Tech advice needed on cell phone/tablet computer for Wales trip

Yes, walk into many electronic chain stores, supermarkets, phone shops and you will see cheap "pay-as-you-go" phones. These come with a SIM with a bit of credit already loaded. Price varies by country, but in most cases under £20/€20
You can also buy "Pay-as-you-go" SIM cards if you already have a suitable phone. Cost about £15/€15 with nearly as much starter credit pre-loaded.

Make sure you know where you can buy extra credit, and if you can add credit online (useful if you are out of the country). These phones come with a telephone number for the country you buy it in, and a charger with the correct plug for that country.
When you buy the phone, you usually have to register your name and address (bring your passport, and proof of address). Then it usually takes one or more hours before it is registered and on the network and starts working.

Ringing a number in another EU country, or ringing back if you are in another country, should not cost more than 50% over domestic rates. Check the "roaming rates" when you buy the phone. Inter-EU roaming rates are regulated by the EU and are usually reasonable. Rates to non-EU countries (e.g. the USA) are not regulated and can be much higher.

If you do not use the phone for a number of months, it is usually written into the contract that they can cancel your SIM card and re-use the number for somebody else. You loose any credit you had. If this happens bad luck, just buy another SIM card.

Good advice Chris

There's going to be Wifi at about every place you stay, so I'd save the tablet for that. But, I'd sure as heck buy one with cellular capability for later use.

Thanks, Chris and Ed, so much for this help. Just double-checking: do I have do any set-up on this purchased phone at all, or will the store do it, or isn't there any set-up?

And, are you saying that I can add minutes or money, however you want to think of it, "over the counter" (where? Someplace like I bought the phone but further into my trip?) OR by going to a website on my new tablet computer, using my credit card in both cases?

Just to be on the safe side, even though there are some minutes on the phone when I buy it, can I add more right then, in the shop? That seems wisest, even if I don't use up all the minutes on this trip.
Do you think smaller towns in Wales will have the phones for sale? Ann.

The store will set it up for you.

You can buy more over the phone, but I'd put a good glob on at the beginning. You can add minutes at convenience stores and such, also.

You'd have to define smaller. Set up google maps for Wales and type in Phones 4U, Tesco Phone, or maybe even just phone store and you'd get a feel for it.

Ann,

If there is any set up, they will do it at the shop. The delay is in registering your details and getting the phone authorised on the network, usually a few hours only. Of course you also have to charge the phone up!

You can usually add more credit at branches of the shop in which you bought it. That is OK if it is a big chain and you are in the country. If (as I understand) you are planning to take the phone out of the country, you need to be able to add credit on the internet (with a credit card). Make sure you know how you can add credit before you buy the phone.

Of course you can add as much credit as you like when you buy the phone. The credit is expressed in money (£, € ...). The number of minutes you get depends on where you are calling.

Even in small towns in Wales, you should be able to buy phones in the two main UK supermarket chains, Tesco and Sainbury's (click on the names).

Finally, check out these two websites. They are both companies which offer phones and SIM cards in many countries of Europe:
http://www.lebara.com/
http://www.lycamobile.com/

@Ed Phones 4U has just gone bust.

Just?

As in the last couple weeks or something?

How about Co-op, do they sell phones or just cards? They're in every village it seems.

@Ed Phones 4U went bust on 15th September (click here for details). Don't know about Co-Op, but Tesco and Sainsbury's sell both phones and SIM cards. See the two links I posted above. The cheapest phone from Sainsbury's is £10 if "locked", or £15 if unlocked, including SIM card. But small branches may not have much choice.

Thank you both -- I feel confident now! Ann.

Now that you have it all figured out:

I'd forgotten when I mentioned Tesco that maybe a week ago there was an article about their financial shenanigans, so who knows what might happen there before you show up.

Also, neither of us mentioned Morrisons which is another super store. They're generally in locations where Sainsbury's isn't, so there's another option. In defense of Sainsbury's they're the only place I can find that sells the good Spanish chorizo, so you might want to give them your business.

You say you are going on a Wales trip, which can be very remote and will have less mobile phone coverage than most parts of England, so although you can buy cheap pay as you go mobiles, you will need to do some research into which provider will provide the best coverage for the areas you are visiting. They all have maps showing coverage and something like ukmobilecoverage.co.uk
may help.

With pay as you go accounts, you pre-load the card and they have time limits before they expire, so check before you buy, otherwise you will lose cash.

Check with hotels before you book as to what wifi service they provide - some of the discount chains such as Premier Inn provide a free wifi service but it runs too slow to be of much use so they have a faster service that you have to pay for. Some limit free wifi to 30 minutes a day or just in the reception or lounge areas, but the more you pay for a room, the more likely you are to get wifi.

Not as handy for when you are out and about, but you can use Skype on your tablet when wifi and pre-load credit on this to use as a phone which will be cheaper.

Here is a British site with advice about mobile phones:>
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/mobile-phone-cost-cutting