Mobile calls from Turkey when on holiday?

lyndeelou

My family and I will be holidaying in Turkey from next Saturday, and we will need to keep in contact with family members at home regularly as mother in law is ill etc.

Other than using payphones and using texts as much as possible, does anyone know which mobile company charges the least from UK mobile in Turkey to UK landline?

We have mobiles on the Virgin, Orange and 3 networks.

Many thanks
Lynne

andy88_2

It depends as well whether you are prepaid or account; these are account-based prices and payg will be a bit more, maybe + 20p per min

.............incoming...outgoing

Orange .....80p............130p
Or'ge payg 90p............140p
Virgin........30p..............60p
Virgin payg 60p.............95p
3 .............50p............120p
3 pay........90p............140p

Looks like Virgin is the cheapest; if yours is payg, set up a direct debit arrangement to postpay it, as the roaming is then cheaper.

However, it sounds like you may be making quite a lot of calls, so it may be better to get a local SIM card. On its own not much advantage as international calls from Turkcell or Avea are about 60p as well (Telsim only has int'l from postpaid accounts), and incoming free.

But if you set up with a callback operator, you will be able to make calls for about 15 to 20p. People calling you can use a cheap calls provider for around 10 to 15p, though Dialaround says 5p.

lyndeelou

Thank you andy 88 for you VERY comprehensive reply.

Looks like we'll be using Virgin then. It's just for a week so probably not worth setting up Turkish SIM card etc.

Many thanks
Lynne

Red_Scouser

Was in Turkey the other week (well in reds!) on o2, the text messages ate my credit faster than pac man at 50p ago but when I called a landline talking for about 5 minutes it didn't seem to be that expensive.

Sorry can't remember how much but it's worth giving o2 a look over too.

Matt83UK_2

You might be worth buying a local sim, I think it worked out about £15, but make sure you take you're passport to the store (required for identity purposes) otherwise it be a return trip to your hotel. Wish I was in marmaris now enjoying an efes in the sun

monomer

P.S. Texts are 35p/text on Virgin PAYG at roaming rates (or 25p/text if you choose to Pay Monthly by direct debit)

(Also, on a sidenote, if you decide to use GPRS abroad with Virgin, rates are 0.5p/Kb, which is rather cheap as GPRS roaming rates go).

andy88_2

O2 costs 81p/min to UK, 60p/min incoming with ITS, or 137p and 99p without. O2 payg more. Virgin is cheaper.

You could enquire about phonecards there, and use from the hotel; they shouldn't charge a freephone number.

Davey_s2

If it's going to be mainly for texting use https://www.smsbug.com fantastic cheap texts even from abroad. I used it in spain a few weeks back- saved me lots- whilst all around were spending 25p per roaming text I was spending 2p(smsbug)+1p(gprs cost) per message.