Best Internation Pre-paid phones.

[Bratface1005]

We will be taking a trans Atlantic cruise and then traveling between Italy and Poland. Has anyone ever used a pre-paid phone for Europe they could recommend. I am looking for a cheap phone for emergencies.

[Biker19]

Instead of that, you could use your own phone with a local SIM.

[sg1phileshipper]

Check out Telestial.com, they sell sim cards for different coutries. You can even check which card gives you the best rate.

 

 

Cindy

[goldwingers]

We will be taking a trans Atlantic cruise and then traveling between Italy and Poland. Has anyone ever used a pre-paid phone for Europe they could recommend. I am looking for a cheap phone for emergencies.

 

We got a cheap phone from Mobal. Google the website. They only charge you for the actual minutes you use & it is good almost everywhere - no changing SIMS when crossing borders. We have had this phone for several years & never paid another cent since we have never had to use it. But it is there if needed & that is all I wanted! If I did use it, the fees are very small - depends on what country you are in. Check it out.

 

Barb

[alfaeric]

My iPhone.

 

we used to have a phone that we could use in most of Europe, just getting a SIM card when we landed. But it was REALLY basic.

 

It worked ok.

 

But on a recent trip, I decided to get an iPhone, as my provider would unlock it for me- being that I had it long enough,and that I was a long time customer. So we just got a good set up when we arrived. Turned out to be Vodafone- since they sponsored F1, but it gave us both phone and internet. best thing ever.

 

There are a ton of good smart phones out there- I'd suggest getting one, and finding a carrier who has good rates going across country lines to get the SIM card when you arrive.

[CruisinNole]

Check out Telestial.com, they sell sim cards for different coutries. You can even check which card gives you the best rate.

 

 

Cindy

 

I would recommend Telestial also. You can purchase a smart phone for about $30. I've been using their basic $20 phone for 6 years but plan to buy a smart phone before my TA later this year.

[north29]

Verizon, if you use them, has some $40 plans and others to choose from. I had the $40 plan for South Africa and it works well. I suppose other big providers have plans as well.

[MATHA531]

As with so much else, there is no "best". Also to come up with the best solution, one would have to know where one's home is. Assuming the OP is in the United States, well as the song goes, the times they are a-changing. For example, on most T Mobile USA plans, you can get roaming in Europe with calls 20¢/minute, unlimited texts and unlimited data albeit slow. T Mobile has run in the past promotions where data speed can be 4g although more likely 3g but now they charge for the higher speeds although for competitive reasons they may in the future offer higher speeds for data. Some of the other carriers in the USA have plans not quite as good but far better than the days of asininely high prices for roaming outside the USA. If one's current carrier does not have reasonable plans, there are always local sims and it depends on just what one is looking for. Excellent android phones are available for a little over $100 which will enable you to deal with local sims and get whatever data plan a carrier might have. Also be aware the eu is eliminating roaming charges within Europe which should be in place after next June 2017 so a local sim bought in Italy will provide service elsewhere within the eu (although calls out of the eu will unfortunately be very expensive to make up for this).

 

Oh and if 20¢/minute is too much, one can use internet calling on many plans with modern inexpensive smartphones and there's always wifi in hotels and restaurants throughout Europe.

 

The industry is in such a state of flux that really any advice one gets about what is so today may be totally outdated in a couple of months. Best advice to start is to check with your carrier.

[jamesr3939]

We have just used our ATT IPhone when traveling in Europe and it works fine.

[FireStation46]

Verizon, if you use them, has some $40 plans and others to choose from. I had the $40 plan for South Africa and it works well. I suppose other big providers have plans as well.

That is the price Verizon told me. I think it follows you monthly plan so if your trip starts at the end if the mknth and carries over to the next minth I think they will wack you for $80

 

Thankdpfully, next cruise is short and does not lap over on the months