TravelSIM vs. GT-SIM

schuster · **TravelSIM vs. GT-SIM -** 28-02-2007, 00:23

I'm from the US and would like a cheaper but still convenient SIM for roaming through Europe. In the past I've bought local prepaid SIM cards but often on tours or a tourist's itinerary there is little opportunity to buy top-up cards. Often, then, I over-do it when a top-up is available and end up returning t the US with a large unused balance that is wasted (yes, there's always eBay...) For that reason my fall-back for important calls has been the Mobal post-paid SIM - though relatively expensive I can at least use it without worrying about running out of credit while on the move.

I've looked at the international roaming cards but the issue of refills still worries me. You can't find top-up cards abroad, and refilling via the Internet requires access ... and the risk of having personal information stolen at a public Internet cafe.

Lately I happened upon another way. Most here have probably heard of Telestial; a US reseller of SIM cards at (often) inflated prices. They do, however, sell their own branded versions of GT-SIM (Telestial Passport) and TravelSIM (Telestial Explorer) at prices that are not bad. The interesting twist is this: after activation you can register your credit card and have the SIM balance refilled automatically when the balance goes below 10 Euros. Since it is Telestial making the recharge, you don't have to worry about your credit card issuer denying charges coming from overseas as potentially fraudulent - that all come from a domestic source. This, for me, is very attractive.

So then, which is better for phone calls within Europe and to the USA from Europe? As described in the Telestial banner for their branded versions, I see the following:

Explorer (TravelSIM): Must recharge every 12 months to keep account. Flat calling rate to many countries includes cell phones; i.e. rates seem lower. Optional linking of US toll-free number (.35/min surcharge) to allow relatives to call you for free while abroad.

Passport (GT-SIM): Must make a call every 12 months to keep account. More expensive to cal cell phones. Allows manual selection of roaming network to get best signal.

To me, the branded version of TravelSIM seems like a better product. Any opinions on my reasoning? Thanks!

	(#1)
schuster (Offline) Member Official Member Posts: 37 Join Date: 28 Feb 2007 Country:	TravelSIM vs. GT-SIM - 28-02-2007, 00:23 I'm from the US and would like a cheaper but still convenient SIM for roaming through Europe. In the past I've bought local prepaid SIM cards but often on tours or a tourist's itinerary there is little opportunity to buy top-up cards. Often, then, I over-do it when a top-up is available and end up returning t the US with a large unused balance that is wasted (yes, there's always eBay...) For that reason my fall-back for important calls has been the Mobal post-paid SIM - though relatively expensive I can at least use it without worrying about running out of credit while on the move. I've looked at the international roaming cards but the issue of refills still worries me. You can't find top-up cards abroad, and refilling via the Internet requires access ... and the risk of having personal information stolen at a public Internet cafe. Lately I happened upon another way. Most here have probably heard of Telestial; a US reseller of SIM cards at (often) inflated prices. They do, however, sell their own branded versions of GT-SIM (Telestial Passport) and TravelSIM (Telestial Explorer) at prices that are not bad. The interesting twist is this: after activation you can register your credit card and have the SIM balance refilled automatically when the balance goes below 10 Euros. Since it is Telestial making the recharge, you don't have to worry about your credit card issuer denying charges coming from overseas as potentially fraudulent - that all come from a domestic source. This, for me, is very attractive. So then, which is better for phone calls within Europe and to the USA from Europe? As described in the Telestial banner for their branded versions, I see the following: Explorer (TravelSIM): Must recharge every 12 months to keep account. Flat calling rate to many countries includes cell phones; i.e. rates seem lower. Optional linking of US toll-free number (.35/min surcharge) to allow relatives to call you for free while abroad. Passport (GT-SIM): Must make a call every 12 months to keep account. More expensive to cal cell phones. Allows manual selection of roaming network to get best signal. To me, the branded version of TravelSIM seems like a better product. Any opinions on my reasoning? Thanks!