Prepaid Sim In France, Germany, Croatia, Italy, Uk

[mf62]

hello

I am leaving on 1 May for 8 week trip - 2 weeks in france, 3 days in Germany, 3 weeks in Croatia, 10 days in Italy and 5 days in England.

It is most impartant that I have a mobile number I can be contacted on by family at home in Australia.

I have an unlocked phone. Had considered United mobile (Vroam in Australia) but having trouble contacting them - and now possibly running out of time to get United Mobile card sent from Europe. The call back method of United Mobile also seems a bit complicated for my very technologically challenged husband to master!

I'm now wondering about getting a prepaid SIM in France and using that everywhere.

Can anyone let me know what would be a good SIM to purchase, the best place to get it (are theey available at Charles de Gaul airport?) and approx how much I would pay. Both my husband and I will have phones and may make occasional calls to each other eg if we lose each other!

As we will be making very few calls the cost of international roaming when in the other countries should not be an issue.

Many thanks

[MATHA531]

I still think united mobile is your best bet...you can buy the sim package directly off their web site at www.united-mobile.com....I received the sim pack in America within a week.

[mf62]

Thanks - was it difficult to use the call back.

My husband hates mobile phones.

Can you please describe how it works.

Thanks again

[MATHA531]

You dial the number you are calling...you get a message or something to the effect call not allowed....you hang up the phone.....seconds later your phone rings, you answer and you hear the ringing tone (ot busy tone) of the call having been made (sometimes the call is still going through)...

Couple united mobile with an account with callbackworld.....they give you a dedicated number in the USA..no matter where you are from or calling from. You follow the above and on the first call back you hear a ring tone and hang up...seconds later you get a 2nd callback you answer and a voice tells you to enter the number you are calling (you lead with the country code) followed by the number sign key now and the call goes through at very low rates (you can check their rates on their web site)....not a problem in the slightest (although I should warn you that from time to time, the callback on callbackworld comes too quickly for the phone to re-set and be able to receive calls but that doesn't seem to be as big a problem as once it was. You can always use the naitive calling function of united mobile if this is a problem.

[Przemolog]

Originally Posted by mf62

Thanks - was it difficult to use the call back.

My husband hates mobile phones.

Can you please describe how it works.

Thanks again

I think that Matha described you the basic principles of mobile callback clearly enough.
Of course, using another callback service like callbackworld is nor necessary but it may cuts costs down significantly and protects you from running out of the prepaid balance (callbackworld charges directly your credit card).

Unfortunately, not only UM, but all "international SIMs" (with one, yet very expensive exception of Mobal) use some versions of callback when initiating calls.
But, if your husband doesn't want to "play" with callback, he can answer calls only, just in the "normal" way

[neocortx]

Forgive me if this is a naive question; I'm just now learning about all this.

What is the advantage of a callback service like Callbackworld if you are, say, a United Mobile customer? The outgoing calling rates seem the same and sometimes higher than UM's rates.

Keith

[Bossman]

This riiing seller is in Australia. I have used them to topup recently and they were extremely responsive.

http://www.riiing.com.au/

[snaimon]

Originally Posted by neocortx

Forgive me if this is a naive question; I'm just now learning about all this.

What is the advantage of a callback service like Callbackworld if you are, say, a United Mobile customer? The outgoing calling rates seem the same and sometimes higher than UM's rates.

Keith

"same" On the contrary....

With the UM card anywhere where you have FREE incoming such as most of Europe, your rate is 14 cents per minute to US vs 39 euro cents PLUS the 25 euro cents setup fee.

[MATHA531]

Understand the concept of callbackworld with united mobile...

If you are in a UM zone 1 country where receiving calls is free, you make the triggering call to the US number they give you, hear a ringing tone and hang up. UM does not bill you as the call has not been completed. You then wait for the call back, now you are receiving on united mobile in a country with free reception of calls so you don't pay united mobile...you simply pay the rate listed on their web site from Liechtenstein to wherever you are calling....we know the rate from Liechtenstein to the US on callbackworld is 14?/US per minute timed in 6 second intervals to sweeten the deal....they will also give you for free a US 800 number with a pin that you can have people call if they have cheap rates ot the USA and you pay the same 14?/US per minute for usage.

What we all hope here is that the rate does not suddenly jump up but cbw has managed to hold the line for a while even though a competeing company, enlinea, now charges an astronomical 62?/minute US to call from Liechtenstein mobiles to the US and again remember no matter where you are the call rate is Liechtenstein mobile to.....

Hope that shows you the big advantage of cbw.

[neocortx]

Thanks. I get it now. I understood the callback concept and UM free incoming. What I missed was that the callbackworld rate was for a call to a 423 number. I will be in the UK and France where the callbackworld's rates are not competitive. I was looking up France and the UK rates.

Thanks again