Friends coming over from The US for 3 months and need a mobile phone.

NICKYS32

Hi,

I have friends coming over for 3 months from the USA and they need mobile phones when they are here. They will be visiting Holland and France during their stay and don`t obviously want to use their US phones as last time it cost them a fortune. Does anyone know of any providers that offer reasonably priced plans for calling within Europe and for calling the US.
They need to keep in touch with home each day because of their business. They are happt to pay as you go as long as the calls are not to expensive.
Thanks

Cavey

O2 do a sim only tariff for £15 (includes free O2 to O2 calls, 200 minutes to other lines and 400 SMS) and a "Discount Country" addon to ring the US for 9ppm. Total monthly charge £18 plus charges for international minutes (only 133 mins for £30).

Or, even better, £30 per month on PAYG, get 200 free minutes to call abroad. Register for the international caller bolt-on (costs £5) and calls to the US are 15ppm (so 366 minutes per month for £30).

This wont help so much on the continent when there will probably be another method which will be cheaper.

That said, when my parents were recently visiting family in Canada, we used Skype and video called for free, but if it is for business the mobile might be better..

greenoak

iS THERE PHONE UNLOCKED?

best bet is a sim4travel

cost £15 for £20 credit and calls ar 25p a minute rather than 60 - 80 with standard payg sims

search main site as this was a featured post about a month back

redux

They might have difficulty getting a contract, even a SIM-only one month notice one, as the networks like direct debits and not foreign credit cards. If they have a UK bank account though, should be no problem

If they can get a UK contract, then to call USA use a callthrough access such as a 18185 or similar account. If not:

There are several virtual UK brands which specialise in cheap international calls from here, such as IDT Mobile, Lebara, and Nomi, all 4 pence a minute to USA. There is also Mobile World from Carphone Warehouse, or Orange's Camel tariff, 5 and 6 pence a minute. Or use a T-mobile SIM with the callthrough provider Yourcallworld, 3 pence a minute to USA

For loads of international calls though, the best option by miles is the International Saver add-on option on 3 (available on both contract and payg), where £15 a month gets up to 3000 minutes a month to about 20 countries' landlines and USA/Canada mobiles

For calls within the UK, most of these brands are about 15 pence a minute, though some are a bit cheaper for landlines, or that Orange tariff is 20p for UK calls. 3 is 12p/min ad hoc, or bundles can be added even on payg such as 300 minutes for £15, 500 for £18, and also with 300 minutes to other 3 mobiles

So I think I'd recommend one of the virtual brands for modest use, or 3 for more intensive. For 3, if their current phones aren't 3g, they might get 3 Skypephones and sell them on eBay afterwards, and then free Skype calls are available too

For abroad, it might be worth a local SIM there too, depending how much use is expected. Netherlands also has some cheap int'l calls brands, such as IDT, Lebara and Ortel -typically 10 or 11 eurocents a minute to USA or to UK landlines. France isn't so good, though I might suggest a couple of (time-banded) add-on options on SFR which charge 30 cents per call up to an hour to landlines and SFR, then use this with a calling card or similar access, such as maybe DialNow at from 0.5c/min.

Other than that, maybe a roaming SIM as mentioned above, or maybe an ordinary UK SIM like Vodafone with Passport, or O2's add-on option My Europe Extra, or roaming with 3 is a bit cheaper than the standard Eurotariff. But these would need a cheaper way to USA added though, either callthough or callback.

NICKYS32

Thank you all so much.:T

I will pass on the options to them.