Prepaid Micro Sim for Europe

EDF30 · **Prepaid Micro Sim for Europe -** 27-03-2013, 17:17

Hello all! I have read quite a few threads here, but still not sure of what to do.

I am doing european delivery of a BMW and will be driving in Germany, Austria, Italy, France, and the Netherlands.

All the homes/hotels I will stay at will have free wifi, so am covered at night.

I would like to buy a micro sim that will allow me to make a few calls during the day or night and also have data so I can check emails etc on the road. I won't be recieving or making calls to USA. I have an unlocked Google Nexus 4.

Just need one microsim on a system that has good wide coverage in these countries, in the mountains, on freeways in the country etc as well as urban areas. Ability to top up the sim online while on road would be nice. Will start trip in Amsterdam or Munich (car pickup is in Munich, but may go to Amsterdam first)

Vodaphone appears to serve all these countries, what could I buy upon landing at Amsterdam or Munich that fits my needs? I understand I will have roaming fees for calls made while outside the country where I buy the sim, does roaming apply to internet/email use also? Please explain as if I was your Granpa

Any links or info will be greatly appreciated!

DRNewcomb · 27-03-2013, 18:04

One thing you will need to consider is that data roaming is normally pretty expensive. You need to find a way to minimize your cellular data usage. So, look at all the data things you normally do and figure out a way to do it only on WiFi. A problem with Android phones is that they like to be online. It's almost like they were designed with unlimited data plans in mind.

gkeeper · 27-03-2013, 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by EDF30

Hello all! I have read quite a few threads here, but still not sure of what to do.

I am doing european delivery of a BMW and will be driving in Germany, Austria, Italy, France, and the Netherlands.

All the homes/hotels I will stay at will have free wifi, so am covered at night.

I would like to buy a micro sim that will allow me to make a few calls during the day or night and also have data so I can check emails etc on the road. I won't be recieving or making calls to USA. I have an unlocked Google Nexus 4.

Just need one microsim on a system that has good wide coverage in these countries, in the mountains, on freeways in the country etc as well as urban areas. Ability to top up the sim online while on road would be nice. Will start trip in Amsterdam or Munich (car pickup is in Munich, but may go to Amsterdam first)

Vodaphone appears to serve all these countries, what could I buy upon landing at Amsterdam or Munich that fits my needs? I understand I will have roaming fees for calls made while outside the country where I buy the sim, does roaming apply to internet/email use also? Please explain as if I was your Granpa

Any links or info will be greatly appreciated!

Hi, I have been using a Piranha Mobile PAYG Sim (free US and UK number included) , very cheap to call back to the US on GSM and they cover most major networks in EU, so you should be OK for service, if you have access to free wifi you can use the VoIP app (only 1p per min when calling back to US and free to receive) the only downside is that it is callback on GSM (vOip direct dial), which to me is not so bad as the rates compensate and the callback is very quick, i have heard that they are about to reduce prices in Europe which is another plus. Piranha Mobile.

Good luck on your trip.

andy · 27-03-2013, 20:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by EDF30

I am doing european delivery of a BMW and will be driving in Germany, Austria, Italy, France, and the Netherlands.

Toggle Mobile might be useful, as you can log in and add local identities for Germany France and Netherlands, which means direct dialled outgoing rates starting at 3 pence (UK, roughly 5 US c) a minute. Also free incoming calls in all your countries.

I'd echo the advice about data, and some so-called smart phones wanting to be online almost by default. If you stick with your phone, explore the settings to turn data roaming off when you don't need it, and set pinging for updates and new messages to manual only.

But personally I'd use a Nokia phone, Opera Mini browser with images sometimes turned off, then some mobile websites use just a few kilobytes. And email client set to manual update, and headers only and just read a couple of important messages and leave the rest until in wifi range later. Then a few pence of data a day is perfectly feasible.

rfranzq · 27-03-2013, 22:07

I would second the Piranha Mobile SIM. It probably would be the easiest to get and will be less than $20 including postage [which is included in price.] It includes £5.00 Credit. And does use £ for accounting purposes.

EDF30 · 28-03-2013, 00:31

Thanks for all the replies

I checked Piranha site and it's not very detailed, just says you get x amount of credit depending on which sim you buy. Plus whose network are they using in the various countries? I am not an expert and don't want hassles where I need to enter codes each time I cross a border. Most important is good cell coverage in all areas, alps, country, freeways, cities. The call rates seem fine but what about data?

I will try to be more clear.

I have unlocked Nexus 4. I will be visiting Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, and France. I can turn off data for all apps on the phone when I want to, so it does not try to connect to internet, acts only as a phone. I will have free wifi every night and also have majic jack for calls to usa at night. I wont be making or recieving many calls, and none to USA etc. Only to call my hotels, make dinner reservations etc in Europe.

What I want is a micro sim that will allow me to make maybe 3-4 calls a day in the various countries, and if needed, I may need to check emails during the day while on the road. Most important is good cell coverage while on the road during the day, so I am a bit wary of 3rd party operators. This trip will last about 3 weeks, so I would prefer to get one microsim from a major provider that has decent calling rates, good coverage and reception, and maybe 1gb of data for the trip.

Thanks for your help!

rfranzq · **more Piranha info -** 28-03-2013, 01:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by EDF30

I checked Piranha site and it's not very detailed, just says you get x amount of credit depending on which sim you buy. Plus whose network are they using in the various countries? I am not an expert and don't want hassles where I need to enter codes each time I cross a border.
........................The call rates seem fine but what about data?.........................................Most important is good cell coverage while on the road during the day, so I am a bit wary of 3rd party operators.

Use the rate checker on the home page of Piranha. It shows which networks are available. And the rates--and the data rates are there also.
If you have the phone set to automatically choose networks you will not need to 'enter codes.'
With Piranha you will get 2 or 3 operators in each country rather than possibly one if you go with '1st party operator'.

If you choose one SIM from a big time operator you risk the quality of one operators ability to connect with its sister networks. Perhaps you will choose the wrong one!

Anyone else have an opinion on this??

additional stuff:
You can get the SIM while still home and test it on your phone here to check that it is working.

andy · 28-03-2013, 01:14

You don't need to enter any codes at a border.

If the phone is set to automatic roaming, then it will automatically connect to any network with which its provider has a roaming agreement. For main networks and most global roaming SIMs, this means most networks in most countries.

Some SIMs will have a preferred network in each country, but that usually doesn't preclude connecting to others, so typically in western Europe this means in a place with 4 networks you're most likely to be able to connect to all 4, but occasionally it will be only 3. If you're near certain borders you may see 6 to 10 networks.

As I say, that goes for most global SIMs too, so automatic roaming is likely to slightly improve your experience - if you are in a place where one network is poor, the phone will switch after a while.

However the Toggle product I mentioned adds a local identity, so if that is selected to its home network per country that will be the only one (unless you switch back to the roaming ID in which case you'd again have a selection of roaming partners).

The data is possibly going to cause you a problem, if you need that much, as there simply are not any bulk roaming data deals at modest prices. For example T-mobile UK has a range of monthly add-ons including 50 MB for £10 for a phone and the top one for dongle use is 200 MB for £35. The nearest you might get to the 1 GB you mentioned is some have a daily flat charge of €2 to €6 a day for daily amounts like 25 to 100 MB, with Europasim at the top end of that range. If you really need that much data you might try that, or I still think you might find it better to pick up a local data SIM in each place, with perhaps 500 MB for €5 to €10

But are you sure you need 1 GB? On my phone a check for emails (headers only) uses about 60 kB. If it's gmail in the Opera Mini browser with images off it's quite a bit less than that, 12 or 15 kB if there aren't any new ones.

EDF30 · 28-03-2013, 03:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by rfranzq

Use the rate checker on the home page of Piranha. It shows which networks are available. And the rates--and the data rates are there also.
If you have the phone set to automatically choose networks you will not need to 'enter codes.'
With Piranha you will get 2 or 3 operators in each country rather than possibly one if you go with '1st party operator'.

If you choose one SIM from a big time operator you risk the quality of one operators ability to connect with its sister networks. Perhaps you will choose the wrong one!

Anyone else have an opinion on this??

additional stuff:
You can get the SIM while still home and test it on your phone here to check that it is working.

ok thanks, starting to get this now

So better to get a sim that roams on most of the networks in each country rather than be stuck with just one provider like vodaphone. I see the data rates now, looks like about 50 cents per MB, not great but will probably work as I won't use it that much, will do most emails surfing etc at night with free wifi. Looks like the 35 pound ($52 usd) version might just fit the bill for a 3 week trip. Reading the user manual, Piranha uses call back for all roaming calls, does this work ok? Seems a bit cumbersome but I guess doable for a few calls a day. Setting up mobile data roaming looks a bit complicated, each country I have to chose and enable a carrier, enter some codes. The European Union is not really a union is it?

SMS messages looks normal, Voip is nice.

So if I go this route, just order the sim from Piranha to ship to my US address a couple weeks before my trip, test activate it to make sure it works, then reactivate upon arrival in Europe?

rfranzq · 28-03-2013, 03:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by EDF30

Reading the user manual, Piranha uses call back for all roaming calls, does this work ok? Seems a bit cumbersome but I guess doable for a few calls a day. ..............So if I go this route, just order the sim from Piranha to ship to my US address a couple weeks before my trip, test activate it to make sure it works, then reactivate upon arrival in Europe?

Call back works, and saves a lot of money.

No need to reactivate: it stays active for over a year.

You can use any leftover credit in the US.
Or sell it or give it away.

OR get the cheapest card and add some money before you leave the US and add more later. That way you would not overpay for the SIM and credit.

UPDATE: In all fairness, you should read this thread I started for its wisdom.

http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/inte...html#post41610

	(#1)
EDF30 (Offline) Junior Member Newbie Posts: 6 Join Date: 15 Mar 2013 Country:	Prepaid Micro Sim for Europe - 27-03-2013, 17:17 Hello all! I have read quite a few threads here, but still not sure of what to do. I am doing european delivery of a BMW and will be driving in Germany, Austria, Italy, France, and the Netherlands. All the homes/hotels I will stay at will have free wifi, so am covered at night. I would like to buy a micro sim that will allow me to make a few calls during the day or night and also have data so I can check emails etc on the road. I won't be recieving or making calls to USA. I have an unlocked Google Nexus 4. Just need one microsim on a system that has good wide coverage in these countries, in the mountains, on freeways in the country etc as well as urban areas. Ability to top up the sim online while on road would be nice. Will start trip in Amsterdam or Munich (car pickup is in Munich, but may go to Amsterdam first) Vodaphone appears to serve all these countries, what could I buy upon landing at Amsterdam or Munich that fits my needs? I understand I will have roaming fees for calls made while outside the country where I buy the sim, does roaming apply to internet/email use also? Please explain as if I was your Granpa Any links or info will be greatly appreciated!

	(#2)
DRNewcomb (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Professionist Posts: 1,465 Join Date: 27 Feb 2004 Location: Mississippi, USA Country:	27-03-2013, 18:04 One thing you will need to consider is that data roaming is normally pretty expensive. You need to find a way to minimize your cellular data usage. So, look at all the data things you normally do and figure out a way to do it only on WiFi. A problem with Android phones is that they like to be online. It's almost like they were designed with unlimited data plans in mind.

	(#5)
rfranzq (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Specialist Posts: 774 Join Date: 21 Apr 2009 Country:	27-03-2013, 22:07 I would second the Piranha Mobile SIM. It probably would be the easiest to get and will be less than $20 including postage [which is included in price.] It includes £5.00 Credit. And does use £ for accounting purposes.

	(#6)
EDF30 (Offline) Junior Member Newbie Posts: 6 Join Date: 15 Mar 2013 Country:	28-03-2013, 00:31 Thanks for all the replies I checked Piranha site and it's not very detailed, just says you get x amount of credit depending on which sim you buy. Plus whose network are they using in the various countries? I am not an expert and don't want hassles where I need to enter codes each time I cross a border. Most important is good cell coverage in all areas, alps, country, freeways, cities. The call rates seem fine but what about data? I will try to be more clear. I have unlocked Nexus 4. I will be visiting Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, and France. I can turn off data for all apps on the phone when I want to, so it does not try to connect to internet, acts only as a phone. I will have free wifi every night and also have majic jack for calls to usa at night. I wont be making or recieving many calls, and none to USA etc. Only to call my hotels, make dinner reservations etc in Europe. What I want is a micro sim that will allow me to make maybe 3-4 calls a day in the various countries, and if needed, I may need to check emails during the day while on the road. Most important is good cell coverage while on the road during the day, so I am a bit wary of 3rd party operators. This trip will last about 3 weeks, so I would prefer to get one microsim from a major provider that has decent calling rates, good coverage and reception, and maybe 1gb of data for the trip. Thanks for your help! Last edited by EDF30; 28-03-2013 at 00:45..

	(#8)
andy (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Prophet Posts: 2,128 Join Date: 10 Dec 2004 Country:	28-03-2013, 01:14 You don't need to enter any codes at a border. If the phone is set to automatic roaming, then it will automatically connect to any network with which its provider has a roaming agreement. For main networks and most global roaming SIMs, this means most networks in most countries. Some SIMs will have a preferred network in each country, but that usually doesn't preclude connecting to others, so typically in western Europe this means in a place with 4 networks you're most likely to be able to connect to all 4, but occasionally it will be only 3. If you're near certain borders you may see 6 to 10 networks. As I say, that goes for most global SIMs too, so automatic roaming is likely to slightly improve your experience - if you are in a place where one network is poor, the phone will switch after a while. However the Toggle product I mentioned adds a local identity, so if that is selected to its home network per country that will be the only one (unless you switch back to the roaming ID in which case you'd again have a selection of roaming partners). The data is possibly going to cause you a problem, if you need that much, as there simply are not any bulk roaming data deals at modest prices. For example T-mobile UK has a range of monthly add-ons including 50 MB for £10 for a phone and the top one for dongle use is 200 MB for £35. The nearest you might get to the 1 GB you mentioned is some have a daily flat charge of €2 to €6 a day for daily amounts like 25 to 100 MB, with Europasim at the top end of that range. If you really need that much data you might try that, or I still think you might find it better to pick up a local data SIM in each place, with perhaps 500 MB for €5 to €10 But are you sure you need 1 GB? On my phone a check for emails (headers only) uses about 60 kB. If it's gmail in the Opera Mini browser with images off it's quite a bit less than that, 12 or 15 kB if there aren't any new ones.