Originally Posted by
yonatan
Will be visiting Israel for exactly 7 days and am looking for a SIM card for a lot of data usage, as well as short local calls, short calls to the US, and texts to the US, and had a few questions:
1. I get the impression that even prepaid providers in Israel all work based off of plans (i.e. there's no option to simply load a balance that gets charged down based on usage; instead you buy a plan that offers unlimited calls etc. for a set amount of time) - is that right?
2. Also, which providers are both reliable and well-priced?
3. I saw that Snapair (through Cellcom) and 019 offer pickup at the airport - are they good options?
4. For Snapair and 019, their websites mention plans with unlimited local calls and texts and unlimited calls to the US, but make no mention of texts to the US. How much extra should I expect to pay to be able to send texts tot he US?
5. I saw there's a post office at TLV supposedly open until 22:00 - would they offer me a better deal on a SIM card?
- Several companies offer prepaid and some of them do offer pay-as-you-go, including 012, Rami Levy, and 019. That being said, the rates in Israel for an unlimited plan are low enough that often, the prepaid options aren't really worth it. For example, Rami Levy charges 30 shekel for 5 GB. Getting 5 GB that PAYG would cost over 80 shek.
- In terms of cell coverage, for the most part, all the 4 networks (Partner, Pelephone, Cellcom, and HOT) have pretty much the same coverage. I personally have found Partner to be better in some areas. All other companies roam off of one of those networks. Personally, I have found Golan to be unreliable in many places though they are really easy to deal with for foreign tourists. My parents have 019 for when they visit and have been very happy with them.
- Never heard of Snapair but 019 is quite reasonable. Definitely a good option.
- International SMS are never included on any plan. While incoming SMS is always free, you'll pay to text internationally. It can be anywhere from 99 agurot to 5 shekel. I recommend using WhatsApp, Google Hangouts/Voice, Skype, etc.
- Not likely
I personally recommend 019 for the ease. I'll PM you a link to get a cheaper deal on 019 if you're interested. It comes out to between $11-25, depending on how much data, calling abroad, and whether or not you want a virtual American phone number (only works for incoming calls, not texts).