Mobile Roaming: Cheapest Calls When You're Abroad

redux

romany wrote: »

I'm sorry if this has been covered but I am a total mobile phone technophobe(if there is such a thing). I am your typical granny with mobile phone in the glove compartment to use in emergency. I believe it is a nokia 1100 on T-mobile PAYG which I bought for £20 about three years ago! All it does is make phone calls, and I can text on it. £20 lasts me at least 6 months! Anyway my OH and I are off travelling around the EU for a few months. Can anyone advise us as to the cheapest/ best way to phone/text home.It will mainly be text with occasional calls home and received, as we like to get on the internet when possible. Would it be best to buy phonecards from each country we go to. Realise I may need to upgrade phone so any advice in easy to understand language greatly appreciated.

First, to use other SIM cards in your phone, it needs to be unlocked from its network, which you can get advice on in another thread at the top of the board. They can calculate the code for some phones to do it for free, including yours.

There are some global SIM cards with free incoming calls in a lot of countries, and outgoing rates of from about 20 pence a minute. Some of these have Isle of Man or Jersey mobile numbers, as well as places like Estonia or Iceland. But even the IoM and Jersey ones aren't counted by all the UK networks as in their included minutes, so people calling you might have to take that into account

Or you might get local SIMs (which are as easy to find as here, mobile phone shops in the main street, or the supermarkets). Some countries have brands with international calls for just a few cents a minute (e.g Germany and Sweden), but not all countries are as competitive yet (e.g. France). There are comparison tables for tariffs at http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/operators.html

Or if you can use a landline at the places you're staying, then maybe calling cards ...

But if it's mainly for text messages as you say, you'd quite like to keep your UK number in use as it will be cheaper for people sending to you. But your network's outgoing texts are more expensive when abroad.

There is a way to work around the cost of texts, by using one of a choice of small downloaded Java programs that send an equivalent via a data connection, and cost 1 to 4 pence for the message plus about a penny to your network for the data.

Some are called mobisms smsbug and vyke, and also some voice-over-internet brands have this option. There are a couple of threads on here about them, and this one is rather long now - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=528955&highlight=vyke.

But I don't know that your phone supports Java, and can't find info in the place I normally look, so I'll have to check a bit more ...

Sorry, I think I'm waffling a bit with some ideas, and maybe making it sound complicated, rather than the outright solution, so ask any questions that arise. Those programs are fairly easy to use though.

Splott_Boy

Quickly scanned thread and can't see any discussion re data costs. Last time I was in France I reckon Vodafone charged nearly £10 per megabyte - 10 times the rate at home (does that seem right ?).

Would a sim4travel sim card give me cheaper data services ? I'm guessing not as I can't find reference to it on their website.

redux

Splott_Boy wrote: »

Quickly scanned thread and can't see any discussion re data costs. Last time I was in France I reckon Vodafone charged nearly £10 per megabyte - 10 times the rate at home (does that seem right ?).

Would a sim4travel sim card give me cheaper data services ? I'm guessing not as I can't find reference to it on their website.

I haven't checked the Vodafone rate, but that seems quite possible.

A bit cheaper are Virgin at £5/MB, or 3 £3/MB in Europe, USA Australia and some other places

Not many of the global SIMs have data yet, but you can check out United Mobile, and ICQ which is a rebadge of UM but with some different tariffs. ICQ is €0.39 per 333kB, and €0.39 per day of use, whereas UM is €0.99/MB, but with €0.39 connection fee per sessio, which could add up a bit. UM also has a bundle offer with this SIM including a locked 3g/HSDPA modem for €99

Some local SIMs will be worth looking at, but I'm not an expert on data costs. Some countries have cheaper data, such as e-plus and some mnvo providers in Germany at 24c/MB. Perhaps there will be daily or weekly bundles like we have here.

With any luck, the £15 or so a month HSDPA mobile broadband offers that we are seeing emerging, which are even possible on pay as you go, will have equivalents appearing abroad, and it maybe soon it will be possible to turn up with one's own unlocked modem and get a local SIM for a month.

kirsteensk9_2

I'm currently on holiday in Taba in Egypt. I bought a Sim4Travel card, very pleased with my deal and my forethought in reading Martin's article. Since I got here I've only managed to make three calls and send no (yes ZERO) texts. I get "network busy" or "wait for your callback" if I'm lucky and have only been connected three times. I've fortunately been able to text usuing my Mobyko account (thanks again for pointing me in their direction Martin, it is a wonderful service). I haven't even been able to use my Orange web texts as the service has been down most of the time I've been here. I'm not certain of my facts here but I also think Sim4Travel have deducted credit for each failed call. it is also time consuming to use as well. A total waste of time and money in my experience. Mobyko on the other hand - a treasure - and thanks to Martin I joined for free and got 100 free text messages which have kept me in touch with home during this stay. kirsteen

redux

You might get an Egyptian SIM card. Even their own tariffs to the UK are a bit cheaper than Sim4travel's 49p, but using a separate callback service with an Egyptian SIM would get down to the 10 to 15p range. Or rival global SIMs are 15p to 20p, but would be a wait in the post

http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/egypt.html

BigSaver_2

kirsteensk9 wrote: »

I'm currently on holiday in Taba in Egypt. I bought a Sim4Travel card, very pleased with my deal and my forethought in reading Martin's article. Since I got here I've only managed to make three calls and send no (yes ZERO) texts. I get "network busy" or "wait for your callback" if I'm lucky and have only been connected three times. I've fortunately been able to text usuing my Mobyko account (thanks again for pointing me in their direction Martin, it is a wonderful service). I haven't even been able to use my Orange web texts as the service has been down most of the time I've been here. I'm not certain of my facts here but I also think Sim4Travel have deducted credit for each failed call. it is also time consuming to use as well. A total waste of time and money in my experience. Mobyko on the other hand - a treasure - and thanks to Martin I joined for free and got 100 free text messages which have kept me in touch with home during this stay. kirsteen

I am going to Egypt soon...I'm am think of getting Sim4Travel...as i hear great for receiving calls but useless for making the odd call. Can anyone advise me the cheapest and the most reliable way to make & receive calls?

Thank you

redux

see the post above yours

BigSaver_2

redux wrote: »

see the post above yours

I looked at http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/egypt.html but all those seem expensive.

Thank you

redux

BigSaver wrote: »

I looked at http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/egypt.html but all those seem expensive.

Thank you

As I also suggested, use a separate callback service with an Egyptian SIM. Or other global SIMs have lower rates, but also use callback (unfortunate if that's what was putting you off).

othermanmi

Does anyone know cheapest way to call UK mobiles when on holiday in USA. ie Calls between family members who are all on holiday in USA, so we can keep in touch when separated in theme parks etc. Not all on same network unfortunately Thanks in advance.