We decided it would be a good idea to have a cell phone that works during our trip, and I took on the responsibilty of figuring it out. Kate's phone is a simple Verizon phone. We didn't even consider carrying this because it doesn't support web browsing, GPS/maps, and isn't GSM (the phone technology used throughout Europe). My phone is an unlocked, Android, GSM phone with T-Mobile. At home I use a cheap monthly plan that won't do international roaming (even for a fee).
After a bit of reading, along with suggestions from a friend who had also traveled in Europe, I decided to get a pay-as-you-go SIM card in Europe. Acquiring it was one of the first things we did in Ireland. No contract. In fact, aside from the intentionally unclear pricing, it was as easy as buying fast food and only a bit more expensive. This ease of purchase is not true for all countries. Some require a local address and more customer details.
After swapping my T-Mobile card for the Irish one I had a working phone. Once we left Ireland roaming rates started applying. A one minute "hi, I am here" call costs about $1. Expensive, but effective for emergencies. We went with a data plan that's 2 Euros for 50 MB that expire after 24 hours. We normally leave data disabled on the phone (to avoid paying at least 2 Euros per day), and only enable it when necessary. In the 6 weeks that we've been traveling we've only spent about 20 Euros in charges.
I'm glad you found something that works, since international cell phones always seem to be one step ahead of me.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I'm surprised how expensive that is per MB; I'm always hearing from people about how much cheaper cell phone calls and data are overseas than in the U.S. That doesn't seem to be the case.
Have you looked at the rates in other countries you've been in?
It would be very cheap if I was using my Irish SIM in Ireland. It's expensive because I am using it in other countries. I *could* try to get a different SIM card in each country, but it's not worth it. I paid 10 Euros just to get the card. We expect to visit 9 Countries. I also have no interest in spending time figuring out a good SIM card deal in each country (and buying the cards).
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