Europe Help

[Inaki]

Hi everyone. I was wondering if you could help me out. I'm going to Europe for a year on a tour, we'll be in different countries for weeks at a time, and pretty much everywhere in Europe, from the UK to Latvia. Currently I have Sprint in the US, which kills me if I take it overseas.

I want a phone number I can use in all of Europe, because of work and family changing numbers every couple of weeks is too cumbersome.

I've looked at MaxRoam, United Mobile and GeoSim and have gotten different reviews. UM apparently charges a bunch of hidden fees, and the other two charge for incoming calls. I've also been referred to Vodafone a lot, where I'd have to get a Passport service to get better roaming rates, but end up paying about £50/month.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Hi Inaki,

you may take a closer look at SIM4travel - Global roaming SIM cards - the international mobile SIM card

I use it as back up solution and it worked until today without problems.

[Inaki]

So this is a callback system right? You call, they call back?

[snidely]

Inaki -
Welcome to another new member.

1. The carriers you mention that charge for incoming calls actually, in most cases turn out to be cheaper. Since you can get a local U.S. number, there is no extra charge on your family's end. Calling an Estonian number used by some providers costs 40-50 cents/min. An Isle of Mann number, over 30 cents in most cases. UM +423 number can be 40-70 cents. Some LD carriers block calls to +423, a few block to +372. I don't think anyone blocks calls to +44 numbers.
2. Most (all?) intl. cards use a callback type process to make outgoing calls. In simple terms you dial the number you want as usual, then "hang up". In a few seconds your phone rings and you hear the phone ringing of the person you called. Nobody, physically, calls you back.

...mie

[MrEd]

Inaki

I'm not sure which "review" you looked at but GeoSIM does NOT charge for incoming calls in Europe. Check here www.globalsimcard.co.uk/calls_and_coverage.php

Nor do you have to "Hang up" when you make a call. You just dial and the system does the rest and calls back within a few seconds.

[snidely]

Originally Posted by MrEd

Inaki

Nor do you have to "Hang up" when you make a call. You just dial and the system does the rest and calls back within a few seconds.

I was "mostly" in error. The callback on most carriers is now virtually transparent to the user unless you use an antique phone (like me)?

...mike

[olev_p]

Originally Posted by snidely

Inaki -

Calling an Estonian number used by some providers costs 40-50 cents/min. An Isle of Mann number, over 30 cents in most cases. UM +423 number can be 40-70 cents. Some LD carriers block calls to +423, a few block to +372. I don't think anyone blocks calls to +44 numbers.

In my expirience better price/quality to Estonian mobile can be found via Skype, reasons:
1. Good quality (they have direct conection to Estonia) - success rate is perfect, unlike other voip providers who sometimes offer worster succes rate.
2. Estonia Mobile just € 0.23 excl vat - normal price for me.

unfortunately I can not say anything about qulity to +423 ( I never call to these numbers via Skype ) and rate to +423 via Skype is huge too: Liechtenstein Mobile € 0.40 excl vat

[snidely]

Originally Posted by olev_p

In my expirience better price/quality to Estonian mobile can be found via Skype, reasons:
1. Good quality (they have direct conection to Estonia) - success rate is perfect, unlike other voip providers who sometimes offer worster succes rate.
2. Estonia Mobile just € 0.23 excl vat - normal price for me.

unfortunately I can not say anything about qulity to +423 ( I never call to these numbers via Skype ) and rate to +423 via Skype is huge too: Liechtenstein Mobile € 0.40 excl vat

Business users who travel and need to be in ready contact by home, office and clients need to be easily reachable - preferably via local number. If thet use an intl card that doesn't provide local numbers, then a workaround can be a forwarding service. Voicestick.com works well and their rates are reasonable. Most businesses, tho, would opt to simply forward the traveler's home based phone line.
Does Skype allow for forwarding to intl. numbers - assuming you have a balance in your acct.? Does Skype provide non-U.S. numbers?

...mike

[snidely]

I just went to the Skype site. It says you can call forward at the same regular call rates as dialing direct. Has anyone here used it to forward overseas and to an intl. SIM in particular? I have used Voicestick in the past along w. my (now discontinued) VOIP provider. Voicestick was good but not perfect in connecting. Voice quality was good.

...mike