I have a verizon iphone that i am going to use in greece this summer for a month. I know that if i want to buy and use a sim card there then i have to get verizon to unlock my phone. My question is when i use the sim card how am i going to call and text to america. will i have a new number? will i have to use a certain area code? I dont know how this works. I plan on texting my fiance the entire time i am in greece (money is not a concern) and calling at least once a day. so can someone help me out and give me some advice as to how this works? thank you!
Verizon Iphone used in greece with a sim card there
Recent Activity
View all Europe activity »
- 1 Barcelona + Venice Honeymoon in June
- 2
A bit of Scotland, wing mirror casualty, 7 days in London, and a Fodors GTG
- 3 London at Xmas
- 4
UK Trip, Final Chapter
- 5 Barcelona neighborhoods and hotels
- 6 Berchtesgaden & Salzburg
- 7 See northern lights,end of 2013: Norway/Sweden/Finland
- 8 Travel to Italy with kids...where to stay
- 9 Hotel question...first time to Paris!
- 10 BRITISH ISLES---GLOBUS TOURS
- 11 Motor Home North Italy Route Suggestions
- 12 Day trip from The Hague to Brussels or Bruges - possible?
- 13 Discount retail liquor stores - Barcelona or Madrid, Spain areas
- 14 Club Quarters near Trafalgar Square
- 15 Scavi -- Photocopy of ID Sufficient?
- 16 Barcelona - eat, drink, dance.
- 17 Normandy on our own?
- 18 Traveling to the Netherlands with my 10 year old daughter
- 19 Train from Barcelona to Figueras, and Figueras to Perpignan
- 20 Comfortable shoes to wear in Italy this summer and not look like a tourist
- 21 France by rail or car?
- 22 Wife's first trip to Europe. Set on Paris & Rome, Need 3rd destination?
- 23 Venice - Verona - Padova - Vienna Trip Report
- 24
My First Trip to Provence and Paris...Loved!!!
- 25
Paris May 23, 2013. What should I wear in Paris?
If you buy a SIM card in Greece you will have a new number. Cosmote and Vodafone are the two biggest carriers in Greece, and SIMs can be bought in Germanos and other electrical shops. You will pay an initial small charge for the card, and then top up with additional minutes. When you buy the SIM ask the store clerk to help you set it up, as the instructions will be in Greek.
These links may be of help:
http://www.vodafone.gr/portal/client/cms/viewCmsPage.action?pageId=1040&request_locale=en
http://www.cosmote.gr/cosmoportal/page/T13_20/section/Prepaid/loc/en_US
Candace60,
I dont think verizon (USA) is going to unlock your phone, and then allow you to use inexpensive prepaid SIM cards purchased in Europe!
More than likely, your phone will be *allowed* to operate on European network, using Verizon-provided SIM cards, and you will pay Verizon roaming rates on voice, text, and data.
You write "money is not a concern" and "calling at least once a day".
Are you prepared for a phone bill of several *thousand* US$ ?
You'd better contact Verizon customer service, if you want to go that route.
Alternatively, there are independent services that will "jailbreak" and "unlock" your iphone, then you *could* use the prepaid SIM that Heimdall references.
However, there are some risks with that, too. Internet search for "jailbreak iphone".
Note the iphone uses a very tiny "micro SIM" card, I don't know how common those are in europe. Most prepaid phones are still using the standard size SIM.
When you get to Greece you can buy a cheap mobile phone for under €50. The Germanos stores sell the phones and they will activate it for you and sell you the appropriate SIM and minutes.
Follow this blog from CDNet.
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/cell-phones/international-travelers-here-is-how-to-sim-unlock-your-verizon-apple-iphone-4s/6712
Verizon also has some good information to follow on their website and also provides numbers for a "Global expert" to answer specific questions. There are also several iphone apps that allow you to use free VOIP over wifi for voice and text.
(Viber is an example)
I'm assuming you have an iPhone 4S, because I understand the older Verizon iPhones are CDMA only. If Verizon will unlock the phone for you, go ahead and buy a SIM in Greece. The iPhone is very popular in Europe (which has always been ahead of the US in mobile telephony anyway). I know microSIMs are available in Greece on monthly contracts, but can't swear you can get a prepaid one. I do know that Cosmote sells prepaid data microSIMs for the iPad 3G.
If that doesn't work, take brotherleelove's suggestion and buy a cheap mobile and prepaid SIM. Turn off data roaming on your iPhone, and use it for wifi only. If you have a Skype app you can make calls from wifi hotspots, and there are lots of free ones all over Greece.