Originally Posted by fsotirop (Post 44619)

Piranha is at the moment the best possible option for a decent travelsim card

Originally Posted by MBK (Post 44622)

If anyone knows of a better worldwide option where I never have to use more than the same 2 SIMs (dual sim phone), I am always interested. Unfortunately, Piranha comes out too expensive.

Originally Posted by MBK (Post 44622)

I don't see this, and I have been looking at it seriously for a long time.

I am always looking for other options, but as far as I can see the best possible worldwide option is a Travelsim line of SIM (Onesimcard, Travelsim, Airbaltic card,...) with an Iphone/Android callback dialer (free incoming in 154 countires, 0.09£ to call you.)

As for Europe & USA, Piranha is a lot more expensive than Toggle (I.ex France: Landline 0.09£ vs 0.03£, Mobile 0.11£ vs 0.09£). Furthermore, Pirhana charges for incoming calls which are free with Toggle and serveral other SIMs. France 0.04£, Germany 0.05£ for incoming calls. Germany is even more expensive with Piranha (0.14£ Mobile).

And look at Switzerland! : Mobile 0.30£, Landline 0.13£, Incoming 0.09£ (with Toggle always the same 0.03£, 0.09£ and free incoming).

Next month I'll be in Thailand: Piranha incoming 0.12£/min, free with Toggle for a 0.19£ flat rate per call (and of course always free with the Travelsim line of SIMs).


Piranha is perhaps good in some limited cases, and data rates seem good. But for general use, imho:

Best EU & US: Toggle mobile.
Best general worldwide: Travelsim line of SIM + iphone/android callback dialer.

I have been using both in my dual SIM phone, daily and exclusively; and never had the need to use any other SIM for the past year. There's nothing cheaper if you don't want to juggle with local sims (and Toggle is even cheaper than local sims in some countries).

If anyone knows of a better worldwide option where I never have to use more than the same 2 SIMs (dual sim phone), I am always interested. Unfortunately, Piranha comes out too expensive.

Originally Posted by kctopitz (Post 44625)

Good point, MBK. It's obvious though that you're someone who prefers keeping in touch by voice. Personally, when I'm traveling, I almost never make calls and data access (for email, but also SMS through 3rd party providers) is what I need most. So if I had a dual-SIM phone, I think I'd be using Piranha and one of the SIMs you mention for voice. Unfortunately the "activity every 90 days" requirement is a big turn off since I predominantly use a local SIM.

Originally Posted by MBK (Post 44633)

Yes, you are right. The 90 days Toggle requirement is not a problem for me as I am regularly in the Toggle countries.

I try to limit my data use to WIFI. On the go, the Toggle and Travelsims cost less than 1 cent to trigger the callbacks and when I really need data on the go I also plug a local SIM. (if I really need data on the go the only option is a data plan, Piranha here once more isn't really useful as it comes out too expensive again).

If I didn't have the Toggle SIM, I would use a local SIM + the Travelism in the dual sim phone for the worldwide free incoming calls and call forwarding.

Originally Posted by gkeeper (Post 44627)

Sorry i have to agree with fsotirop, i do not know where you are getting your info from but it is clearly wrong,

Originally Posted by gkeeper (Post 44627)

1. Toggle have great rates i agree and i use one myself, but they are limited to 13 countries, as soon as you go outside of those countries you are paying a lot more,

Originally Posted by gkeeper (Post 44627)

for instance outside of the Toggle countries but still in EU,
example Austria.

Toggle charge
Making calls 0.23£/min
Receiving calls 0.19£
Send SMS 0.07£
Data 0.67£ per Mb

Piranha charge
Making calls 0.09£/min call-back or 0.12 direct dial
Receiving calls 0.04£
Send SMS 0.09£
Data 0.10£ per Mb

Originally Posted by gkeeper (Post 44627)

2. outside of the EU toggle is very expensive for instance Thailand.

Toggle charge
Making calls 1.64£/min
Receiving calls 0.19£
Send SMS 0.48£
Data 1.34£ per Mb

Piranha charge
Making calls 0.32£/min direct dial
Receiving calls 0.12£
Send SMS 0.20£
Data 0.20£ per Mb

Originally Posted by gkeeper (Post 44627)

big difference and don't even think of making a local call on Toggle in Thailand, not at 2.35£ per min and looking at Piranhas rates for local its 0.33£,

Originally Posted by gkeeper (Post 44627)

and to receive a call in Germany is 0.05£ and not 0.14£ as you have stated.

Originally Posted by gkeeper (Post 44627)

3. Travelsim/Onesim/Airbaltic may have free incoming but they use high termination rate numbers which are very expensive for the caller to call. Its great if you don't mind your friends and family picking up a very large bill.

Originally Posted by MBK (Post 44635)

No, it's not. :D



This is why I said I am using a dual SIM phone: Toggle for Toggle countries (where I am often) and Travelsim for worldwide coverage.

And both SIMs are used with iphone/android callback.




No, Austria is free (0.00£) to receive calls with Toggle.

So as I use callback I call 50+ countries landlines for free & cheapest worldwide mobile rates from Austria using the Toggle SIM.

The same goes for the 20 countries where Toggle has free incoming.

Then I pay 0.19£ per call (no minute charge) in the 16 other countries where Toggle charges 0.19£ per incoming call, or 0.09£/min with the Travelsim.

All of the other countries where it is more expensive, are more expensive with Piranha also; this means Piranha is of absolutely no use to me.



Again, here Toggle charges 0.19£ per incoming call (no minute charge), this means I call 50+ countries landlines for free and the cheapest possible rates to Mobiles worldwide with betamax callback.

Or I can use the Travelsim: 0.09£/min callback.

Piranha is more expensive even with callback because they charge so much for incoming calls.

The only good point for Piranha is the cheaper data, but then if you really want to use data properly 0.20£/Mb is again too expensive. The only viable option is a data plan and this means a local SIM (or perhaps the new T-Mobile, AT&T, Vodafone, etc... world data plans. Anyway, Piranha is a gain out of the window).



With Toggle: 0.19£ per incoming call (no minute charge) + callback for local call to Thailand = free (no per minute charge) to Thai Landlines & Mobiles but 0.19£ one time charge to setup the incoming call on Toggle.

Or again: 0.09£/min to call Thailand with callback on Travelsim.

Piranha is 0.33£/min? -> Out of the window.


This is what I said:

"France 0.04£, Germany 0.05£ for incoming calls. Germany is even more expensive with Piranha (0.14£ Mobile)."

0.14£ to call German mobile phones with Piranha which is more expensive.




Many Telecom providers in Europe are offering plans with free calling to EU : the +372 Estonian number is an EU call. So, free to call if you have such a plan. (example, contacts in Switzerland using Swisscom call me for free on the +372).

Otherwise, today everyone has internet at home and so everyone tends to be using SIP calling for telephone calls (even the telecom providers are offering home internet + phone bundles and these phones connected to internet routers are SIP calls).

This means, today people are using SIP phones at home. So, they add a cheap SIP provider in their phone settings and it costs them 0.09£ to call me on the Travelsim (and they also have all of the other advantages : 50+ countries free landline calls and cheapest mobile calls worldwide).


Those who don't have internet at home or those who don't have an EU calling plan can call a local landline number.

And those who don't want to do anything to call cheaper and prefer to call with an expensive provider, that's their choice.