Mobile Roaming: Cheapest Calls When You're Abroad

whatmichaelsays

What is the general concensus from people for data use in the US (other than free WiFi)?

I'm heading to the US over Christmas and will be expecting to use some data (typical Facebook, email and Twitter stuff) as well as the occasional call home. Unfortunately, I'm not with Three and you have to have been with them for 30 days before you are eligible for their 'at home' plan, so that rules out a Three SIM.

I've looked at http://www.0044.co.uk/usa/sim-card.htm which appears to offer relatively manageable data / call rates but does anyone have any better suggestions?

bubieyehyeh

whatmichaelsays wrote: »

Unfortunately, I'm not with Three and you have to have been with them for 30 days before you are eligible for their 'at home' plan, so that rules out a Three SIM.

My reading of the three 'at home' conditions was that the 30day restriction only applied to pay monthly sims. So I read that as PAYG didn't have the 30 day restriction. I'm pretty sure my PAYG sim was enabled for international roaming as soon as I did the initial top-up.

cvCA

whatmichaelsays wrote: »

I've looked at http://www.0044.co.uk/usa/sim-card.htm which appears to offer relatively manageable data / call rates but does anyone have any better suggestions?

I didn't find time to preorder a sim far enough ahead so on my last trip I took a shop-bought T-mobile SIM and used their smallest international booster http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobile-broadband/euro-broadband-booster/ - with all images turned off, using facebook mobile, having on-phone email turned right down to only download on demand, monitoring usage, blocking all other apps from the mobile network (I use Android which makes that more possible) and using free wifi whenever I stumbled upon it, it lasted OK - I'm told that visiting a US T-Mobile store would probably have worked out cheaper, but this way I didn't lose any time in phone shops on a relatively short trip and didn't risk a phone salesman bamboozling me into paying more or leaving me unconnected. I did buy a Vectone SIM before leaving the UK because I spotted one just before I left and the on-packet deal looked OK, but it sucked: didn't work at all and their support only replied after I returned to the UK.

Buzby

bubieyehyeh wrote: »

My reading of the three 'at home' conditions was that the 30day restriction only applied to pay monthly sims. So I read that as PAYG didn't have the 30 day restriction. I'm pretty sure my PAYG sim was enabled for international roaming as soon as I did the initial top-up.

Like At Home isn't an option on PAYG - contract users only. In Italy last week, PAYG iPad blocked, iPhone (contract) worked fine.

numptyfreak

Morning all. My daughter is travelling to both Eastern and Western Europe next month, then China in March. I'm thinking to get the O2 travel bolted on to her contract phone (upgrade due in February anyway) but blocking internet access. Mostly just a daily text to says she's ok, she's hoping to use internet cafes for skyping, but the call facility needs to be there for emergencies. Any thoughts or advice gratefully received I'm forgetting confused trawling through all the info online.
We were going to get a throwaway mobile and sim but am I better off with O2?

janeblack123

Hello!

What do you think would be the best option for Czech Republic? I will be going there for extended periods of time (2 to 3 weeks) frequently next year, but I do not expect to make too many calls there. I do not like the idea of switching SIMs all the time, so I would prefer to stay with UK provider, even if it might end up being a little more expensive in the long run.

Plinkelplonk

Can anyone help me with this. In the latest weekly email from Martin's Money Tips, there is a savings tip "Free Granny in the glovebox Mobile Phone, if you top up £10"

It seems to suggest that you get a free phone and then if you top up with £10, the credit will last for up to 180 days, but you need to use the phone at least once in the 180 days.

However, when you go through to the T-Mobile site via the link, the advert states that credit only lasts for 30 days and you need to top up with £10 every month.

I'd be grateful if anyone can clarify for me.

jnm21

This isn't the thread to ask that question (so start a thread in the mobiles section if you have any further queries), but briefly, it is the free allowances that expire after 30 days (minutes/texts/data). It is the sim that will expire after 180 days - if you use it (say to send a text) every 5 months, the credit will be good for many years. T-Mobile have been very good in my experience (though it is also my experience that this has changed of recent) - in the past when I have tried to check the credit on an old sim, it played a pre-recorded message effectively that the service has been suspended, but press 1 to restore it (which may take several hours, but hasn't in my experience).

jnm21

Can I ask if anyone has any experience of calling a truphone from a UK mobile? Having searched, I believe that the code they use (or maybe one of them) is +44708 or 07408. This is where it gets complex - looking at the three website (which does list non-standard & international +447 codes) reveals that travel talk (07452 IIRC) will be charged at a huge 46p per minute, but truphone should be ok. T-Mobile is a bit more confusing - two lists of non-standard numbers exist - one before 1st Feb 2012 & another after (see here) - the before list does appear to include truphone (listing several 6 digit codes beginning 07408), while the after list is much shorter & does not include truphone, although one must wonder if it is in addition to the before list (which should be called before & after if this is the case)?

I am looking this info as my 0044.co.uk global sim powered by ekit (with a 'standard' UK code, one actually allocated to o2, 07430) appears to have started charging me more that the EU roaming maximum for receiving a call without notifying me (now 10p per minute in Spain, where it was free), so it would be cheaper just to use any UK sim!

I do feel that this sort of information is badly missed from the article - this article is one of the very few on MSE that I feel does not give a full picture (the only one I have ever felt this about).

Plinkelplonk

Many thanks jnm12. Much appreciated.