lamd1997

Hi,

I am coming into Heathrow internationally (Terminal 3). Is it possible for me to buy a SIM card for my mobile phone at the airport?

Thanks a ton!

mtkeller

I vaguely recall SIM card vending machines in the arrivals area (after customs) at LHR T3.

lamd1997

That will work out great if there are SIM card vending machine at the arrival hall. Failing that, I assume the only option is for me to go to the city.

Does anyone have any recommendations on which carrier is the best to use in London?

Thanks a ton!

Silver Fox

You can get them from most newsagents. I know there is a machine in T1 but cannot recall seeing one in T3 - but I cannot imagine there would not be.

Reason077

They all have reasonably good coverage in London. O2 and T-Mobile/Orange have the most extensive networks and thus possibly slightly better coverage than the others, but they all have occasional black spots too.

On the price side they all have pretty similar pay-as-you-go deals, with £15/mo or so getting you a bunch of minutes, txts, and 500MB-ish data.

Orange will get you 2-for-1 cinema tickets on Wednesdays, and O2 now have a similar (50% off) cinema deal which is good Sunday-Thursday, but only at Odeon cinemas.

Best bet is to check out the PAYG offers on the various carrier's sites:

www.o2.co.uk
www.vodafone.co.uk
www.orange.co.uk
www.tmobile.co.uk
www.virginmobile.co.uk
www.three.co.uk

(note that Orange and T-Mobile are now actually the same company, and Virgin share their network)

Or, just pick the first one you see and don't worry about it

stockmanjr

Orange also does 2 for 1 at Pizza Express on Wednesdays I believe as well.

Mizter T

Photo on Flick (dated 1st March '11) of a SIM card vending machine in the baggage reclaim hall at Heathrow T3.

RichardInSF

One of my kids recently bought a SIM card from the airport machine for 5 or 10 quid. It was for Vodafone, and when he stopped in at a Vodafone store a few hours later to add some extra money on the account, the folks in the store told him that if he had gone there directly, they would have given him the SIM card for free.

So maybe if you don't need the capability immediately on arrival, you can save a bit of money by waiting until you get into London.

JohnnyColombia

When you come out of customs into the arrivals area, walk about 5 metres, look over to your right, there is a column. Adjacent to that column there is also a SIM card vending machine.

As RichardInSF says though, you will get a much better deal if you can wait until you get to a phone store or even any newsagent will normally stock SIM cards for about 2-3 pounds

HIDDY

I suppose getting a top up won't be a problem on arrival at T5?

Silver Fox

And I am assuming that you have an unlocked phone that will work in the UK ? If not, then it might be better to buy a phone and a SIM. Having said that getting a phone unlocked over here is easier than in the USA in my experience so it may not be necessary to buy a phone.

If your phone is dual band, it will normally work at either 1800MHz or 900MHz.
If it is tri-band, it will work at 1800MHz, 900MHz or 1900MHz.
A quad-band phone should work at 1800MHz, 900MHz, 1900MHz or 850MHz.
If it is CDMA it will not work here.

Mizter T

Should be able to do it in WH Smith's.

marlborobell

I've bought top-ups at Smith's in T4, so it's a reasonable assumption that the Smith's in T5 will sell them too.

dunk

A further data point ...

I recently picked a phone from the Vodafone store in T5 departures for GBP25 incl GBP10 credit. A number of plans can be selected depending on whether you need data, overseas calls or just far too many UK calls and txts.

Very friendly and helpful staff assisted me in my jetlagged stupor ^

HIDDY

Cheers. ^