SIM cards in Europe

Search is your friend to find the plethora of responses to this frequently asked question.

(And there's a guy with a whole blog on the topic—not a blog post, but a whole blog.) It's often among the first results googling "travel/international/tourist SIM")

Some details may help us to provide you with suggestions

• Length of trip
• Do you need data, texts, local phone number and calling
• Is your phone able to use an E SIM
• Unlocked phone

I just order an inexpensive international service at T Mobile and cancel it upon my return home. T Mobile is owned by the German telephone company, and my home service in Europe works exactly the same in Europe. People that call us at home will ring thru there too.

I did a lot of research on this topic (I will be going to the same countries you mention) and decided that it was best to wait until arrival and then buy something locally. There will be lots of options depending on what type and how much service you need. I figure one of the big advantages to waiting is that you can slip the sim card in right there and make sure it's working before you leave the store. Also, I think it is less expensive - or certainly no more expensive - than doing it in advance.

We always buy a SIM card in the airport of our first arrival, but you need to make sure your phone is unlocked before you leave. Our alternative is a $10/day Verizon plan, but the SIM card is around $30-40 so for any trip of a week or more, it makes more sense to switch out the SIM. You'll get a new number that you can email to all your friends/family, and you will want a safe place to put your US SIM (we put ours in a plastic baggie in a special zippered pouch in our backpack) because you will want it when you return