mobile phone options whilst working in Europe

Read the roaming thread at the top for a few more ideas

I'd suggest some choices are:

- a French SIM card, and you use cheap calls providers to reach it. This could be useful if she needs to call French numbers, but rates on French SIMs aren't all that good. Simyo might be the cheapest (19c) per minute, or others have bundle add-ons. Simyo may be difficult to get for non-French people though. In any case use a calling card or similar access for int'l (UK) destinations

info on French networks http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/france.html

Or the virtual brand Mobiho has cheap direct-dialled int'l calls


- global roaming SIM cards, with free incoming calls in plenty of countries. There has been some turmoil in this sector, and some brands have disappeared. Maybe go for Sim4travel, Easyroam or Geosim. Their Isle of Man or Jersey numbers come from some but not all UK networks' inclusive minutes - ok if you're on O2, Orange of Virgin at the moment, but not the others

O2's My Europe Extra as suggested above - £10 a month fee, free incoming calls, outgoing 25p to all of Europe.

Vodafone has recently announced that it will waive the 75p per call connection fee on Vodafone Passport for 3 months, meaning free roaming. Calls back to UK are at the normal rate on the SIM, so 20p on PAYT, or inclusive minutes on contract. I've yet to clearly establish whether the add-on bundle minutes on PAYT can be used like this too. But you can get a monthly SIM-only contract anyway, which has better value for minutes

So, at the moment, I'd say head towards a French SIM and Vodafone, depending on how many of her calls will be to/from home and with new friends in France. Maybe get both. And forward her 3 number to the Vodafone

If going for only Vodafone, set up a callthrough account in UK to use to make calls to France

Yes, like 18185 etc; see the MSE Callchecker for more

Either the 3 phone could be unlocked, but they may want to charge in advance to the end of the contract as some networks do, or use a secondhand one that is already or can be unlocked free

The charge to people calling a mobile never depends on where it actually is. If it's roaming, the owner incurs the extra charge if there is one.

In this case, forward the 3 calls to Vodafone before leaving the UK, as some call diversions when abroad get counted as incoming plus outgoing call. It may be that only applies to conditional forwards to voicemail, I'm not sure, and I don't understand the technical bits like HLRs, but it's not worth experimenting.

But the Pennyphone rate for France mobile is 13p, so wouldn't come under their 0871 numbers at 10p.

If you're calling a UK mobile, you might not need a cheap calls provider. Your daughter could get a Vodafone SIM, divert any incoming 3 calls to it, and maybe leave the 3 phone with you to use more of the inclusive minutes to call her. If you're likely to use more than all those minutes, then use your mobile if you have one, or 18185 from your landline

Well, I think it's a strong option at the moment, with its 3 months of free incoming calls plus the possibility of inclusive calls back to the UK if she wants that too.

If it's one of their SIM-only contracts, I think that calls to the country it's in also come from the inclusive minutes. I don't know if this also applies to the Freedom Packs add-ons on PAYT, but I sort of doubt it. In any case, it could be worth a French SIM as well for people there calling her.