Yet another international cell phone question!
 

Our daughter will be travelling (mostly solo) in Europe for 5 weeks this summer and before she goes her dad and me want her equipped with a cellphone.

I want a simple solution (one international cell and one SIM card with one phone number) so am leaning to an international cell phone package and have looked at two providers - Cellular Abroad and Telestial.

Has anyone purchased an "international cell package" from either of these companies and if so, can you please give me some feedback on your experience.

Thanks everyone!

No, and I don't know what they charge - but we did buy through www.mobal.com and love our phone. We have used it on several international trips and we're taking it with us again this week.

Sorry - I know off your point, but at least it topped your post!

Telestial right now seems to have a good deal that I haven't hurt anything bad about called ekit dual sim.....Not terribly expensive.....$20 for the sim card with $10 credit (although shipping fees increase the cost)...

It is the newest type international card. Some of the isle of man providers are developing a similar product.

Basically you get a sim card which has both a US(+1) and British (+44) number and can be reached via either one. Assuming you're from the USA, calling your daughter while she is in almost anyplace in Europe west of Russia via the US number will cost 19¢...if anybody calls via the UK (+44) number, receiving the call is free for her although the caller pays for a call to a +44 number.

It seems to be getting good reports on www.prepaidgsm.net

Mobal has ridiculously high prices for calls.

The other alternative if she is starting in the UK is to pick up a British sim card. The competition is so great there the telcoms are giving the cards away. Vodafone UK through the end of the summer at least has a promotion where they charge no roaming rates at all throughout all of Europe east of Russia. I'm n ot sure the promotion will continue after the end of the summer but right now at least until then is very simple to acquire for free, set uop and use.

Thanks much! We need to get a phone with all the requisite specifications for working in Europe - so I thought either purchasing or renting a phone "package" through Cellular Abroad or Telestial. Does anyone know about these two providers and has anyone had any experience with purchasing/renting their "international cell phone packages". Trying to keep this transaction as seamless as possible.

You really don't want to rent a phone...they're dirt cheap well maybe just cheap today....telestial has some deals on phones....they are trustworthy enougth...or you can buy an inexpensive gsm phone on ebay...you just have to make sure whatever phone you get has at least the 900 mhz band or 1800 mhz band (preferably both)...if it's a gsm phone and has these frequencies, it will work all through Europe.

Hi xyz123! Thanks so much for your feedback and knowledge! Really appreciate hearing from the experts. I kind of had a feeling about the rental option, so we will buy a cell phone package - haven't decided which provider yet. I do know that Cellular Abroad offers an international cell phone package for about $200. It comes with everything she will need - a new "Duet" GSM phone, quad band, a SIM card that will work everywhere she travels (no need to buy SIM cards for each country), one UK phone number which will be the only cell number while she's away in Europe for 5 weeks. We're in Canada, so the costs will be slightly higher - but the simplicity, ease and reliability of going this route is worth it!