Primer for cellular access in Germany?
Nov 12, 2009 | 3:07 pm
#1
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Primer for cellular access in Germany?
Is there a basic guide for the best (and cheapest) ways to get cell phone access and/or internet access while in Germany? (Yes, I saw the thread on SIM cards for internet available through ALDI ... not quite sure I understand exactly what's available there and how useable that system is yet, i.e., if such a SIM card will work in any aircard or whatnot ...)
Nov 12, 2009 | 3:53 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,925
Get an unlocked GSM phone, go to any phone shop in Germany, buy a pre-paid sim card from the carrier of your choice (I use a T-Mobile pay-as-you-go sim card), put it in the sim card holder of the phone and you're ready to go. Top up the card as needed. It's a very easy process.
Nov 13, 2009 | 3:12 am
#3
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Munich, Germany
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I suggest you go with one of the four main GSM carriers T-Mobile, Vodafone, E-Plus or o2 and buy the card in one of their retail shops. The virtual carriers like Aldi (which uses the E-Plus network) often require you to activate the SIM card over the internet or sometimes you need a German mailing address where they ship you the SIM-Card. Being a tourist this can be tricky. If you don't have a GSM phone you often get cheap bundles of a basic GSM phone and a SIM Card.
Nov 15, 2009 | 4:32 pm
#4
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Get an unlocked GSM phone, go to any phone shop in Germany, buy a pre-paid sim card from the carrier of your choice (I use a T-Mobile pay-as-you-go sim card), put it in the sim card holder of the phone and you're ready to go. Top up the card as needed. It's a very easy process.
Nov 29, 2009 | 5:04 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Get an unlocked GSM phone, go to any phone shop in Germany, buy a pre-paid sim card from the carrier of your choice (I use a T-Mobile pay-as-you-go sim card), put it in the sim card holder of the phone and you're ready to go. Top up the card as needed. It's a very easy process.
Nov 30, 2009 | 2:13 am
#6
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As stated above, T-Mobile has a shop in the TXL (Berlin - Tegel) main shopping area. It's a company-owned store, not just a general "authorized dealer", so the price for a SIM is the same as if you were to buy it at a T-Mobile shop in the center city.
Nov 30, 2009 | 5:02 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: TPA
Posts: 282
Do the phones typically run like 20 euros or something when you buy from the T-Mob shop at TXL? I have a GSM phone but its locked to ATT. I don't plan on making alot of next week but it would be nice to not have to worry about paying a 1 dollar per min to use my ATT plan.
Nov 30, 2009 | 7:12 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,925
A T-Mo card is going to cost the same no matter where you buy it, at least in my experience. I frequently recharge mine at the airport after landing.
Nov 30, 2009 | 8:58 am
#9
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That's good to know and I do have a Sam's Club membership.
Last edited by Playboy; Nov 30, 2009 at 10:04 am
Nov 30, 2009 | 3:03 pm
#10
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Another nice thing about T-Mobile is that you can top up over the Internet from anywhere using the Xtra website. Last
September, I topped up while in Helsinki and again when in London; completely painless. ^
Another nice thing about T-Mobile is that you can top up over the Internet from anywhere using the Xtra website. Last
September, I topped up while in Helsinki and again when in London; completely painless. ^
Nov 30, 2009 | 8:27 pm
#11
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I have AT&T and I am going to see about getting my phone unlocked. Anyone recommend an inexpensive SIM card to buy at FRA? Also, I also have a onesuite account. Are there still payphones in mid and smaller German cities? If so, maybe I'll just use that calling card. Thoughts?
Dec 2, 2009 | 6:58 pm
#13
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The ATT store made it a selling point that unlike Verizon, their phones can be unlocked. I'll see if that's true. If not, will there still be payphones? NYC, for example, has cut back on payphones but one still can see plenty of them.
Dec 2, 2009 | 8:17 pm
#14
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AT&T is pretty good about unlocking if you've been a customer for at least a few months. I've gotten unlock codes over the phone. The bigger issue is making sure your phone is tri-band (acceptable) or quad-band (best); if it isn't, unlocking it won't matter.
There's previous discussion of prepaid SIM cards in Germany.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...nute-cost.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/germa...e-germany.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/germa...-1-99-day.html
Yes, there still are pay phones in Germany, but there are fewer than there used to be. Many do not accept coins--phone cards only (either via a toll-free access number or via a proprietary phone card with a chip on it). Some take credit cards as well, but the rates are quite high.
There's previous discussion of prepaid SIM cards in Germany.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...nute-cost.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/germa...e-germany.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/germa...-1-99-day.html
Yes, there still are pay phones in Germany, but there are fewer than there used to be. Many do not accept coins--phone cards only (either via a toll-free access number or via a proprietary phone card with a chip on it). Some take credit cards as well, but the rates are quite high.
Dec 3, 2009 | 8:11 am
#15
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Posts: 55,213
There's previous discussion of prepaid SIM cards in Germany.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...nute-cost.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/germa...e-germany.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/germa...-1-99-day.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...nute-cost.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/germa...e-germany.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/germa...-1-99-day.html
Yes, there still are pay phones in Germany, but there are fewer than there used to be. Many do not accept coins--phone cards only (either via a toll-free access number or via a proprietary phone card with a chip on it). Some take credit cards as well, but the rates are quite high.