Is it easy to purchase a cellphone in Holland (hopefully at airport) and inexpensive to use for a couple of weeks.\I am a 50 yr old woman and will be travelling alone, need to keep in touch with my family in Canada and relatives in Holland. My own cell in Canada does not have a sim card, and extremely expensive to buy a new one right now Thank you
Posted by
Leiden, Nederland
1 posts
Calling abroad from the Netherlands can be expensive if you use a cell phone. According to this Dutch comparison website a 15 minute call to a Canadian landline can cost you between 1,59 euro or 37,50 dependent of the sim card provider. http://www.bellen.com/mobiel-naar-vast/canada.aspx?aantalminuten=15 Check at http://www.ortelmobile.nl/en-GB/where-to-buy/ if you can buy an ortel mobile sim card somewhere near your destination. Cheap cell phones without sim lock should be easy to find. Big chains like dixons sell them for 30 euros.
http://dixons.nl/categorie/733/GSM_simlockvrij#sort_field=p&sort_dir=a There is a communications store at schiphol airport, but dont expect to get great prices there.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32355 posts
Mary, You might also consider one of the "travel phone" firms, such as Roam Simple, Call In Europe, Cellular Abroad, Telestial or Mobal. If you're planning to use the phone sparingly for voice calls, the rates are quite reasonable. I checked the website for one of the firms listed above. They have a basic phone for $49, and the rate for calls back to Canada from most European countries is 89¢ per minute (billed to the nearest minute). Keeping in touch with family back in Canada via text message is very cheap also - 69¢ for each sent text and received messages are free (that's a method I use frequently during travels). If you have enough time, you could also buy a quad-band, unlocked GSM phone off E-Bay and just use a SIM from one of the travel phone firms. If you do decide to buy a phone here prior to your trip, be sure to check that the Charger is designed for "world operation", and be sure to take at least one Plug Adapter. Happy travels!