Telephone Service From Europe

[kahunalady]

Does anyone have information on what to do regarding telephone service from Europe back to the U.S.A.? I have Verizon and I'm not sure what to do.

[dforeigner]

AT&T works great using the International roaming plan.

[Ephraim]

Two suggestions... in Europe, get a European sim, if you have an unlocked GSM phone that is capable of being used in Europe.

 

Try Pingo. They have local phone numbers in much of Europe and very low rates.

[kitty9]

I have Verizon and they only have two phones that will work outside the US. In order to call from Europe, you need a phone with GSM/GPRS service and a multi band network. Verizon has great plans for international calling, but you do need one of their global phones.

[The Other Tom]

You can rent a Verizon phone that works in Europe. Just call Verizon and wade through the menu.

Or, you can buy a cell phone in Europe for ~25e (Vodaphone ?), but it will have a European number. I don't know if the Verizon phone will have a US number or not.

 

Backing up a little, there are basically two types of cell phones, the type that Verizon uses and the type that AT&T (and T-Mobile) use. The AT&T kind have a small card in the back that's called a SIM card. In Europe, you buy SIM cards and they come pre-loaded with minutes and a cell phone number. You can add minutes, usually via the internet. Most people in Europe don't have a phone plan like we do in the US...they just add minutes to their SIM card and pay as you go. So, like I said above, these cell phones with pre-paid minutes (SIM cards) are available in Europe and aren't too hard to find. The phones have to be "unlocked" in order to accept a SIM card from a provider other than AT&T. Now, for those that have an AT&T plan in the US (goPhones excluded !) , your SIM card that you already have in your phone will work in Europe, so no worries.

 

Edit: You can buy an unlocked cell phone on Ebay and get a SIm card when you get to Europe. Just make sure it's at least a tri-band and preferably a quad band phone.

[auggie43054]

Does anyone have information on what to do regarding telephone service from Europe back to the U.S.A.? I have Verizon and I'm not sure what to do.

 

Have you called Verizon customer service? They might be able to tell you what you need to do. I have T-Mobile and am able to call back to the US for 99 cents a minute. It might be easier to buy a prepaid calling card and just use the pay phones. I know that was very cheap to do in Italy. Sorry I can't be of more help.

[kahunalady]

I want to thank everyone for your replies to my telephone question. Since my Verizon contract is up for renewal I think I will have to do my homework and then go into a Verizon outlet to investigate all of my options.

[Ephraim]

Verizon doesn't use GSM, they use CDMA. CDMA is about as useful in Europe as trying to use a slice of salami in place of a screwdriver.

[kahunalady]

Ephraim

 

Interesting metaphor; salami and a screwdriver. Have you heard of the Mobal Phone service? You purchase a phone through Mobal and then pay for the time you use in each country. It's another option a cc member suggested.

[Ephraim]

Honestly, if I need a cell (and I usually don't) I just take my unlocked phone and buy a European sim for the cost of €10. It comes with a €5 credit and all I have to do is put it in and then program the PIN into the phone.

 

If I don't, I have an account with Pingo. For example a call from Spain to the US or Canada is 5.3c per minute. They have toll free numbers that can be used from pay phones across Europe. They also offer incredibly low priced calls from US local phone numbers. US to US is just 1.8c a minute.

 

A pay phone call in Montreal is now 50c, instead I call my pingo toll-free number and then dial, paying just 4.2c a minute instead. I even use it from home sometimes.

[kitty9]

Verizon doesn't use GSM, they use CDMA. CDMA is about as useful in Europe as trying to use a slice of salami in place of a screwdriver.

 

I've traveled all over Europe and Asia with my Verizon global phone and never had a problem with calling the US.

[Ephraim]

I've traveled all over Europe and Asia with my Verizon global phone and never had a problem with calling the US.

 

That's a world phone that has GSM and CDMA. It's an expensive soluton to the fact that Verizon doesn't have GSM... buying a phone that works on both systems.