i read the graffiti wall's site on cell phones and am still confused. could anyone tell me the simplest way to have a cell phone in ireland (we're driving all over southern ireland), london and paris? i'd like to take care of getting it arranged before i leave the states and don't want to be looking for used phones, trying to figure out codes, on anything complicated? is there a simple way? i won't be making many calls but would like my family to be able to get ahold of me and would like to be able to have a phone for emergencies like car trouble. thank you!
Posted by
Cleveland, USA
61 posts
Hi Linda,
If your primary goal is to be reachable by those at home and for emergencies, not extensive calling to local numbers while there, your best bet is a GSM phone from here. Who is your regular cell service provider? If it is ATT or T Mobile, your phone may already work there, depending on if it is a tri or quad band phone. I am with ATT (formerly Cingular) and have a quad band phone that works perfectly when I am out of the country. I had the international roaming feature turned on to make the per minute cost go down. For family and friends, it is like making a local call, but you pay the increased rate. I think that there are also pay as you go phones from ATT that can do this as well. If you are not with one of these two providers, check with yours and see if they have something that will work for you. The regular phones from the other providers will not work on the networks abroad.
Continued to next post.
Posted by
Cleveland, USA
61 posts
If you can't get that to work, or want a local number for the country you are in, you can purchase an unlocked GSM phone and SIM cards to go in them or local phones. There are various suggestions on which way is best for that. In most countries you can purchase an inexpensive pay as you go phone once there. Or, you can purchase the phone from a company before you go and get a global SIM card with a phone number based abroad. There are several different companies that do that, several of which are discussed at locations in this site. The college where I teach purchased one from Telestial, and we have had good luck with it. But I've read posts from others that have had problems with that company. Same thing with other companies, pros and cons depending on individual experiences.
When traveling for pleasure I just take my phone. When traveling with students I take both.
Posted by
westminster, md, usa
196 posts
Hiya Linda:
After years of bemoaning about having to stop to use public phones and lack there of in certain areas in Ireland. I bought a really cheap cell phone at Vodafone in Galway in 2006; and it was the best investment. It was great to have a phone handy while traveling and being able to make plans; making calls while on the road to make reservations if needed & contact w/my irish relations for meeting up etc...
I e-mailed my phone info home and my relations in Ireland had it; so if anyone wanted to get ahold of me from the states could. Check out Vodafone on the web. I knew which one I wanted when I got there and it was fast and easy. Thats what I did and when I got to Galway I went to a local shop. There are Vodafone & O2 phone shops everywhere. The great thing is this phone has been passed around in the family; when other members go home for a visit. I just keep it updated every 6 mths online.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
I take the Mobal phone when I travel. You pay once for the phone ($49 for the cheaper model). Then any calls you make are charged directly to your credit card when you make them -- no SIM cards, no buying prepaid minutes that you don't use up, no monthly charges. The per-minute cost to call to the US is higher than some other methods, but you only pay for what you use. When you get home, just put it away until you travel again. The number is still good, without any need to update it every so often. And you can travel from country to country without worrying about changing SIM cards when you cross the border.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32350 posts
Linda,
The easiest and simplest solution would be to "roam" with a quad-band GSM Phone from either AT&T or T-Mobile. I believe this option is only available for contract customers, not PAYG.
While it is possible to buy an inexpensive phone in Ireland or other countries, IMO this is not the best solution, given the fact you'll be traveling in several countries. Any calls made outside the country where the phone was obtained will be subject to European roaming charges, so this is something to consider. Also, if your family calls you while you're in Europe, they will pay long distance (if you're using roaming from your home network, you'll pay the costs for incoming calls).
I normally use text/SMS extensively while traveling, as it's the most cost effective option. I do make voice calls if necessary, but I'm aware of the costs and I'm willing to pay these for the sake of convenience if necessary.
Hope this helps.
Happy travels!
Posted by
Anaheim, CA, USA
1455 posts
I got mine on http://www.ekit.com
It was recommended by raileurope.
The tri band phone I got was $39 and I added $10 extra time. All incoming calls in the UK and France are free, so basically I am taking this for family / friends who want to call me.
Posted by
Amherst, OH, USA
3 posts
If you have Verizon, they will loan you a phone for up to 30 days. There is no charge for the phone, free delivery and return shipping, and $1.39 per minute. It uses your phone number; as soon as you activate the new one, your other phone is deactivated until you return. I truly don't know if this is a good deal or not, but we're taking advantage of it.