Team-BHP - Suggestions for international SIM cards - Mobile networks when travelling abroad

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanagg1 (Post 2532368)

Dear Mates

Any suggestions for France / Germany/ Greece?
Are local prepaid SIM cards available? Would any single one would suffice?
I have never tried to get a local SIM in past trips. Is it easy or difficult like India?

Thanks in advance

No help forthcoming for me :confused:

Am I missing something obvious ?

Cheers

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanagg1 (Post 2537141)

No help forthcoming for me :confused:

Am I missing something obvious ?

Cheers

I am in Switzerland right now & i got myself a local SIM from here. It was simple & the plans were also decent enough (surprisingly) though i use it only for local calls. For everything else there is Skype :D
Are you travelling through your company or tripping?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanagg1 (Post 2545569)

@Avinash
Thanks dear

one more quarry is this SIM card data enabled like 3G etc. and how much is it costing per MB and call rates per min. if you can help me on this.

Thank in advance
Cheers

Got 500 MB free with the plan i took & plans are 0.50 CHF for calls within the same network & 0.70 to other networks.
I am not sure if it's 3G enabled but the net goes like a scalded cat.

I am getting set for a 6-month-ish trip to the US. Denver/Kansas/and some Hawaii (maybe) :D.

Over my past trips to the US, I've spent close to 10k every month just so that I'm reachable to near and dears. Now, that's summing up what I've paid for international roaming on my airtel PLUS, the calling cards I used to burn out in no time. I'm not too much of a phone-user and my calls really do not go beyond 5 mins, with an average of about 10 calls a day. It gets worse when I've stepped out of my hotel and my family continues to reach out to to me to check whether I'm ok. Can't blame them, but I'm paying a price that's real heavy. So, this time I plan to have my phone issue sorted out and planned. I still will activate the international roaming to check who's calling or SMSing, but I need to have a spare GSM to return the call/text based on urgency irrespective of whether I'm in the house/office/sun-tanning in hawaii.

I plan to switch to a BB anyway after my 15 years stint with Nokia, so will be picking one up soon. But, can someone please help me get details on a US prepaid connection that I can use with no frills/strings attached just the way we use prepaids here in India? I hear the contract phones are quite a deal, but my stay is just going to be anything between 3-6 months and nothing more. So, a contract phone won't work. MATRIX is definitely out as it turns out they end up billing more than the international roaming charges. :Shockked:

Quote:

Originally Posted by mempheS.D

^ Can someone please advise? Are there alternatives to the T-Mobile prepaid cards? I see something on their prepaid agreement which mentions 2-yr agreement.

Try RedPocket. $60 for unlimited local and long distance (within US) + 2GB data per month. Alternatively, StraightTalk $45 for the same except 'unlimited' data - throttled after 2GB. Both are AT&T MVNOs and provide 3G speeds for data. StraightTalk also offers TMo sim cards. Both are contract free monthly plans.
You'll have to pay $15 for StraightTalk SIM but can get RP SIM for less than a buck on eBay.
I'm currently using RP SIM I got off of eBay.

Both of them offer bundled international calling minutes. If you exhaust those then use Reliance Global Call. $6 for roughly 300 minutes. No connection charges. And if you have unlimited call on your mobile plan then can use Reliance's lower rates by using their toll access numbers rather than toll free number.

Also if you are in Mumbai then your family can use MTNL's 1300 international access to call your cell or hotel room and be charged only local call rates e.g. 1300-1-xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Hope this helps.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mempheS.D (Post 2707270)

^ Can someone please advise? Are there alternatives to the T-Mobile prepaid cards? I see something on their prepaid agreement which mentions 2-yr agreement.

I remember using this Tmobile Flexpay or something like that. It was 70$ for the first month and $60 thereafter. Unlimited calls to tmobile phones, and 1000 free minutes for the month. Also unlimited BB data usage. Do have a look, there is no 2 year contract, that is only if you buy a phone from them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by akshay1234 (Post 2707635)

akshay,

you were bang-on right. i checked the SIM only packages and there's a $50/mo package with unlimited talk/text/web (limited speed after 2GB). the web is 4G. but i just need the web for whatsapp, so won't need the BB add-on. yahoo.

do you know whether there are alternative and competitive prices out there from, say at&t ?

thanks for all the help btw. I'm so excited abt getting my phone expenses reduced to roughly 2000rs/mo as against the 15000rs i spent last year per month... :Frustrati

Quote:

Originally Posted by venks (Post 2728765)

mempheS et al

Any idea whether TMobile flexpay is avialable in Sanjose, CA ? I went to the website and keyed in the PIN of my hotel, but got a response saying service not available. Thanks.

Cheers...venks

Sorry mate. Your technique to quote me didn't quite work out, and so the late response. Sorry! The T-mobile connection that was recommended to me is working like a charm while in the USA. I'm not aware of a Singapore service extended. Nevertheless, for the information of other people on the forum..trust me, the T-MOBILE is a no frills connection that I procured within 10mins and got functional. I feel so relaxed for the fact I'm reachable to my dear and near ones although I'm seven seas away for a few months.

In addition, I got myself a RELIANCE CALLING card for 5$ with about 180 mins of talktime @1.99cents/min on a TOLLED local-access number(but this doesn't matter to me, since I have UNLIMITED nationwide calls on the current prepaid plan:I Rule:) OR 2.99cents/min on a TOLL FREE . I mostly rely on skype but in the event I need to make a call to India while I'm outside the reliance app works like a charm with no need to memorize any numbers and PIN codes. The app handles it all.

A special thanks to rtandon & akshay1234 for recommending the T-Mobile plan! (Somehow I can't find the THANK YOU button on their posts)

Thanks mempheS.D (Again don't see the option to 'Thank You'. Just came back from my trip. I used Matrix, which I would say is OK. I can receive calls from India without any problem, but had issues sometimes while calling back home. I am yet to see the bill, hopefully there won't be any shocker.

Friends, I will be going to Europe (Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany) in August (10-24) and need advice regarding international cards/local sim cards.

Since I will be going with my family, my calls to India will be a minimum. However I want a number in case anyone from my office wants to call me on an urgent basis.

As I am travelling to multiple countries, should I go for Matix or something similar? If yes, then which one should I go for? Matrix seems to be getting bad reviews across the internet and also on this thread.

Also can someone give me approx. cost of local sim cards for the above countries so that I can compare?