Help with roaming etc.

whitesatin

I would appreciate some advice, please before I go to France tomorrow.

I have a Virgin mobile account and have just been told I have used 75% of my inclusive minutes (talk time). it should be refreshed on the 9th. I am unlikely to be chatting much over there but will be wanting to check things out on the internet including using Google Maps. I have about 800mb left as I use mostly Wi-Fi. The hotel has Wi-Fi but we will be out and about a lot.

I think I need to log on and switch on Roaming. You can buy various levels of extra mbs, e.g. 250mb costs £20, and smaller amounts, less. We are only going for 3 days.

I admit to being fairly ignorant about using my phone abroad and would love advice as to what is the cheapest thing to do. Thanks.

Ian011

Costs are capped when you are roaming. If, however, you buy a roaming bundle you opt OUT of this cap. If apps decide to update via the phone network you can spend a fortune. See recent edition of BBC Watchdog, etc.

Data roaming phone bills often cost people more than they paid for their holiday.

I would stick to WiFi, in the hotal and elsewhere, and ensure the phone cannot use the mobile network for data at all.

Call and text costs are capped by EU regulation. Most networks do not allow inclusive allowances to be used outside of the UK.

Turn Voicemail OFF. Some networks charge you for incoming calls as they are being left in the mailbox and again when you listen to them.

diamonds

Incoming calls in Europe Economic Area are free with Virgin, do a quick ring and let someone call you back.


Buy a 3 sim, add on of 500MB for £5 that allowance can also be used in France.

http://support.three.co.uk/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBISAPI.DLL?Command=New,Kb=Mobile,Ts=Mobile,T=Article,varset_cat=internetapps,varset_subcat=3582,Case=obj(3593)
Click Price Guide a few sentences down^

System

Diamonds, check what you write!

You can't buy a £5 topup on a 3sim until you've topped up an initial £10 (via card payment) on my3.

diamonds wrote: »

Buy a 3 sim, add on of 500MB for £5 that allowance can also be used in France.

redux

Heng_Leng wrote: »

Diamonds, check what you write!

You can't buy a £5 topup on a 3sim until you've topped up an initial £10 (via card payment) on my3.

£5 is now possible via their new web top-up

https://www.three.co.uk/Web_top_up

Moreover, the top-up gets the 150 MB free data, and this is usable in Like Home countries, so someone who reckons that would be enough data needn't buy a bundle at all.

redux

Ian011 wrote: »

Costs are capped when you are roaming. If, however, you buy a roaming bundle you opt OUT of this cap. If apps decide to update via the phone network you can spend a fortune. See recent edition of BBC Watchdog, etc.

Data roaming phone bills often cost people more than they paid for their holiday.

I would stick to WiFi, in the hotal and elsewhere, and ensure the phone cannot use the mobile network for data at all.

Call and text costs are capped by EU regulation. Most networks do not allow inclusive allowances to be used outside of the UK.

Turn Voicemail OFF. Some networks charge you for incoming calls as they are being left in the mailbox and again when you listen to them.

Talking of EU regulation, incoming voicemail has been free in EU for several years.

diamonds

Sorry people I got confused (3am!) as I meant the 3 data sim not 3 payg voice, 99p sim will get you a daily 500MB add on for £2.99 per day including Feel @ Home countries...this may be better, as 1.5GB over 3 days for £8.97 , or £5 for the 3 voice sim as above for a 500MB/30 day bundle. So the initial top up can be a voucher, my 3 or as Redux web top up.


Buy a 3 payg data sim, the 500MB bundle is then only £2.99

Cheapest I could find for shop buying with no included data was:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/3-micro-sim-card-data-n75ll


You may need a mini sim adapter as this is a microsim.