Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Travel&Dining > Travel Technology
Reload this Page >

How much is a European SIM card, exactly?

How much is a European SIM card, exactly?

Old Jun 15, 2006, 12:45 am
  #1  
In memoriam
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: AA EXP "Life is good! Really good.""
Posts: 4,923
How much is a European SIM card, exactly?

Have an unlocked Blackberry (thanks FT for the howto info) with Cingular and travel to Europe 2-4 times a year for about a week at a time. I would like an emergency phone in Europe since I travel alone, and on occasion would like to contact FT friends in same Euro city.

Sites like mobal.com and other FT recommended places are selling sims for $70+ others are cheaper but expire if not used frequently.

1. what is the approx. cost for a sim bought "in country" ? If it's over 10 USD per week I'd have difficulty justifying the cost, see #2

2. since phone is for emergency (and alarm features!) would international roaming just be the way to go?

3. would someone explain how to cancel voice but keep other features? and can you change back when you come back to the USA?

4. My Blackberry is on the home network -- email is redirected through my laptop. So, if in Europe with laptop, there is no apparent way to send/receive email. Is there a runaround? Would putting the redirect software on Mr. liil's computer (he doesn't travel) allow me access when in Europe?

Sheesh, I hate feeling so dumb, but I give up. Any help appreciated.
lili is offline  
Old Jun 15, 2006, 1:57 am
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: PEK
Programs: A3*G, UA Gold EY Silver
Posts: 8,925
Cingular is a ripoff!

Cingular is 1.29/min in most of western Europe.

If you'd like, you can get a T-Mobile UK sim card for 50p and use that. The UK rate comes out to be 12p/min in the UK for local calls and 55p ~= $1/min in the rest of Western Europe.
If you want to call the US while you're in the UK, there's a plan that comes out to 4p/min, but it takes up to 72 hrs to get the plan credited to your account.


I'm not familiar with other countries' phone systems so I can't really suggest anything other than what I've mentioned above.
Palal is online now  
Old Jun 15, 2006, 8:12 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Near an airport
Programs: FB, EB, Delta, AC, PC, HH.
Posts: 1,991
Originally Posted by lili
1. what is the approx. cost for a sim bought "in country" ? If it's over 10 USD per week I'd have difficulty justifying the cost, see #2
Europe is a continent with many different countries (not states as in US or provinces as in Canada) who each have their own mobile phone providers, country codes etc.

So here are a few questions back at you:

1) Which country?

2) What network? Here in UK there is Vodafone, O2, Orange, T-mobile, 3, Virgin and I wouldn't be surprised if I have missed a few.

You don't pay per week. You prepay your airtime and it will last for months depending on network and how much you use it.

A sim card with 1 credit to start you off with can cost as little as 5. Minute charges varies but are in the region of 35pence per minute on most networks.

/E
Emma65 is offline  
Old Jun 15, 2006, 10:43 am
  #4  
In memoriam
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: AA EXP "Life is good! Really good.""
Posts: 4,923
Originally Posted by Emma65
Europe is a continent with many different countries (not states as in US or provinces as in Canada) who each have their own mobile phone providers, country codes etc.

So here are a few questions back at you:

1) Which country?

2) What network? Here in UK there is Vodafone, O2, Orange, T-mobile, 3, Virgin and I wouldn't be surprised if I have missed a few.

You don't pay per week. You prepay your airtime and it will last for months depending on network and how much you use it.

A sim card with 1 credit to start you off with can cost as little as 5. Minute charges varies but are in the region of 35pence per minute on most networks.

/E
There's the problem.

1. Last year it was France and Israel. This year Germany, the UK, the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovenia. Next year, who knows. These are once a year trips lasting about one week.

2. Thanks for the t-mobile link. I'm beginning to understand this. US phone networks keep us totally in the dark and mostly tied to 2-year contracts, so it's like we're children.

Cingular is not my friend, but it's what works at my home. BTW, they do have a web page on International Roaming, which surprised me. The charge for Prague is $2.29 per minute! I don't want roaming because I don't want to be receiving calls from random friends who think I'm at home. And voicemail messages.

I know you can buy more minutes at newstands, etc., can you get sim cards there also?
lili is offline  
Old Jun 15, 2006, 11:08 am
  #5  
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: CLE
Posts: 9,816
You might want to see if Cingular has any sort of "plan" that allows for discounted roaming. When I was still with AT&T I think I paid $5 or $10 per month for discounting roaming.

In regards to the cost of the SIM cards in Europe, it will entirely depend on the country and carrier. In a recent trip I spent 10 euros on a Vodaphone Italy sim and 20 on one in France. They worked great and were very easy to recharge.

The downside, however, I having a new number for each country.
MBM3 is offline  
Old Jun 15, 2006, 4:11 pm
  #6  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,651
You might as well ask, "How much is an apple?" Prices vary from country to country.

However, I can tell you that I bought a SIM card in Italy recently for 15 Euro, but they were offered in many denominations. And unlike Telestial, when you buy a SIM card in europe you will get most of your money back in call time. So if you buy a 15 euro card, you'll get 10 euro credit. And I think you do even better on refills.

If the phone is just for emergency, then maybe you just want to activate international roaming (assuming it is GSM and has euro bandwith) as you will then pay nothing if you don't use it. But you would be surprised how handy it can be, especially when you get lost, or need to meet someone, etc. For that reason I would highly recommend buying the SIM card when you arrive. The per minute charge varies but is usually .15-.50 euro per outgoing minute, and unlike the US, all incoming minutes are FREE.
Boraxo is offline  
Old Jun 15, 2006, 4:31 pm
  #7  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: PHX
Posts: 3,796
If travel to a lot of different foreign countries, an international service like United Mobile might work. The costs are less than roaming with your US phone, but more than a local prepaid phone.

There's generally a tradeoff between convenience and cost. The cheapest is a local prepaid SIM in every country. The downside is your number keeps changing and you may end up with funds stranded on a card that you can't use.
alanh is offline  
Old Jun 17, 2006, 1:46 am
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: PEK
Programs: A3*G, UA Gold EY Silver
Posts: 8,925
The farther east in Europe you go, the cheaper it gets. I believe France has the most expensive SIMs and in most Eastern European countries the SIM cards are relatively inexpensive.

I'm beginning to understand this. US phone networks keep us totally in the dark and mostly tied to 2-year contracts, so it's like we're children.
Tell me about it! They also lock our phones! URGH! I hope that lawsuit from the consumer's union (?) regarding the repeal $175 termination fee wins.

So before you head off to Europe, go to this page: http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/index.shtml

find the local providers, check to make sure your phone supports the frequencies they have. Then go on their site and see which will give you a cheaper deal, find a local reseller and off you go!

You mentioned Prague.

Eurotel Praha, T-Mobile Czech Republic and Vodaphone are listed as the GSM providers.

Going on Eurotel's site, we find: http://www.eurotel.cz/jnp/en/home/index.html
Going to their eshop we find http://eshop.eurotel.cz/eshop/Catalog.aspx?pCat=3

... 3 various Sim cards with 3 various plans, all for under 5 bucks.

Looking at Eurotel Fajn Tariff we find that

Eurotel Fajn Tariff gets you 5.50czk ~= $0.25/min calls to others in Czech Republic and cheap calls to other places in Eastern Europe by dialing *55 before country code and number.

Now I click on the NetCall *55 link on the page above and then on More about NetCall *55 and find that USA is located in zone I.

Clicking on Price Information for this service

I find that the NETCALL *55 Zone price to zone I is either 7.90 or 9.40 per minute, which is still about $0.40 per minute - very reasonable - more reasonable than Cingular.
Palal is online now  
Old Jun 17, 2006, 2:01 am
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: PEK
Programs: A3*G, UA Gold EY Silver
Posts: 8,925
TMobile is a bit harder to navigate - but with my limited Czech I think their rates are significantly higher.

Vodaphone's site is probably the easiest to navigate, but their rates are about 2 bucks a minute if you call the US from abroad.

Another option to all of this is to get a PDA with a WiFi card and call the US using Skype, which is free 'till the end of the year and only 2 cents after that.

Of course wifi's not everywhere...
Palal is online now  
Old Jun 17, 2006, 2:15 am
  #10  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Little dot in Asia
Programs: AA-EP, TK-*G, HL-DM, HY-GLO, MR-LTP
Posts: 25,924
Use your US phone for emergencies only. Do not switch phone on all the time but rather just turn it on once in a while to check for messages.

Get another phone in Europe that is not locked. Get local SIM card per country. Remember to bring passport when purchasing SIM cards.

Change SIM card as often as you travel to different countries. But do remember that most prepaid SIMs have expiry dates if you don't use them within a certain time.
Guy Betsy is offline  
Old Jun 17, 2006, 6:32 am
  #11  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA gold, DL Silver, MC Platinum
Posts: 14
Vodafone Italy The Best Way To Call Around Europe

As a very frequent user of T-mobile US, Vodafone Italy, Movistar Spain and Orange UK, I have learnt this is the best option while in Italy

1)Get a Vodafone Italy prepaid CARD (any vodafone store, or on line)

2)Activate the VODAFONE PASSPORT feature.

Step 2 is very important, as it will allow you to talk at rates very close to local ones everywhere in Europe where there is a VODAFONE network (basically everywhere)

You will still be charged roaming when someone calls you, but that will be very minimal.

After many years of juggling 4-5 different cell numbers, finally there is something that works.

Have fun on your trip
ablc is offline  
Old Jun 17, 2006, 6:34 am
  #12  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA gold, DL Silver, MC Platinum
Posts: 14
Forgot To Say

I forgot to mention, you might not have to get an Italian card, as most likely every vodafone country will offer the Vodafone Passport feature. Check it out on the Vodafone website, or search vodafone passport on google






Originally Posted by ablc
As a very frequent user of T-mobile US, Vodafone Italy, Movistar Spain and Orange UK, I have learnt this is the best option while in Italy

1)Get a Vodafone Italy prepaid CARD (any vodafone store, or on line)

2)Activate the VODAFONE PASSPORT feature.

Step 2 is very important, as it will allow you to talk at rates very close to local ones everywhere in Europe where there is a VODAFONE network (basically everywhere)

You will still be charged roaming when someone calls you, but that will be very minimal.

After many years of juggling 4-5 different cell numbers, finally there is something that works.

Have fun on your trip
ablc is offline  
Old Jun 17, 2006, 9:13 am
  #13  
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Los Angeles,CA,USA
Programs: UA MM, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 929
The European Union is moving strongly to encourage a "no roaming charge" agreement across all European cellular providers (see as an example this report from the BBC). Roaming costs are already lower, and they undoubtedly will drop further in the near future.

So...buying a sim card in one country and then using it throughout Europe is rapidly becoming cost effective.
SoManyMiles-SoLittleTime is offline  
Old Jun 17, 2006, 9:34 am
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Near an airport
Programs: FB, EB, Delta, AC, PC, HH.
Posts: 1,991
Sticky please!

Can we make this thread in to a sticky, please. The question keeps coming back over and over. Poeple in various countries can add info and it will be easy to find.

/E
Emma65 is offline  
Old Jun 17, 2006, 11:36 am
  #15  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: PEK
Programs: A3*G, UA Gold EY Silver
Posts: 8,925
Originally Posted by Guy Betsy
Get another phone in Europe that is not locked. Get local SIM card per country. Remember to bring passport when purchasing SIM cards.
She mentioned that she has an unlocked phone.
Palal is online now  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.