NE

Hello all,
Just wondering what is the best option for a phone for Switzerland , Paris and the UK. Is an iPhone 4s adaptable to the cell phone service over there?

griz_fan

Depends on your current carrier and if the phone is either unlocked, or can be unlocked. Generally speaking, though... Yes, you should be able to use it just fine. What you will need to do though, in each country, is purchase and install a pay-as-you-go SIM card for each country you visit. These are widely available in the UK, but I'm not sure about the other countries.
In the UK, find a Carphone Warehouse or other mobile phone store, and for about £10-15, you can get a free SIM card and plenty of minutes/txts/data. I've done that on my last 2 trips to the UK with my iPhone 5s, and its worked great. The 4s was the first iPhone to support both GSM and CDMA (previously, it was one or the other) so the hardware is compatible.

NE

Thanks griz_fan . My carrier is Verizon and I will call them to find out . My daughter has a iPhone 5 and I could always take hers if hers is unlocked . I wonder if Switzerland and France have the same type of SIM cards ?

HappyTrvlr

Just went through setting this up. I have iPhone5 but don't think it makes any difference. Verizon will charge you $4.99 per month for Global Plan and then you pay rates listed under each country on their Global chart. They used to charge around $70 for a month of Global coverage so cheaper now. Switch to Roaming when you arrive overseas. Texting is the cheapest option to/ from USA.

Robert2533

Dump Verizon and switch to T-Moble. No roaming fees for (unlimited) data or messaging when traveling and calls are only $0.20/minute (back home and local) and free with the 4S and 5 (WiFi Calling) when used in a WiFi hot spot.

We've experience no problems, but if you want the fastest data service (4G), then you can add it while you're traveling outside of the country.

DebitNM

" free with the 4S and 5 (WiFi Calling) when used in a WiFi hot spot. "

From what I have read, that is not correct. You are still charged for the minutes.

lavandula

You don't necessarily need a different SIM for every country if you have enough minutes because there is capped roaming within Europe (where you would keep the same number and country code as you had in the first country). If you have a SIM such as Lebara they have English-speaking operators who will activate your card and top up with your credit card, or you can top up via internet.

There are PAYG SIMs pretty much everywhere in Europe; in the UK you can get them from convenience stores, and also credits through the same.

Lavandula

Kathie

We switched to T-Mobile before our trip to Paris. Having free unlimited data is fabulous!

Robert2533

What you've read is incorrect unless it was referring to a "pay-as-you-go plan". I've made and received dozens of calls when in a hot spot over the last year while in Ireland, Spain, France and Portugal without any additional charges on my T-Mobile account. With free messaging and data, it makes it rather difficult to beat for anyone traveling outside of the States.

If you need to message someone who doesn't use an iPhone, you can download the "WhatsApp" and use it free for a year. After that it's only $0.99/year.

DebitNM

Read the fine print at the end:
<i>Wi-Fi Calling: Capable phone and Wi-Fi connection required for Wi-Fi Calling; may decrement plan minutes. Most devices will not transition between Wi-Fi and the wireless network. See your selected service for details. Global Coverage: Additional charges apply in excluded destinations; see www.t-mobile.com for included destinations (subject to change at T-Mobile’s discretion). Qualifying postpaid plan and capable device required. Usage taxed in some countries. Voice and text features for direct communications between 2 people. Communications with premium-rate (e.g., 900, entertainment, high-rate helpline) numbers not included and may incur additional charges. Calls over Wi-Fi are $.20/min; texts over Wi-Fi are $.20 each (no charge for Wi-Fi calls or texts to US). Coverage not available in some areas; we are not responsible for the performance of our roaming partners’ networks. Standard speeds approx. 128 Kbps. Not for extended international use; you must reside in the U.S. and primary usage must occur on our U.S. network.</i>


http://how-to.t-mobile.com/wi-fi-cal..._travelers_txt

DebitNM

With some key points bolded:
Wi-Fi Calling: Capable phone and Wi-Fi connection required for Wi-Fi Calling; <b>may decrement plan minutes</b>. Most devices will not transition between Wi-Fi and the wireless network. See your selected service for details. Global Coverage: Additional charges apply in excluded destinations; see www.t-mobile.com for included destinations (subject to change at T-Mobile’s discretion). Qualifying postpaid plan and capable device required. Usage taxed in some countries. Voice and text features for direct communications between 2 people. Communications with premium-rate (e.g., 900, entertainment, high-rate helpline) numbers not included and may incur additional charges. <b>Calls over Wi-Fi are $.20/min; texts over Wi-Fi are $.20 each (no charge for Wi-Fi calls or texts to US). </b>Coverage not available in some areas; we are not responsible for the performance of our roaming partners’ networks. Standard speeds approx. 128 Kbps. Not for extended international use; you must reside in the U.S. and primary usage must occur on our U.S. network.

Robert2533

Don't get hyper, but as I said, it all depends on which plan you have. I have yet to receive any additional charges for local or long distance (international) calls using the iPhone 4S in a WiFi zone, and we do this quite often. It was the same a couple of weeks ago in Vancouver, B.C. My plan includes unlimited calling, messaging and 2.5 GB High-Speed Data for each phone on the plan (4).

The following is from T-Moblie:
T-Mobile Free Wi-Fi Calling gives you unlimited Wi-Fi minutes, unlimited high speed data and when travelling internationally free calls back to the USA – all at no additional cost.

Beat it if you can!

greg

I am posting this from a SBB train off Zurich airport using Samsung Galaxy on t-mobile USA simple choice. As soon as I got off the plane, I turned on my phone and it connected to Swisscom at steady 3G. I get usual msg from tmobile assuring me that the data roaming is included. Unless you make a lot of local calls, the tmobile plan is about the simplest and probably the cheapest especially for those on their plan in the U.S.

griz_fan

I also have Verizon. This is a lot easier than some people make it out to be...

First, ask Verizon to do a travel unlock on your phone. Don't mess around with their Global Plan or other BS, it is just a way for them to squeeze you for more money. If your account is in good standing with Verizon, they will do a travel unlock for your phone. Then, when you arrive, get a free SIM preloaded with £10 in credit. It takes about 5 minutes to install and activate. at that point, you will have a new, local, phone number and probably more minutes/text/and data than you can use.
Now some European mobile providers do offer plans that you can take from country to country. For example, when I'm in the UK, I use a SIM card from Three. For £10, I get more data than I really need, unless I'm staying for more than 2 weeks. Also, http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Phon...ain_hp_rbn1652 Free roaming to France and Switzerland using Three.

T-Mobile is great, but I doubt you want to switch carriers just for your vacation (I seriously considered it myself, but T-Mobile is missing coverage in key areas for me). But again, overkill for what you need. I think Three.co.uk has the perfect solution for you, and their rates are:
3p/min voice
2p/text
1p/MB data

Works great for me when I'm in Europe

NE

Having my phone unlocked and then buying a SIM in Europe would be the easiest solution. We are landing in Zurich first and will be in Lucerne and wengen so I would have to buy the SIM there. UK is our last destination after Paris. Is it a hassle to get the card in Switzerland?

griz_fan

In the past, I've used Google maps and explored around the hotel I was staying at, looking for mobile phone providers. Unfortunately, I'm not that familiar with Switzerland, but hopefully someone can recommend a good mobile phone store for you to look for...

greg

I am in Luzern right now. I used to obtain a SIM card in each country as many mentioned as an old way. I hated it as I had to 1) find a place offering prepaid SIM for people without local address 2) get there during the business hours and 3) possibly wait in long lines until served in every country. In some country, there are only a few offering SIm cards for non residents. So for those who travel only to one easy-to-get-SIM country, getting a local SIM in each country seem to be a good solution, but that is not the case for every country. As for Luzern, I saw several phone stores in old town. BUT even if they offer SIM cards, you have to hit them during the business hours. I arrived just befoe businesses close on Sat at 4pm. I would have had to choose which one store to go. Since this time, I already had a t-mobile plan usable for voice/text/data while my plane was taxing to the Zurich airport terminal, I did not have to make chose a phone store or another kind of store in Luzern. If you miss the 4pm Sat business hour, you have to wait until Monday.

The cheap roaming across Europe applies to voice and text. I have yet seen a card that allows cheap/no roaming DATA plan across Europe.

NE

Got my iPhone unlocked . So once I purchase the pay as you go SIM in Zurich or Lucerne will I need to synch the phone? Can I buy the sim here in the us?

bvlenci

The EU has capped roaming costs within the EU. I would ask your Swiss provider what calls and data will cost you outside of Switzerland, because it's no in the EU, hence has no obligation to offer cheap roaming.

As for data roaming, my Italian provider (TIM) has plans for cheap data roaming within Europe and the USA. The EU wants to do away with inter-EU roaming costs eventually, including data roaming.

greg

bvlenci,
You mentioned several times a TIM plan for cheap data roaming. If the plan is limited to the residents of Italy only, it would not be relevant to most folks in this forum.

I was using internet on my phone today as I travelled from Switzerland to Germany on train. As the train crossed the boarder, the signal changed automatically from Swisscom 3G to t-mobile Germany 3G like magic using my t-mobile USA Simple Choice plan. This, of course, took place at no cost over what I already pay in the U.S. to use my phone at home. It would be difficult for me to go back to the old way of not being able to use data in new country until the train arrives in new city, keep looking for a cellphone store with prepaid data capable SIM available to non-residents, wait in the queue to get serviced, and perhaps having to wait until the next business day as well as perhaps having to memorize yet another SIM card lock PIN.