely Planet or other websites to obtain information. The majority of questions posted here relate ONLY to travel in western Europe (ie: Zone 1 countries), so that's the only area I provide information on. Most of the time, I list the names of at least five "travel phone" firms (Roam Simple, Cellular Abroad, Call In Europe, Telestial & Mobal), so that individuals can compare the rates and features, and choose the one that best fits their particular situation. I usually mention that if travellers will be in eastern Europe (Zone 2 countries), rates will be higher. I chose what I felt was the best service for my needs, and in my view it does provide competitive rates to the "true low-cost travel phone firms", when travelling in Europe (which is the only area I travel in). Cheers!

I used OneSim last August in Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. Had no problems whatsoever with phone calls or data. Customer service was fine and very helpful.

This thread is ancient.

Bottom line upfront: DON'T USE THIS PRODUCT, IT'S A SCAM!!! We were going to be traveling through Europe and I bought this SIM Card online, from OneSimCard.com, before we left because it claimed to work in every country that we were traveling to, but it didn't work in any of them. When I contacted the tech support, they gave me the "that's weird" explanation. Then, when I got back to the US and called to ask for a refund, I was told that it is not their policy to issue refunds for "technical issues" and not working in ANY of the countries I visited is a technical issue in their definition. I did successfully test the card while in the States before we left, but it didn't work in Europe. Again, their website listed these countries as covered and we were in major metropolitan areas and it wouldn't work on any of the cell phone carriers I switched my phone to. The customer service person I spoke with had a very thick Russian accent, which made me feel that this is likely not a US company but a foreign scam.

@Daniel, I realize this Thread is over a year old, but I wanted to clarify one point. The fact that you were able to use the SIM in the U.S. before departing on your trip, and the fact that it wouldn't work anywhere in Europe was a huge red flag! Did you check your phone to ensure that it had the necessary European frequency bands (900/1800 MHz)??? That would easily explain why your phone wouldn't work in Europe. Cheers!

Yes, I was very careful to buy an unlocked iPhone with the proper frequency ranges. That's a really good tip for travelers to look out for though. Thanks for the reply!

I know this is an old post.....Traveling to Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, and France for 3 weeks this fall. Flying into Frankfurt. I have an unlocked iPhone5 from AT&T and intend to use it sparingly for voice and data. Debating whether to purchase the AT&T plan's for voice/data in Europe vs SIM card overseas but also concerned about roaming. Will mostly use WiFi for data. Anybody know anything about Lebara? Aerobile?