Australia

gale_mcdonald

I Am Going On Holiday To Australia In October With Other Family Members Can Anyone Tell Me The Cheapest Way To Use Our Mobiles Whilst There To Call One Another And Our Relatives Who Live There, We Are All On 02
Thanx Gale :j

daveboy

I too am going to Australia, arriving on 29 October. This was also something that I was thinking about - but the only person I'd want to contact would be the person I'm going to see as I would be going on my own.

The only thing I came up with was to ask my friend if she had an old phone and to get a PAYG SIM card once I arrived. There is that option but from your post you'd need a number of old phones.

The only other thing I can think of is to ensure the phone is unlocked before you go. I recently posted a thread about how I sent my friend a Sharp GX30, but she needed to unlock it first, even though it was a Vodafone UK phone and would be used on Vodafone AU. As you are with O2, unlocking may still work.

I would certainly say the best way will be to buy PAYG SIM cards when you arrive. Whatever you do, don't take your mobile with your UK SIM in it to contact each other - as that is the most expensive way to do it.

researcher

If you make sure your phone is unlocked before you go you can choose the best pay as you go sims for yourself. (Easily available in shops).

We signed up for 'Vodafone' and there are various call rates, depending on what bundle you choose when you signup - the next recharge offers options too - we choose a $79 Super cap - buy this and you get $500 worth of calls, (which you have to use in 30 days) - we could talk forever, and we used VF's information service (123)to find absolutely anything we wanted to know! It was excellent. We were there last Oct/Nov.:cool:

Have a look at their website www.vodafone.com.au - I'm sure it'll be more up to date than me! :idea:

I'm sure you'll have a brilliant time - we did and can't wait to return.:j

Whatever you do, don't call each other on your UK sims - you'll pay both to send and receive the call - could be nearly £2 per min.:eek:

iceburn

Other option is use a Vodafone Pay as you go / Contract simcard. Since they now have a vodafone passport. To recieve calls you pay 75p connection charge and than nothing. Very good to recieve calls. whilst "making" calls there is a 75p connection charge and than charge at your standard vodafone rate for local and UK calls. Or if you got inclusive minutes, they will be used. Depending who going to call you, and how often you are going to use the phone whilst there, this will be the best and cheapest option.

karin

researcher wrote:

If you make sure your phone is unlocked before you go you can choose the best pay as you go sims for yourself. (Easily available in shops).

We signed up for 'Vodafone' and there are various call rates, depending on what bundle you choose when you signup - the next recharge offers options too - we choose a $79 Super cap - buy this and you get $500 worth of calls, (which you have to use in 30 days) - we could talk forever, and we used VF's information service (123)to find absolutely anything we wanted to know! It was excellent. We were there last Oct/Nov.:cool:

Have a look at their website www.vodafone.com.au - I'm sure it'll be more up to date than me! :idea:

I'm sure you'll have a brilliant time - we did and can't wait to return.:j

Whatever you do, don't call each other on your UK sims - you'll pay both to send and receive the call - could be nearly £2 per min.:eek:

I bought a payg one for 20 Dollars and got 20 Dollars credit, so the card was free. I used an unlocked Nokia 3310 and had no problems at all. Have a good holiday and if you go to Sydney go to Manly Beach; It,s much nicer than Bondi which was dissappointing as it's on a very busy road.
Also you can go to Manly by ferry accross the harbour from just outside the Opera House. Very Pretty!!