Cell phone abroad

[WillTravel]

I go to a local corner store type place and buy phone cards, and have done this in several countries. These cards are typically an excellent value. I got about 200 minutes for phoning Canada for 5 Euros, from a card I bought in Florence. Ask the clerk for the best one for you to get.

I have found the official cards (like the British Telecom one I bought at the airport) to be a ripoff.

[originalofthespecies]

im goin for about 2 weeks...im goin alone so i needed the cellphone to keep in touch with my family and... for emergency use...

[Eagle]

Without having more information on your specific situation, it's difficult to make a specific recommendation with regards to the Cell Phone. I wasn't sure whether your contract with Telus is about to expire and whether you want to change providers? It would also help to know where you're located (Telus operates in central Canada also, so I wasn't absolutely sure?). Also, when are you leaving?

If you want to stay with Telus at home, one option would be to buy a GSM phone for travel use. Local phone shops might have some good deals on some models (I usually favour Motorola, but Nokia are good also), or you could check www.importcell.com (they're Canadian but are very familiar with Euro cell information).

Rather than use "local" Euro SIM's (which have high roaming rates if you move from country to country), it might be preferable to use something like the Talk Abroad SIM from Cellular Abroad?

Again, hope this helps.

[tstoneman]

Hi guys,

I read through this entire thread and it has great information. Unfortunately, I'm confused on this one issue and I was hoping someone could clear this up.

I live in the US and I currently have service through T-mobile. I have a quad-band, unlocked cell phone. I understand my options to be:

1) Get SIM cards for each country I will be travelling in
2) Call T-mobile and tell them which country I am currently in, and they will adjust my service somehow. If I do it through T-mobile, I don't have to get any new SIM cards or anything.

Is this correct? If so, which of the above two options are cheaper?

Thanks!

Terry

[Jules80]

i would expect both would be rather expensive. i know with my cell phone provider, in the uk, it costs 1$/min or 40 cents to text. however this price changes with each country. sim cards i believer cost around 10-15 pounds in the uk... but if you're making international calls with that i don't knwo if its much better.

Jules

[MuvverRussia]

Using a UK, or other European mobile to make international calls is pretty expensive. It's certainly not something you'd want to do regularly, especially on pre pay tariffs. All roaming costs are, at the moment, pretty much the same too (there are moves to reduce this within Europe though).

Generally stick with your home sim unless you're spending a lot of time in one country. Otherwise the inconvinience of having a new number, combined with the minimal savings don't make changing your sim worthwhile.

[Eagle]

tstoneman, based on your post, your best option would probably be to use international roaming through T-Mobile. However, this will depend to some extent on how much you plan on using the phone, how long you plan on staying in each country and finally whether you're on a contract or PAYG plan with your home cell network.

Using a different SIM card for each country is a bit of a nuisance, especially if you're only going to be there a short time. Keep in mind that every time you change SIM cards, your phone number changes. It requires a lot of effort to notify your contacts of your "new" number each time you switch cards. While topping-up PAYG cards is generally easier in Europe, it's still a bit inconvenient to suddenly find out that you've run out of time, especially if you're expecting a call and being in a "different" environment you might not be able to find a top-up point quickly. Also, as Muvver pointed out the roaming charges can be very expensive if you venture outside the country where you purchased the card. If you're going to be in one country for a month or more and mostly making local calls, then a local PAYG SIM might be an option.

Using the roaming option from your home cell network is probably the easiest option, however in many cases this is only available to those on a contract plan. This is slowly changing, so it's possible that T-M now allows roaming for PAYG customers; you'll have to check with them? I don't think you have to tell them which country you're currently in; just ask to have "international roaming" enabled on your account, and tell them your departure date and arrival date when you return home. Using roaming is the easiest way for people at home to contact you, as they simply dial your local number, and the network will find you whereever you happen to be (hopefully those calling you remember the time difference!!!).

Check the T-M website for information on their current roaming rates in European countries. The roaming rates for U.S. and Canadian GSM networks seem to be somewhat similar, so you'll probably be paying about the same as I do when roaming with my Rogers GSM phone (also quad-band, although I used a tri-band on my last trip). The cost for incoming and outgoing calls varies somewhat by country. If you plan on using this in any of the eastern European countries, the rates rise rather steeply!

There is another option, which has been mentioned in some of the previous posts in this thread. You could buy a "universal" SIM from Cellualr Abroad. This will provide you with a Liechenstein-based number for use throughout Europe. Using this service in the U.S. and Canada can be very expensive, but it's more cost effective when used in Europe.

The "bottom line" is that if one wants the convenience of a Cell phone while travelling, be prepared to pay for it! If you just use the phone occasionally for "emergencies", checking hotel reservations, or short conversations with family, then the cost should be quite manageable. If you use this for long conversations (ie: the same "call pattern" as you would at home), then you'll PAY for this!!!

Hope this has answered your questions? Good luck and happy travels!!!

[ashleyg]

I've been looking into the cell phone issue as well. My mobile here in Canada is through Telus so is not useable in Europe. I've looked at renting through cellular abroad, but the cost is prohibitive for something that's simply rented. I've been suggested two options and am wondering if anyone can suggest one over the other.

1. Get a phone on a PAYG plan when I get to London (4 out of my 6 week trip will be in the UK). I know it will be more expensive when I'm in other countries, but it's really just for limited use (i.e. because my parents demand I carry one!). It appears that the cost of a phone this way would be about $100 CAD, plus the cost of a SIM card with minutes. I also travel frequently to the US - if I were to get a phone through a provider like T-Mobile that has outlets in both places, could I foreseeably then pick up a SIM card for it next time I'm in the US and use it there as well?

2. Buy an unlocked tri/quad band GSM off EBay, then pick up a SIM card while in the UK. I suppose I could get a better price on a phone on EBay, but I'm really worried that what I get for some reason won't be able to be used on my trip. Has anyone done this before?

[Eagle]

ashleyg, I'm not sure if I have an "easy" answer to your questions, but will try to offer a few suggestions. Your choices would be less complicated if you had a Rogers contract plan (how much time left on your Telus contract, and do you foresee switching carriers?).

(1.) You could buy a PAYG phone when you arrive in the U.K., however I'm not sure this would be the most cost effective option, or provide the best flexibility in the long term? A model such as the E-550 listed on the T-M website is listed at £69.99, not including the SIM or plan. This might translate into a cost of about CDN$ 175-200 (don't forget the VAT). I have no information on whether a T-M phone bought in the U.K. would allow a U.S. T-M SIM to be used??? You might have to pay for unlocking as well? In other words, there are lots of uncertainties with this option.

(2.) Buying an unlocked GSM Phone off E-Bay is certainly an option, however as with anything from E-Bay one has to be a bit careful. Make sure you check the Vendors rating, to make sure you're dealing with someone who has a good "track record".

I know of one case where a relative bought an unlocked GSM Phone off E-Bay and the phone worked as advertised, however it had been configured with Cingular software so some functions didn't work with the Rogers network (web access, for example). It's possible to have the phone set up with new software by a reputable service shop, but in this case the user decided just to put up with the Cingular start-up screen, etc.

If you want maximum flexibility for all your travels, it's probably a better idea to buy a quad-band Phone rather than a tri-band. This will tend to limit your brand and "form factor" choices to a certain extent (by "form factor", I'm referring to a "candy bar" style phone as opposed to a "flip style"). If you want a quad-band Phone, you will most likely have to buy Motorola, as I don't believe there are too many (any?) Nokia quad band models.

I noticed that Rogers has the V551M (Much Music edition) phone available for $149.99 (initial cost is higher though -- it's a "mail in rebate" type offer). This includes $60.00 worth of airtime credit. This might be slight less expensive than buying a phone overseas, and if you get the phone unlocked it will be useable with U.K. or U.S. SIM cards. You could also use it at home either on contract or PAYG, if you decided to change carriers. Check the Rogers website (PAYG section) for further details.

One other thing to consider with whichever Phone you buy, make sure that the Charger supplied with it is a "world charger" (all Motorola models are supplied with these AFAIK). To charge the Phone in Europe, you would only need Plug Adapters. Also, if you end up buying a "pre-owned" Phone from E-Bay, make sure you try this out well before you leave on your trip, to make sure there are no "issues" with the Batteries (if the Battery has been used for a while, it might not hold a charge too well).

If you take an unlocked GSM Phone with you, it won't be hard to find vendors to buy a SIM card (I can't remember, but I believe there are even some in the airports?) I've had good experience with Orange and O2. One of my relatives had "problems" with Virgin Mobile in the U.K. You'll have to decide which carrier you want to go with. Hopefully Muvver will see this post, as I'm sure he'd be able to provide some great tips on the most reliable networks.

I hope at least some of this information is helpful. Good luck with your choice!

[ashleyg]

Thanks for the info Eagle! It is a help.

I'm going to keep my Canadian mobile with Telus - they're the only company that has coverage in some of the remote areas where I spend a lot of my time. However, I think this weekend I might go visit a Rogers dealer and ask if they could provide me a PAYG phone to take overseas. That might be the simplest, and least expensive option. And if that won't work.... maybe I'll just tell my parents that if they think I should carry a phone for safety, they can buy it for me!

[commie]

cheapest option is NOT using your cellphone and send emails instead - prices for a call from one country to another via cellphone are crazy (at least with a simcard from a german provider)!

[Eagle]

ashleyg, since your parents are concerned about you travelling without a Cell Phone, it sounds reasonable that they pay at least part of the cost (however that's between you and them).

If you don't have any success with Rogers, you could also try www.importcell.com for GSM Phones. The rental rates look comparable with some others I've seen, but they might have a "demo unit" or whatever for sale that will fit your needs (probably better to buy a Phone, as renting is not very cost effective in the long term). They're located in the Toronto area and used to have a toll-free number (check their web site).

I noticed an LG model listed at CDN$ 155.00 (I don't have much experience with LG, so can't comment on their reliability) and a Motorola for CDN$ 199.00 (this is a quad-band, so will offer better flexibility - I use a Motorola V551 and have been very pleased with it so far).

Again, good luck!!!

[WillTravel]

Here's my situation.

My daughter and I have Fido cell phone plans. I'm pretty sure our phones do not have any cool features for international travel.

My daughter and I will be traveling to Edinburgh and Berlin this summer. At times, I'm sure we'll want to be separated, so it would be very handy to be able to contact each other. But text messages would be fine if that's the cheapest option. This being the case, is there a good plan anyone knows of that would allow minimal usage and be as cheap as possible? It would be great if it worked well in both countries, but even one would be a great help. Where would we buy it?

[Eagle]

W.T., since you only require "minimal usage", your best bet is probably roaming with Fido. However, the big question is whether both your phones have the necessary frequencies for use on Euro Cell networks. You would also have to check that the Chargers supplied with the Phones are "world chargers".

If you could provide the types/model no's. of the Phones you're using, I should be able to provide some further information.

If it turns out that this option will work for you, it's important to call Fido before you leave and have them activate international roaming on your phones (otherwise if they see the phone operating on a network so far away, they might assume it's been stolen and lock it out!).

Text messages are probably your most cost effective option. AFAIK this should work fine between your phones. However, also ask the Fido rep. about that when you're speaking with them. You might check the roaming rates on the Fido website - from what I remember, they were quite reasonable.

Good luck!!!

[WillTravel]

Eagle, thanks for the tip. In the next day or two, I'll post the model numbers. I'd prefer to keep things simple and using just Fido sounds like a good idea. The only thing I'd worry about is that my daughter gets so many calls - I'd have to figure out some way to bypass that.