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Technology for the dummy

Posted by on

First, let me say I have read the technology posts!

We will be visiting 8 countries over 6 months (yes, aware of Schengen). We will want to have the ability to phone the US on occasion and make calls within the country (we are renting apartments and need the ability to arrange arrival/departure activities with the owners). We need a navigation tool. We want to be able to download movies some. Of course we will have our RS guidebooks downloaded on our tablet.

Please tell me how to improve this plan to minimize our technology expenses:

  1. We suspend our current phone service to minimize costs but preserve our telephone numbers for when we return.
  2. We purchase an inexpensive phone (not sure why we can't use our current phones, but everything I have read seems to say you need to purchase one) and SIM cards (am I correct that we need to purchase a card in each country?)
  3. We use WiFi as much help as possible to call home.

But, I have questions:
1. If we do not use all the time on a SIM card before we go to the next country, can it be used in the next country ( maybe the usage rate is more expensive because it is now effectively a long distance call?)?
2. If we are traveling the back roads, get totally lost and need navigation, but no access to Wifi, what do we do (yes, I know....enjoy it! Ask someone...etc.)? I guess my question is, can you download the needed navigation to the tablet and save it or do you have to have Wifi access to view it?
3. What is the best/cheapest way to download movies?

Any and all advice is appreciated!

Posted by
8889 posts

Some answers
"not sure why we can't use our current phones, but everything I have read seems to say you need to purchase one" - you may be able to use your current phone, depends which model. You need to ask an expert.

"SIM cards (am I correct that we need to purchase a card in each country?)" - No, you do not need to buy one for each country. Buy one in the first country, it will still work, but it will keep it's number in the original country. It will not be a long distance call, it will be an international call. This is called "international roaming".
If it is a "pay as you go" phone, you need to make sure you can add credit, for example over the internet. Two big companies selling SIM cards are:
http://www.lycamobile.com/
www.lebara.com

For example, you buy a cheapo phone with SIM card in Britain for £15. This has a British phone number: 0799 765 4321, that is what people in the UK would dial. Calling from other countries in Europe it is: 00 44 799 765 4321 (44 = country code for the UK), from the USA it is: 011 44 799 765 4321. You take this phone to France, it still works. If somebody from France (or any other country in Europe) wants to call you they dial: 00 44 799 765 4321, they don't even have to know where you are. They pay for the call to the UK, you pay for the extra charge from the UK to whichever country you are in (France).

Finally, check with your service provider whether that you can use your existing phone, as is, in the countries you are going to. That could be the simplest option.

Posted by
2091 posts

Actually, 41 is Switzerland's country code and 44 is UK's.

Posted by
105 posts

Thanks, Chris for the information. I am still unclear on one thing. If I buy a SIM card in The Netherlands and make a call in Russia, are you saying this is an international call, therefore, would be charged at a higher rate? So, since I am moving around a lot, is it better to refill a card or replace it in the new country?

Thanks!

Posted by
8889 posts

mschonekas,
"If I buy a SIM card in The Netherlands and make a call in Russia, are you saying this is an international call" - Yes, it is a call from one country to another, which is the definition of International.
Even if you are in Brussels, and make a call using a SIM card from the Netherlands, that is also an international call. Your phone, telephonically speaking, remains a bubble of the Netherlands within whichever country you are visiting.

You have picked an unusual example with The Netherlands and Russia. The EU consumer protection authorities have put 'caps' on these roaming charges. Within the EU it should not cost more than 20%-50% above national charges to make an international call. Buying a SIM card in each country will be much too much hassle. And, you loose any money left on a SIM card when you throw it away.
Russia (or the USA) are not covered by EU consumer protection and they are free to charge what they like for international roaming. If you intend to buy a SIM card and use it in Russia, check what the rates are when you buy the card so you don't get any surprises.

See the rates for the two companies I posted earlier for examples of rates.
http://www.lycamobile.com/
www.lebara.com

I would also ask your current phone provider if, and at what rates, your current phone can be used in the countries you intend to visit.

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