Best SIM card for Portugal?

Well...as I've mentioned numerous times before. Google Hangouts (to be retired later this year) have worked beautifully for me to make free calls to the US from Europe, even to landlines. I've had long conversations with it. It's not perfect, but it has worked amazingly well. I'm not the only person here to "call Mom on her landline" with Hangouts. The new Google Voice app, which I haven't used as much yet, seems to be an improvement in call quality over Hangouts, so that's promising.

I'm planning to use my Dutch Vodafone SIM again on my next trip to Europe, like I did last year in Portugal, but I really don't make many local calls in Europe. It doesn't have good local calling options, but INCOMING calls are free on it (like most European SIMs), as are incoming text messages, so I can always give my Dutch number to hotels etc. so they can reach me if need e. I still use Skype for making to call regular phones in Europe - have an old Skype credit, but anyone can put $10 on it to make cheap calls to phone numbers (the other person need not have Skype) for a few cents a minute.

Tip: you may have to add a +1 to the front of a US number to call it from Europe. But I'm sure you've had to do that with European SIMs in the past anyway.

You might also install WhatsApp to make free calls within Europe - it seems to be very popular in Europe (I've not used it myself).

You could of course just buy any SIM card you like when you get to Portugal. There's a Vodafone subsidiary there plus a few other mobile companies:

https://prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com/wiki/Portugal

Thanks Andrew!

I know you've recommended Google Hangouts many times here on the forum.
How do I go about setting it up? Is it easy? I'm definitely not tech savvy.

I already have WhatsApp, and it's great!

P.S. How can you use your Dutch Vodafone SIM card? Do you have to go to a Vodafone shop to reactivate it, and pay the appropriate fee?

Hmmm... I still have my Vodafone SIM card I bought in Sicily last May but I don't think I can use it again.

Hi Priscilla. At this point, I'd probably try to use Google Voice instead of Hangouts, as Hangouts will be retired later this year.

Google Voice looks a little more complicated than Hangouts. (In some ways, it is easier.) Download and install the Google Voice app from whatever app store you use. During the process, you may be asked to select a new phone number. You should choose a new one (free) and NOT use your existing number. You can safely ignore the new Google number you will get assigned. You may never use it, and it won't affect your existing phone service or cost you anything. (But you could give it to people to call you on that number while in Europe, if you really wanted to.)

You will need a Google account to make Google Voice work, however. If you already have one, just use that one.

Once you've got Google Voice installed, making calls should be pretty easy. On my Android phone, I open the app, choose the "Calls" (phone icon) in the bottom left corner, and then tap the green "dial pad" on the right side to bring up a dialer.

Test it out this way: put your phone in airplane mode, then enable WiFi (assuming you are at home or somewhere with WiFi). Then open Google Voice and try calling someone like your mother. If that works, it will work the same way in Europe.

These various SIM cards stay active for only so many months without activity before they become inactive (probably permanently). My Dutch Vodafone SIM requires some activity every six months before it becomes inactive. Just adding new credit extends it another six months from the current date. Sending a text (expensive when say roaming in the US - 60 euro cents per call) will keep it active another six months.

I'd guess your SIM card from last year has already become inactive due to inactivity.

Thanks again Andrew!

I will try to download and install the Google Voice app & see if I can figure out later today.

I’ll let you know if I was successful or not.

Thanks!

Hi Andrew,

Well... It kind of worked.
I downloaded the app & activated Google voice.
I called my brother to test it out and it worked, however, before dialing his number, I got this message:

If you’re not calling over the internet,
Google voices uses its own phone number to relay your calls.
When you place a call using your carrier minutes, you’ll see the carrier number for that call.

So now I‘m confused. My phone was connected to Wi-Fi when I made the call, and I got the above message, then there was a different number displayed (not my new google phone#) so I presume I was using my carrier minutes?

When I placed my cell phone on airplane mode & connected to my Wi-Fi. I got the same message.

What am I doing wrong?

Well, I'm glad you got the Google Voice app installed anyway! Were you able to make a call at all in Airplane Mode on WiFi? If so, you should be set for use in Europe.

I'm not exactly familiar with the Google Voice message you are getting. I think that's because you're using an iPhone (I use an Android), and I'm just not familiar with iPhones- sorry! Apple's dialer is a little different from Android's.

I would probably confuse you if I tried to explain all of this...and you don't really need it. You just want to use Google Voice to call OUT.

I think though, you should open the Google Voice app and go into settings. Look for one regarding "Make and receive calls." Should be set to "Use Carrier Only."

Now do two tests:

1. Call someone as you would have before, phone in "normal" mode (not using Google Voice) and make sure your ORIGINAL carrier number shows up on their caller ID.
2. Call someone using the Google Voice app (go into airplane mode, then enable WiFi) and try to make a call with Google Voice.

If those two work, you are good!

Hi Andrew!

Well... I think I figured it out. When I checked the settings of Google Voice (under "Make and receive calls") it was set to "Use carrier only", instead of "Prefer Wi-Fi and mobile data"

Was this comment a typo or did you really mean to write "should be set to "Use carrier only"

I think though, you should open the Google Voice app and go into
settings. Look for one regarding "Make and receive calls." Should be
set to "Use Carrier Only."

Anyway, once I switched the settings to "Prefer Wi-Fi and mobile data", I called my brother once again (phone on airplane mode and Wi-Fi on) and I didn't received the previous message, but instead I saw a message going across my phone screen that read "Calling via Google Voice" So, it worked! Yay!

BTW, it appears that there may be a charge when making international calls, but I won't know until I try making a call once I'm in Portugal.

I'm still planning to get a SIM card in Portugal.

Thanks so much for your help!

Great, Priscilla! I would REMEMBER that setting you changed. I think you may want to switch it back to "Use carrier" while you are still in the US but back to "prefer WiFi and Mobile Data" once you get to Portugal and buy a SIM. You'll probably want to use your carrier number/minutes (unlimited?) while in the US, not Google Voice for regular calls.

Yes, Google Voice will charge you for international calls - but with Google Voice that means calls to non-US countries. Calls to the US from Portugal with Google voice aren't "international calls" - they should be free. You can simply use your new SIM for local calls. I don't actually know how that will work, whether you need to change back and forth. I hope to be able to verify how it works shortly - I'll report back!

You can also install Google Hangouts anyway if you want, if your trip will happen in the next few months. It probably won't work a year from now. (In case Google Voice winds up causing you an unanticipated headache.)

Thanks Andrew!

I will try to download Google Hangouts and hopefully it will work too.

I wonder if I will need to choose a new phone number again, or use the same one I selected when I activated Google Voice.

Priscilla, Google Hangouts works with Google Voice. If you hadn't installed Google Voice already, then no phone number would be attached to it. But since you already have, Hangouts will associate with that new Voice number you got. Incoming calls in Hangouts are not automatic but can be turned on. If you dial someone with Hangouts, it will show your Google Voice number on the other person's caller ID.

Hi Andrew,
I downloaded the ‘Google Hangouts’ app on my phone so I think I’m all set. Thanks for all your help!

The real test will be when I arrive to Portugal and try to call mom on her
landline!

Yes, Google Voice will charge you for international calls - but with Google Voice that means calls to non-US countries. Calls to the US from Portugal with Google voice aren't "international calls" - they should be free. You can simply use your new SIM for local calls. I don't actually know how that will work, whether you need to change back and forth. I hope to be able to verify how it works shortly.

This is what I’m understanding. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

When I call a US phone number, from Portugal, via Google Hangouts over Wi-Fi (and phone on Airplane Mode) the call will be free of charge, right?

Thanks again!

Yep, that's right, calling a US number from Portugal with Hangouts or Google Voice will be free.

I would add that having a decent WiFi connection will help the quality of your calls.

I'm in Italy now, and my Dutch Vodafone SIM is once again working great. I made a couple of voice calls home to my parents using Hangouts and Google Voice. First call was on the hotel's spotty WiFi and it wasn't great quality - a lot of delay. Second call using the phone's mobile data through the SIM - and that call was perfect. So - these Google calling services work well but even better if you have a good internet connection - even a good 4G data connection with mobile data. I think a call uses about 2MB of mobile data per minute. I have 2GB of data for a 10 day trip - should be plenty of data.

Hi Andrew!

Thanks for the additional information!
I truly appreciate all your help and especially this update while you’re on vacation!

Have a wonderful trip! 😉