PDA

View Full Version : international sim cards



kevingalloway
3rd March 2014, 09:00 PM
Has anyone used an international sim card in their phone while travelling overseas?
I am looking at either a lyca or Australia Post Prepaid TravelSIM, neither are cheap but a least I can keep in touch with home.
My plan is to use viber when I have wifi access. I am only away for a week so it is not long term.

thanks Kevin

Agwang
3rd March 2014, 10:47 PM
Are you talking about buying a SIM card overseas and using it there or buying an Australian prepaid travelling SIM card and use it abroad? I would be more cautious if you are contemplating buying an international SIM card (ie SIM card from overseas), as I had this same problem before due to our phone running on different frequency. I travel with "TravelSIM". It is cheap and easy to use

93patrol
3rd March 2014, 11:11 PM
New smart phones are all multi regional so you can buy a pre paid sim overseas and use it. We do when we travel to Ireland for my wife's family. We actually just have a virgin uk one that we pass around the family.

rottodiver
3rd March 2014, 11:16 PM
I know the ones you are talking about..... I use the one from woolworths and have nothing but trouble with it although it has worked sometimes and the cost is very cheap and my mum uses the aussie post one and it seems to work most the time and they are both the same just different logos on them... How they work is , you dial the number from your mobile to whoever you want, then hang up and the phone actually rings you back, it finds the best network and then you chat, I find with mine it never seemed to work in the areas I was in although it did work in that specific country....

Scotty

AB
4th March 2014, 05:40 AM
I just take my phone these days but ensure roaming is turned off otherwise you could be in for a nasty surprise when you get your next bill.

Unless your hiking through the Himalayas Skype is your friend.

Simply tee up rough times with family and friends each day and when you get back to the motel just use their wifi and ring home on Skype.

You can do video chats too and the kids love it!!! Chat for as long as you want!

Best of all it's free!!!

Still keep your phone on for emergencies but Skype is a huge winner these days!

41421


Sent from my iPhone using Motorculture mobile app

threedogs
4th March 2014, 07:34 AM
my mate just buys a cheap pre paid phone,
whenever he goes to the states

rkinsey
4th March 2014, 12:10 PM
G'day Kevin,

Who is your service provider? (Optus, Telstra, Vodafone etc)

Some of the larger providers actually have "Bolt ons" or extra packs that you can purchse and add to your account for overseas roaming. Dodnt have to swap SIM cards and you can still track everything from your account.

Example: The last company I worked for I had a few senior managers that regularly travelled OS and could spand around the $4K mark in a few weeks without blinking. Being with Optus Business we were able to purchase a "Bolton" for his plan and reduce that cost to around $400 for a similar period of time.

It would be worth a conversation with your service provider to see what they can do for you.

Cheers,

Rob

Stropp
4th March 2014, 02:45 PM
where are you going??? if i go to asia i take an old nokia with me and buy a local sim card as it costs next to nothing and you can text etc back to oz.

kevingalloway
4th March 2014, 08:51 PM
thanks for the replies.
going to Europe and looking at buying a travelsim from the post office.
I currently only share a prepaid phone with the wife, so I have bought an unlocked phone and will most likely put in a travelsim.

93patrol
4th March 2014, 09:58 PM
From being in Europe buy a sim over there as they cater for English speakers SIM cards and the prepaid is a lot cheaper and better value over there than what they can offer you here

Rumcajs
4th March 2014, 10:02 PM
I've got one and honestly I wouldn't bother again unless you are traveling a lot around the world often.
Its cheaper to get prepaid sim card at the destination country than use this international one. Still expensive calls, the only advantage is that you have mobile access everywhere and it is probably much cheaper than Tel$tra roaming charges.

Cheers