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

Pan-International prepaid SIMs

Old Oct 24, 2015, 11:12 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: dstan
List of International SIMs

Piranha Mobile
Xcomglobal
World Travel Sim
Toggle Mobile
Truphone
Travel Sim
Telna Mobile
Telstra
Mobal
One Sim Card
CelloMobile
Freedom Pop Mobile
Knowroaming
Keepgo
Swiss Mobile
Three Feel at Home
Flexiroam X
Telestial
Print Wikipost

Pan-International prepaid SIMs

Old Oct 8, 2013, 6:19 am
  #76  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: BSL
Programs: AA (EXP); among others :)
Posts: 2,509
Good to see that they seemingly have changed that. My Droid III (XT 862) is a 3G model. It definitely asked for an unlock code and would not work with a non-Verizon SIM card here in Europe prior to getting it unlocked.
bhomburg is offline  
Old Oct 11, 2013, 7:06 am
  #77  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: houston
Programs: UA Lifetime Platinum, 2MM since 1981, MAR Lifetime Plat, IHG Plat Amb. Global Entry
Posts: 561
TMobile International

Now that TMobile has announced free (but slow) data and cheap international calls it seems like Toggle still has a spot.

The major advantage of Toggle are the cheap (especially free incoming) rates and local incoming numbers which TMO does not offer.

It would seem to me a great solution is keep TMO on your primary phone in their 100 countries for data and calls to/from regular contacts while travelling but use Toggle on an old or cheap phone (or a dual SIM phone) for local use. This gives you the local number for convenience and free incoming. I know we can use call forwarding and such, but that is a little awkward and sometimes you have to use "national" numbers which might be more expensive for your local contacts.

Any other thoughts?
Platcomike is offline  
Old Oct 11, 2013, 11:22 am
  #78  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: PHL
Posts: 3,113
Originally Posted by Platcomike

The major advantage of Toggle are the cheap (especially free incoming) rates and local incoming numbers which TMO does not offer.

It would seem to me a great solution is keep TMO on your primary phone in their 100 countries for data and calls to/from regular contacts while travelling but use Toggle on an old or cheap phone (or a dual SIM phone) for local use. This gives you the local number for convenience and free incoming. I know we can use call forwarding and such, but that is a little awkward and sometimes you have to use "national" numbers which might be more expensive for your local contacts.

Any other thoughts?
I would think that the most efficient approach would be:
  • Keep the T-mobile SIM in your primary smartphone
  • Use Toggle in an old or cheap phone
  • Get a US Toggle # and forward your primary number to the US Toggle #, provided that you are in one of the 30 or so countries where Toggle offers free incoming calls.
  • Use the Toggle phone for outgoing calls when you are in a Toggle country and your T-mo phone everywhere else.

I switched from T-mo to Verizon last year when I switched from a BB to an iPhone, in part because T-mo's global data rates for non-BBs were ridiculous. I have pondered putting a T-mo SIM in the dual-SIM feature phone I use for Toggle, but I rarely travel to a country where Toggle has no free inbound service and, given the $50 monthly fee and the likely amount I would be calling, I don't think it would save me any money.
Phudnik is offline  
Old Dec 25, 2013, 11:44 pm
  #79  
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP>2m, Alaska MVP, Virgin Gold, Delta Gold, Starwood Gold, Cathay Pacific Silver
Posts: 599
FWIW, someone is selling SIM cards for a lot of different countries through amazon.com. I just bought one for Brazil and it worked well. It's a little more expensive than buying the sim card when you arrive at your destination, but you'll know your phone number before you leave home and you'll have phone service shortly after you land.
workandski is offline  
Old Jan 5, 2014, 9:16 am
  #80  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ORD
Posts: 14,195
France/Switzerland

I'll be going to France and Switzerland in a couple months. I'd like one SIM while there. It seems that Toggle and OneSimcard are the best options. Am I overlooking anything?

I have a Verizon iPhone 5s...kinda wish I had T-mobile still so I could get their free int'l roaming.
gfunkdave is offline  
Old Jan 5, 2014, 10:13 am
  #81  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 2,474
Originally Posted by gfunkdave
I'll be going to France and Switzerland in a couple months. I'd like one SIM while there. It seems that Toggle and OneSimcard are the best options. Am I overlooking anything?

I have a Verizon iPhone 5s...kinda wish I had T-mobile still so I could get their free int'l roaming.
Unless you use very little data or Toggle starts offering much cheaper data in those countries, Toggle will not be a good choice. Their data costs 0.15 per MB. If you're careful with it, that does not have to be an exorbitant cost: I spent less than US$5.00 in a week in France at that price. But I was really careful and I'm not sure I could sustain the effort for a couple of months.
ajGoes is offline  
Old Jan 5, 2014, 11:17 am
  #82  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ORD
Posts: 14,195
Yeah, it's mostly data that I want.

Maybe I'll just content myself with wifi in the hotel.
gfunkdave is offline  
Old Jan 5, 2014, 4:47 pm
  #83  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: I 35 south bound, finally stopped
Programs: LT Plt, 4mm, *A GLD, burned out medical provider, executing our estate plan
Posts: 1,663
i put 30 usd on my toggle and 3 of my 6 countries were roaming. I still have 17 usd on my toggle account. It was a bit cludgy but it worked for gmail and google maps with a little bit of google search. its a decent back up in my opinion.
boerne is offline  
Old Jan 5, 2014, 5:47 pm
  #84  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 55,189
Originally Posted by gfunkdave
I'll be going to France and Switzerland in a couple months. I'd like one SIM while there. It seems that Toggle and OneSimcard are the best options. Am I overlooking anything?

I have a Verizon iPhone 5s...kinda wish I had T-mobile still so I could get their free int'l roaming.
Sounds like my situation. Why can't you remove the SIM card (you have one in the 5s) and put in a T-Mobile SIM card and get T Mobile's Int'l Simple Plan for one month? T-Mobile requires no contract so wouldn't T-Mobile work for you?
Analise is offline  
Old Jan 9, 2014, 2:52 am
  #85  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: LHR, SEA, ZRH
Posts: 707
Just at STN and they had a Toggle Mobile stand advertising their service. Almost seems too good to be true. Has anyone in the UK switched exclusively to Toggle Mobile? You can port your number as well. I'll be moving from Giffgaff, keen to hear reviews/opinions. Thanks
MitzEclipse is offline  
Old Jan 9, 2014, 7:18 am
  #86  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ORD
Posts: 14,195
Originally Posted by Analise
Sounds like my situation. Why can't you remove the SIM card (you have one in the 5s) and put in a T-Mobile SIM card and get T Mobile's Int'l Simple Plan for one month? T-Mobile requires no contract so wouldn't T-Mobile work for you?
INteresting idea. I'm not sure it's worth the time/hassle...but I'll check in to it. Thanks!
gfunkdave is offline  
Old Jan 26, 2014, 4:15 pm
  #87  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: California
Programs: American, SWA, United, IHG,Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 1,829
1 Prepaid sim card for muliple European countries

I have a unique situation as where I'm going to be traveling to multiple countries in Europe for very short durations, I wont have time to stop at each country to buy a new sim card so I'll need one that can roam all over with reasonable cost. I'll be buying it in London I'm trying to keep the cost ~30 or less for the whole duration.
I wont be using the phone heavily, very few calls and emergencies. I will be accessing email and iMessage every so often but again not heavy use.

I'll be spending
3 days in London
3 days in Paris
1 day Milan
1 day in Lucerne
Pass by Pisa
1 day in Rome
2 days Florence
2 days Venice

These are what I'm looking at T-Mobile and Orange. I'm not sure if I'm reading the plan and pricing correctly.

T-Mobile offers their Pay as you go International sim card (under "Other Plans") where if you top off 15 credit you get free 500MB to use in the UK and each call is 30p/min and text is 12p/min so if I may not use much of the credit in the UK if i have free 500MB
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/pay-as-you-go/plans/

Then their own website offers aboard booster plans 10 for 50MB and I believe 1/min roaming for each call and I can apply the 15 to purchase this booster data plan.
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobil...dband-booster/

Orange offers the Dolphin Plan that's 15 to top off and you get 600 texts and 2GB to use in the UK for free, that doesn't come out of the 15 credit either.
calls are 30p/min in the UK,

On Orange's website I cant find any info on how much roaming data packages would cost.
http://shop.orange.co.uk/mobile-phon.../pay-as-you-go

But on this site. http://explore.ee.co.uk/roaming
I can select Orange and T-Mobile and it says on the right side that both
Orange 10MB for 3
T-Mobile 50MB for 10

and i can use my 15 top off credit to buy these while I'm roaming outside of UK

Third option maybe Vodafone, it looks like their plan is 2-4/day for 25MB of roaming data... If thats the case I believe T-Mobile or Orange are better options.
http://www.vodafone.co.uk/shop/pay-a...road/index.htm

Can anyone clarify this or have a better suggestion for me?

Last edited by RedElmo; Jan 26, 2014 at 4:24 pm
RedElmo is offline  
Old Jan 26, 2014, 4:38 pm
  #88  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Here
Posts: 1,900
The best card I've used so far is from Vodafone Italy.

2 euros a day for 500 mb data in Italy
3 euros a day for 500 mb data anywhere in Europe (42 countries, including all on your list) outside Italy (somehow, changing countries within europe during a single day doesn't get you charged twice.
25 minutes free inbound and outbound calls within the EU
50 SMS's free.
Recharge online with any credit card and credits last 12 months - it's perfect if you visit Europe frequently.


I bought this off their Australian site, but they have a UK site and a US site also

http://www.mobipassport.co.uk/store/...urope-SIM.aspx
http://www.mobipassport.com/store/p/...urope-SIM.html
TGflyergirl is offline  
Old Jan 26, 2014, 4:42 pm
  #89  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 55,189
Originally Posted by RedElmo
Can anyone clarify this or have a better suggestion for me?
I think a good way to go might be the T-Mobile Simple Choice International Plan. I asked a similar question in this forum about traveling to a few European countries and this T-Mobile plan was highly recommended. http://www.t-mobile.com/simple-choic...nal-plans.html

It's discussed here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...-coverage.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...countries.html
Analise is offline  
Old Jan 26, 2014, 4:52 pm
  #90  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: California
Programs: American, SWA, United, IHG,Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 1,829
Originally Posted by Analise
I think a good way to go might be the T-Mobile Simple Choice International Plan. I asked a similar question in this forum about traveling to a few European countries and this T-Mobile plan was highly recommended. http://www.t-mobile.com/simple-choic...nal-plans.html

It's discussed here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...-coverage.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...countries.html
I was looking into that originally... but the cost came out too high for my 12 day trip. I couldnt justify $50 a month + tax which would come out to be $60+ and then not sure if T-Mobile will charge activation fee...

Then I came across the condition where you have to have used the sim card >50% in the US before you can use it internationally. I can technically come back to a pretty big bill. I rather deal with Local and know how much it would be. and if I blow though my 30 limit half way though my trip then so be it.


TGflyergirl: thanks! that does sound like the best deal at 3 day but I'm not willing to spend $35 for the sim card and then another 36 for daily access..

if it was just the 3 a day then that would be great.
RedElmo is offline  

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.