nexuspod

Hi All,

Thanks for all the great info shared in this forum.

Would like to seek advice from you all as I will be travelling to London (5 days), Reykjavík, Iceland (4 days) and Paris, France (5 days).

I wonder whether I can get one prepaid sim card from Heathrow airport which I can use for data mainly for these 3 countries. Or it is advisable to get individual prepaid sim card from each country.

Thanks again. Looking forward for some suggestions.

Jamjaw

Separate for each country makes more sense..... Unless you will not be using much data!

theworld

Just come back from Singapore.

M1 offer a data only plan for S$18 unlimited for 3 days.

They have a booth at arrivals in T1.

They will take a copy of your passport.

Need to change the APN in your phone to bbprepaid.

That's about it really.

garyschmitt

I noticed a vending machine at LHR for sim chips (10 GBP was the cheapest) - but these are probably just useful nationally.

I've asked a couple GSM shops for a foreign sim chip, and they act as if the question is ridiculous. If a shop were to import sims from a good number of commonly traveled foreign countries, they would win a good portion of my business. Seems like a lost opportunity.

richarddd

Many SIMs can be used throughout the world, albeit at high prices. For example, Vodafone is £2/day for 25mb in most of Europe.

JohnnyColombia

Is this thread getting updated? I didn't see it but I will chip in with some countries

Some useful recent info in this thread when I asked a couple of weeks ago for the UK

Here are some South American options

Peru Claro

- How to get a SIM card and what you need to do (ID, passport, addresses)

Technically SIM cards must be registered to a Peruvian national but they work around this by registering your passport number or other ID as a Peruvian DNI. They will NOT do this in Lima Airport though. Best to try a concession in a department store. SIM cost S/.15

- How to add pre-paid value (top up, voucher, ...)

Easiest to do at a supermarket checkout. Top up cards very hard to find

- The costs of internet access (daily, weekly, by time or volume)

24 hours of internet is activated by sending the message 1d1 to 779. It costs only S/.1 but is a piddly 0.23Mbs though (when measured in LIM this week) OK for emails and cheap as chips. S/.1 is about 40¢

Weekly and monthly options available too

Colombia Tigo

- How to get a SIM card and what you need to do (ID, passport, addresses)

SIMs need to be registered to a Colombian, best thing to do is wander around until someone doing a promo in the street offers to sell you one then ask them to register it too.

- How to add pre-paid value (top up, voucher, ...)

Top up vouchers hard to find again, electronic top ups are available in stationery stores, internet cafes etc

- The costs of internet access (daily, weekly, by time or volume)

Internet access is activated by sending a text message once again, it terminates at midnight. Cost until midnight is COP$5000. Tigo is fast (measured at 3.5Mbs last week)

Weekly and monthly options available too

Colombia Uff

- How to get a SIM card and what you need to do (ID, passport, addresses)

Sold in supermarkets, MVNO aimed at international calling and prepaid data.

- How to add pre-paid value (top up, voucher, ...)

There are no prepaid vouchers, top ups at electronic payment points
http://www.uffmovil.com/dondecomprar

- The costs of internet access (daily, weekly, by time or volume)

1 month unlimited (excludes music and videos) COP$25000 and doesn't work on Blackberry
1 Month Blackberry social plan $30000 (probably only gives access to facebook and nonsense like that)
1 Month Blackberry unlimited $50000

Shawn02139

Very cheap via Vodafone. Sim less than usd 3, local calling five cents or less per minute, calls to us maybe fifteen or twenty cents per minute.
Data 7.50$ for one gig over thirty days, this will go down to 500 MB as of Jan 1 2012.
Need passport and passport photograph to get sim, but can find them everywhere.
I needed microsim for 4gs, in theory they are offered, in practice couldn't find one but the shopowner cut down my sim at no charge and it worked like a beauty.
Info from Vodafone on how to get a sim

Step1: Fill up a simple form
To get a Vodafone Prepaid connection, you need a simple Prepaid application form. You can get these forms at a Vodafone Store as well. To download one, click here
Step2: Get your documents ready
A self-attested photograph and a document that works as address proof with your signature and photo identity that’s all you need.
Step3: Visit a Vodafone Store
Once you have your Prepaid application form and your documents ready, just submit them at your nearest Vodafone Store. You can also get yourself a handset for your Vodafone Prepaid SIM card with the special Prepaid handset offers available.
Step4: Select a Prepaid mobile phone tariff plan
Choose a Prepaid mobile phone tariff plan that meets your requirements. And make the most of every penny you pay.

Jake Gittes

I'm heading off to France in a few weeks, and that means doing battle with the local pre-paid cell phone nightmare in France.

I read in post 114 of this thread that maybe using a German blau.de SIM in France might be easier/cheaper, but I can't figure out how to get my hands on a blau.de SIM card without actually going to Germany and getting one.

After browsing prepaidgsm.net, it looks like virtual operator Lycamobile is the one to go with as far as cheap data and international rates, but I can't find anything about them. For example, the FAQ on their website says that, "You can purchase Lycamobile SIM & Top-up vouchers at various locations." And most of the retailers on their website are just your standard Tabacs and Relays.

...^

Has anyone here had any luck with these guys? Is it just a matter of stopping in a Tabac or Relay shop and picking up a SIM?

freecia

I think it might be this SIM http://www.three.com.hk/website/appm...&pageid=61J001

But 3g unlimited roaming in Japan is $168 HKD per day starting from midnight. That's about $20 USD per day.

theworld

Note that the unlimited data roaming time is HK time and not local time.

Jake Gittes

I've been doing a little more research, and it seems like LycaMobile only started offering service in France this past Summer 2011.

Doesn't seem like FTers have had a chance to use it and/or post about it, but at .15EUR/MB, could this finally be the French Pre-Paid SIM solution we've been looking for?

fredsxb

Hi Jack,

I live in France and can help you getting a sim card.

I think the best deal is SFR with an all-you-can-eat data plan for 21 days.

There is more info on my blog:
http://superfr8d.blogspot.com/2010/1...in-france.html

or directly there for SFR:
http://www.sfr.fr/mobile/offres-deta...nly?vue=0001md

Otherwise Orange has a prepaid plan for 9 euros but email isn't included (using regular ports. If you use Exchange or Gmail setup as Exchange it won't be charged extra).

Feel free to PM me if you need me to buy or set up a card for you. I'll be happy to help!

wco81

Are those smart phone-only plans or could those SIMs be used in Mifis? ARe they iPhone-specific micro SIMs?

Also, are those plans still active? I noticed your blog post is over a year old.

wco81

Going to Spain next month. So far, I've only found this info:


Carrefour: 1 euro/day for 100 MB full speed, thereafter 128 kbps
Yoigo: 3 euro/day for 100 MB full speed, thereafter 128 kpbs
Simyo: 0.03 euro/MB
Orange: 3.5 Euro/day for 250 MB full speed, thereafter 64 kbps
Telefonica
Vodafone 4 Euro/day for 250 MB full speed, thereafter 128 kbps
Masmovil

http://prepaid-wireless-internet-acc...com/page/Spain

Not sure these are still current. Some of these, like Yoigo or Simyo, don't seem to be easily available at retail.

Any recent experiences in Spain? Looking for Mifi connectivity. Doesn't have to be unlimited but willing to pay a bit more so I don't have to worry about caps or could use in the hotel if necessary.

fredsxb

Yes those plans are still available.

SFR plans seem to be iPhone specific. The Orange "Mobicarte" prepaid plan should work with any smartphone.

Not sure they would work in a Mifi though as the APN would be different...