Dutch Vodafone SIM card for use in Europe

Andrew,

Do you recall what speeds you were getting?

Was tethering allowed?

Thanks

I didn't do a speed test while I was in Europe. But I mostly connected to 4GLTE networks; sometimes 3G. This was in Slovenia, Italy, and France. I trained most of the way from Slovenia through Italy to the South of France and then up to Paris and used it on the train much of the way and got these connections. It never really seemed slow.

I have read that technically Vodafone Netherlands does not allow tethering (e.g. hotspot) but that with Android they are unable to prevent it. I used hotspot via my Android phone all the time - probably half of my data use was for hotspot. No issues. I've heard that iPhones may not work as hotspots with this SIM, however.

I used Dutch Vodaphone in Amsterdam, Haarlem, Antwerp, Bruges, and Brussels on a trip last month (just bought the SIM there). Speeds were good, usually 4G, but I did notice the network was more city centric. On the train, the signal would degrade to 2G, then G, then E and get better as we approached a town. Even in Amsterdam, in the historic center there were some patchy spots, probably due to restrictions on antennas. Also used Vodaphone in Germany last year, noticed way fewer reception problems.

Ironically, Paul, I have no idea what Vodafone's coverage in the Netherlands is, because I haven't been back there since I bought the SIM! I bought it for general Europe roaming and wasn't particularly worried about how great their coverage is, only about their roaming policy, ability to use hotspot, ability to validate a SIM without being in country, etc. And Vodafone is a major European mobile company in numerous countries, so I know they would have decent enough coverage in many countries.

Do you need to have a nl credit card to put credit on though? A person on a fb travel group said she was unable to do it that way. She did not try adding credit via computer. Just checking...

I added credit to my Dutch Vodafone SIM using my US credit card (issued by a big US bank). I did have to create a My Vodafone account on the Dutch Vodafone website, though, first (at least, that made it easier). To create such an account, you need the SIM to be active, because you'll need to enter your new Dutch phone number when creating the account, and after that you'll get a confirmation text message with a code you need to activate the account.

Incoming texts are free, though. My SIM had no credit at all when I bought it and was still able to receive text messages immediately. I inserted it into my unlocked phone while in the US, turned the phone on, and got the "Welcome to the United States" text. Then I received the confirmation text message to create my account. No cost for the texts.

The process of buying top-up credit was a bit odd though - the credit card transaction seemed to have failed at first and I was going to try again...but I waited about ten minutes, and then magically my 25 Euro credit appeared in my account!

You can buy top-up credit also without a My Vodafone account or even on other sites using Paypal I believe. Then you will get a long code for the credit that you must enter into the phone to transfer it to the SIM. But I found it easier to do it all directly with a My Vodafone account.

If all of this sounds confusing or risky somehow, keep in mind that I did it all before leaving for Europe, so had the process failed somehow, I would not have lost much, only about $7 USD I paid for the new SIM. I didn't have to mess with anything while I was in Europe. Had it not worked, I might have just gone with T-Mobile or bought a different SIM after I arrived.

After reading and researching, it looks like Vodafone is the clear choice for European travel. I wonder though why not opt for a UK or Irish sim, so you dont have to deal with a Dutch web/app interface? While it should be noted that Vodafone doesnt charge for SIMs, they also wont ship them overseas, you, or someone else, needs to go into the store with proper ID to recv. But there are plenty of options on Ebay for Irish and UK Vodafone sims. Just a thought

One need not go to the Netherlands with proper ID just to pick up a Dutch Vodafone SIM. As I said above, I bought mine on eBay and activated it in the US. (No, Vodafone did not ship it to me directly - a third party seller in the Netherlands did. My SIM was unopened in a little cardboard envelope.) I never visited the Netherlands (on that trip) before using the SIM in Europe.

Sure, one can buy SIMs from the UK and Ireland on eBay too. I started this thread not to discourage people from other options but to give them one example of something I know works. I encourage people to look at other options. Some SIM plans have a lot more data than Vodafone offers, but I used only 2GB of the 3GB I had anyway, so more data wouldn't have helped me. It is important to note that many European countries do not allow SIM cards to be activated without passport/ID (e.g. France, Italy). The Netherlands, the UK, and a few others do not (yet) have this requirement. So if you wish to buy a SIM ahead of time before arriving in Europe, there aren't many country options to choose from.

Some reasons I settled on the Dutch Vodafone over UK or Irish SIMs: I was able to top-up online with my credit card directly on the Dutch Vodafone website, without needing to buy top-up credit in the country. The UK does not seem to allow this (not sure about Ireland), though one can use Paypal via a third party as I understand it (just didn't feel like dealing with that). Also, Vodafone Netherlands allows tethering/hotspot (at least on Android) and does not block VPN or VoiP calls. I know someone who used a UK SIM last year who could not use hotspot on his regular phone - he had a rooted phone and had to use that. I just didn't want to deal with any of that. And the SIM purchased on eBay was only $8 USD shipped and took only two weeks. And Vodafone Netherlands keeps the SIM "alive" for a year after you've last added credit, so I can keep using the SIM every year without needing to add credit that often. Other SIMs may not stay active so long.

Having to read Dutch language was not an issue; Google Chrome translates the Vodafone website to English automatically. No, it won't translate the Vodafone app I used on my phone - I managed to use it anyway without understanding Dutch.