What Multi-Country GSM SIM to Use?

[HowGrumpy]

We purchased an unlocked quad-band GSM mobile several years ago in Asia. Our regular cellphones are CDMA, so we aren't bothering with their world roaming plan. We're going to be in London, Barcelona, Rome, Athens, Ephesus, Alexandria, Valletta, and Paris next month, but none of them for longer than 3 days. We want to be reachable for travel arrangements and emergencies, and be able to make a call if a payphone isn't handy. I've checked out the websites of over 20 global SIM cards and half-again as many that offer country-specific SIMs. My head still is spinning as I write this. Most of the "reviews" I've seen on mobile-related boards have questionable sincerity (possibly being posted by the SIM sellers themselves) and I haven't found much here on DB either. Help!?

 

[Tillybud]

oh my, this is a bit of a tough one to answer. I'm not sure if you are able to purchase and use a pay as you go sim card without registering it to an address. I have a contact who works for a very big network provider so I'll drop them a message and see what they suggest.

 

[Roon]

Can't help you there, sorry. My mobile just usually transfers to the French network for calling, and we take walky talkys just in case we get separated.

 

[id@53]

Hi HowGrumpy. Before I go any further, I'd just like to return the compliment from a previous thread about the avatar

I'm not sure about mainland Europe, but it is possible to purchase and use pay as you go sim cards in both the UK and Ireland without the need to register them to an address. That said I'm not sure how easy it would be to top up phone credit while roaming abroad without having registered.

With regard to rates and things, you should be aware that the European Parliment implemented legislation capping the maximum amounts operators can charge for both calls made and received while roaming off your home network. From the summer of 2009, the Eurotariff for calls made while roaming abroad will be €0.43 (currently €0.46) and the Eurotariff for calls received whilst abroad will be €0.19 (currently €0.22). The Eurotariff applies to customers that are not on any special roaming packages and Network Operators must not exceed these maximum charges. Finally, the Eurotariff applies in the 27 Member States of the European Union so I can't say what charges would be like in Egypt.

Further info (as it pertains to Europe) is available here.

 

[HowGrumpy]

I'm not sure about mainland Europe, but it is possible to purchase and use pay as you go sim cards in both the UK and Ireland without the need to register them to an address. That said I'm not sure how easy it would be to top up phone credit while roaming abroad without having registered.

I know there are SIMs with Jersey numbers, Isle of Man numbers, Estonia numbers, and Lichtenstein numbers, to say the least. It seemed that I could buy SIMs over the 'net from any of the many sites I checked. And they all had an online or mobile top-up facility.

I guess the single country SIMs have the lowest local calling rates, but, even if I could find a SIM that came complimentary when I bought call credit in each country, I'd still have 8 phone numbers to give out. Don't all the local SIMs expire at some point, if you don't use them? Has anyone used a single country pay-as-you-go (PAYG) SIM while roaming?

The most common in-country rates for the multi-country SIMs in the places we're going seemed to be $0.55 to $0.69 (39p to 49p or €0.44 to €0.55, approx.), at least for those without a daily connection charge or a per call charge. Does anyone have experience with a SIM that doesn't expire (or the call credit)?

Is there really any call or service quality difference between the Jersey, IoM, Lichtenstein, or Estonia SIMs? Better or worse that trying to roam with Orange, O2, etc.?

I appreciate all your help and opinions.

 

[bavaria]

I just use my FONIC SIM all over Europe. I use it in the same phone I use with my Cingular SIM in America and other SIMs in Asia.