I'm leaving for Germany in two weeks -- Dresden and Berlin. I've just purchased a tri-band mobile and have decided to use a German SIM (vs. Riiing Global) with Callback World for calls to the states. One last question... Does it matter which SIM card I get? I seem to have to options -- FREE & EASY or T-MOBILE? Is one a better value than the other? Thanks.

T-Mobile has better coverage almost everywhere. It's 900Mhz. Eplus (Free and Easy is 1800Mhz). Coverage is a lot worse, esp. in rural areas. Otherwise they're pretty much the same. Incoming is free, outgoing is extremely expensive so cbworld would be a good solution.

>purchased a tri-band mobile
T-Mobile works on 900Mhz check if your phone has this frequency, otherwise you'll have a SIM card that wont work anywhere in Germany with your phone. ;-)

Thank you for your help. I should have mentioned the phone is 900/1800/1900. I was careful about that... I too was suprised at how expensive outgoing calls are on both. The Riiig Global seems much less expensive. This is so confusing. Just when I thought I was all set!

Outgoing is expensive and most (all) 800- numbers are blocked, but anyway T-Mobile is the better deal if you don't want to buy a riiing sim. You can get FandE from 1€ on ebay, T-Mobile costs a litte more. The cards are illegal, because the are registered to third persons who have no idea they are "involved". Never give your name to customer service, or go use the legal way, which costs more, but gives peace of mind. O2 and Vodafone can also be purcheased, but T-Mobile is best.

Will I have a problem using Call Back World with the T-Mobile SIM?

No problem at all, the number has to be transmitted but this is on by default and is working without problems. At least I never have any . It's more expensive than riiing, but the audio quality is a lot better too!

Thanks so much for your help. After months of research, my mobile phone issues are over. I have an unlocked tri-band in hand -- 900/1800/1900. I've ordered a German T-Mobile SIM card and have signed up with Callbackworld. That should do it. Again, my thanks to all. I would have been lost without the guidance from my friends at Fodors.com.

You might wish to look at enlinea.com for your callback service...they're very similar to callback world their rates are a tad cheaper, nothing to write home about, but they provide you with a free 800 number to ring to your German sim card whereas callback world' service involves an 800 number with a pin.....both are great value as neither requires you to pay anything to sign up and both work very very similarly as a matter of fact, it almost seems as if they use the same lines for the callbacks.

Hi XYZ123, Thanks for the suggestion. I did look into enlina.com. Frankly, I prefered the customer service provided by callbackworld. They were always prompt and helpful with any question I had.

Hi flyer - welcome to Dresden. you'll be here right in time for the Christmas Markets. An excellent time to visit.

By the way, don't you think it would be much cheaper if you would call from public phones or your hotel? Or even let the folks at home call YOU in the hotel? I personally think that the prices for international calls are outrageous on mobile phones.

A last hint: In the rural areas around Dresden (and at some places even downtown) Vodafone has the better coverage.

Ingo....

What you're saying is simply not true anymore if you understand methods we have discussed.

Using a system such as callback world with a German sim reduces calls from a German mobile to the US to something around 30¢/minute US timed in 6 second intervals...it is a little cheaper to use ld cards and public phones pershaps but there are all sorts of hidden surcharges that sometimes apply.

If you use riiing, an international sim card, charges drop to 14¢ US/minute again timed in 6 second intervals and it's very hard to do better...even logos admits callbackworld works very well in Germany!

Callbackworld is working o.k. in Germany. It still is expensive, compared to the 3ct/min to reach german landlines using an eplus Professionel S contract. Such a 24 month contract plus a dialthru provider gives you prices around 5ct German mobile -> US and many other places. So I'm using cbworld mainly on trains or while driving as eplus has poor coverage outside of towns. They clain they have 98% coverage "among the population".

But I think the question is for a temporary visitor as opposed to a contract holder of a mobile line...

The alternatives seem to be ld cards on public phones and hotels, international roaming on your local (assume in this case US) provider, a local german prepaid sim or an international sim such as riiing as this is a travel board.

That being said, in the best of all worlds, if saving every last penny is important and time and convenience is not a big factor, ld cards via hotels and public phones probably are the dirt cheapest. However, in my younger days I have had trouble using public phones in many places in the world (I am quite sure they're efficient in Germany but wonder if the instructions are always in English) and in many parts of the world with the proliferation of mobile phones they are becoming somewhat more difficult to find as almost every 10 year old kid in much of the civilized world now walks around with his or her own mobile phone. Also you just don't know about surcharges in hotels, some charge them some don't, some sabotage access to the access numbers etc. Like I said in the best of all worls, this is probably the cheapest alternative agreed.

Roaming on your home carrier's mobile plan is brutally expensive...it is changing a bit with programmes such as Vodafone Passport but the main US gsm carrier charges $0.99/minute to both make and receive calls while roaming internationally. Some people just want the phone for an extreme emergency, don't really intend to use it much and just want a way to have the babysitter access them away just in case. For those purposes, that is viable too.

Now if you want a way to be reachable 24/7 and be able to sit up in your hotel room at night with your feet up on the table and make and receive calls, or be able to make restaurant reservations when you meet somebody who tells you of a great restaurant, nothing beats a functioning mobile phone.

Depending on your own usages and preferences, you have the choice between a local prepaid sim or an international one. There is a clittle competition and I know there are several new virtual German carriers with very low local rates and of course as with all gsm carriers in Europe the free receiving of calls while in country. But most of them tend to have very high charges for calls outside the home country to the US (with the notable exceptions of Virgin and Orange in the UK) so again we're back to what you want the phone for.....if you're just receiving and intend not to make any calls you can get one of those local sims....and with the free reception of calls, of course that's where callbackworld and/or enlinea come in. Their rates for calls from Germany to the US run something around, as noted, 30¢/minute US timed in 6 second intervals. Not as good as ld cards but not a bad rate at all considering the convenience. If your trip is to one country a good way to go especially if that is the only country you usually visit.

If on the other hand, you will be visiting several countries, riiing becomes a better alterntive. Admitedly it is more expensive using riiing to call local numbers but calls to the US from any of its Western or Central European countries using callbackworld or enlinea is as cheap as it gets, 14¢ or 12¢ per minute US in the noted 6 second intervals. It can be a little bit of a pain to use until you get used to it because of the double callback feature needed but as I have said when I did a trip to Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Austria this past summer with a couple of days in each country, quite frankly it was a god send. I was in total contact with everybody at home for very little money as opposed to having to use T mobile US international roaming or getting a local sim in each country. It happens that I had a local German sim with Vodafone DE so I used that in Germany although I know they're not the cheapest but isn't that the beauty of GSM, I mean take out one sim card and put in another...takes about 10 seconds and voila done...

So it is an individual matter and really depends on what you want to use the phone for but I foresee...

1. The continued lowering of roaming rates as more and more pressure is put on the providers by such entities as the EU (vodafone has already begun that process to a degree but their rates are still a bit high).

2. More and more the idea of one universal number. I'm near to that now as enlinea gave me an 800 US number and I can set up call forwarding on my US mobile to the 800 number and my home line to my mobile so in effect I now have the ability for very little money to have somebody ring my home number in NY and call forward to my US mobile which then callforwards to riiing.

Now I know some people say they're on holiday, who wants to be bothered. And again I say, to each his or her ownl Certainly one size does not fit all but I think people should have all the information to make a decision on just what is best for them.

Ingo, I'm looking very forward to my first trip to Dresden... I'm staying at the Taschenbergpalais and they have been so helpful.. I appreciate your suggestions about the phone. For this trip I really do need to have a mobile in hand. Also, while I agree that the phone card from a landline is often the cheapest way to go, there are hidden charges. I used to use an AT&T World Card for a long time. They offered very low rates; however, there was an additional service charge of 1.25 per call, plus hotels would charge up to 4,00 EURO to dial an 800# -- whether the call was completed or not. Plus, it would only work for calls to the US. I'm willing to give this a try. I'll let you all know how I make made out when I get back. And, now the most impt question, how's the weather?

flyer - the Taschenbergpalais is a wonderful hotel. I am sure you'll enjoy your stay.

At the moment the weather is unusually mild and sunny for Nov. However, according to the forecast it will get colder from middle of next week on ... it seems that the nearby mountains will get a little snow ... exactly right for Christmas feeling I expect temps around 35 - 40 F in Dresden next weekend and a few showers (rain, no snow). When exactly will you leave? I can post here on this thread a day or two before that day if it helps with packing.

I am sure the Taschenbergpalais does NOT charge such a hefty fee for 00800 - numbers. But anyway, check out what you plan and please let us know how it worked!

Ingo

Thanks Ingo, I'm leaving on Wed, 24 Nov... On the matter of the phones, given my "technical skills" I may end up with a phone card making calls to the states from the hotel anyway... That said, I still need to have a mobile in hand this trip. Again, my thanks to everyone. Flyer-

I'll post here on Nov 21/22. Hope this is not too late for possible corrections with packing ...

Ingo, That would be fabulous! Thank you so much.

I promised to post a sort of weather forecast and here it is:

At the moment it is slightly below 0 Celsius at night and over 0 C in the afternoon. No snow on the ground ... drizzling. In the mountains south of Dresden we have about 1 - 2 ft. snow.

According to the weather forecast it is going to become a little colder. Probably freezing and a bit snow also in the cities. At least till Monday.

At the moment it doesn't look like it would get warmer. So bring warm clothes!