2 weeks in Switzerland - best option for GPRS and voice usage?

[mirandabam]

Hi everyone,

I'm about to go to Switzerland for a couple of weeks and would like to get a prepaid SIM for my Treo 650 to use for infrequent voice calls and for GPRS/EDGE data. After reading around here a bit it sounds like the best option is to get an orangeclick.ch SIM when I arrive, since it has a CHF 5/mo. option to drop the data rate to 2.50/MB, and a CHF 2/mo. option to drop calls to the USA to CHF 0.29/minute.

Are there any other options I should consider? (Thanks to all those who've posted about Switzerland prepaid SIMs before...)

I was really surprised to see how expensive GPRS data is in Europe!

[PhotoJim]

GPRS data is cheap in the UK - so it isn't expensive everywhere in Europe.

My Swiss SIM is with Swisscom, although to be honest that was primarily out of expediency. Swisscom and Sunrise seem to have the best coverage.

Any Swiss provider accompanied with a callback service would be a good option for calls to the US. The orangeclick.ch option might be good if you will have heavy calling to make up for the monthly fee.

As for data, I didn't use much due to the cost. 2.50 CHF a megabyte isn't horrific but it still isn't exactly inexpensive.

[mirandabam]

Originally Posted by PhotoJim

As for data, I didn't use much due to the cost. 2.50 CHF a megabyte isn't horrific but it still isn't exactly inexpensive.

I guess Switzerland is just expensive -- hopefully I'm not missing some obviously better option!

The worst part is I don't think I have any sense of how much data I typically use. I'll have to see if my US T-Mobile bill tells me how much data I use...

[PhotoJim]

I've been using a ton of data here in the UK - hotel Internet, if it's available at all, is about 10 pounds a day - ridiculous. T-Mobile prepaid has been a lifesaver.

If you find out anything re: Switzerland, please keep the thread updated.

Incidentally you'll need to present a passport to get a Swiss SIM, so don't be surprised. Germany seems to require one too. I got my Austrian SIM, however, without giving any identification at all, and it's that way in the UK too. Very inconsistent.

[mirandabam]

Thanks for the heads up on the passport -- fortunately this was mentioned clearly on the orangeclick.ch web site. I guess I can see why they do this -- on crime shows here in the US, prepaid cell phones are always the way the bad guys make anonymous calls!

[mirandabam]

Oh yeah, and the hotel I'm staying in for part of the time has wireless Internet, but no mention of the cost on their web site. One hopes that means it is free but I fear otherwise.

[mirandabam]

If anyone with an orangeclick.ch SIM is reading -- can I add and remove the "International Option" and "Mobile Internet" options via the customer web interface, or do I have to add these when I get the SIM at an Orange store? And can I just get them for one month at a time? I won't need them when I'm not in .ch...

[AndreA]

Originally Posted by mirandabam

If anyone with an orangeclick.ch SIM is reading -- can I add and remove the "International Option" and "Mobile Internet" options via the customer web interface, or do I have to add these when I get the SIM at an Orange store? And can I just get them for one month at a time? I won't need them when I'm not in .ch...

This is an old question that I lost... well, you can remove it when you prefer and usually you have a charge only for the day that you used (so if you paid 3 CHF for a month and use the option only for 15 days Oclick will refund 1.5 CHF on your balance)...


...any way today I'm a lucky customer: just logged in and... I get this promotion Try Mobile Internet (free for a month)

[mirandabam]

Originally Posted by AndreA

This is an old question that I lost... well, you can remove it when you prefer and usually you have a charge only for the day that you used (so if you paid 3 CHF for a month and use the option only for 15 days Oclick will refund 1.5 CHF on your balance)...

Thanks. Yes, I actually got an orangeclick.ch SIM when I went to Switzerland in September and October and I did this. They automatically pro-rate the add-on services for you when you remove them. (If I remember right, they remove the full monthly amount from your balance when you add the feature, but then refund the fraction of the amount if you remove it partway through a month.)

Overall the whole experience was very nice. The fellow at the Orange store at the Zürich airport even let me request the last four digits of the phone number so I could have them match my US number. Now I have a Swiss number I can use every time I visit -- I just have to "recharge" the account at least once a year.

[gustabmo]

Originally Posted by AndreA

..any way today I'm a lucky customer: just logged in and... I get this promotion Try Mobile Internet (free for a month)

Awesome indeed!!!

Does anyone know how long it takes for the SIM card to be delivered after the order through the web site? I'll arrive in Switzerland in a few days from now... if they take some days to deliver I'd like to order it in advance, but if it's next day delivery I'll order it when I get there!