Cheapest way to keep in touch when on holiday in Egypt

MrsE_2

Whats the cheapest way to keep in touch with home when on holiday in Egypt?

Partner wants me to bring ipad & use hotel wi-fi to chat. I'm reluctant to bring a high value electric item. Not even sure if the wi-fi is free - its the Sensatori in Sharm.

Partner is on T-mobile, with an iphone 4S, I'm on O2 with an iphone 4. Home phone is sky.

Was thinking of bringing a cheap (non internet) handset & a PAYG sim.

Any advice welcome:)

bungle4by4

if you absolutly must be in contact with home, take a bog standard mobile and send text messages.

for me the beauty of being on holiday is not carrying or using any technology. take a book and relax....

Incapuppy

Does the hotel not provide any PCs to use?

shaun_from_Africa

I travel a lot for work purposes, and in every country I've ever visited, by far the cheapest way use a phone is to buy a local SIM card and buy credit whenever you need it.

These can be bought in Egypt for about £2 each (vodafone Egypt, and there will be other carriers available)
http://www.vodafone.com.eg/vodafoneportalWeb/en/P601378041288685280406

And the calls and texts are very cheap.
You will just need an unlocked phone, and you might need someone over there to set it up for you. The person in the shop or someone in your hotel will probably be happy to do this.

jhe

just to warn you.we went to egypt a few years back with an i phone, phoned 02 to deactivate data roaming,they talked us through how to deactivate. after a lovely weeks holiday we came home to a bill of around £800, 02 insisted we had used data, eventually got copy of data usage, the phone at times was in a locked safe and even when on flight home when phone was turned off we were charged for data usage.
lesson learned by us,any i phones are left at home when travelling abroad.

Doshwaster

For me, the beauty of being away on holiday is being out of touch from everyone back home. I leave the laptop at home, take a mobile for emergencies but leave it turned off and locked in the hotel safe most of the time. It's nice to get away from communications technology.

It's only in recent years that people have expected you to keep in touch while you are away. Before it used to be just a postcard and maybe a quick and expensive phone call ("we've got here, it's hot") now everyone wants video chats, photos on Facebook, emails and a Twitter account of your holiday.

MrsE_2

jhe wrote: »

just to warn you.we went to egypt a few years back with an i phone, phoned 02 to deactivate data roaming,they talked us through how to deactivate. after a lovely weeks holiday we came home to a bill of around £800, 02 insisted we had used data, eventually got copy of data usage, the phone at times was in a locked safe and even when on flight home when phone was turned off we were charged for data usage.
lesson learned by us,any i phones are left at home when travelling abroad.

Yes, I also know a horror story (for even more money), I'm NOT bringing my iphone:eek:

MrsE_2

Doshwaster wrote: »

For me, the beauty of being away on holiday is being out of touch from everyone back home. I leave the laptop at home, take a mobile for emergencies but leave it turned off and locked in the hotel safe most of the time. It's nice to get away from communications technology.

It's only in recent years that people have expected you to keep in touch while you are away. Before it used to be just a postcard and maybe a quick and expensive phone call ("we've got here, it's hot") now everyone wants video chats, photos on Facebook, emails and a Twitter account of your holiday.

He's not just anyone, he's my partner.

MrsE_2

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

I travel a lot for work purposes, and in every country I've ever visited, by far the cheapest way use a phone is to buy a local SIM card and buy credit whenever you need it.

These can be bought in Egypt for about £2 each (vodafone Egypt, and there will be other carriers available)
http://www.vodafone.com.eg/vodafoneportalWeb/en/P601378041288685280406

And the calls and texts are very cheap.
You will just need an unlocked phone, and you might need someone over there to set it up for you. The person in the shop or someone in your hotel will probably be happy to do this.

If I did this, should I bring another phone with a UK prepaid PAYG sim for him to text to?

budgetflyer

use your i phone with pre paid sim so you can use it wi fi only settings.

I use https://www.voipcheap.co.uk + can phone UK + with a tenner top up (£12 inc vat) can phone UK landlines free, mobiles for 4p and text 4p

Archergirl

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.............