Need Quick Solution For Upcoming Trip!!!

Here is my situation:

I live in Vancouver, Canada and going for 2 weeks to Europe in 5 days. I have unlocked GSM phone and would like to stay in touch with my child. I would like my child to be able to call me any time she needs me (so using phone cards would not work). I am going to travel to 3 different countries: Spain starting in Madrid, then France, and finishing in Italy. Idea of buying different SIM cards in different countries does not look good; I am going to be on the go all the time and would not have time to look for SIM cards. International SIM card such as United Mobile sounds very good. My question is: is it possible to buy United Mobile SIM card in Europe (for example in London Heathrow airport or in Madrid) or it is only available on-line? I have no problem buying it from Internet store, but I only have 5 days before I leave and I do not think it is possible to ship it that quickly.

Would appreciate if somebody can offer some idias for my situation. Thank you very mych.

[snaimon]

There is a Canadian Ebay seller offering 09 cards. Here is the listing.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

I believe he(?) has store, brick and mortar. See if he can deliver to you OVERNIGHT or 2nd day air.

I'll have to defer to the Brits, but I doubt you will find a UM card retail. Only thru dealers. They -- our British friends -- may have info on the various Isle of Man cards and THEY may be available retail. That is out of my league, however.

Good luck.

Stan

[snaimon]

Another Canadian seller of CALLBLUE.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Global-Roaming-GSM-SIM...1QQcmdZViewItem

I am NOT endorsing any of these, just showing you they exist.

A pity time is running out.

Stan

[snaimon]

Also, pablo had some UM cards for sale HERE. Check out that recent post or PM him. Believe he is in US. Again, you'll have to pay foor expedited shipping if you go that way. Not sure what your other choices are in Europe.

Stan

[andy]

I don't think the UM or other SIMs are in retail shops, so if time is short for shipping, you might also think of a Vodafone SIM, with Passport. When roaming, this means a one-off connection fee of ?1 or 75p, then calls at home country tariff, ie no further charge for incoming, a few cents for outgoing.

It sounds like you are in Spain first, so here is the Vodafone Spain page about it, with Google translation. If landing at Heathrow first, you could get a Voda UK one, but then you'd eventually be roaming in 3 countries instead of two.

http://www.vodafone.es/Vodafone/Particular...3,24048,00.html
http://translate.google.com/translate?sour...048%2C00%2Ehtml

If you intend to make a few calls as well, rather than just emergency cover, then note they mention ?0.12 on the Spanish site; a UK one has an off-peak tariff of 5p per minute after 7 or 7.30 pm, so one cheaper in Spain for short calls vs slightly cheaper calls later

Then use one of these with a calling card, such as Bizon or Enjoyprepaid, via local access number or one in the SIM's home country

[Marc]

Hi yevmes,

I can understand not wanting to waste time looking for SIMs in three countries, but my experience in Paris (you don't mention where you'll be in France)--and I would imagine Madrid would be the same way--was that you don't have to spend hardly any time looking for a SIM. Almost evey cafe sells one or another carrier's SIMs, and around my little hotel there had to be 5-6 dedicated phone shops within 3-4 blocks.

Like Stan, I'm not necessarily endorsing this as a solution, and, indeed, getting a single international SIM might be more cost-effective than paying the premium of an initial card 3 times, even if the international card's per call rates are higher.

But I mention this in case the clock runs out on your getting an international card before you leave. Don't worry. It won't waste much of your time at all finding national cards.

Have a good trip.

Marc

[snaimon]

The problem is that a SIMPLE SOLUTION is required for the CHILD -- one number to call all the time in case of an emergency.

OT -- we don't know the age of the child.

Stan