I will be in Switzerland for two weeks and want data coverage to search the web for hotels, restaurants and maps. What is the best way to do this. I have a iPhone 5S in the United States. I don't care about calling, just data...
Posted by
Illinois
16 posts
It depends on your carrier. I have an Iphone 5 and we have Verizon. They had an international plan this summer of 100 min of data/calls/texts (each) for $40. We actually didn't use it that much. I was able to check email/use internet usually at the hotels we were staying.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
We have AT&T. They told me it would be fairly expensive for 800mb of data.
Posted by
Austin, TX
92 posts
If your phone is unlocked, then you can get a prepaid SIM card from Orange or another Swiss provider. 1 GB of data for 2 weeks to a month should cost between 10 to 30 CHF.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area
5697 posts
Or ... just use wifi connections at your hotel for your web-searching in the evenings -- no data usage.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Robert, do you know if I can get the SIM card before I go to Switzerland?
Posted by
Los Angeles
4412 posts
you can get not only SIM cards but entire phones before your trip, I bought a Eurobuzz just to have as a backup. But you pay more if you buy before.
You could also sign up for a T Mobile plan for a month and get unlimited calling and data. As noted, there is abundant wifi in Switzerland but it's generally restricted to customers of that business. Another alternative that I almost went with is to buy or rent a mobile hot spot to carry around for all your internet needs. Rick mentioned that he did this.
Posted by
Long Beach, California, USA
3391 posts
Your phone carrier is what determines your rates. I have Verizon and they have couple of options. A $25 per month add-on that you can use for your trip with 100 MB of data included. For $40 you can add 100 MB of data + voice and messaging. We used the second one on a recent 9 week trip to India and Europe and it covered all of our needs including GPS while walking and driving, calling forward for reservations and hotels, as well as communicating with each other while abroad. We connected to wireless whenever we could to preserve our usage and it worked out well with no additional charges on our phone bills when we arrived home. The 3 of us all have iPhones.