Cell Phone While on the Rhine (Swizerland, France, Germany, and Netherlands)

[MNPlease]

Hi All,

Thought I would see if any experienced international traveler had any guidance.

 

Did you use your phone in the EU? If so how did you use it (Sim or international plan). Suggestions?

 

I have a verizon phone and will be traveling with 5 other family members and it only seems wise for at least a few of us to have cell phone access/use (text, talk, and data) available during the trip).

 

1 of the people in the group has AT&T and can't remove the back of his phone.

 

I had just looked at the the TravelPass (10 dollars a day) option from Verizon. Looked like it might be a good choice (if not a little pricey) but after reading some reviews it looks like their might be some issues with the system Verizon uses not connecting to towers in the EU?

 

I just looked up some info about Sim cards and it looks like there are some issues with using the cards (texts being delayed etc) between countries (when you move from say the place you bought the card to a new spot on the river).

 

Any help or suggestions would be super appreciated!

[jpalbny]

I put my phone (most of the time) in airplane mode and use the ship's WiFi. When onboard I can contact family using my Google Voice number and What's App, which are WiFi based.

 

When out and about I'll sometimes grab a WiFi signal using Boingo if I need one, though this is spotty. This access is included with my AMEX Platinum membership. But otherwise I usually use airplane mode, or if I do turn on cell service I disable data.

 

So far that has been enough, but I don't have a pressing need to be in contact, or always available. Your needs may be different.

 

I'm looking at a plan through NetTalk (I use their VOIP service for a home land-line phone for $35 or 40 per year). They offer unlimited talk, text with a data plan that includes international calling, texting, and data roaming, for $40 per month (there is an introductory offer for less as well). It's bring your own phone, but I may try it soon and see if I like it enough to switch over when my contract renewal is up in a few months. That kind of plan would do the trick for me.

[Mark_T]

1 of the people in the group has AT&T and can't remove the back of his phone.

 

Which phone does he have?

 

iPhones for example have the sim card located in a little slide on the side, no need to remove the back of the phone...

 

I had just looked at the the TravelPass (10 dollars a day) option from Verizon. Looked like it might be a good choice (if not a little pricey) but after reading some reviews it looks like their might be some issues with the system Verizon uses not connecting to towers in the EU?

 

Verizon uses CDMA rather than GSM, some but not all of their phones can also use GSM. You won't find CDMA in Europe...

 

You don't say who you are sailing with, but most cruise lines should have free wifi on the ship and although reception can be patchy it should be good enough most of the time to consider using one of the many messaging apps or even something like the MagicJack app to make free USA phone calls ...

 

Of course if one of you has an iPhone then iMessage is free any time you have an internet connection...

[Capt_BJ]

I have Verizon and an iPhone 5

 

last summer on a cruise Budapest to Nuremberg, then hanging out in Hamburg for several days I used the phone several times. I had activated access for the exact days I'd be there. This was awkward to figure out on the web page but one quick call to a people had me all set in minutes.

 

There were several plans to choose from and I was happy with the dollars. No need for a different SIM .... easy peezy

 

As an aside, on the river cruise and in each hotel we stayed, we had reasonably good WiFi ... including with on ICE train from Nur' to Hamburg! We mostly stayed in touch via e-mail on the phone and an iPAD

Edited March 23, 2016 by Capt_BJ

[MNPlease]

Awesome info!!

 

I am traveling with my parents, my bro/sisternlaw and husband. We won't be calling to the US (as far as I know at least)...but will be needing to call a taxi from the Basel train depot and if we are wandering around a town we might want to access to text to keep connected with one another. Also we are doing traveling before and after the cruise that I thought it might be nice to have access to one another. In the past when we have traveled intentionally and had access to random hot spots we have used voxer to communicate with one another.

 

I suppose I am one of those obnoxious people that isn't very successful at disconnecting.

 

I am perfectly happy with just using the ship's wifi I think but having access to data would be nice too.

 

Has anyone ever bought a throw away phone when in Europe that they just used for the trip? Thoughts?

 

My parents and my sister in law all have I phones...the rest of us are diehard droid people. :)

 

I had been interested in the Verizon plan but it sounds like we won't have connection to the towers because of the signals?

 

If we don't find a way to have phones that are active does anyone know if the Basel train terminal has pay phones?

 

Also has anyone traveled with walkie talkies?

[MNPlease]

Oh I just looked and my cell has GSM. Does that mean it would worth through those 4 countries?

[nancyevans]

The Danube last year, I used What's App. It's free, but the people you are calling have to have the App installed on their phones. Great for calling family back home. You just need a good Wifi signal (which was free on our ship). Also works well for text messaging.

[Mark_T]

If we don't find a way to have phones that are active does anyone know if the Basel train terminal has pay phones?

 

There will be plenty of taxis available at the station, shouldn't need to call one.

 

If you have a prebooked taxi that you need to call then yes, there are payphones there at the station.

[jlw1952]

I have At&t and it was VERY EASY to add an international data plan using the exact dates of travel. Unlimited texting. A reasonable amount of data. Enjoyed sending photos to friends. Calling was cheap for the calls I needed to make in Europe or back to states.

 

There are cheaper ways of course. But this was so easy to do online. No need to call to cancel. Again, it was the for the exact dates of travel which can be prorated depending upon billing cycle.

 

Again, "easy" is the operative word here lol.

[rcaruso]

We have T Mobile and data roaming (a little slow) and texting are included in your plan in over 120 counties. Also, calls are only .20 a minute. We have I phones and can face time with wi fi. The data and texting really kept us in touch.

[SteveU]

I have a Verizon 4G smartphone that worked fine in all countries on our Basel-Amsterdam cruise last fall. The only issue was lack of a signal on some sections of the river (Rhine Gorge). I looked into Verizon's international plans, but decided that since I wasn't planning on making frequent calls, the discount they offered wasn't worth it. You still pay a premium for the international calls, just not quite as much. I sent and received quite a few texts with one of our shipmates, but was not charged for them (I have unlimited texts on my domestic plan). I don't know if maybe this was because we both had Verizon plans and they didn't see them as 'international' ? The 3-4 short calls to the U.S. cost me less than $5 total - much less than the cost of an international calling plan. Just be sure to make sure international calling is enabled for your account.

[MNPlease]

Thanks guys!!! Such helpful info!!

[cole]

You will be able to tell when I ask my question that I know absolutely nothing about my I-phone capability when traveling this route. Here is the question:

If I turn my phone to Airplane mode and also turn off the data, will I be able to use the ship's Wi-Fi to receive and send text messages? Also, will I be able to log into my home security system to view my security camera's area. Does this work with no international plan? I do not plan on making phone calls or posting photos.

Thanks for your help and understanding!

Cole

[MNPlease]

From the ships wifi (being in airplane mode) you can connect to the internet on your phone.

 

If your App (I am assuming your security system is an App...but it might be a website) works with wifi (as most do) then you should be able to access it fine. If you wanted to test run it while being in the US. You could always turn your phone in airplane mode and try to utilize your security system using wifi at a coffee shop.

 

With your phone in airplane mode and using the ships wifi (if it is good enough) you can totally upload photos with out having any charges. And actually you could even make phone calls using wifi by utilizing a web option.

 

The reason I was worried about not having my plan in use is because we plan to make phone calls, text etc without constant access to wifi. :)

 

Ps. There are clearly some other people on this board that are way more tech savvey than me so I would heed there two cents even more than my two cents.

[cole]

From the ships wifi (being in airplane mode) you can connect to the internet on your phone.

 

If your App (I am assuming your security system is an App...but it might be a website) works with wifi (as most do) then you should be able to access it fine. If you wanted to test run it while being in the US. You could always turn your phone in airplane mode and try to utilize your security system using wifi at a coffee shop.

 

With your phone in airplane mode and using the ships wifi (if it is good enough) you can totally upload photos with out having any charges. And actually you could even make phone calls using wifi by utilizing a web option.

 

The reason I was worried about not having my plan in use is because we plan to make phone calls, text etc without constant access to wifi. :)

 

Ps. There are clearly some other people on this board that are way more tech savvey than me so I would heed there two cents even more than my two cents.

 

Thank you so much. That is a great idea about checking at the local coffee shop. I assume that also means that texts both ways are also doable!

Cole

[MNPlease]

As far as I know you can't just text back and forth like normal because your on wifi (in most cases texting involves signals to towers etc...roaming charges, international texting charges etc...and actually with your phone in airplane mode I don't think can actively use your text even if you wanted to). The same is true with calling...you can't just call someone on your phone with out airplane mode turned off...and once it is turned off you will have issues with roaming and international charges.

 

But sometimes when I forget my phone I go to verizon's online website and loggin and they have the option of texting from the computer...you could text that way with out having roaming fees and such I would suspect but I wouldn't trust me on this).

 

When we have access to wifi and have traveled places before we have always just used an app like voxer that allows you to "text" people using that app to other people that have voxer on their phone as long as you are all on free wifi that should be a free option.

 

You can call using the internet on your phone (an app) using the wifi on your phone but it won't be dialing using your phone in a normal way...and it won't work unless your connected to wifi.

[MNPlease]

To my original question...I think we got it figured out...The Att&T person is going to get an international plan that will only be like 35 dollars.

 

The rest of us have phones that are new enough that we can connect via GSM even if it means we only have 2g and 3g service via the TravelPass system...because as mentioned it is the easiest option for us. :)

 

Thanks again for the suggestions.

[Host Jazzbeau]

If everybody has an iPhone, your messaging will automatically be iMessage which works through Wifi. If the message bubbles are green, you are on iMessage -- if they are blue, you are on text message (which is phone data only).

[cole]

To my original question...I think we got it figured out...The Att&T person is going to get an international plan that will only be like 35 dollars.

 

The rest of us have phones that are new enough that we can connect via GSM even if it means we only have 2g and 3g service via the TravelPass system...because as mentioned it is the easiest option for us. :)

 

Thanks again for the suggestions.

 

With all of the options, ins and outs I think you are right. $35 is a minimal fee when you consider the headaches involved in trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. Great info though.

Cole

[marysb]

I never buy one of the international plans for the short trips in Europe. Too expensive for the few calls I would make.

 

Using an iphone is very easy (I have Telus, but with most plans are similar)

 

1. Turn off Data Roaming on your phone.

 

2. Do most of your texting, facetime,etc on the boat with the wi-fi.

 

3. On land each text costs me $.60 and calls are $1.50/minute.

We use the texts to find each other sometimes when someone is lost or our group has split up. But I would never use $35 worth of texts on a trip.

 

4. Get a maps.me app to use on your phone. Uses GPS not wifi, and you can find any route just by touching the screen and following the arrows.

 

 

I have used this method every year on trips (land and cruise) for the past five years, and it works for us with minimal fuss and cost.

[rahrah50]

Thanks Marysb. I am downloading the maps app for Paris and I will try it out in Paris next month.

[CPT Trips]

Thank you so much. That is a great idea about checking at the local coffee shop. I assume that also means that texts both ways are also doable!

Cole

 

Heck, if you have wifi at home, no need to caffeinate.

[ea6b5]

If everybody has an iPhone, your messaging will automatically be iMessage which works through Wifi. If the message bubbles are green, you are on iMessage -- if they are blue, you are on text message (which is phone data only).

 

You have that backwards all iMessage's on a iPhone shall be in blue and text message in green!

[Host Jazzbeau]

You have that backwards all iMessage's on a iPhone shall be in blue and text message in green!

 

You're right. I always get that backwards! I guess I just expect iMessage to be green for go. Oh well...

[cole]

Heck, if you have wifi at home, no need to caffeinate.

 

I thought the same thing a little later. But thanks for the reminder.

Cole