I have an unlocked quad band phone. I had the United-Mobile SIM card and loved it - it worked in all European countries, didn't expire as long as you made one call every nine months, incoming calls were free, it had a UK phone number so my family could call it from the US for pennies. It was great. Then they went bankrupt. Grrrrrr. I replaced it with a One-Sim card but the phone number is in Latvia or someplace so even though incoming calls are free for the sim card, calls from the US cost five times as much to the home phone. They do have an 800 number you can use but then the person in the US is doing a lot of dialing and it can be confusing. Also, making calls requires a call back procedure.

So, it's workable but I was wondering if anyone knew of something more like the United-Mobile sim: simple to use to make calls while traveling, and with a phone number in one the major western Europe countries.

Thanks

Check out www.telestial.com. I just bought another phone from them with a sim card for many countries. They sell the sim card only. I have the Passport US sim card.

I have that one, too, and I like how I don't have to pay for incoming calls in some countries.

I can keep my (UK) phone number so long as I use the phone every 15 months.

I use : http://www.onesimcard.com/ price is right and the service so far has been good in Australia, NZ, Asia, Europe, China and Japan. Will be finding out how it does in Egypt next month.

I was considering the telestial sim so glad to know some of you like it. It says there is a .35 connection fee. Does that mean that each time you make a call it costs 35 cents plus 49 cents a minute? What about calling another UK number? What does that cost? And does the 35 cents connection fee apply to incoming calls or only when you make a call?

Joanne - I currently have the onesim, I'm trying to get something better. It costs my home phone something around 70 cents a minute to call it - or you have to remember to dial the 800 number. That's not so bad but it seems really complicated to make calls. For my next trip I'll be using my phone frequently to call a UK cell phone so I need something cheap and easy (if possible).

I have never noticed the 35 cents fee, but I would not have known if it was talking time or the fee. It does not apply to incoming calls. All the countries where I travel have free incoming calls. My husband calls me 2-4 times every day while I am way, so this is a big plus for me.

sThe same cards are available for a fraction of the price on ebay....click on my name, go back several threads and you will find a link for a USA simple card $9 + $3 shipping with $10 credit.

i bought a card from truphone in the UK - it's a little pricier ot start but there's customer support 24/7 and it never expires.

if oyu have a smartphone you can actually download the Voiceover IP app and call free.
(Like skype)

oops

http://www.truphone.com/