Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
easy as buying a pack of gum—and almost as cheap. (In some countries—including Italy,
Germany, and Hungary—it can take a bit longer, because you have to show your passport
and be registered.) Because SIM cards are prepaid, there's no contract and no commitment
(in fact, they expire after just a few months of disuse); I buy one even if I'm in a country
for only a few days.
When using a SIM card in its home country, it's free to receive calls and texts, and it's
cheap to make calls—domestic calls average 20-30 cents per minute (though toll lines can
be substantially more). Rates are higher if you're roaming in another country, but as long
as you stay within the European Union, these fees are capped (about 30 cents per minute
for making calls or 10 cents per minute for receiving calls). Texting is cheap even if roam-
ing in another country. Particularly inexpensive SIM card brands let you call either within
Europe or to the US for less than 10 cents per minute.
When purchasing a SIM card, always ask about fees for domestic and international
calls, roaming charges, and how to check your credit balance and buy more time. If text
or voice prompts are in another language, ask the clerk whether they can be switched to
English.
It's also possible to buy an
inexpensive mobile phone in Europe
that already comes
with a SIM card. While these phones are generally locked to work with just one provider
(and therefore can't be reused on future trips), they may be less hassle than buying an un-
locked phone and a SIM card separately.
On my last visit to Ireland, I bought a cheap and durable locked €30 phone from Voda-
fone (
www.vodafone.ie
)
as soon as I arrived. These basic phones can only make and re-
ceive calls, and send and receive text messages. They usually come preloaded with €10
of phone time. When necessary, I could “top up” (add more phone time) at mini-markets,
magazine shops, or other Vodafone stores in Ireland.
Mobile-Phone Calling Apps:
If you have a smartphone, you can use it to make free or
cheap calls in Europe by using a calling app such as Skype or FaceTime when you're on
Wi-Fi; for details, see the next section.
Calling over the Internet
Some things that seem too good to be true...actually are true. If you're traveling with a
smartphone, tablet, or laptop, you can make free calls over the Internet to another wireless
device, anywhere in the world, for free. (Or you can pay a few cents to call from your
computerorsmartphonetoatelephone.)ThemajorprovidersareSkype,GoogleTalk,and
(on Apple devices) FaceTime. You can get online at a Wi-Fi hotspot and use these apps
to make calls without ringing up expensive roaming charges (though call quality can be
spotty on slow connections). You can make Internet calls even if you're traveling without
