Hello. Any advice on the best working SIM card in the above counties? Mainly for navigation in rural areas. And where is the best place to buy one? Thank you
Posted by
Mountains of S. Oregon
741 posts
I've used GiffGaff in Scotland and plan to use it this Spring in Ireland. Not having an Irish phone number seems odd, but apparently EU residents always use the country codes, so it doesn't matter. No one has to pay a toll to call you back, etc. GiffGaff has the advantage of being very inexpensive ($10 for entry plan) plus you get it in the mail, and when you activate it via the web, you get your number assigned, so you can notify banks, friends, etc. of the number before you leave (unless the 28 day timer is too short) without actually putting it in your phone.
I searched around for an "Irish" version of GiffGaff and they all said they provide a UK number. The only way to get a IE number would be to go to a physical store (maybe) after you're already in-country.
In Scotland, in three weeks I only used 2gb of data, mainly navigating when on foot, calling bars/restaurants to make bookings, and email. I use a dashboard Garmin Nuvi ($20 on eBay) that I preload with all the daily driving routes, so I don't use the phone for that. There are always places where coverage is spotty, so set up your phone to use offline maps.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
33 posts
Check out MOBAL. they have a world sim card that works virtually everywhere. You have your choice of options, sim only with text & calling, sim and phone, sim and data plans etc. They issue a UK# which is yours permanently. The Sim is inexpensive, you can add a 30 day data plan , also inexpensive. You put a credit card on file and are charged a per minute rate for outgoing texts & calls but not incoming. If you seldom use it then there are no additional charges.
Posted by
4 posts
We have eSims on our phones. What is the process for using phone in London/Ireland? Just pay for an international plan while we are there?