very OT: going to Europe, need advice on Prepay Cell Phones

disneyberry

Dreaming of adventure
DVC Premium
Joined
Apr 10, 2001
hello all.

well, i may be skipping WDW this year and coming to Europe instead...

while doing research i came across many references to pay as you go cell phones being the big thing in Europe, and i may be interested in purchasing one for my travels.

of course, i figure the first place i can think of to turn to for help is here, the DIS.
so, if any UK residents could be so kind as to offer advice on this topic, i'd greatly appreciate it!


basically, i was looking into a 4-6 week whirlwind tour of 4-6 countries in Western Europe (UK, France, Germany are definitely on my list, i'll decide on the other countries later). and it would be very convenient if i had a cell phone handy for emergencies and/or reservations and such. i figure i'd be in Europe long enough to make it more worth it to buy a phone than rent one.

i did some quick research and it's all a bit confusing to me. obviously as a traveller i would need to choose the pay as you go tariff system. and i would need intl roaming, so if i understood the terms correctly that would rule out providers like Virgin.
and i also noticed there was something about having an unlocked phone so you can use any provider's SIM cards?? the terminology is completely new to me, please do correct me if i'm getting it all mixed up.

anyway, i'll most likely arrive in London first, so i thought i could stop by a mobile store and pick up the most appropriate phone then, before i head off to continental Europe.

unless, i kind of got the idea that phones purchased in the UK are more expensive (tariffs) than other European countries due to BT or something? would it possibly be better to get a phone in a different country?

well, please let me know what your recommendations are. and if you could post any webpage links that you think might be helpful.
thanks in advance!
 
Hi DisneyBerry -

I've used my phone all over Europe and I haven't found it to be particularly expensive, but I'm not on a pay as you go tariff, so it may be different.

There are loads of companys that will sell you a phone, but I quite like Car Phone Warehouse because they deal with all the different companys and aren't tied to a specific provider like BT or Vodaphone.

Bev
 

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