Best mobile phone tactic

[Andona]

After much going backwards and forwards I think we have finally decided to buy 2 - sim cards from www.travelsim.net.au. We can buy sims that are iphone compatible and then just purchase credit. You can use it in over 190 countries, I've checked that it hits the countries we will be visiting in the next 2 years and it does.

I can't remember the exact rates for each country but they didn't seem unreasonable. Data is available also.

Another bonus is we will know that the phones are working correctly prior to leaving Australia.

The only hit is that if the sim isn't used within a 6 month period you lose your credit so will need to make sure to leave myself a note in my diary when I know we won't be using it for 6 months so I can pop it back in the phone and send a text or make a call quickly.

I think for the purposes we want to use the phones for - purely being able to contact each other when separated to arrange to meet back up, and to leave with family for emergencies, this will work well.

Well I hope so anyway hahaha

Sounds like a good choice for you, Shuttergirl It's a complicated decision when you're travelling to more than one country.

Andona

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Since I started this thread it's probably time for an update on what we actually did - we bought 2 Travel Sim's for communicating with each other in the parks, and put my (non-data-downloading basic prepaid) mobile on international roaming.

We put $30 credit each on the Travel Sim's and came back with about $27 left on each - they were easy enough to set up and use, a bit fiddly because you'd dial the number then wait for it to ring then answer before it connected, but not bad. They were fine for quick phonecalls and sms's between ourselves in the park, also my husband called his mum a few times at home.

I think I only used my mobile 2 or 3 times for sms's so no dramas there. Next time I'd probably just take the 2 TravelSim phones and not bother with the 3rd.

Other than that we used the laptop in the hotel for facebook and Skype (free wifi), and my husband could post photos etc from his phone at the hotel (even from the pool area). So all worked out well.

Aust - so when you make a phone call, what happens? You dial the persons number and then what?

Glad to hear that you found it worked well. This is a great sign.

Were you able to have it all activated before you left Australia so you knew it was working?

My husband had his phone unlocked by Optus, it wasn't a problem.

Thank you, because going into a telco company makes me feel light headed so to hear it's not complicated is a relief.

Sounds like a good choice for you, Shuttergirl It's a complicated decision when you're travelling to more than one country.

Andona

Yes I think this has been the most stressful part of the trip planning. The Canada portion of the whole thing was doing my head in. I feel very nervous about us not having a phone each to contact each other so in the end, this Travelsim option may not be the most economical in terms of costs of calls/sms/data, however for convenience for our 2 trips that our close together, plus future European trips coming up, this will be the easiest option I think.

 

[shushh]

Optus unlocked my phone last month. Did it over the phone, took less than 10 min. Then just had to restore it on iTunes.

We activated my dads travelsim here before he left, and tested it for texts and phone calls. He used it with no problems in China Hong Kong Singapore and Japan.

If they can use it then I'm sure you'll manage!

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Don't be so sure Shushh, I hate technology . But hopefully hubby can sort it out. Surely that's one part of the trip he can take charge of.

 

[shushh]

Don't be so sure Shushh, I hate technology . But hopefully hubby can sort it out. Surely that's one part of the trip he can take charge of.

Says the person who made the most beautiful digital scrapbook photoalbum!

Its a shame you're not closer, we're going to buy our travelsim shortly and test it along with my dads texting/calling to the other travelsim. We could have played around with it together...

 

[Aust]

With the TRavelsim - you dial the number of the person you want to call - then wait for your phone to ring - answer it - listen to the recorded message telling you how mcuh credit you have left - then it connects you to the number and that person answers.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Says the person who made the most beautiful digital scrapbook photoalbum!

Its a shame you're not closer, we're going to buy our travelsim shortly and test it along with my dads texting/calling to the other travelsim. We could have played around with it together...

Awww that's very nice of you to say. Of course I still haven't had it printed. You'd never know I do this kind of thing for a living I tell ya. Just like mechanics never fix their own cars I guess.

Yes I do wish I lived closer Shushh however I would be on your doorstep all the time begging for help so probably best for you I don't.

Are you going to buy your Travelsim online or at a post office? What sort of credit were you thinking of purchasing?

Does it automatically come with some data or do you have to do some kind of "add on" situation?

See, questions questions, imagine if I lived hearby.

With the TRavelsim - you dial the number of the person you want to call - then wait for your phone to ring - answer it - listen to the recorded message telling you how mcuh credit you have left - then it connects you to the number and that person answers.

So after you dial the number, you don't hang up or anything, it just does something techno magico and then your phone rings? If you don't hang up, how do you answer it? I'm so sorry, I sound so stupid

 

[shushh]

Ms Shuttergirl, as I understand it, data is an option that you have to arrange to have turned on. And you get charged depending on how much you use. The credit is used for everything as you go including calls texts and data. Perhaps Aust can clarify or you can call them. There's a local number and they were very helpful last time we called.

Oh and you can drop by anytime, cuppa will be waiting for you

 

[JennyN]

I know people are probably tired of phone questions but I really am lost, so any help would be appreciated. I think we will go with Travelgear and get the $2 pay by the day plan but I can't work out how it works. If anyone has used this before can they tell me if I understand correctly. I pay $29 for the sim and then $2 per day of use. When do I pay the $2 per day, upfront or at the end of my holiday. Sorry to be so dim.

 

[JennyN]

Going back through previous posts the whole data bit confuses me. We do not need to be able to access data or the internet on our phones. All I want to be able to do is make and receive phone calls and texts.

 

[Andona]

I know people are probably tired of phone questions but I really am lost, so any help would be appreciated. I think we will go with Travelgear and get the $2 pay by the day plan but I can't work out how it works. If anyone has used this before can they tell me if I understand correctly. I pay $29 for the sim and then $2 per day of use. When do I pay the $2 per day, upfront or at the end of my holiday. Sorry to be so dim.

Jenny, we purchased the $2 per day sim from Travelgear for one of our phones on our recent trip. If you don't need/want data/internet and you mainly want to call/txt American numbers then it's probably the easiest option for you.

Yes, you pay $29 for the sim and you will pay $2 every day that you "use" the phone. If you have a smartphone make sure you switch off data-roaming on the phone otherwise the phone may "use" the internet every day.

The $2 per day plan is a prepaid plan so the sim must be preloaded with credit before you can use it to make calls and send texts.

When you buy the sim from Travelgear you can specify how much credit you want to have loaded onto the phone. The credit will be used to pay the $2 every day you use the phone. It will also be used if you want to make phone calls home to Australia as you will be charged $1.99 per minute for those.

If you start to run low on your credit while you are away T-Mobile will send you a text message. They include a phone number in the text that you can call to arrange extra credit . There are other ways to add credit too, the Travelgear people send you information about that when they send the sim.

Good luck!
Andona

 

[nikdisney]

Going back through previous posts the whole data bit confuses me. We do not need to be able to access data or the internet on our phones. All I want to be able to do is make and receive phone calls and texts.

I'm the same as JennyN. I have an old iphone 3GS that I wanted to bring to the US and to Canada solely for calls (not to Australia) and texts. I'll use hotel and park wifi for data. Any ideas on what the best plan is?? We leave in less than 3 weeks and it's making my head spin

 

[Sugarglider]

I'm the same as JennyN. I have an old iphone 3GS that I wanted to bring to the US and to Canada solely for calls (not to Australia) and texts. I'll use hotel and park wifi for data. Any ideas on what the best plan is?? We leave in less than 3 weeks and it's making my head spin

have checked out Travel Gear's recommendations on which to buy when? http://www.travelgear.com.au/usa-sim-cards

They also sell AT&T cards for iphones, and they will express post the card to you so 3 weeks is still plenty of time.

 

[patriciaofoz]

My cousins are flying in from Australia for our DW Christmas trip in a couple of weeks and we're going to recommend the T-Mobile SIM Card Kit for them: http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-phone/T-Mobile-Prepaid-SIM-Activation-Kit

We're still researching if it will really work on their Aussie cell phones. I'll let you know if it does.

 

[Andona]

They will. We used prepaid T mobile sims in our Australian phones while we were in the USA this year.

Andona

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[PrincessInOz]

Just FYI. I didn't bother getting a SIM card or shipping it here.


My smart phone is unlocked and I do have International Roaming turned on.

When I got to the US, I headed to an AT&T store and purchased a prepaid Go Plan; the $2 per day. It gives me unlimited talk and text for the entire 24 hour period. As I was going to be there for 9 days, I paid $20 towards the account. The person serving me gave me a choice of about 5 numbers to pick from.

Once I picked the number, I sent a text message with the number back to my loved ones in Oz.

Then we changed over the (micro) SIM cards. AT&T give the sim cards for free.

I had a $2 balance left on my account when I left. I think I can donate that to AT&T for the service.

 

[Beee]

As another option which I don't think anyone else has discussed, I bought t mobile sims from amazon and had them shipped to our hotel. when we get there we'll activate them online. Fingers crossed it'll all work easily, I'll update after we arrive on sunday