I'll be in London for 4 days where my Verizon Wireless phone is useless. Is there a way to rent a phone, maybe even at Heathrow, to use for local calls whilst in London?

Why would you want to rent a mobile phone in this day and age...they're dirt cheap today...read any of the threads on mobile phones...get yourself an unlocked cheap phone on ebay (many of them are brand new) with the European bands (900, 1800)..you can get them for less than $50...get yourself a T Mobile UK sim card for free (read the www.tmobile.uk web site and have the sim cards addressed to your hotel), top up for £5 with the enclosed swipe card, program into the phone the number 077 55 22 22 22 and voila you can call the USA and Canada and Australian landlines for 3p/minute and within the UK for 15p/minute...sure beats most any rental deal but yes it requires a bit of work on your part but well worth it.

Hi M,

As xyz says, there is no sense in renting a cell phone.

Call Verizon and they will send you a phone to use that will work in Europe. You need to call at least a week or two before your trip. They will forward your calls from your cell phone so you will using your own phone #. Have a great trip.

...and you will pay an arm and a leg for that...it will end up costing you 2 or 3 times what it would cost to

1. purchase a cheap phone on ebay

2. get a free t mobile UK sim card

3. Make calls within the UK for 15p/minute

4. Make calls to the USA for 3p/minute...

Yes the verizon solution is a brilliant solution...if money is no object (and in all due respect, if it's a business trip you can charge to the company (not suggesting it is), then go ahead and do that.

Once you have the phone, it's yours forever and forever and the sim card can be maintained easily indefinitely in case you go back to the UK.

Verizon has been my cell provider for the last 5 years and they are the last place I would go for anything out of the ordinary.

I don't know anything about the TMobil phones but i have owned a phone that works only in Europe (NOT USA) that cost me $45.00. the company is MOBAL and you can get to them @ www.MOBAL.com The fees will be especially inexpensive for you as the company is based in the UK. I believe that if you use a US Co, like Verizon or AT&T every call you make from the UK will go back to the USA before getting to the UK destination costing unnecessary $$ - I love my MOBAL phone and service as I only pay for calls made, no monthly fee (Verizon) and I just turn it on as soon as I land in Europe every year.

Do an internet search on the best PAYG deals.

Carphone warehouse do phones that are £10 if you buy £10 top up.

I'm sure there are other deals too.

Okay, please don't hit me, but I'm a complete novice when it comes to cell phones. I've had one less than a year and all I know is how to answer it and how to dial. Apparently my question is so dumb that Mobal doesn't even address it on their website! The question: if I buy a Mobal phone, does it come with a card or do I buy that separately in the U.K.? Thanks.

Yes..it comes with a sim card.

do you mean buy a phone when you get to the uk, or buy a phone before you get to the uk?

IN the UK phones will all come with a sim card.