Flyin4MAG

For those looking to travel without using their "base" phone -- a good option is to get a free SIM from Mobal (mobal.com) -- their per minute prices are not always the most competitive compared to individual country SIMs, but if you are travelling to a number of countries and want a fairly competitive rate this is a good deal. The number lists to England, so calls incoming there would be free. There is no usuage limit, no monthly fee's etc.

This has worked out very well for me...use my Verizon Blackberry in the states...pick up my Motorola L6 with the Mobal world SIM and throw it in my computer bag when heading abroad. Much cheaper than using the hotel phone -- certainly not as cheap as using my Skype account, but found that I was needing to step out of meetings to talk to my five-year-old before he went to bed...and this has worked perfectly. Check ebay for good deals on unlocked phones, get this free world SIM, and then you are set.

lili

I'm basing on (perhaps misinterpreted) things like this on the Telestial website:
Please note: Return Call Service does not work with Roaming SIM Cards
such as the Passport, Explorer, Global Riiing & Mobal


And United Mobile pdf handbook:

How to make calls
..... Once you have finished dialling, press the dial button. You will now be disconnected and your phone will display: “Please wait/Bitte warten”. Wait until you are called back (this takes between 5 and 10 seconds) and answer as usual. Your call will now be connected.

The two phone workaround was on a cell phone forum that I can't locate right now. But it's what tipped me off to the fact that roaming SIMS are already using their own callback service, and adding callbackworld or something on top of that is clumsy.

nmenaker

ah, so you mean the double call back.
yes, "pinging" the phone number with another number, so PINGING actually the CALLBACK number with another phone is fast and simple and doesn't cost anything,

but, running the RING AROUND, using a double call back is only trick the first or second time, after that it just works.

Call your CALLBACK number with the RIIING phone, and hang up. no charge.
phone rings, answer the call, that is riing, hang up. no charge, since you haven't made a call at all technically.

phones rings a second time, answer, that is your callback providor calling. Answer the call and type in your number to call and you are connected. If you are connected then you pay for that call, but if you are not connected, busy, etc, or just hang up, then there is no cost.

Bouncer

Let me ask a question to the OP.

If it's an emergency and people are trying to reach you, do you really want them trying to figure out which international number to call you at?

For your trips, because of the length, I'd reccommend you simply turn on international roaming and be done with it. Yes, it's more expensive. But A) You have your US home number, so everyone who needs to knows where to reach you. and B) You have one bill for expenses.

It depends on how much you use the phone, really. If you can keep usage to under 5 to 10 minutes a day of talk time, there shouldn't be that many issues with cost.

Regards,
-Bouncer-

lili

Very good point, Bouncer. Every 3rd day I come to exactly this conclusion. Either that or not even take a phone.

I don't anticipate any emergency that I could do anything about, it's more for me to be in touch with someone, anyone, while traveling alone. But I prefer that someone not be my friend's two-year old walking around with his father's phone, or those random calls from pockets and purses.

Just have to remember to turn off the Blackberry redirector ....

Thanks everyone, I do appreciate the help and advice.

Bouncer

Honestly, I've used my phone (t-mobile) and international roaming in more countries than I care to think about over three or four years (NexTel before that). The number of accidental calls I've gotten in that time period I could probably count on one hand. In my view the total call cost from accidents is negligible, as opposed to having the ability to reach out (and be called if needed) wherever you are at one phone number. I'd take the phone with you. If you want to place a lot of outgoing calls or will be there for longer, then buy a rechargeable local company sim chip in duty free before you leave the airport.

Best of luck and have a great trip!
-Bouncer-

ukchap

vodafone charges a flat fee of 75p for vodafone passport plus whatever your airtime agreement says so i would say go for a vodafone sim which will work in any euroland country im sure passport also works on vodafone prepay.

tdo-ca

I strongly advocate getting a SIM for a negligible amount (less than 10 Euros) at a tobacco shop etc., sign up/register on line (there are often top up promos - one of mine on O2 has essentially been "free" for a year as the credit was more than I paid for the card) and use texting, callback, etc. and have free incoming calls...top up at ATMs. Traveling with a friend? Especially then - both get local SIMs and call each other "locally" as opposed to US phones with huge int'l roaming fees...keep numbers active with a text every six months (and even use cell carrier online services) - it isn't that big a deal, much easier internationally than in US, actually.

Do we have a SIM swap board here on FT? Maybe we should...

photog72

I bought a new Vodafone SIM card while in Germany for about 20 Euros, of which 10 were credited towards talktime. Knowing I wasn't going to be in Germany for the next few years, I sold it on eBay when I returned home. I actually made out pretty good on the deal. Then again, it was a month before the World Cup, so demand could have been a little higher for a German SIM card. Safe journeys to you!

Flaflyer

This advice is not for those who walk around with a phone glued to their head. Seek help elsewhere.

You mentioned emergencys, the occasional calls, not 30 min a day of yacking on the phone.

If you need to make an emergency call, or a short call to the hotel to tell them your plane is late and please hold your room, does it matter if the rate is $0.50 or $1.50 per min? Overall the difference in charges are minimal. If you are going to talk 30 min a day, every day, then the difference between $0.40 and $0.80 a min is worth debating and a local sim is a good way to go.

Everyone says Cingular is expensive. But for true emergency and limited use convenience I found them hard to beat. They have the best coverage in terms of access around the world, according to coverage maps I researched. They have reciprocal agreements with at least one provider in almost every country with cell service.

I have a quad band Motorola. You need to be a Cingular customer with bills paid on time for six months or so before they will activate international access. Call their toll free number, activate international, and its done. Go darn near anywhere, turn on your phone, and watch it connect to a local network.

The major drawback is they charge full or double rates for listening to messages, so don't listen if you don't have to. And leave it off unless you need to make a call or are expecting a call. I am not sure how they might zap you for roaming, but just turning it on and connecting to a local network has not cost me.

It will cost, but it is nice to know that I have a phone with me that will call almost any where to/from in the world where there is cell phone service. Period. No sims, no separate bills or accounts, no new phone numbers, just your usual one. Price means little if it does not work.

After activating international calling, I ran a test. I left the phone off and travelled. I turned it on international for the first time standing in the freezing rain at Beethovans grave(FTers can figure where it is ), punched in the numbers, and was connected in seconds back to Florida with a clarity as good as a local call. To be able to do that with my standard home cell phone is still impressive technology, and I work in high tech and am not so often easily impressed.

entrada

My question is not about using my cell phone for voice while in Europe. I am interested in knowing if there is an option for using my Blackberry in Europe for data uses (browsing the internet, google maps application and e-mail). T-Mobile has a $19.95/month fixed charge for e-mail while in Europe but this excludes internet browsing.

So I would like to know if SIM cards available in Europe provide access to data/internet use?

Thanks!

powerlifter

It depends where you are. Wind in Italy has data. Check out www.prepaidgsm.net they have a way to get the wind sim. I don't use data so check out the thread great information there.

crhptic

That certainly wasn't my experience when I was there a few months ago. There were dozens of Eurotel shops all over Prague, and they were happy to sell me a SIM card. I believe it cost the equivalent of about $10 and it came with some calling time as well.

I brought an unlocked phone, but if I'd needed one, I also heard that Prague is a good place to buy a cheap unlocked phone. There are a lot of pawn shops which sell used phones, and I saw some as cheap as 650 Kc (less than US$30).

GadgetFreak

This is a good point although I do it another way and think it solves the problem you are raising. I have a callback number and an 800 number from Telcan.net. When I leave the country my TMobile phone is taking calls. When I get to the country I will be in I get a prepaid SIM. I then set the Telcan number to forward to that and set my TMobile to forward to Telcan. For all anyone knows they are calling my regular cell phone, but I have control over where and how the call reaches me.

Capite

I have been *very* happy with the Global Riiing card I bought from Telestial. Not only are most calls made outside the USA very cheap, but usually incoming calls are free. This really extends the time you can use the card!

That card is prepaid, but I think there are others now with slightly higher rates that are post-paid.

I tried buying prepaid local SIM cards before for each country I was in, but it is usually a pain. You can't recharge them unless you pay cash, or online you need a credit card with a mailing address from that very same country. Also, roaming in other countries is just too high.

But also on Telestial, you can buy these local country SIM cards too, before your trip.