Sim card for 3 week Europe trip

[Homerrca]

Sorry if this was posted somewhere else but didn't see anything.

My niece is going to be doing a 3 week trip next year in Europe (some sort of school trip but it sounds like drinking tour of Europe) and they informed her that she has to carry a phone with her for emergencies and such. She can get a Europe plan with her current provider (I think it’s telus and is most likely costly) but I heard folks have ordered sim cards and got plans over there.

For the folks who do travel over to Europe do you have a specific carrier you use and do they charge per day/week or month? Is it possible to have the sim card sent here to Canada and have it setup for the specific dates she will be there and is the plans country specific or is there a Europe plan (UK, Germany, Spain etc).

I am going to be checking sites to help her but its always better to ask those who have already done this.

[lasimmon]

I was just in Europe for 3 weeks. I got a Wind mobile simcard in Italy for 25 Euro that had 20 GB data on it. But no talk or text. I think it was 35 euro to include talk and text. They told me it would work anywhere in europe but not the UK.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I'd suggest renting a Pocket WiFi, and if there is an actual emergency, she can just use her phone with Canadian SIM and whatever that phone call costs will not be a concern.

I use Hippocketwifi every time I go and get the unlimited data plan. She can also share it with up to 9 of her friends (if they're traveling together) which would make it VERY cheap.

[Xtrema]

https://www.amazon.ca/Orange-Holiday...rds=europe+sim

https://www.amazon.ca/Three-Prepaid-...rds=europe+sim


Can't personally vouch for these but my Japan sim (by China Unicom) worked out very well.

Big group, pocket wifi is probably better way to go. Solo or couple, sim is probably better. With most Android phone, power+wifi = auto app update. So you will probably waste a lot of data that you should have waited for hotel wifi.

[jltabot]

Just tell her to get one when she arrives in Europe. Avoid the airport sim cards because they'll be more expensive. If she's traveling within the EU, roaming is free. I had 20GB to use between the UK, Amsterdam, Italy, Croatia, and Greece.

Just FYI, data services there are shit compared to Canada's LTE, speeds are slow and coverage can be unreliable, so don't expect uploading pics to the 'gram to be instant haha

[Mitsu3000gt]

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Just tell her to get one when she arrives in Europe. Avoid the airport sim cards because they'll be more expensive. If she's traveling within the EU, roaming is free. I had 20GB to use between the UK, Amsterdam, Italy, Croatia, and Greece.

Just FYI, data services there are shit compared to Canada's LTE, speeds are slow and coverage can be unreliable, so don't expect uploading pics to the 'gram to be instant haha

In the UK and Central Europe (Hungary, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia) I was getting around 30Mbps everywhere with the Hippocketwifi - not sure whose towers they use though. Coverage was good the majority of the time, and really good in any of the city centers or popular tourist areas.

[sexualbanana]

I got my phone unlocked here and then bought a SIM card in Spain for my trip. There are Orange (name of the carrier) stores everywhere in Spain so it's pretty easy to reload. I think my 15e SIM card lasted the entire month.

[Kobe]

While I was in Europe this year I had to register my sim card, it was a new gov rule.

But ya call carrier here have it unblocked of it's not unlocked, go to any major store in Europe buy one go to any store and buy credit dial the number with the code and enjoy..

There is also packages. like mine in Poland for 6GB internet a month was *111*978*1#

Reload was *100*14Digit Number

Do some research first where you want to buy it from

T-mobile is prob the main one you will want to buy, I was with www.24.play.pl - when you buy the package for 6gb internet you got 1.25gb of EU data as well.

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In the UK and Central Europe (Hungary, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia) I was getting around 30Mbps everywhere with the Hippocketwifi - not sure whose towers they use though. Coverage was good the majority of the time, and really good in any of the city centers or popular tourist areas.

https://consumer.huawei.com/eg-en/su...d/e5577cs-321/

I used this in Poland, but battery kind of sucked if it wasn't plugged in I still have it here but dad is taking it to Europe now.

[benyl]

The nice thing about a pocket wifi hotspot is that, at least with an iPhone, you can put it in airplane mode, turn on wifi and then run Wi-Fi calling. Answer your call like you are in Canada, no roaming charges. Just did a week in Orlando like this where I tethered to my iPad that has Free lifetime data from T-mobile.

Just got my bill from Fido. No roaming or roam like home charges. I answered a bunch of work calls and spend 1 hour on a conference call.

[D'z Nutz]

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The nice thing about a pocket wifi hotspot is that, at least with an iPhone, you can put it in airplane mode, turn on wifi and then run Wi-Fi calling. Answer your call like you are in Canada, no roaming charges. Just did a week in Orlando like this where I tethered to my iPad that has Free lifetime data from T-mobile.

Just got my bill from Fido. No roaming or roam like home charges. I answered a bunch of work calls and spend 1 hour on a conference call.

Are you still using that T-Mobile hotspot you had a few years ago? Or are there better options now?

[benyl]

Yeah, I still have that too. $10 per 1 GB.

I also have a Verizon one for when you go to the sticks. Like ALL of Montana. It more expensive at $15 or $20 for 1GB.

But now with the the iPhone XS, GigSky has an option for the e-sim which I will try on the next trip.

[interlude]

I was just in Italy, Ireland and Greece in the past year. I would suggest hitting up the Vodafone store (not at the airport) and get a sim card. Their plans are super cheap and probably the best coverage when travelling throughout Europe.

[killramos]

If got swap sims does iMessage let you keep receiving iMessages sent to your phone number?

Thinking about trying a gigsky sim for HI next month.

[lasimmon]

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If got swap sims does iMessage let you keep receiving iMessages sent to your phone number?

Thinking about trying a gigsky sim for HI next month.

Yes. I swapped sims in europe and still iMessaged no problem. I believe its your apple account that affects that.

[killramos]

That’s pretty much all I need. Looks like a gigsky is 20 bucks (US?) for a gig of data only vs 40 or 50 for the same amount of data on my roaming plan.

So long as I don’t need calling seems like a way better deal.

Got to buy a 10 dollar sim I guess which is irritating.

The only irritating thing with not doing calling or texting is I get Uber driving’s calling or texting me a lot (and lets be honest they are all using Android...)

[lasimmon]

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That’s pretty much all I need. Looks like a gigsky is 20 bucks (US?) for a gig of data only vs 40 or 50 for the same amount of data on my roaming plan.

So long as I don’t need calling seems like a way better deal.

Got to buy a 10 dollar sim I guess which is irritating.

The only irritating thing with not doing calling or texting is I get Uber driving’s calling or texting me a lot (and lets be honest they are all using Android...)

Vadafone had a call/text/data plan for like 25 euros when I was there. I went with wind though for 20 gigs for like 25 euro. No call or text though, at least I didn;t try.