I will be making phone calls, texting, and using data for reading emails and maps.
I would appreciate any easy to set up low cost options. We can use esim or physical cards. Would prefer to purchase something here before we leave.
Thanks in advance for suggestions.
I have had a lot of luck with Lebara in the past, look into their services. Nowadays I do not use a SIM any more, I just use roaming from my existing phone service provider (I am in Australia and use Vodafone) and make most calls and downloads using the free internet in hotel rooms and cafés, but Lebara is cheap and has a good service.
Lavandula
I have no personal experience with them but giffgaff is one UK provider that still offers free EU roaming. Last I “heard” they still ship SIM cards overseas. Scroll down to pay as you go in the link.
I used giffgaff last year for a five week trip in the UK. They will send a physical sim to you in the US at no charge. Download their app, set up an account, register the card to your account and select a data plan. Don’t activate the plan until you arrive in the UK.
I’ve also used giffgaff, and am about to order another one for my upcoming trip.
It worked fine.
Thanks for all your assistance. I'll look into it.
Check out Orange €19.99 14 days, 12 GB, unlimited calls and texts anywhere in Europe, 30 min call and 200 texts international. Works in UK, Germany etc. Buy and install esim at home. There is sim option. Will activate when land in Europe.
You should also consider, do you want a British phone number or a German phone number?
Phred, does that matter? So much of the EU has toll free calling. I gave my (temporary) French number to vendors in both Spain and Portugal and they would call me back.
You have 3 main options, you can read more here about UK sim cards.
just visit an Orange store once you get into town. Post Brexit they promised to keep their customers with free EU roaming
They lied.
the only UK mobile network to retain free roaming in Europe at the moment is O2, also known as Virgin-O2. Those non-network carriers - MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) - who use the O2 network like Giffgaff, Virgin Mobile, Sky Mobile, and Tesco Mobile also offer free roaming with sometimes different terms and conditions.
With T-mobile I use my US sim card. Calls to US are 25 cents a minute. T-mobile is a good value.
