Italian Pre-paid Sim Cards

[liz5959]

Thanks, once again, for all the replies. To answer some questions:
We have 3 Verizon phones on a family plan and one Sprint phone, none of them are GSM. I do not think I can just get a SIM from verizon hooked to my daughters cell number, but I will ask.

After renting the phone from Verizon 18 months ago, I realized that having a mobil to use when in Europe was very useful . (the rental car died as we were filling it up outside of the Salzburg Airport. Somehow, the security system froze, the car wouldn't start and we were really just around the corner from where it needed to be returned. Several phone calls later, they sent someone out to reprogram security system. The whole process was much easier because we had a phone with us)

I think many americans rent cell phones to take to Europe, just because it's easier to deal with even if it is more expensive. I have decided just to buy a GSM phone to own, find a way, before she leaves the US, of setting it up for my daughter for her trip and then owning it for any future travel (Hopefully soon).

My sister, who is married to a Brit, and has lived extensively in Europe (Paris, Rome, London) says that since nothing in Italy works as it should I should buy the international SIM card vs an Italian SIM card. And since many people report that United Mobil is more reliable than it used to be, I do think this is the solution.

I can always buy local SIMS for future travel, I just want to be able to set my daughter up with a phone for this trip to Italy, with the least amount of hassle. And, to not spend the money on Verizon rental, which will cost more than this process, and I won't own the phone.

So, is that Siemans phone a good choice to own, or is there something better in that price range ($80)? And, do you agree that buying a united mobile card for this particular trip, is the better thing to do?

Thanks for all your honest answers.

[DRNewcomb]

Originally Posted by liz5959

We have 3 Verizon phones on a family plan and one Sprint phone, none of them are GSM. I do not think I can just get a SIM from verizon hooked to my daughters cell number, but I will ask.

So, is that Siemans phone a good choice to own, or is there something better in that price range ($80)? And, do you agree that buying a united mobile card for this particular trip, is the better thing to do?

The first thing you need to understand about this bunch is that we are all dedicated to doing things the cheapest way possible. We spend huge amounts of time looking for a way to make a phone call for a few pennies less. The advice you get here will always have that slant.

Verizon used to have a system where you could get a GSM SIM for roaming overseas. The SIM cost something like $10/month. Since they came out with their expensive dual-mode GSM/CDMA phone, they may no longer offer just the SIM. But do ask. The advantage of having a roming SIM is not low cost, it's universal access. Once you have it, you don't have to worry about how you will get a phone that works. Having the ability to GSM roam gives me the leasure to find the local prepaid SIM I want after I get there.

There are many better phones than the Siemens but $80 is about the least you will pay for a new, unlocked GSM phone, without working some strange deal. It will be a good phone that will work well for your family.

Check your international calling rates to a mobile phone in Liechtenstein. The costs run from 11c/min to around $1.70/min. This is where the UM SIM is based and the cost of calling the UM number will influence your decision. Otherwise, just about everyone here owns at least one UM/Riiing SIM at least as a backup.

[MATHA531]

Here is the only problem with United Mobile....

You get a Liechtenstein number (country code 423)...that's not the big deal you would dial 011 423 66 3xx xx xx. The big deal is that long distance charges from the US to Liechtenstein mobiles vary humongously and have been going up in recent months. I have a UM sim....my AT&T ld plan features a $1/month option for international calling. As of this writing, they are an unbelieveably low 11?/minute to call the Liechtenstein mobile vs. something in the order of 40?/minute to call local sims in most European countries. You will have to charge what your ld carrier charges to Liechtenstein mobiles and some of the cheaper ones, say net2phone direct don't always go through. AT&T quality is excellent and always goes through but many are skeptical what with the charges for calls to Liechtenstein mobiles having tripled in the last year, how long the AT&T rate will hold.

Also, be aware, united mobile operates on a call back system. That means if your daughter were calling the United States from Italy on her United Mobile phone she would dial the number +1 212 555 1212 for example, she will get a message to the effect please wait (the siemens phone does work on United Mobile as do most Nokias) and will get a call back and hear the ringing tones. For mobile phones, the charges are not pad 0,39?/minute with a 0,25? fee for each call. Incidentally you can now buy a United Mobile card denominated in US dollars. Their web site has the details. Also topping up the card is easy.

However, you can do much better with a callback service. Currently the best priced callback system is callbackworld at www.callbackworld.com. Here's how that works...they give you your own US number...you dial the number as above. You hear the phone ring and after 2 rings you hang up. About 10 seconds later, a call back comes in (the 2nd callback) and the computer asks please enter phone number followed by the number sign key now....and you do that and the call goes through at an astoundingly cheap rate of 14? (US) /minute billed in 6 second intervals (talk for 66 seconds and pay 16?, not the 1,03? you would with United Mobile)...they (cbw) also give you an 800 US number but it is not a dedicated number to you, you need a pin, which you can key to the Liechtenstein number and by dialing it you would pay the 14?/minute charge.

When it works, it's great. And recently it has worked pretty well. Call quality is okay considering callback world uses intrnet providers similar to other internet providers, on the European end the quality is fine as you are roaming on some local network...the beauty of callbackworld is you don't pay anything to United Mobile as the triggering call is never answered and on the callback you are receiving and while in Western Europe you don't pay to receive on gsm carriers as long as you are in the home country of the sim. The United Mobile sim considers every Western European country as well as Central European and Eastern European as well as Australia, China and South Africa to be home countries.

The bad thing? Well there was another company called enlinea which until a month ago provided almost the exact same service for 12?/minute and their 800 number did not require a pin. But in the last month, the rate has tripled to 42?/minute making it not such a great deal. Also sporadically callback world has been down for extended periods of time (local carriers blocking calls??) but in that event you can always fall back on the naitive united mobile system and as noted calls are not all that expensive for a roaming mobile situation.

Also be aware it's far easier to make a local call (while she's in Italy to say an Italian friend) on the local sim. You can also use cbw on the Italian sim but it's triple the price of the Liechtenstein mobile.

There is really no one answer...what folks here are trying to do is lay out all the options and then you have to decide. You can order, I think you have discovered, a United Mobile sim cirectly from the web site, have it denominated in US currency and you will know your Liechtenstein number as soon as the card arrives.

My vote despite it all is still probably, in this case, for the Italian sim mostly due to the fact she will be in only one country.

[andy]

Two choices for cheaper international calls with an Italian SIM - also get either a calling card or callback service, or both. Some calling card access numbers are recognised and blocked; I'd be interested to know about the Bizon ones which would charge 2c on top of the SIM call charge (Wind ?0.10)

Another choice for reaching UM cheaply, only just launched, is the Finarea VoIP company www.internetcalls.com - call charge 10.44c ?, about 12.5c US - the very interesting part is call forwarding and an incoming number (not US yet though), which means it's usable without an internet connection. But note - it would only be worthwhile if you expect to use it quite a bit for chargeable calls, as the initial credit will expire in 120 days

[snaimon]

FYI...

Yes, least expensive.

Calls from US (probably ANYWHERE) to mobile phones (except US, Canada) are GENRALLY more expensive than to land line phones. For Germany a call to a land line is genrally < 5 US cents per minute. About the best you can to for to a German mobile is 20 US cents, most often more like 25 - 30.

If your daughter will have a land line in the hotel room, call that instead.

I ALWAYS preferred calling the hotel rooms in Germany and Malta where family stayed last summer.

Stan

[Bossman]

Since she is only going to be in one country, a local Italian sim will be the better option. UM gives you the advantage if you will be visiting several countries, so you can just have one number to roam with. As for the phone (or even the sim) check ebay. You can get very good unlocked phone for a very good price on eBay.

I am with sprintPCS myself, and we have 2 unlocked GSM phones (bought on Ebay) for international travel. BTW, I also have the UM sim just in case. As mentioned, this sim is good if your trip will take you to more than 1 country. I will get a chance to test mine in April when a will be on a cruise that docks in 4 countries.

[0700700]

Originally Posted by maccoy

why not

Don't worry: 4 euros is enough to extend the validity of the card as you need.

i see you have a wind card .. thanks for the info


Cause in france you need to put something like 75e a year to keep the number , right ?

[MATHA531]

Which French operator?

I have Orange FR and you really need "only" 20? a year...that is 2 10 day ?10 top ups as you get 6 months extended validity of the sim after the 10 days are up (although you lose the 10? credit or whatever is left)...hate that way of doing things...at least riiing lets you keep validity for 9 months if you make 1 call...if you make a call you should be able to extend validity.

The other problem with both Orange FR and SFR, well not so much with SFR as you can use foreign vodafone vouchers to top up, is if you don't have a French credit card the only way to top up is with vouchers bought for Orange FR specifically; Orange has not yet mastered how to use other Orange vouchers to top up while outside of France so you have to buy them in advance...

[maccoy]

Originally Posted by 0700700

i see you have a wind card .. thanks for the info


Cause in france you need to put something like 75e a year to keep the number , right ?

Usually is more expensive here in France than in Italy but not so much.
With Breizh Mobile 10? are enough for 8 months validity and with NRJ Mobile at least one call or sms every 6 months...

[AndreA]

Originally Posted by DRNewcomb

Oh yeah! She should send her 18 year old daughter to see Andrea. Yeah, right!

I'm here liz5959 let be free to ask waht you want, it's a pleasure for me to help PPGSM friends