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Travel Forum / Destinations / Europe / July 2008Use Prepaid Cellphone in Europe
Is it possible to use a prepaid phone purchased here in US (Walmart, Target, etc.) and get a sim card or recharge minutes that can be used in Europe to call USA? I will be traveling mostly in France and Italy for 3 weeks and the regular roaming rates on my service plan is too expensive. I am looking for a cheaper alternative. panabiker <ghuang@comcast.net> wrote in news:ef041ef2-3a57-4a9e-bc1d- 539b8b351147@j1g2000prb.googlegroups.com: > Is it possible to use a prepaid phone purchased here in US (Walmart, > Target, etc.) and get a sim card or recharge minutes that can be used > in Europe to call USA? I will be traveling mostly in France and Italy > for 3 weeks and the regular roaming rates on my service plan is too > expensive. I am looking for a cheaper alternative. you need an unlocked phone that is capable of working the 900/1800 bands GSM. Tehn get United-Mobile.com and get a sim.  SignatureJoseph Coulter, cruises and vacations www.josephcoulter.com yourvacation@comcast.net 877 832 2021 904 631 8863 cell > Is it possible to use a prepaid phone purchased here in US (Walmart, > Target, etc.) and get a sim card or recharge minutes that can be used > in Europe to call USA? I will be traveling mostly in France and Italy > for 3 weeks and the regular roaming rates on my service plan is too > expensive. I am looking for a cheaper alternative. How about your own cell? Get it unlocked. > > Is it possible to use a prepaid phone purchased here in US (Walmart, > > Target, etc.) and get a sim card or recharge minutes that can be used [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > How about your own cell? Get it unlocked. Unfortunately, my own cellphone is a CDMA (Sprint) phone and it would not work on GSM network. Sorry for my ignorance but what is unlock, and can a $14.99 Walmart be unlocked? And who can unlock it? A cellphone service store or some secrete code I have to enter? panabiker <ghuang@comcast.net> wrote in news:72313d57-9a45-4c4d-bb5e- 782d5a71b03f@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com: >> > Is it possible to use a prepaid phone purchased here in US (Walmart, >> > Target, etc.) and get a sim card or recharge minutes that can be used [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > and can a $14.99 Walmart be unlocked? And who can unlock it? A > cellphone service store or some secrete code I have to enter? go to ebay look for unlocked GSM quand band phone see what you find. SignatureJoseph Coulter, cruises and vacations www.josephcoulter.com yourvacation@comcast.net 877 832 2021 904 631 8863 cell panabiker <ghuang@comcast.net> wrote in news:72313d57-9a45-4c4d-bb5e- 782d5a71b03f@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com: >> > Is it possible to use a prepaid phone purchased here in US (Walmart, >> > Target, etc.) and get a sim card or recharge minutes that can be used [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > and can a $14.99 Walmart be unlocked? And who can unlock it? A > cellphone service store or some secrete code I have to enter? Oh yes. you could also look for a 900 1800 phone that is what the rest of the world (outside US Canada and Caribbean) (except Japan and Korea) use. SignatureJoseph Coulter, cruises and vacations www.josephcoulter.com yourvacation@comcast.net 877 832 2021 904 631 8863 cell > Unfortunately, my own cellphone is a CDMA (Sprint) phone and it would > not work on GSM network. Sorry for my ignorance but what is unlock, > and can a $14.99 Walmart be unlocked? And who can unlock it? A > cellphone service store or some secrete code I have to enter? The cellphone provider can unlock it but you can find dealers who'll do it for you BUT I wouldnt bother. Go into almost any mobile phone store in the UK and you can buy a pay as you go phone that will work in Europe for around $20. You can top up with a credit card by dialling the providers number. Keith In news:ef041ef2-3a57-4a9e-bc1d-539b8b351147@j1g2000prb.googlegroups.com panabiker <ghuang@comcast.net> wrote: > Is it possible to use a prepaid phone purchased here in US (Walmart, > Target, etc.) and get a sim card or recharge minutes that can be used > in Europe to call USA? If you get a quad-band phone and can get it unlocked, yo can pick up a SIM card when you get to your destination or from one of the "global SIM card" vendors. T-Mobile sells the quad-band Motorola V195(s) as a pre-paid phone for $50, and will unlock it once you've been a customer for 90 days. SignatureBert Hyman St. Paul, MN bert@iphouse.com > Is it possible to use a prepaid phone purchased here in US (Walmart, > Target, etc.) and get a sim card or recharge minutes that can be used > in Europe to call USA? I will be traveling mostly in France and Italy > for 3 weeks and the regular roaming rates on my service plan is too > expensive. I am looking for a cheaper alternative. I am considering this phone when I go to Europe for 7 weeks in the Fall http://www.cellularabroad.com/travelphone.php SignatureJanet Wilder Bad spelling. Bad punctuation Good Friends. Good Life Janet Wilder <kelliepoodle@yahoo.com> wrote in news:486d7e69$0$30348 $c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com: >> Is it possible to use a prepaid phone purchased here in US (Walmart, >> Target, etc.) and get a sim card or recharge minutes that can be used [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > http://www.cellularabroad.com/travelphone.php almost any phone that is marketed to North Americans is a rip off. You can do better with an unlocked quad band phone from ebay and either a united_mobile sim card or a sim from a national operator where you go in Europe. SignatureJoseph Coulter, cruises and vacations www.josephcoulter.com yourvacation@comcast.net 877 832 2021 904 631 8863 cell > almost any phone that is marketed to North Americans is a rip off. You > can > do better with an unlocked quad band phone from ebay and either a > united_mobile sim card or a sim from a national operator where you go > in > Europe. BUT ... a couple of years ago I did not understand that the "Orange" Network, which looked so convenient, did not allow me to add minutes all along my route; you can only add minutes in the original country of purchase, so buy LOTS of airtime right from the start. Perhaps this has changed? "David Gee" <scoop604@hotmail.com> wrote in news:_fjbk.1937$7%6.435 @edtnps82: >> almost any phone that is marketed to North Americans is a rip off. You >> can [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > purchase, so buy LOTS of airtime right from the start. Perhaps this has > changed? If one is staying in the same country the national card such as Orange is good, if roaming the most convenient I have found, and I know that this could change,is the united mobile which is equally priced in all Europewith rates not too much different than the prepaid plans, subscription will get you better rates. SignatureJoseph Coulter, cruises and vacations www.josephcoulter.com yourvacation@comcast.net 877 832 2021 904 631 8863 cell >> almost any phone that is marketed to North Americans is a rip off. You >> can [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > purchase, so buy LOTS of airtime right from the start. Perhaps this has > changed? I registered a credit card with Orange, and can top-up anywhere. >> Is it possible to use a prepaid phone purchased here in US (Walmart, >> Target, etc.) and get a sim card or recharge minutes that can be used [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > http://www.cellularabroad.com/travelphone.php Where in Europe? In many places, you can buy a cheap phone complete with PAYG SIM for peanuts. For example - <http://shop.orange.co.uk/shop/show/handsets/pay_as_you_go/all/all> >>> Is it possible to use a prepaid phone purchased here in US (Walmart, >>> Target, etc.) and get a sim card or recharge minutes that can be used [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > For example - > <http://shop.orange.co.uk/shop/show/handsets/pay_as_you_go/all/all> We will be traveling. UK, France, Italy, Spain, river barge cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. That's why the rental phone seemed so attractive. It seems a lot easier to purchase the phone here than to have to find my way around foreign countries buying chips and minutes. YMMV SignatureJanet Wilder Bad spelling. Bad punctuation Good Friends. Good Life >>>> Is it possible to use a prepaid phone purchased here in US (Walmart, >>>> Target, etc.) and get a sim card or recharge minutes that can be used [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > It seems a lot easier to purchase the phone here than to have to find my > way around foreign countries buying chips and minutes. YMMV If your first stop is the UK, language shouldn't be a problem, and there are mobile/cell phone shops all over. Roaming in the EU on a UK SIM is much cheaper now than it once was. And you get to keep the phone, which can be used on another trip, or lent to a friend. But I'm a bit of a penny-pincher..... > We will be traveling. UK, France, Italy, Spain, river barge cruise from > Budapest to Amsterdam. Somebody asked about doing Budapest to Prague by water a few years ago. It was pointed out to them that the trip might be a bit more scenic than they'd planned on. Gibraltar was part of your Spanish itinerary anyway, I hope? You might want to stop for a Turkish bath in Istanbul. ==== j a c k at c a m p i n . m e . u k === <http://www.campin.me.uk> ==== Jack Campin, 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland == mob 07800 739 557 CD-ROMs and free stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, and Mac logic fonts > > We will be traveling. UK, France, Italy, Spain, river barge cruise from > > Budapest to Amsterdam. > > Somebody asked about doing Budapest to Prague by water a few years ago. > It was pointed out to them that the trip might be a bit more scenic than > they'd planned on. At least as far as the itinerary goes (from ones I've read online), Budapest to Amsterdam is a nice trip- could be really relaxing, though I imagine it's not cheap. The main problem with them from my POV would be that I suspect the majority of meals are taken on board, and that defeats part of my main reason for travelling- i.e. trying different food in different areas... Signature(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate -www.davidhorne.net (email address on website) "If people think God is interesting, the onus is on them to show that there is anything there to talk about. Otherwise they should just shut up about it." -Richard Dawkins >> We will be traveling. UK, France, Italy, Spain, river barge cruise from >> Budapest to Amsterdam. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > they'd planned on. Gibraltar was part of your Spanish itinerary anyway, > I hope? We are looking forward to the scenery. Vienna, Nuremberg and Cologne are the large cities. The river barge company provides all the touring with their own guides. Regional wine is included with meals. No packing and unpacking or dragging luggage around every few days. We are flying to Seville from Amsterdam. Staying there a few days with side trips to Granada and Cordova then flying to Barcelona for 7 day Med cruise (Italy & France) the back to Barcelona for a trans-atlantic back to the US. I wish we could do more, but this is a big trip for us. We may never get the chance to go back, but there is only so much we old folks can handle <g> > You might want to stop for a Turkish bath in Istanbul. We are not going to Istanbul. If I were going, I'd opt for some good halva and skip the bath <g> SignatureJanet Wilder Bad spelling. Bad punctuation Good Friends. Good Life |
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