I will be using this plan which will cover each country I will be visiting. I'm hoping someone who has used T Mobile's plan can tell me their experience in Europe. Did you receive a new phone number for each country? When you made calls locally in each country did you dial 00 before the country code or + or did it matter? I'm not very savy about smart phones. I bought a SIM card in Thailand and never got any of the numbers I dialed to work. It's important that I have access in each country we are visiting because we are staying in apartments and must call the owner in order to be met there with the keys. Any light someone might shed on this subject would really be appreciated.
Posted by
Seattle
544 posts
1 . "Did you receive a new phone number for each country?"
No, the phone uses the same phone number no matter where you are. It's just as if you are in your living room at home in USA.
If your phone number is (222) 555-1234, than your international phone number is +12225551234. You add the +1 for USA-based phones and that's the full number you need to give to people that may want to call you from a European-based phone. People at home can dial your number just like usual.
2 . "When you made calls locally in each country did you dial 00 before the country code or + or did it matter?"
Yes, you want to dial the "+", the country code, and the full number so it will go through with no issues no matter where you are.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thank you so much for such a clear explanation. I feel much more confident now.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Adding to Nordheim's reply, when you store numbers in your phone, put them in with the + and the country code. That way, you don't have to think - you just press Send, and it will dial correctly from anywhere.
If you need help entering the numbers correctly, let us know the countries and cities involved, and we can give more specifics. Or you can try Rick's page on the subject: http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/phones-tech/call-uk-europe
For US numbers, just use +1 - area code - number (with no spaces or dashes), as Nordheim said.
For your US friends, they will dial you as they normally do, and you will pay $0.20 per minute. You will also get their call no matter what the hour. Be sure to let people know the time difference, so you're not awakened unnecessarily. Also let them know that if they text you, you pay nothing, so that's the best way to reach you if possible.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
That's a good idea, Harold, to go ahead and put the numbers in that I'll be needing. That way I won't have to search for my confirmation letter with the number on it. Thanks for the help.