Hello! Does anyone have recommendations for the best carrier to use to get a SIM card for my phone and purchase data? Also, on a related topic, I have seen the travel community make mention of renting an internet "hot spot" so the kids can use their iPads in the car. Where can I do that? Same carrier as I use for my phone or do the car rental agencies there offer them like they do the GPS? Sorry in advance if I have mucked up my question; my husband - the techie - won't be along with me so I need to get myself set up this go around. Thanks in advance!
Posted by
Florida
509 posts
We were disappointed with VodaPhone SIM on recent trip, purchased at little convenience shop in Dublin airport. Used it for half-dozen text messages, no problem. A few days later, tried to place call to AirBB host, and received a "must top off" message. There had been no prior notice that we'd consumed our "minutes", but usage had been minimal up until then. Not being particularly tech-savvy, I had no idea how to "top off" from the smart phone. Fortunately, a sweet lady behind the counter at a nearby petro station let me use her phone. In hindsight, I think (1) we should have been suspicious of the bargain price, around E20 as I recall; and (2) I should have visited their website and become more familiar with the program.
We've had no problems with Orange SIM cards in other countries. I believe they are available in Ireland. Probably worth checking out.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
If you have a smart phone, you can buy a SIM and use the phone as the WiFi hotspot, sharing the data from the prepaid SIM. That's what I do in Europe. (Granted, I don't have to share it with a bunch of kids - if they all start streaming videos, they'll eat up your data in no time.) If you can find a WiFi hotspot with unlimited data for $10 or $15 per day or something, your kids might make good use of it if they will use a lot of data - but it would be a waste of money for me.
You can always use Skype to make calls using WiFi (mobile hotspot or otherwise), so you don't even really need a SIM for your phone if you rent a mobile hotspot.