Rent or buy cheap cell phone in Europe?
Feb 6th, 2007 | 04:33 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
Rent or buy cheap cell phone in Europe?
We'll be travelling to Germany, Benelux, and France in May for 2 weeks. "We" are a party of 4 adults, two kids. I want to get two cell phones (one for each couple) while we are there. There are several places on-line where you can rent cell phones for limited times for European travel. I've also heard you can just buy a cheap phone when in Europe. Any recommendations or experiences re: cell phone rentals or purchases while in Europe? Thanks!
Feb 6th, 2007 | 04:45 AM
#2
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,265
Likes: 0
Buy a pay as you go service and turn on international roaming if you want to buy phones here. Otherwise, just have your US plans add international roaming and make sure you have a tri or quad band phone. Cingular and T-Mobile offer international roaming at about $1 / min or so.
Renting here is a major rip off.
Renting here is a major rip off.
Feb 6th, 2007 | 04:46 AM
#3
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,271
Likes: 0
Renting a cell phone is rarely a good idea...this board reeks with people complaining about receiving $1500 bills for use of a rental phone for a week or two..even if the company delivers as promised, money you throw away on a rental is lost and gone forever...if you buy the phone, you will have it for future visits.
If you click on my name above, you can go back about a week and take my Mobile Phone I course which has 100% accurate information regarding mobile phones in Europe to get some ideas.
To summarize:
1. If you are from America, who is your local carrier? If it's either T Mobile US or Cingular you may already have phones you can use in Europe.
2. How much do you really want to use the phones? Just to stay in touch with an odd call or two or do you want to be totally reachable via the mobile phone 24/7? Would color the recommendations we could give.
When you've taken the Mobile I course, please get back to us with questions so we could advice your further.
If you click on my name above, you can go back about a week and take my Mobile Phone I course which has 100% accurate information regarding mobile phones in Europe to get some ideas.
To summarize:
1. If you are from America, who is your local carrier? If it's either T Mobile US or Cingular you may already have phones you can use in Europe.
2. How much do you really want to use the phones? Just to stay in touch with an odd call or two or do you want to be totally reachable via the mobile phone 24/7? Would color the recommendations we could give.
When you've taken the Mobile I course, please get back to us with questions so we could advice your further.
Feb 6th, 2007 | 05:46 AM
#5
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 19,000
Likes: 0
The said thread is here: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34938935
Feb 6th, 2007 | 09:22 AM
#7
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,203
Likes: 0
Trending Topics
Feb 6th, 2007 | 09:25 AM
#8
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 19,000
Likes: 0
Anyone going to the UK only should go into a www.VirginMobile.co.uk store and ask for the £20 phone. It comes with £5 worth of airtime credit.
Similar deals may be offered in
Germany, smobil.com
France, www.orange.fr
Italy www.tim.it
Similar deals may be offered in
Germany, smobil.com
France, www.orange.fr
Italy www.tim.it
