Advice on phones/packages

donny-gal

Both my O2 and DH's Vodafone contracts are at an end, and ready to sort out new options. A simple one would be put DH on PAYG as he does have minimal usage, but wonder if I can kill a few birds with one stone.
The Vodafone contact is a very old one at £15 a month with 100 mins/50 texts which the balance transfer for a month if not used. The O2 is £20 a month on a texter tarif with 75 mins & 250 texts. I switched to texter from talker due to spending several months out of the country and O2 allowing me to use 4 text credits for sending a text from abroad. At the time son was on O2 so could call him free - now he is on Vodafone.

I would like to be able to use mobile Bband and wonder if I can include this with a package, can I connect the phone to a laptop and use as a modem, depending on the phone? I would prefer this to just using the phone to send and receive emails if posible.

So what can anyone suggest to get the most as cheaply as possibly I am prepared to haggle hard with either to achieve this but need to know what I am asking for.

I need to use the phone abroad for a month or two (usually Spain but sometimes France), and then in the UK and mobile broadband for next to nowt if possible;).

Does anyone know if Vodafone offer the utilisation of free texts from abroad?

Thanks
DG

donny-gal

OK - Let me ask one question at once, I've read the retention threads now.

To use mobile internet on a laptop, can you only do this via a dongle or via a phone connected to the laptop.

DG