D is going to Europe for a couple of weeks with a friend. They’d like to get phones that work there. What’s the best way to do this? Buy a phone and a SIM card there? Or take an unlocked iPhone from here and just buy the SIM card there?
They are headed to London, Paris, Barcelona and Dublin. We are headed to Scotland later this summer as well.
Thanks for the help.
D2 took an unlocked iphone with her to London and bought a sim card there. I think it was 30 or 40 for a month with unlimited data and text. She was able to use it at most European countries. Since most of her friends had iphone in the US, she was able to text them for free. She also used the data service to call me on Viber and Facetime for free.
Another vote for buying a SIM card there. Where you buy the phone (as long as it’s unlocked) does not matter.
Search this site as there have been many conversations about this. The first step is to make sure the iPhone is unlocked. Except the most recent models, most companies have become a lot friendlier about it.
Buying local SIMs is pretty straightforward and it might help to buy them in multiple destinations. Although the rates have come down, the (intra EU) roaming charges might add up quickly while a local chip is cheap and comes with a good amount of data and text. Large or unlimited amount of data does not mean it is usable in another Euro country without the roaming charges. Getting 1-4 gig on a “local” chip might be an easier way as they are ubiquitous.
Buying a SIM from the largest provider usually means a better reception and coverage than from a discount store such as a supermarket such as Aldi.
I agree unlocked phone and SIM card. One of our phones had an issue and required a call to the company to address minor, but critical VPN settings. That was a pain and happened in all countries.
S1 is in South Africa right now. I know, it isn’t Europe, but he bought a $20 basic pay-go phone & a SIM card at the airport. He can add money or “top off” the phone when his minutes get low. He called me from Africa on Saturday & the reception was so clear that he could have been calling from next door - except that I could hear elephants moving through the bush. His rationale was that an unlocked smart phone might be tempting & attractive to thieves or muggers but a basic cell phone would not, since most people in Africa have basic cell phones. And even if his phone IS stolen, a basic phone is a lot less expensive to replace than a smart phone.
Will the phone be used strictly for calls & texts? Then consider buying an inexpensive basic phone in Europe. You can buy a phone for less than the monthly fees of most US phone carriers.
If the phone will be used for emails & photos, then a SIM card with an unlocked phone might be a better option.
To get back to Europe, the type of iPhones that can be unlocked will NOT increase your chances of being robbed, It is simply not something that will turn heads or make jaws drop. A basic flip phone might be seen as an oddity. Well, that is pushing it! The reality is that an older iPhone will not be a magnet of attention. As Oldfort wrote, the iChat tool might come in handy is the rest of her regular contacts also have one. It is one of the best features for overseas use.
In general, the prepaid phones do NOT come with a lot of talk minutes but sufficient texts and data to make a smart phone a better option than the fossils that require knowing the old entry type. Most people in Europe have learned to use data and text as opposed to burn through their few minutes pre or postpaid.
Fwiw, if the couple stays together all the time, it might be sufficient to buy one data chip and hotspot the data part on the second phone if budget is an issue.
D brought unlocked phone to Europe, bought SIMS card there, all was going well…until she went to another country for the weekend. Every time she used it she was charged roaming fees, even tho she thought she was using Wifi.
My D had an unlocked iPhone 5c and we could not find a SIM card that fit her phone in any of the local shops in France. They only fit iPhone 4s. I would recommend going online to Lebara and pre-ordering a Sim card and have it delivered for free before you leave. The website is set up to enter French addresses but if you can cram your address into the correct boxes it will actually arrive to your address in US within 10 days to 2 weeks. Its free
My kids bring their iphones but do not get local service set up. They just use the airplane mode for internet usage and will use it for email and social apps like facebook and intsagram, as well as skype and skype phone service which has been clearer than when we try to talk to them using Verizon at their stateside dorms. None of this costs $. They also suspend their US accounts while abroad, thereby saving money.
Recently, through carelessness, one kids’ phone was dropped in water. They picked up a cheap phone locally with a bunch of talktime for around $80. It costs 20 cents per minute to call the US from Europe on that phone and its crystal clear and should last them for the next month.
^^ things have changed since 2012. Most SIM cards in France are triple decoupe or multi format. For instance, the Orange mobicarte is just under 5 dollars.
http://boutique.orange.fr/recapitulatif-panier
You can get a SIM plus basic phone for 25 dollars. Check the Orange.fr site.
All in all, there should be ZERO problems in 2015 in those major cities. This is as hard as finding a Euro Starbucks. In Spain, I would head to El Corte Ingles as they offer all the service providers.
For ease, I would buy a SIM in every country and learn to set up the network files for each. The info is on the web!
Cost? A la carte!